Log In 
Peak(s):  Mt. Columbia  -  14,075 feet
Date Posted:  06/30/2010
Date Climbed:   06/19/2010
Author:  jedrejcic
 The weather is nice on Columbia   

Yet another Thursday comes by and RockFarmer asks if I want to climb another peak on Saturday morning. Being that I don't have any other spectacular plans other than to go to a concert on Saturday evening and then play a baseball game at 8am on Sunday morning, I oblige. I think I got about 6 or 7 hours of sleep over the weekend.

We started out at about 3:30 again, but this time we were determined to have a good view of the sunrise, and not be blocked by trees on the way up like we were on Shavano a couple of weeks back. The route along the Southeast Ridge is just a little hard to follow in the darkness of the early morning, but the only thing we missed was the first turn off the main trail. There is a cairn off to the left side of the trail that marks where you should turn off and start ascending, but we probably walked about 100 yards past it before we thought we should turn back and look for a sign of some sort, and that's when we found it. It's just hard to see in the darkness, as it's off the trail a little bit. No real time lost, though, and then we just followed the slope of steepest ascent, and before long we were getting to treeline. Just about that time the sun was making its entrance:

Image


A little bit later, we had gained a little more altitude, and the sun was raining sunshine on the valley below - it was pretty cool:

Image


The rest of the climb was just a lot of work - we had to climb up and down all the points along the way, as going around them proved to be extremely windy, and much more difficult when compared to just going straight over them. So, up and down we went...

Image


After not having seen a single soul the entire way up the Southeast Ridge, we finally caught a glipse of a couple of folks that had climbed up the standard route. Our destination was in sight, albeit still a couple of hills farther on:

Image


When we got to the top, I have to admit that I was pretty spent, and in need of a nap. This rock was perfect for the occasion, although I didn't actually sleep, it was extremely comfortable.

Image


We ran into a guy from the UK and his buddy up on top, and I asked him what the problem was with his football team. This was the first Brit that I'd ever run into that said, "You mean soccer? I don't care about that, that's why I came over here."

Anyways, we started our way down, and as usual, it took way too long to get down. I went down a couple of slopes near treeline that were not in my best interest, and ended up having to climb back out of some lower areas, adding to my (moderate) misery. Eventually we found the trailhead again, and I couldn't have been happier to get off my feet for a bit. Of course - you guessed it - I had a three hour drive home, followed by a concert and subsequent drinking, another four hours of sleep, and then five hours of baseball in the hot sun on Sunday morning. Followed by having the family over for Father's day. Thankfully my wife was cooking, so all I had to do at that point was relax



Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
1 2 3 4 5


Comments or Questions
RockFarmer
User
Cool.
7/1/2010 3:22am
Short and sweet as usual, unlike the hike up.



   Not registered?


Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.


Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.