Obscure Ridgelines in the Sangre de Cristo

Prelude:

This is one of those trip reports that I'd put in the category of, "we did it so you don't have to". For the July 4th weekend, Gina and I decided to head down to the Sangre de Cristo Range to avoid I-70 traffic and the crowds. After an absolutely fantastic day on the North Ridge of Kit Carson on Friday (not sure why I waited so long to do that route because it's absolutely fantastic) we decided to head for a dramatic looking piece of ridge between UN 13,656 and Ellingwood Point that will go down as probably the most contrived way to summit Ellingwood (as is our specialty) with the ugliest approach. The Blanca Group isn't exactly known for its lush greenery, but the dry slog going up the North Fork of South Zapata Creek would set a new bar. Most of the valley is a thin green strip of scraggly plants surrounded by steep walls of talus and scree (very scenic). I wouldn't count on getting a refill of water at the lake that shows up on the map - It's more of a boggy tarn filled with moss and algae than a lake. The most interesting part of the approach was the airplane debris scattered half a mile along the trail and up on the mountainside. The crash occurred in 1965. There's a plaque just off the trail for anyone interested in seeing the small memorial and paying respects to the 3 people who lost their lives in the crash.

After the lake, the scenery improved with a broad, grassy basin that provided simple passage up to the col just South of the 13,654. The slope was a combination of grassy slopes and occasional talus. The ridge across the unranked peaks was mostly class 2 with a bit of class 3 mixed in. The real 'fun' starts after descending towards the saddle between 13,656 and Ellingwood Point. From here, there's a pretty outstanding (though awkward) fin of rock that traverses all the way to the base of the North Ridge leading up to the summit of Ellingwood. The fin is mostly flat and involves a lot of crab walking, but offers pretty cool views to the East. A grassy ledge sits 50-100' below the ridge proper to the West for those seeking a less contrived method of travel. The best scrambling of the day is a 200' headwall leading to the North Ridge route on Ellingwood (as described on the Ellingwood Point page). From there, we descended the class 3, North Ridge route via C2 Couloir.

Approach:

Follow the South Zapata Lakes Trail to a split around the 10,600' contour. Take the faint trail up and to the left. A trail exists, but it's poorly marked and easy to lose once you get further up the basin where travel is primarily on talus/scree. Route finding here is difficult and can be time-consuming. The trail stays above the creek, following a low-ish angle bench to the tarn. Once at the tarn, route finding gets a lot simpler!

Route Information:

Mileage: Approximately 13 Miles
Elevation: Approximately 5000'
Class: 5.easy

Exposure: Extreme
Rockfall: Moderate - Generally rock fall isn't a concern, but this is some loose rock on the final chimney that leads up to the North Ridge route.
Route-Finding: Very High
Commitment: High