Colony Baldy

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/22/2026, By: sehessler92
Info: BEAUTIFUL SUMMIT VIEWS! I really enjoyed this 13er and the route is full summer conditions. Many false summits and a rather steep hike up the ridge. Saw lots of elk around 13k. The bushwhacking really isn’t that bad and throughout most of the woods there’s a faint trail but make sure you do have a gpx route to check during your bushwhacking. There are also quite a few cairns throughout the woods so it definitely helps. Took just under 6.5 hours. If you haven’t hiked this one put it on your short list. The views of the crestones are stunning. 

Route: West Ridge from Macey Lakes
Posted On: 6/1/2026, By: 9patrickmurphy
Info: If you hate bushwhacking, this is the route for you!

I chose this route over the popular NE ridge so I could camp up Macey Creek and also grab 13,543. I was delighted by this choice, I thought the routes up both of these peaks were great from this approach. The trail is in good shape, and the trails to the upper lakes actually both exist and are easy enough to follow.

From the south lake, immediately cross the outlet and go north through a small cliff band to less willow-y terrain above, then traverse above the lake avoiding willows and take grassy slopes to the upper basin. From there, aim for a black gully that takes you to grassy slopes up to the ridge. The ridge is mostly grass with one section of talus hopping.

Happy to report this route is entirely class 2 and trades lots of bushwhacking for just a little bit of willowbashing and some nice camping opportunities. I would have camped at the lake but opted for a camp spot in the forest below due to how windy it was. In hindsight, campsites at the west end of the lower lake would have been wind protected enough.

The route up 13543 was super straightforward. Grassy slopes the whole way. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/3/2026, By: backcountrybrodes
Info: About 3-6 inches of snow on the entire hike, and slightly more in drifted spots above tree line. Generally an easy route to follow with no trail. Things were melting very quickly on my way back, lots of mud on Rainbow Trail. Views were amazing and saw some bighorn on the way down! Whole thing took me 7:08:16 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 4/4/2026, By: MMAfightingClimber
Info: Dry until 10,500. The end of the rainbow trail has some snow before you leave it to hit the NE east. Most snow is negligible until 10,500ft where it is continuous to treeline. Still didn’t use snowshoes though. We had some slightly wet feet but postholing wasn’t too bad. Dry from treeline to summit. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 1/4/2026, By: Outbounder
Info: The first mile of the trail has intermittent hard pack snow/ice and dry sections. The next two miles are mostly packed snow which I didn't use snow shoes for. There are many downed trees from the recent wind storms.

When you turn right and enter the bushwack section, the show deepens. My partner and I used snow shoes off and on. There are sections we tamped down that you could do without snow shoes, but there are two very deep and powdery sections you'd probably want them for.

Above treeline the trail is mostly dry. There are wind swept patches of snow you can avoid. I stashed my snow shoes at treeline and didn't use spikes on this section. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 11/13/2025, By: cmarhanka
Info: Some patchy snow above tree line, otherwise clear. Rainbow trail was in excellent condition. There are small cairns on both sides of rainbow trail marking where to start up the ridge. The location exactly matched the route on this site. It is a bushwhack at first, but after a bit there is a pretty good trail (for being unmaintained) along the ridge crest or slightly south of it all the way to tree line. If you get off the trail, just go back to the ridge crest and pick it up again. Initially the tundra is clear of snow, but higher up are many patches of snow that are easily avoidable or crossed. Very slippery with an icy glaze in the morning. Would recommend micro spikes to cross them. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 10/26/2025, By: globreal
Info: The Horn Creek TH at 9,100' did not get any snow from the snow storm of Oct. 23-24, 2025. The snow level started about 11,000' and dropped 2-3 inches of snow in the Sangres. Crampons and ice axe are not needed. Microspikes are a blessing to have above 11,000 feet. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/19/2025, By: earl555
Info: A few patches of avoidable snow. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/8/2025, By: coopergould
Info: Great morning on Colony Baldy! Full on summer conditions - took maybe 15 steps on snow the entire day, all by choice due to convenience. A few remaining snow patches right below treeline, and then some for the final 500vf, but again all completely avoidable.

Wish I had my mountain bike for the Rainbow Trail miles - if you’re willing to hikeabike a portion of the connector from the Trailhead to the Rainbow trail, you can ride probably 98% (both directions) until the descent to the Macey Lakes fork - would stash the bike at the top of that descent (~3.1 miles from trailhead). Would have been a whole lot more fun, and saved probably 1hr 15min RT, compared to the road walk.

Anyways, will upload a few pictures of the route and surrounding peaks - summer is here (at least in the Sangres)! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 3/27/2025, By: daniel_a34
Info: We put on and took off our snowshoes 7-8 times before treeline, but they were very helpful when we had them on. All south aspects on the Rainbow trail were basically dry, but northern ones were much easier with snowshoes. Trench/trail is relatively easy to follow once you leave the Rainbow trail. The snow had a 3-4" crust that we broke through in most places and it was a slippery mess underneath that, so steep slopes were difficult to get traction on the way up. Above treeline you can avoid snow almost entirely, and the snowfield crossings we did were short and on low angle terrain. No traction needed above timberline. Wind was pretty stiff at the top but a beautiful day for views. On the way down (left the peak at 9:45am) everything below treeline was a slushy mess. We had no purchase on steep angle slopes and sometimes just slid until we hit a tree (which thankfully isn't far in that forrest). Rainbow trail was 3" of mud in some places.

No avalanche concerns, felt two collapses about 10' in diameter underneath us on 20 degree slopes, and some very minor cracking around our snowshoes, but nothing concerning on steeper terrain. Despite the nasty slush on the way down nothing gained any momentum or slid lower than us as we slid.

4.5k vert, 13.5mi round trip, 5hrs up, 3.5hrs down. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 3/9/2025, By: sarahmariekirk
Info: It must have snowed in the Sangres on Friday night quite a bit because there was continuous snow on the trail today, with all of Will’s trench filled in from Friday afternoon. Slow going today with lots of fresh unconsolidated snow, we turned at 12200 due to time constraints and tedious trenching. The rapid warming caused soft and sticky snow on the way down, with faceted slabs up higher (however low angle). Looked like snow all the way to summit. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 3/7/2025, By: Will_E
Info: Easy drive to Horn Creek TH, anything can get there. Rainbow trail had a good mix of dry trail, packed snow, and I used snowshoes for a short distance. When I broke off the Rainbow trail initially I had a trench to follow for a short distance, it disappeared, I had to get out of snowshoes for a while in the lower part of treeline. After that I occasionally could see remnants of the former trench. Trenching wasn't difficult today, there were some deep sections, some average sections and some easy parts, pretty good mix, I made treeline in 2:44.

Weather ended up warmer and less windy than forecasted, really a beautiful day. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 2/16/2025, By: yaktoleft13
Info: About 4-8 inches of fresh snow. Wore snowshoes from the car, mostly for traction purposes. The second half of rainbow trail needed ankle deep trenching, definitely better than booting. After turning onto the NE ridge, I was mostly able to follow the prior trench, which kept any trenching to no more than shin deep. Was about knee deep when the old trench disappeared at times. Stashed snowshoes at treeline, windswept up high. Brutal winds, some of the worst I've had. Would take 20 steps, then brace myself for the knock off-balance. Eventually the wind became more consistent from the same side and was able to brace myself against it better. By the time I got back down to treeline, the wind had filled in much of my trench.

12.7 miles, gps misread vert (said 5700, but should be more like 4700 I think), 7:40 car to car 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 2/8/2025, By: Laxer04
Info: Mixed conditions today. The first two miles or so is mixed dirt and snow, but the snow is really well packed down. After that snowshoes were helpful, especially when we got off the main trail to head up the ridge. The snow was soft and deep at times. We put in a solid trench.

The snow is completely avoidable above treeline so we ditched the snowshoes.

Saw a bunch of bighorn sheep up around 12,000 feet and a ptarmigan. Great day in the mountains. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 11/16/2024, By: Dobsons
Info: Was blessed to have a day to climb Colony Baldy today. I was expecting a lot of snow but there was more than I even expected. Several feet deep in the trees at spots and getting around in the Sangre definitely requires flotation. Everything above timberline was fairly windblown for now on Colony at least. The forecasted sunny skies didn't materialize until the afternoon, and I got pretty battered by snow and wind up high but was able to get the summit. Unfortunately, no views to the Crestone's on this day... It's been a pretty impressive start to the winter in terms of snow for the Sangre!