1 shows the route above tree line. Locate the trail, walk down to a bridge crossing and follow the excellent trail (
2) for 1.6 miles and cross another bridge. Shortly after that crossing, you'll reach a trail junction. Stay right for Horn Fork Basin and Bear Lake. Follow the well-defined trail (
3) another 1.75 miles to a small clearing at 11,250' where you can see Columbia's southwest shoulder up to your right -
4. Continue on the main trail for another .3 mile to the Columbia trail junction
-
5. Turn right for Mt. Columbia.
After hiking a short distance through forest, enter a linear clearing to find another trail junction -
6. Turn right and continue through forest before reaching another small, linear clearing. Cross it and continue southeast to exit the trees at the base of a wide gully
on the southwest side of Columbia -
7. On a defined trail, continue up through talus before swinging right (southeast) to gain a shoulder -
8,
9 and
10.
Once on the shoulder
(
11), follow the trail east and then north as it switchbacks up the shoulder -
12 and
13. Near 13,300', the terrain gets steeper and the trail rugged and less-defined -
14. Zigzag up through the rocks until the terrain eases a bit near 13,500' and follow the trail to the ridge
, at 13,680' -
15. The summit is 1/2 mile away. With the remaining route now in view, hike north along the ridge over rock bumps -
16. Near 13,800', reach a point where you can once again see the summit, across a flat section -
17. Continue along the ridge -
18. Pass between two rock piles and gain the summit
-
19,
20 and
21.