Need Advice - Humboldt, Holy Cross, or Longs in July

[Steve J]

I will be in Colorado July 13th-19th ish. I'm looking for some input on which peak I should hike. In terms of beauty/scenery (a selling point to get my wife to come with), do any of them standout above the rest? I have already hiked Longs, but enjoyed it enough I could do it again. If you had to choose one which would it be? I appreciate any help!

[Scott P]

All are very scenic, but Longs would be a little harder than the other two (though Holy Cross is very long if you do it in a day). It depends on what you want and how long of a hike you want. Longs and Holy Cross themselves are more scenic mountains, but the views from Humboldt are perhaps even better.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I suggest Holy Cross or Humboldt only because you have already done Longs.

[Steve J]

Just looking at the route pictures from Holy Cross and Humboldt I can see what you mean about Humboldt's surrounding views being better. That whole area looks pretty magnificent. Might not be a bad idea since I haven't gotten that far out of the Front Range. Thanks for the help Scott!

[Cruiser]

Humboldt makes a particularly nice sunrise climb if you're into that sort of thing. The hike itself is pretty straightforward so it's not that difficult to do with a headlamp. The views of sunrise on the Crestones with the shadow of Humboldt below are really appealing.

Holy Cross is a great climb as well, but like Scott mentioned, it's a big day if you're not planning on any back country camping for this trip. That said, if you're really fit and can tackle Holy Cross in a day then that'd be my choice for sure since it's such a beautiful area to spend time in.

[huffy13]

I would vote for Humboldt because of the superb view of the Crestones, it is not a ridiculously long or difficult hike, wildlife viewing opportunities are great, the fact that it is less crowded than most 14ers (definitely less crowded than Longs) and also because I love the town of Westcliffe. Plus, there's just something about the Sangres that just seem so much more rugged and amazing than the Front and Sawatch ranges.

[Steve J]

Thanks again for the input everyone! The more I look at Humboldt, the more it reminds me of the Rockies in Glacier NP. Definitely has a different feel than the Front Range.

[TallGrass]

Also consider road to TH, area camping, lodging, food, restaurants, what SHE is into, approach distance, alternate routes options, alt approaches and loops, water sourcing, and what's fun for her.

[fahixson]

I would pick Humboldt as well. My brother hiked Humboldt as his first 14er over 4th of July weekend in 2010. He was coming from Alabama and in decent shape, but I wouldn't think of him as super fit. Young and stubborn can go a long way to cover up lagging physical fitness. As suggested in the first paragraph of the west ridge route description, there are great camping sites a little more than 3.1 miles from the upper TH.

One caveat is that you'll likely need 4WD to reach the upper TH. It can depend on how recently the road was cleaned up. If you read TH conditions reports from last year, notice people are talking about how rough the road was in July, decent shape in August, then starting to get rough again in September. My guess is you would have a tough time reaching the upper TH in an average rental car, but I wasn't sure if you would be driving your own car or potentially renting a 4WD. Parking at the lower TH adds about 2.7 miles each way and roughly 900' elevation gain. That's not terribly steep, but can be taxing if you're not used to carrying gear to camp nearly 6 miles in.

Holy Cross is a fine choice as well. If you're up for a little bit of a longer day, consider the Halo Ridge loop rather than the standard out and back. If you decide on Holy Cross and plan to camp along the trail, be sure to take note of the camping restrictions/designated camp sites. Holy Cross does offer a little more variety in the surrounding towns (Avon, Eagle, Vail) as compared to Humboldt. Something to keep in mind if you're looking for things to do besides 14ers.

Good luck!

[AlexeyD]

If you do decide on Humboldt, I'd highly suggesting making a weekend pack trip out of it. Even from the lower, 2WD trailhead, the hike up into the South Colony Lakes basin is a rather leisurely, half-day affair. Since it's only a one-night pack and a walk-up peak, might as well bring some tasty dinner, bottle of wine, etc. The basin is an absolutely spectacular place to spend the night (even if a bit crowded in peak season). From the basin, the climb via the W ridge of the mountain is similarly quite casual, and incredibly scenic. I think you're spot on about the scenery aspect: Humbodlt itself, as a mountain, is not particularly remarkable, but as a viewpoint it's hard to beat.

If you can, try to spend a night in the Westcliffe area before going up to the high basin...this will make adjusting to the altitude much easier.

[Steve J]

One caveat is that you'll likely need 4WD to reach the upper TH. It can depend on how recently the road was cleaned up. If you read TH conditions reports from last year, notice people are talking about how rough the road was in July, decent shape in August, then starting to get rough again in September. My guess is you would have a tough time reaching the upper TH in an average rental car, but I wasn't sure if you would be driving your own car or potentially renting a 4WD. Parking at the lower TH adds about 2.7 miles each way and roughly 900' elevation gain. That's not terribly steep, but can be taxing if you're not used to carrying gear to camp nearly 6 miles in.

I have a Nissan Rogue that's AWD. Would I run into any clearance issues if I tried going all the way to the upper TH? As far as making it an overnight trip, that would involve buying a backpack for my wife and a few more supplies. That isn't out of the question but I'm trying to make this trip as cheap as possible. Our trip through Banff and Glacier last summer ended up taking care of any vacation money for awhile. I guess we could do it with a regular pack and a day pack if needed...just have to pack light for once.

[AlexeyD]

As far as making it an overnight trip, that would involve buying a backpack for my wife and a few more supplies. That isn't out of the question but I'm trying to make this trip as cheap as possible.

I would say that, in this case, the advantage of a shorter summit day vis-a-vis Longs and Holy Cross becomes sort of moot. Although, as far as the actual ascent, Humboldt is certainly much easier than Longs (can't attest to MHC as I haven't done it).

If you're open to alternative suggestions and are truly interested in a day trip of reasonable length, I might suggest looking into either Huron or Yale. Both (Huron especially) have summit views that will not disappoint.

[TallGrass]

As just posted, road varies greatly. Wife should have her own pack with waistbelt, water and 10 Es for any 14er. Given your added details, I'd do HC Halo for better roads, Halo will be less crowded over July 4th, and you can do Notch Traverse or Shelter Trail back. Magustos kitchen in Minturn is open til about 2am too.