Half Moon Pass Time of Day Ascent

[Canadian_bass]

Hello all,

my friends and I will be forced logistically to ascend and descend Half Moon pass in the afternoon (after 3:00p most likely) to stay 'on schedule' to attempt Holy Cross the next day. Could anyone comment on this at that time of day? I am aware of the overall danger of afternoon thunderstorms in CO during the summer season. I was looking more for commentary specifically how exposed (i.e. trees and cover) the crest of the ridge is, as the photos don't give a complete picture. Thanks in advance!

[Chicago Transplant]

Halfmoon Pass is pretty much right at treeline. The trail itself crosses through a fair amount of open country at that point, with minimal tree cover right at the crest. Then as you start to descend the trail traverses another fairly open slope that has minimal tree cover before getting into thicker forest again the rest of the way to the creek. You probably have about 10 minutes worth of cross country travel right at treeline with minimal protection to deal with, but there are some trees above the trail on the slopes of Notch Mtn. Its a judgement call you'll have to make when you are there, if its really popping off you might want to wait it out below the pass for a bit to let it subside.