10/29/2022 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 10/30/2022, By: WIclimber Info: 4-8 inches of snow on the route. We used microspikes most of the day. Carried snowshoes but did not use them. Made good boot track to the summit. |
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10/7/2022 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 10/8/2022, By: zootloopz Info: TH has service. Good place to sleep in your vehicle. Westcliffe is nearby. In fact I had service for a majority of this hike. Rainbow Trail is easy work. Turning uphill from 10,200' to 11,400' was not. Steep. Bushwacky. Lots of downed trees. Slow going. Getting above treeline was much more enjoyable. Summit views are top notch. A shitty broken canister and wire are at the summit if you feel like bringing a new register. Most things NE facing in the Sangres have a dusting of snow. This route was currently largely snow free. Bicent 140 |
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8/13/2022 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 8/13/2022, By: gcook33 Info: 12.5mi 4700' elevation just as the route says. The first .25mi after the turnoff doesn't have a great trail. But after that I found the faint trail and cairns up to tree line to be quite nice surprisingly. |
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11/27/2021 Route: NE Ridge Posted On: 11/27/2021, By: montanahiker Info: Snow is gradually melting on Rainbow Trail but once you leave the trail there's a consistent 1-4" all the way to the top. |
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11/7/2021 Route: Horn Creek TH Posted On: 11/8/2021, By: Shooter Info: Summer conditions. The entire route is dry. Awesome views! |
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4/2/2021 Route: NE Ridge Posted On: 4/2/2021, By: OutdoorMan23 Info: After seeing the peak report from Reg0928, I had to try out the trench for myself. The trench was still there, until you get about 150 feet from treeline and having it helped me easily route find and kept me from sinking in to the snow as much. So thanks Reg0928, your suffering was worth it! There was ALOT of snow below tree line and even with trench the snow was getting very, very soft on the way down and I post holed quite a bit , even with snow shoes. I would recommend waiting till summer to try this route. Great views of the Crestones though! ~13.3 rt, 4,741k of gain, total time out was around 8 hours and 20 minutes. |
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3/28/2021 Route: NE Ridge Posted On: 3/28/2021, By: Reg0928 Info: Climbed from Horn Creek TH. Lots of snow once you leave Rainbow Trail to start up the ridge. Spent most of the day trenching, so go poach it! Make my suffering worth it! |
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3/7/2021 Route: Via Horn Creek Posted On: 3/7/2021, By: Sbenfield Info: My 6 hiking buddies and I put a beefy trench in, especially through the higher forest sections. Please use our trench to hike this great peak with amazing views!! |
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6/28/2020 Route: Horn Creek Posted On: 6/28/2020, By: angry Info: Summer conditions. Minor bushwhacking below tree line. Some cairns along the way. Descended a completely different line that followed a game trail back to the rainbow trail. |
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6/22/2020 Route: North-Northeast Ridge from Horn Creek Posted On: 6/22/2020, By: supranihilest Info: The Rainbow Trail from Horn Creek Trailhead is quite nice, actually - not too rocky and very moderate grades. The trail lasts for about 3 miles and goes past the Macey Lakes trial before cutting off into the forest. There's a very faint trail and many small cairns (2-3 rocks) along the way and I didn't have too much trouble following it, even in the dark. The long and short is if it gets too steep on the flanks go back to the crest. Above treeline there's plenty of rock strewn about but not enough to cause trouble. The ridge ascends steeply right above treeline then gently most of the way to the summit. There are some cliffs to the northwest that caught me unawares in the dark but if it's daylight they're easy to avoid. Phenomenal views of the Crestones, Kit Carson massif, Adams family, and Humboldt. |
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5/9/2020 Route: East Ridge from Horn Creek TH Posted On: 5/13/2020, By: HikerGuy Info: Summer conditions. Stay on south side of ridge to avoid remaining snow patches at upper treeline. The Sangres are quite dry this year, worried about fire season down there. |
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11/12/2019 Route: From Horn Creek Campground Posted On: 11/12/2019, By: BobbyFinn Info: Parking area has some snow, but it's mostly dry. Rainbow Trail is snowy, but well packed down from ATVs until a bit before the Macey Lakes trail. The ruts are icy - microspikes would be good. Sunny aspects are mostly clear. Beyond where the ruts end, there's a trench to the turnoff. The turnoff from Rainbow to the ridge is unmarked, but there are footprints. There's a good 'trench' from Rainbow Trail to treeline. The footprints braid a bit early on, but they all end up at the same place. Snow varies from 0-10 inches deep, mostly about 5-6 inches deep. Most of the cairns are visible. Microspikes would be good for the steep part just before treeline, but I managed without them. We didn't use flotation and we didn't wish we had. The terrain above treeline is mostly clear of snow. What remains is either easily avoidable or easy enough to just walk through. |
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8/6/2019 Route: Horn Creek TH Posted On: 8/6/2019, By: IHikeLikeAGirl Info: No snow, at all...nada, zilch, zip. Mosquitoes, biting flies, and other annoying insects...YES! Deet, deet, and more deet barely stopped these monsters...mainly below treeline, on the ridge, but they still made their presence known beyond treeline, on occasion. |
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5/26/2019 Route: NE Ridge Posted On: 5/27/2019, By: RWinters Info: Rainbow trail still has intermittent snow after 2 miles from Horn Creek TH. After leaving the trail snow is sporadic on the ridge from 10,170 to 10,400. Solid snow picks up at 10,400 ft and then becomes consistent after 10,600 ft to 11,700 ft. Ridge to summit is hit and miss with snow. Cold conditions and a freeze make snow travel above and below tree line a breeze. Once it warms up it is posthole-a-paloozza! |
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1/5/2019 Route: NE Ridge Posted On: 1/6/2019, By: RWinters Info: “8 of snow at the trailhead. I wore snowshoes from the parking lot until tree line. The first two miles could be done without flotation but snow depth varies from dry ground to 2 feet of snow. Once you leave the trail snow is thin through all the deadfall. The snow a few hundred feet higher is deep and absolutely requires flotation. Hope for tracks. We broke trail and it was plenty of work with the sugary snow and steep grade, Slopes from the brislecone on up are expectedly windswept with pockets of filled in snow. We ditched the shoes at tree line around 11,700 feet. |
