Venable Peak climbed 11-19-10.
10.6 miles +/- and 4300 vertical feet.
6.5 hours roundtrip.

I have been wanting to get to Peak 9 and 10 but with all the snow that way and looking better in the Sangres I went south. Good weather and minimal snow. Windy on the ridge though, 40 mph.

The Venable-Comanche Trailhead is located by the Alvarado Picnic Area. Take the highway (69) going south out of Westcliffe sevearl miles to Schoolfield Road. Go west on Schoolfield past Macey and to the second stop sign. There is a sign that will say Alvarado 1.5 miles left. Follow the road as it snakes it way to a turn to the right a few hundred yards before the Alvarado Picnic Area (closed and gated now). There is a sign that shows the Venable-Comanche Trailhead to the right. The gate was still open. It would add a quarter mile and a few hundred more feet of vertical if you parked at this gate or the Alvarado picnic Area gate.

Park at the trailhead which is a large parking area with a restroom and hitching posts for your horses.

Parking area.

The shortest route to Venable Peak is from the right side of the parking area as you are looking west.

Cross a bridge and continue on up. The trail is wide and well used. There is a sign that directs you toward Venable Lakes (4.75 miles).

First look at Venable and continued trail.

Merlin enjoying the day.

Trail and snow from below Venable Pass.

The ridge and Venable Peak.

The Loop Trail below Venable. If you wanted to get Venable, Comanche and Spring you may want to avoid this stretch of trail or have an ice ax and crampons in case you needed them.

The last part of the ridge to the summit.

Spring Mountain, Comanche Peak and Loop Trail.

Summit rest.

Spring Mountain and Comache Peak A climbed 11-26-10.
The snow was still looking better south, although there was fresh snow that wasn't there last week.
Take the left trail out of the Venable-Comanche Trailhead parking.
12 miles +/- and 4600 vertical feet.
8+ hours roundtrip.
Good weather and newly fallen snow, 2" and up to 12" at higher elevations (11,000 feet). Windy on the ridge again, 30 mph. I did not take the snowshoes but in retrospect they would have helped higher up.

Heading to Westcliffe.

There are signs 0.5 miles up the trail that direct you to Comanche Lakes (5 miles).

The trail is well defined and wide. It is like a trough and the trough was filling in with snow.

The trail and sun below the switchbacks. There appear to be several avalanche chutes below the switchbacks and several more above 11,300 feet. The snow was not sufficiently deep at this time to warrant any danger.

The trail.

Comanche Peak.

The wind and blowing snow on Spring Mountain.

The trail goes to the saddle to the right side.

Comanche and the trail to the saddle.

The sun and wind blown snow above me on the ridge to Spring Mountain.

Looking back at the trail across the sideslopes below Spring Mountain with the ridge I followed and Spring Mountain above.

The ridge to Spring Mountain is rocky but no problem to follow. Approximately 1.2-1.3 miles up and back to saddle.

Looking back down towards Comanche Lake and the plains below.

The summit on Spring Mountain.

Venable Peak 0.6-0.7 miles away.

The loop trail between Spring Mountain and Venable Peak.

Is that Kit Carson and Challenger?

Humboldt.

The Crestones.

Back down the ridge and up to Comnche and just below the summit. Approximately 0.3 miles up to Comanche from the saddle.

Looking back down to the saddle, the Loop Trail and ridge to Spring Mountain.

Venable by itself would be easier than the Spring Mountain-Comanche combination even with the snow.

Testing out the GPX files. This one is for Spring Mountain.