9/13/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 9/14/2019, By: ScottHendrick Info: Like many other people, I've been avoiding this mountain due to the reputation of its awful trail. I'm happy to report that the new trail section is open - we could not even find an entry point for the old trail. Big thanks to the CFI for all their hard work during the past few years - the new trail section is awesome. I attached a picture of it. One note - after the newly-worked trail section ends, you still have a mile to the summit that involves some loose ragged talus and a lot of boulders. The round trip is now 13 miles. |
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9/10/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 9/11/2019, By: joyfulwriter Info: What a nice change - the reroute to the new CFI trail is open and usable, though still a few spots being worked. Today was their last work day of the season. No issues on the trail. Summer conditions & mostly dry with a few small patches of avoidable mud. Very windy on the ridge but a beautiful day to be out. |
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9/2/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 9/3/2019, By: amymaylee94 Info: I started the trip around 2:25am. The trail is pretty much completely flat until around tree line. I accidentally went to the trail going to Harvard for a bit since I did not see a sign for a split off to Columbia so I had to backtrack to tree line and use my phone GPS to find the split off to Columbia. Unfortunately, it was still very dark when I broke tree line so I could not find the new trail and went up the absolutely awful scree gully. The new trail is not very well marked in the beginning because it starts at a huge boulder field/slide right at tree line but if you find rocks that are wrapped in pink tape, start there and keep going right. I was able to find the new trail on the way down with some help from other hikers (keep going left and straight). The gully was literally one of the worst climbs I've ever encountered (I nearly broke down into tears during the ascent) but the views are absolutely spectacular. Thank you CFI for all your hard work in creating the new trail! The new trail is amazing and will save your knees a whole out of pain on the descent. I had the summit completely to myself at 8am and there was zero wind, clouds, or snow. Absolutely perfect day (minus going up that horrible gully). |
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8/11/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 8/13/2019, By: JakeByk Info: CFI has done a miraculous job reconstructing the route, use it. Follow the ticker tape to the right (south) when hitting the boulder field below the old standard route and follow the trail. The unmarked turn to get to the boulderfield from the approach is a little hard to find - and the route can be hard to keep in the trees in the dark. The turn is about 3.5 miles from the Cottonwood Creek TH, across from the giant white CFI tent. There is one large false summit on the ridge. Summer conditions, start time 4:45am summit 8:25am car at 11:00am. |
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8/10/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 8/11/2019, By: vanessasherk Info: Did not walk in any snow. The new trail is close to completion and is fantastic. Also, there are some dry places to camp in the 11000'-11400' - (ish) area. |
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7/31/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 7/31/2019, By: erwinyu Info: I just want to commend the CFI's great work of the new trail segment, it is not done yet but is already much better than the old segment, the new trail branches to the south at the lower part of the gully and rejoins the old trail at the shoulder, it is a little longer than the old one but much easier. I have my GPS track of the new trail: |
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7/18/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 7/18/2019, By: mountmurphy Info: There's still 2 snowfields along the route, but they are easily avoidable. After reading reports from last season, we decided not to take the new trail because we were concerned about it not connecting to the old trail and didn't want to encounter a long stretch of route finding--DON'T HIKE UP THE OLD TRAIL. We were able to easily find the new trail from the southeast ridge on our descent and massively regretted coming up the way we did. Route finding wasn't an issue, there are plenty of cairns and orange flagged rocks that will guide you to the trail when the one leading from the ridge ends. The new trail is incredible and is definitely the better option, do not be like us and hike up the scree gully of despair! |
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7/14/2019 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 7/16/2019, By: Maverick6981 Info: Route is completely clear of snow except for one small patch around 12,800' that is avoidable. I would say full on summer conditions. |
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7/6/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 7/6/2019, By: cougar Info: Still some snow in the area, drifts start around 11000ft and the trail into Horn Fork basin is very muddy and wet. There's a small snowfield around treeline, not hard to get past. I took the new trail up to the right, it's solid up to 12600 or so, then flagged and cairned to about 13000 where it joins the existing trail. A bit of snow on the ridge but mostly avoidable. I lost the trail at tree line after descending the snow, short bushwhack back to trail. No snow gear used, what's there is soft. Using the new trail adds about a mile RT. Friendly mountain goat also seen walking up the trail. |
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7/4/2019 Route: Harvard and Columbia Traverse Posted On: 7/8/2019, By: scpeters1112 Info: Started the day by climbing Mt. Harvard. The trail is extremely wet and has snow drifts in the trees. Once above treeline, the snow pack increases. Nothing too challenging until you are close to the top of the ridge, where there was a slick snowfield. The traverse still had a lot of snow, mainly on the back side where you first drop elevation. The trail is not really marked, so be aware. After many snow fields and step snow climbs, the snow begins to disappear at the base of the ridge climb to Colombia. The climb up Colombia is pretty much dry, just a bit steep. Colombia's descent is dry above treeline, but steep and with lots of loose rock. Once you are back in the trees, the snow returns and make trail finding a bit difficult. Just follow foot steps and you should be good. I do not think an ice pick is needed, but I would for sure have poles and micro spikes. |
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7/3/2019 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 7/3/2019, By: Flyingfish Info: There is one big patch of snow that covers the trail right below tree line but is easily avoided. Above tree line there are two patches of snow that cover the route but they are short and shrinking quickly. Spikes were not needed and the route is in essentially summer conditions. |
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6/27/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 6/27/2019, By: Mountain Max Info: Fun and tiring day on Columbia. Started at 4:30 and we started hitting snow around 11,000ft. Plenty of snow drifts through the trees, most we could walk right over without post holing. Plenty of water under the snow and evidence of some wet post holes from the previous day. Did use micro spikes for some extra traction. Never found the cut off for the Columbia trail, went too far, and just cut under the point 11,8** in the description and headed up. Used micro spikes on solid snow to walk up to the new trail, which cuts right onto the shoulder,, much lower than the old trail. Glad to also have ice axes since the snow was pretty hard and a slip could get exciting. Followed the new trail for 500-700 vertical feet before it petered out (trail looks great by the way). Then picked our way up the steep shoulder, mostly devoid of snow, until we hit the old trail and followed it up to the ridge. A few hundred feet of snow to walk on along the ridge but it was solid through 11:00 with minimal post holing. Most of the ridge was also clean of snow. Came down the old trail so we could glissade the gully, which was quite fun for 750+ vertical feet. Snow was soft down at tree line and we were happy to have snowshoes for a couple of miles until we got below 11,000. Overall, we carried flotation, micro spikes, and ice axes and used them all but not the entire way. Most of the time we were just using boots and poles. Mt. Harvard is mostly snow from timberline on and looks better for skiing/boarding than hiking. Bear Lake is still covered with ice. |
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6/27/2019 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 6/27/2019, By: RWSchaffer Info: There is no snow until just below timberline, where small patches begin to appear off-trail. The first snow on-route is a small snowfield that spans the upper part of the ridge ascent at timberline (Photo 1). Two more snowfields cross the route higher on the ridge (Photos 2 and 3). Snow nearer the summit occasionally intersects the route for short distances (Photos 4 and 5). Snowfields were supportive before dawn, but immediately became slick after sunrise, and softened within about three hours. I encountered no mud. Spikes, ice axe, and an early start are still advisable, even if spikes will be worn for only a few hundred yards. But most of the route is summer conditions. Photo 6 shows Harvard. Photo 7 shows Princeton and Yale with the upper portion of Columbia's southeast ridge in the foreground. |
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6/24/2019 Route: Southeast Ridge Posted On: 7/6/2019, By: pboldt94 Info: Decided on the lengthy southeast route of Columbia to avoid snow. Brought some snow shoes along but did not need them the entire route, although there was some snow patches here and there. Harvard still had snow from about the treeline to summit. Great weather conditions the entire way. |
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6/19/2019 Route: West Slopes Posted On: 6/19/2019, By: 14ercooper Info: Pictures show Columbia looking up from the Harvard/Columbia basin. Snow was continuous below treeline from the marked trail junction by the bridge, and was fairly soft with postholing even at 3-4am. (Did not attempt to climb Columbia, but got the pictures and lower route conditions on the hike). |
