good 14er to take people on?

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
    For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
User avatar
trektheworld
Posts: 74
Joined: 11/30/2012
14ers: 26 
Trip Reports (0)
 

good 14er to take people on?

Post by trektheworld »

I have some friends who want to do a 14er as a group together and they wanted to do Long's since we all live in Boulder county. Since I've done that peak and know it's a long slog - I was wanting to take this group on a more fun route and I've been wanting to do a 1st 14er for me in the Sangres. I have been looking at the routes for the peaks down there and thought I might have it narrowed down to Humboldt - west ridge as a good one for scenery and access.

my question is - if we wanted to free car camp somewhere near the trailhead the night before and will be taking 1 SUV and one passenger car - does getting to the upper trailhead for Humboldt require a high clearance vehicle? Is this a good peak in the Sangres or should I be looking elsewhere?
User avatar
huffy13
Posts: 1051
Joined: 8/2/2007
14ers: 22 
13ers: 8
Trip Reports (30)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by huffy13 »

Humboldt is a great Sangre hike. You will want to have a vehicle with good clearance to get to the trailhead. There is a parking area about 2-3 miles before the trailhead, but after an already long hike, that extra mileage would be pretty rough. I made it fairly easily to the trailhead in a stock 2wd Chevy shortwide pickup. Camping shouldn't be an issue. Seems like there were several parking spots a the TH, but you will want to get there early in the afternoon if you are doing this on a weekend. A buddy and I got to the TH late in the afternoon (around 4-5 pm) and the actual TH parking was pretty full, so we ended up taking one of the tent sites just a couple hundred yards back down the road. Humboldt is one of my favorite 14ers so far. Awesome hike and, you are right, scenery is great.
Seems like the times that I need a mountain the most are the times that I can not get to them.
User avatar
Somewhat of a Prick
Posts: 745
Joined: 8/4/2012
14ers: 58  7 
13ers: 84
Trip Reports (17)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by Somewhat of a Prick »

I thought South Colony road was awful, and I was glad I had my Xterra.
peter303
Posts: 3535
Joined: 6/17/2009
14ers: 34 
13ers: 12
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by peter303 »

Most of the Sangres have rough driving approaches. Or you walk them instead with an overnigh campt.

Its can be fun to work in a nearby Great Sand Dunes camping night with a Sangres trip.

The mountains just south of Leadville have easy driving approaches and camping areas. I'fd recommend either Elbert or Huron there.
User avatar
nyker
Posts: 3231
Joined: 12/5/2007
14ers: 58 
13ers: 25
Trip Reports (69)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by nyker »

Humboldt is a nice hike, but long from where a 2wd car can park. Depending on the fitness and motivation of your friends, you might wish to split this into an overnighter, camping around the lakes higher up. It makes a nice overnighter and you get a chance to see lots of wildlife. That road is rough.

Having just done Culebra, I'd actually recommend that climb, especially as a group hike. You need to pay the fee per person, but you can all camp at the gate the night before, its an easy walkup and makes for a collegial daytrip.

You might want to look into Challenger from Willow Lakes. Nice hike up, awesome basin to camp in and bonus peak of Kit Carson for those willing to climb more for a longer day. Just pay attention to the route on Kit Carson...

See my trip reports on each above peak for some details:

Culebra
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... m=tripuser" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kit Carson, Challenger
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... m=tripuser" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Humboldt
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... m=tripuser" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
highpilgrim
Posts: 3186
Joined: 3/14/2008
14ers: 58 
13ers: 84 1
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by highpilgrim »

nyker wrote:You might want to look into Challenger from Willow Lakes. Nice hike up, awesome basin to camp in and bonus peak of Kit Carson for those willing to climb more for a longer day.
Willow Lake and the hikes from there are very scenic and less traveled than South Colony. And the trailhead is easier to get to as well. Of course Challenger is more demanding than Humboldt but other than that, highly recommended.
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
Hunter S Thompson

Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
User avatar
huffy13
Posts: 1051
Joined: 8/2/2007
14ers: 22 
13ers: 8
Trip Reports (30)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by huffy13 »

I just noticed that you mentioned a passenger car and an SUV....if you do choose Humboldt, I would leave the car at the lower TH and take the SUV to the gate at the end of the road. The car will not do well on the road beyond the lower TH, the SUV, as long as it has decent clearance, should be better able to handle the road. Just go slow.
Seems like the times that I need a mountain the most are the times that I can not get to them.
User avatar
BKS
Posts: 426
Joined: 1/30/2009
14ers: 58  5  1 
13ers: 54 7 3
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by BKS »

I was just on the road yesterday... its gotten worse. I did get a 2wd pickup with good clearance up to 4wd trailhead, but its requires some skill driving. It is considered an easy 4wd road. In current conditions clearance is bigger issue than traction.
User avatar
trektheworld
Posts: 74
Joined: 11/30/2012
14ers: 26 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by trektheworld »

How about Mt. of the Holy Cross? It's a shorter drive from Longmont (2 instead of 3 hrs) and there is car camping near the trailhead, correct?
bob863
Posts: 505
Joined: 8/22/2006
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by bob863 »

Hate to say it, but Pike's Peak from the Crags TH might be a consideration???
User avatar
trektheworld
Posts: 74
Joined: 11/30/2012
14ers: 26 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by trektheworld »

Also - how tough is the 4wd road to get to the Mt. Lindsey trailhead? I should have mentioned before that I have a Honda Element i'll be driving - not incredible clearance - but it's done some gnarly stuff before.
User avatar
Pops921
Posts: 116
Joined: 6/6/2011
14ers: 37 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: good 14er to take people on?

Post by Pops921 »

Holy Cross has camping at the trail head. However it is a big one day hike. Most guide books suggest allowing ~12 hours, but fit focused hikers can do it in 8-9 hours. Either way you need to leave early or make it in to two days.
Not as young as I once was and not as old as I want to be.
Post Reply