Mt. of the Holy Cross Trip Report 06/26/2012

Peak(s):	Mt. of the Holy Cross - 14,007 feet
Date Posted:	06/26/2012
Modified:	06/27/2012
Date Climbed:	06/25/2012
Author:	James Scott

Halo Ridge
Holy Cross- Halo Ridge ascent, standard descent Matt, James Start time- 5:35 AM Summit Time- 10:50-11:20 Trailhead- 2:50 PM I've had my eye on the Halo Ridge for a couple years. The route always looked interesting in the pictures, and I really wanted to see the cross couloir, which I didn't see on the standard climb a few years back. Then a friend of mine loaned me a book called "Colorado 14er Disasters," which I highly recommend. Most of the stories revolve around winter and snow, which I found very reassuring. My wife and I have an unspoken agreement- I don't climb during winter and avalanche season, and I'm allowed to climb solo in the summertime. I don't want to dwell on the story, but the final section of "Colorado 14er Disasters" tells the story of Michelle Vanek, who died in a summer attempt of Holy Cross. There were many mistakes that lead to her disappearance, and I learned a great deal from the account. I don't want to show a lack of respect, so I won't go into details here, but Michelle's story was heavy on my mind the whole climb. Partly it was interest in the details of what went wrong, but the story is so tragic and so sad. Part 1- Trailhead to Notch Mountain Shelter Matt and I met up at a nearby campsite, and got a 5:35 start. My hope was to make quick work of the first five or so miles up to the shelter- it would be the fastest track of the day. To my surprise, it was a far more rewarding intro section than I had expected. The trail is certainly very fast. Church congregations have gathered at the shelter, so I assumed the trail would have been developed with that in mind, and would be mostly forgiving. It was. You definitely gain some elevation, but the many switchbacks assure that there's nothing too steep or grinding. There's also far more eye candy than I expected- Matt and I are usually more businesslike at this point, but today we felt like a couple of blubber butt Kansas City tourists. "Stop- quick picture!" Still, we made the shelter just before 8:00 AM, which put us in good position for the day. We considered nipping over to Notch Mountain, but with the entire Halo Ridge looming, we decided better of it. Sun first peaks over horizon, kicking a solar field goal between two trees It's good! An opening reveals a beautiful valley Mountains spread out in layers behind a solitary tree A beautiful meadow- worth getting up for right here Trail through the meadow- peaceful in the early morning flower in the front, distant lake in the back- take that Ansel Adams Typical terrain during the many switchbacks gaining the ridge Part 2- Notch Mountain Shelter It always kills me how a physical landmark can get into your mind even though you've seen a million pictures of it. The Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower were both that way for me- I already knew exactly what they look like- I've seen pictures and trinkets and lego versions for years. But when I got there, they both just held me in place- I could have looked at them for hours, and I probably still can. Uncompaghre had that effect on me as well. Obviously with the set up, the Cross Couloir had that kind of effect on me. It was powerful. I was immediately reminded of the legend of the Spanish priests who were lost and prayed, just before seeing the cross. Religious or not, this is an incredible landmark- everyone should hike to this spot to experience it. We stayed for a good 25 minutes taking pictures, oogling, and snacking. The Halo Ridge quickly got our attention as well- it stretches way around Holy Cross, and it would obviously take some time. I didn't want to leave, but you can only stare so long and take so many pictures before duty calls. I hope I return to this spot someday. First look at Notch Shelter- time for church! Money shot- Cross Couloir reveals itself Holy Cross with the second half of the Halo Ridge The first half of Halo Ridge I loved this view- like seven layer dip, only with mountains Part 3- The Halo Ridge There are three distinct humps on the Halo Ridge- Point 13,248 (a ranked 13er), Point 13,373, and Point 13,831, before eventually reaching The Mount of the Holy Cross. You circle all the way around Holy Cross, so the result is that if you ascent Halo Ridge and descend the standard route, you effectively circumnavigate the entire mountain. Right from the start, there was no real path- the story of the ridge is rock hopping. There are a few places, especially on saddles, where there is more of a social trail beaten into some tundra, but rocks make up probably 90% of the route. I enjoyed this right out of the gate- the views were breathtaking, the route was interesting with a bit of route finding and exposure while remaining solid class 2. I was suppressing a huge smile for the most part. There are spider webs build between rocks throughout the route, with huge spiders. We joked that Aragog would be making an appearance before long. We gained the first hump- Point 13,248 in quick time, and spilled onto a brief meadow. The second hump- Point 13,373, looked more imposing, but it was still quick and fun getting up it- a few cairns mixed in here and there, but basically pick your line and watch out for unsteady rocks. From afar, the third hump- Point 13,831 looked less imposing than the second hump, but there is a lot more up and down, hidden saddles to drop down to before regaining elevation. We finally topped out over its high point, and for the first time, began to get impatient with the up and down and many rocks. Route finding is pretty straight; you have choices in the short term, gaining ridges, choosing lines. In the long term, the ridge always filters you to a choked saddle that you have to pass, section to section. Approaching the second hump On the second hump, with the third hump and Holy Cross behind Approaching the third hump Summit push- on the Holy Cross shoulder For me, the best part of the Halo Ridge was the view- first of The Mount of the Holy Cross as you circle around, but better was the Bowl of Tears, the lake just at the bottom of the Cross Couloir. Just a lake, right? I couldn't stop staring at it- the color seemed unique- a deeper blue than I'm used to seeing in a lake- and it seemed so tranquil. It struck me that at some point it would be worth a day to hike to the lake and sit with a picnic on its edge. Here are some shots of the Bowl as I circled above. Bowl of Tears- first look Bowl of Tears under Holy Cross Bowl of Tears- couldn't take my eyes off it Bowl of Tears from above one of the many couloirs on Halo Ridge Bowl of Tears from final saddle under the shelter Part 3- Summit and Descent After passing the final saddle- the point that Michelle Vanek was last seen- we took the final summit push. It sneaks up suddenly, and we were rewarded with some amazing sights. This was Matt's Sawatch finisher, so there was a celebratory feel in the air as we dropped down to eat lunch over the basin we just circled. Across the way, we could see the Notch Mountain shelter, where we first came up to the ridge, and we followed our way around. It was very hot- we found out later that Denver hit 105 degrees on this day, and you could feel it at 14,005 feet. The clouds were not forming, just floating around, so we took our time, laughed, ate, hydrated with a stout, before eventually making our way. Matt, happy, enjoying lunch and his Sawatch finisher! Not a bad lunchtime view Summit shot- it never gets old on the top The route down was mind numbing. I did the standard route a few years back so I should have been prepared, but we were so focused on the 970 feet of gain, we didn't really consider the long drop to the creek. It was a forever descent. The mosquitoes were discouraging any real rest, thick as thieves. I ran out of water, so I took some from the river and added purification pills. Just about the time we began to feel that "How long till we get there" frustration, we looked back, and the view from this side was almost as picturesque as from the other side. More tourist photos. How long till my water is done? How long till the pass? Where are those Gatorade powder packets? More tourist photos. My feet are just about done. I don't know of any other 14ers that allow you the chance to view the mountain from as many points in a complete circle around it (Longs from the very top, but too close for what I mean). I really enjoyed that aspect of the day, and recommend it highly. Holy Cross from the initial shoulder of the descent Dropping down the ridge, back at Holy Cross Stunning view while gaining Notch Mountain Pass Holy Cross with part of Halo Ridge The parking lot was a welcome site, and we were quickly on our way down Tigiwon Road. This was one of those near perfect days that will push The Mount of the Holy Cross far up my list of favorite 14ers. Last shot- view you don't get on standard route Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Halo Ridge

Holy Cross- Halo Ridge ascent, standard descent
Matt, James
Start time- 5:35 AM
Summit Time- 10:50-11:20
Trailhead- 2:50 PM

I've had my eye on the Halo Ridge for a couple years. The route always looked interesting in the pictures, and I really wanted to see the cross couloir, which I didn't see on the standard climb a few years back. Then a friend of mine loaned me a book called "Colorado 14er Disasters," which I highly recommend. Most of the stories revolve around winter and snow, which I found very reassuring. My wife and I have an unspoken agreement- I don't climb during winter and avalanche season, and I'm allowed to climb solo in the summertime.

I don't want to dwell on the story, but the final section of "Colorado 14er Disasters" tells the story of Michelle Vanek, who died in a summer attempt of Holy Cross. There were many mistakes that lead to her disappearance, and I learned a great deal from the account. I don't want to show a lack of respect, so I won't go into details here, but Michelle's story was heavy on my mind the whole climb. Partly it was interest in the details of what went wrong, but the story is so tragic and so sad.

Part 1- Trailhead to Notch Mountain Shelter

Matt and I met up at a nearby campsite, and got a 5:35 start. My hope was to make quick work of the first five or so miles up to the shelter- it would be the fastest track of the day. To my surprise, it was a far more rewarding intro section than I had expected. The trail is certainly very fast. Church congregations have gathered at the shelter, so I assumed the trail would have been developed with that in mind, and would be mostly forgiving. It was. You definitely gain some elevation, but the many switchbacks assure that there's nothing too steep or grinding. There's also far more eye candy than I expected- Matt and I are usually more businesslike at this point, but today we felt like a couple of blubber butt Kansas City tourists. "Stop- quick picture!" Still, we made the shelter just before 8:00 AM, which put us in good position for the day. We considered nipping over to Notch Mountain, but with the entire Halo Ridge looming, we decided better of it.

Sun first peaks over horizon, kicking a solar field goal between two trees

Mountains spread out in layers behind a solitary tree

A beautiful meadow- worth getting up for right here

Trail through the meadow- peaceful in the early morning

flower in the front, distant lake in the back- take that Ansel Adams

Typical terrain during the many switchbacks gaining the ridge

Part 2- Notch Mountain Shelter

It always kills me how a physical landmark can get into your mind even though you've seen a million pictures of it. The Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower were both that way for me- I already knew exactly what they look like- I've seen pictures and trinkets and lego versions for years. But when I got there, they both just held me in place- I could have looked at them for hours, and I probably still can. Uncompaghre had that effect on me as well. Obviously with the set up, the Cross Couloir had that kind of effect on me. It was powerful. I was immediately reminded of the legend of the Spanish priests who were lost and prayed, just before seeing the cross. Religious or not, this is an incredible landmark- everyone should hike to this spot to experience it.

We stayed for a good 25 minutes taking pictures, oogling, and snacking. The Halo Ridge quickly got our attention as well- it stretches way around Holy Cross, and it would obviously take some time. I didn't want to leave, but you can only stare so long and take so many pictures before duty calls. I hope I return to this spot someday.

First look at Notch Shelter- time for church!

Money shot- Cross Couloir reveals itself

Holy Cross with the second half of the Halo Ridge

I loved this view- like seven layer dip, only with mountains

Part 3- The Halo Ridge

There are three distinct humps on the Halo Ridge- Point 13,248 (a ranked 13er), Point 13,373, and Point 13,831, before eventually reaching The Mount of the Holy Cross. You circle all the way around Holy Cross, so the result is that if you ascent Halo Ridge and descend the standard route, you effectively circumnavigate the entire mountain.

Right from the start, there was no real path- the story of the ridge is rock hopping. There are a few places, especially on saddles, where there is more of a social trail beaten into some tundra, but rocks make up probably 90% of the route. I enjoyed this right out of the gate- the views were breathtaking, the route was interesting with a bit of route finding and exposure while remaining solid class 2. I was suppressing a huge smile for the most part. There are spider webs build between rocks throughout the route, with huge spiders. We joked that Aragog would be making an appearance before long.

We gained the first hump- Point 13,248 in quick time, and spilled onto a brief meadow. The second hump- Point 13,373, looked more imposing, but it was still quick and fun getting up it- a few cairns mixed in here and there, but basically pick your line and watch out for unsteady rocks. From afar, the third hump- Point 13,831 looked less imposing than the second hump, but there is a lot more up and down, hidden saddles to drop down to before regaining elevation. We finally topped out over its high point, and for the first time, began to get impatient with the up and down and many rocks. Route finding is pretty straight; you have choices in the short term, gaining ridges, choosing lines. In the long term, the ridge always filters you to a choked saddle that you have to pass, section to section.

On the second hump, with the third hump and Holy Cross behind

For me, the best part of the Halo Ridge was the view- first of The Mount of the Holy Cross as you circle around, but better was the Bowl of Tears, the lake just at the bottom of the Cross Couloir. Just a lake, right? I couldn't stop staring at it- the color seemed unique- a deeper blue than I'm used to seeing in a lake- and it seemed so tranquil. It struck me that at some point it would be worth a day to hike to the lake and sit with a picnic on its edge. Here are some shots of the Bowl as I circled above.

Bowl of Tears- couldn't take my eyes off it

Bowl of Tears from above one of the many couloirs on Halo Ridge

Bowl of Tears from final saddle under the shelter

Part 3- Summit and Descent

After passing the final saddle- the point that Michelle Vanek was last seen- we took the final summit push. It sneaks up suddenly, and we were rewarded with some amazing sights. This was Matt's Sawatch finisher, so there was a celebratory feel in the air as we dropped down to eat lunch over the basin we just circled. Across the way, we could see the Notch Mountain shelter, where we first came up to the ridge, and we followed our way around. It was very hot- we found out later that Denver hit 105 degrees on this day, and you could feel it at 14,005 feet. The clouds were not forming, just floating around, so we took our time, laughed, ate, hydrated with a stout, before eventually making our way.

Matt, happy, enjoying lunch and his Sawatch finisher!

Summit shot- it never gets old on the top

The route down was mind numbing. I did the standard route a few years back so I should have been prepared, but we were so focused on the 970 feet of gain, we didn't really consider the long drop to the creek. It was a forever descent. The mosquitoes were discouraging any real rest, thick as thieves. I ran out of water, so I took some from the river and added purification pills. Just about the time we began to feel that "How long till we get there" frustration, we looked back, and the view from this side was almost as picturesque as from the other side. More tourist photos. How long till my water is done? How long till the pass? Where are those Gatorade powder packets? More tourist photos. My feet are just about done.

I don't know of any other 14ers that allow you the chance to view the mountain from as many points in a complete circle around it (Longs from the very top, but too close for what I mean). I really enjoyed that aspect of the day, and recommend it highly.

Holy Cross from the initial shoulder of the descent

Dropping down the ridge, back at Holy Cross

Stunning view while gaining Notch Mountain Pass

The parking lot was a welcome site, and we were quickly on our way down Tigiwon Road. This was one of those near perfect days that will push The Mount of the Holy Cross far up my list of favorite 14ers.

Last shot- view you don't get on standard route

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

mlandon	Pretty f... 6/27/2012 4:02am ing fantastic day! Thanks again you b'strd for helping to pull this off! I didn't realize how contended I was when I was eating lunch! , I'm curious, you didn't mention the echo collier, that's one of my proudest moments?! Seriously, hike to the shelter! It is such an amazing view and so completely worth the half-days effort!
fourseasoncyclist	awesome 6/27/2012 4:14am I was just talking with some friends about doing this route and then you posted this report... Now I'm definitely doing it. Thank you for the great pictures. I like to hear when people appreciate the pure beauty and wonder of the mountains as you do. Congrats Matt!!! I hope I can finish one day too.
Scuba Steve	Great Route on an Awesome Mountain 6/27/2012 3:26pm Holy Cross became my favorite 14er after climbing the Halo Ridge last year. Such a pretty area.
MtnHub	Super! 6/28/2012 2:58am Yeah, James, that is one of my all-time favorite loops! I still hope to get back there once more and do the ”real” loop by going up and over Notch first and then looping around Halo to the Mountain. To be at the shelter at dawn is one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. Super pictures and great description in relating your trek. Thanks for sharing!
happymtnclimber	shelter open? 7/4/2012 5:59am I'm thinking of doing this route whenever there is a weather window-- is the shelter open to stay in the night before?
James Scott	Shelter 7/4/2012 2:31pm is open, and big enough to sleep quite a few people. Once you get there, you're a ways from a water source, so bring plenty. Good luck, happymtnclimber!
Prometheus8	Shelter 7/8/2012 3:48pm Great trip report James...well written. I'm tackling Holy Cross at the end of August with a group of 8. We are from Pennsylvania and have bagged about 6 14ers so far. We are all very athletic (Triathlons)but certainly aren't expert climbers. After a lot of research, I'm comfortable that HC is within our skill set. A few questions I'm hoping you or someone else can help me with. We plan to make it an overnighter so we can control our pace. I'm debating taking the Halo route in, camp at the Notch Shelter, and take the Standard route out. Or, would it make more sense to do the Standard Route in, Halo Route out? This would eliminate the need to haul water to the Notch Shelter. It also would eliminate the uphill portion coming back on the standard route. If we do take the Halo route first, what are the chances of the shelter being filled? What time should we get there to ensure a spot? (We will probably be getting there on a Sunday or Monday evening). Thanks!

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