Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
After work on Thursday, Liz and I left Golden to do something that had been on my list for a long time - Holy Cross via Halo Ridge! After the requisite crushing of a $7 Dominos pizza in Silverthorne, we were on our way and made it to our camp on Tigiwon road. Some nights are magical-er than others and this night was a very magical one! Sunset over the Gores, a distant thunderstorm and a full moon made this one pretty spectacular.
The Gores!
After a substantively less magical night of sleep (a very slowly deflating ground mat, wind and the moon) we were up at 5a and on the trail at 5:30. The first few miles were quick work - we got the sunrise along the trail.
Sunrise
It was now time to play one of my favorite trail games. It's a little something I like to call "Will Liz Fall In?" It's a really fun game that we get to play at every stream crossing. Will Liz fall in? YES!
With that settled, it was time to time to dry out the trail runners with some good old fashioned trail hustling. We hit the shelter at 7:20. We got a few short bouts of rain on the initial descent, but things now were starting to look pretty good!
The cross!
The next few miles were a excellent as well as being a total test of talus tolerance.
Liz on PT 13248
It's possible to do almost the entire thing without crossing any snow, but when I did try I postholed to my hip. Once the sun came out, it was pretty warm.
While I'm easily impressed by ridges in general, this one is already one of my favorites. With the Bowl of Tears on one side and Tuhare on the other, it's pretty hard not to be looking down on one at any given time. With the exception of a stout climb up to PT 13832, I thought the nature of the ridge was pretty mellow on the whole.
Tuhare Lake
We continued on past Holy Cross Ridge and summitted MHC around 10:40. Looking at the cross all day and peering down from the summit was enough to add it to my ski ticklist for next spring.
The hike down the north ridge was pretty straightforward and uneventful, with the exception of:
WILL LIZ FALL IN? NO!!
The last little climb over Half Moon Pass is fun - call me crazy but it's nice to get to finish with a good climb (Purgatory Flats TH stands out as being like this as well)
Looks nice. My kids and I are going up next weekend and thinking of going through the Notch from Half Moon Pass. Did you get any pics from MHC or see whether any snow remains on west side of Notch Mtn? Thanks.
I was up there just the day before. Enjoyed your report and pics! I found the ridge to be pretty long, but absolutely spectacular––definitely glad to have those scenic memories. And, yes, I didn’t really mind the climb up to Half Moon Pass so much either...it was that last 1.7 miles downhill to the trailhead that never seemed to end. Have a Happy 4th! DanJ
@glenmiz - I don’t remember explicitly nor could I find a picture looking over that way. While I didn’t see it, my gut tells me it will be passable, especially first thing in the morning. There wasn’t a ton of snow up there in general. Have fun!
Do you think a very fit black lab could make it up Halo Ridge? I really want to take that route but am not sure if the talus might be too much for her to handle?
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.
