Mt. of the Holy Cross Trip Report 09/01/2008

Peak(s):	Mt. of the Holy Cross - 14,007 feet
Date Posted:	09/01/2008
Modified:	01/21/2009
Date Climbed:	08/07/2008
Author:	hike-n-climb

Our 19 Hour Tour of MHC -Halo/North Ridge
Trip Report - Mt. Of the Holy Cross via Halo Ridge, descending the North Ridge Distance covered: ~16 miles (with "creek" detour) Trip time: ~19 hours Date Hiked: August 7th, 2008 This is our first TR and as you can see it took forever for us to post it.... Sorry about that Here is our GPS track of our hike. Our alarms went off at 3:20 a.m. As early as it was, it was made easier by the excitement of getting on MHC. We had been looking forward to and training for this hike for quite some time and our journey was about to begin. We got ready and to the trailhead around 5:00 a.m. and were hiking shortly after. This was later than we wanted, but figured we were still ok. With our headlamps cutting through the morning darkness, we started our way up the Halo Ridge trail. The trail was well defined and straight forward up to the Notch Mountain Shelter at ~13,000 ft. The creek crossing was simple, unlike the crossing later in our day. A view of the mountain meadow on our way up. Halo Ridge trail. Looking down at Halo Ridge trail. The trail and fauna were wet from the previous day/nights rain. As the trail crested and the shelter came into view, our spirits were high and the views of the Cross Coulier were amazing! The hike up to the shelter was one of the best hikes we've ever done (incredible views, variation of terrain, scenery, etc.). We took some photos and checked out the shelter, noticing we had made pretty good time to this point and the weather was still looking good. We had only 1000' feet and 2.5 miles to summit according to the book. Unfortunately we underestimated the difficulty of the terrain and the time it would take us to summit from here. We thought we'd have plenty of time to summit by noon. Leaving the shelter, the "trail" disappeared, but we knew where we had to go. Shortly after we got going we learned what a 'talus slope' was (we think it's better defined as a large boulder field). On our way up unnamed peak 13,248. A look straight up unnamed peak 13,248. Bowl of Tears. We made our way up the first of the three 13ers en route to MHC ( unnamed peak 13,248 ), getting a better view of our next challenge. This would be the Class 2+ crux of the route noted in the book/14ers.com. We were a little unsure of the route up this unranked peak 13,373, but it became clear as we descended down to the saddle and reached the base of the steeper boulder field that we were to just climb straight up. We felt a sense of accomplishment when we reached the top of this and felt we were fairly close to the MHC summit. We felt pretty good that our flat-lander MN lungs were handling the altitude quite well. Shortly after this point we ran into two guys who had summited via the North Ridge and were descending Halo. We continued on, watching the skies and getting a bit more concerned about summiting by noon. The clouds had come and gone all day but none ever looked threatening amidst the blue sky. As we descended down and made our way along the 'grassy' area towards the Holy Cross Ridge peak (13,831), it started to sprinkle. We stopped to cover our packs, put on our jackets, and snapped a photo of the sky (not knowing that this would be the last photo of the day). Here is our last photo of the day.... We witnessed firsthand what we had read about how quickly weather can change at these altitudes. Quickening our pace as much as we could on the now wet/slick boulders, we pushed on through yet more large boulder fields. As we began the first of three false summits towards the Holy Cross Ridge peak, it started to hail as the clouds darkened even more. We knew that we had to get below tree line as quickly as possible. We felt that going back down the way we came (Halo Ridge) would take longer and be more risky (with the steep slippery class 2+ boulder fields) than to continue toward the North Ridge route. At this point we had no idea that the North Ridge itself was one very long boulder field. Thus we continued up into the storm. As we summited the Holy Cross Ridge peak and continued down to the 13,500' saddle, we heard thunder and I noticed Sarah's hair was sneaking out of the brim of her hood and standing straight up... which worried me. Lightning followed shortly after. A few steps later I heard a buzzing noise coming from what sounded like inside my hood but I'm guessing it was my trekking poles that were strapped to the back of my pack. This continued off and on for a little while and we tried to stay off the ridge and low. As we walked, we discussed whether or not we should take cover or continue. The magnitude of the situation seemed surreal. The fact was that we only had these two options and both were bad. If we continue we risk a lightning strike but if we take cover we risk hypothermia. Having no idea how long this storm would last; we pressed on... until the lightning got closer to us than we were comfortable with and we changed our minds. We took shelter under a slightly overhanging boulder that we almost both fit under, with our packs in front of us blocking most of the wind, rain and hail. We were concerned about how wet and cold we were getting, seeing as how we were showing early signs of hypothermia. After catching ourselves nodding off, we decided that we would have to move as soon as possible. We waited until the thunder and flashes of lightning subsided, then ventured back into the rain and hail. Shortly after leaving our 'shelter' the North Ridge came into view and we discovered that we wouldn't have to summit in order to reach it. At this point we were under 70' away from summiting! With the unstable atmosphere, Sarah's hair still on end and how wet and cold we were, neither of us felt it was an option to summit. We just needed to get off the mountain. Alive. I was really getting concerned for Sarah, I knew she was really cold and wished I had another layer to give her. On our way down the long North Ridge boulder field, my left knee began to hurt a bit so I started using my trekking poles when I could. That is until I broke one when I slipped on the edge of a snowfield. It should be noted that there are many cairnes on the North Ridge marking at least two different routes down. We ended up following the left route which put us off of the main "trail" quite a bit. As we made our way down the North Ridge we saw someone else making their way down. We eventually caught up to him (Comedic04 -Ryan), as his two pups (Louie & Dizzy) were having a hard time with the boulders. It was great to see someone else and nice to have some company on our hike to tree line. Shortly after getting to tree line we stopped to take some Advil for our aching knees and wrap Sarah's knee with an Ace bandage. This is where we parted ways with Ryan, it was fun hiking with him but we didn't want to slow him down. We half thought we might catch up to him with the help of the Advil & Ace bandage... too bad neither helped. As we neared the creek the rain started picking up again. We got to the creek crossing and it didn't look anything like what we expected. Because of all the rain, the creek had swollen and was running quite fast and the rocks and log that we were to step across were completely underwater. I started exploring down stream and found some even bigger rapids and falls, at this point I knew that trying to cross/forge back at the regular trail was not an option. If we slipped there and fell into the water we would be swept down into these sets of rapids. I wasn't exploring too long and I ran into a couple guys camping and one told me he thought he saw a log that crossed the creek way upstream. Off we both went upstream... like we had any other choice. I explored a bit and came back for Sarah because I thought I saw an option to cross. The creek narrowed just enough to where we could jump across. We quickly found out that the creek split into three so we still had to cross it twice more. The second crossing was almost too easy as there was a log near by... Well that dead-ended to a wider creek that was quick moving and didn't look safe to cross. So back across the log we went. Once again I left Sarah to explore up a hill next to a large waterfall. It wasn't too long and I finally found a couple nice logs that crossed the creek all the way. I went back to get Sarah and away we went. Crossing the logs was a bit tenuous seeing as how the logs were wet, both our knees were aching, the raging creek was right below us and the large waterfall was very close by. After crossing we really started to wonder how Ryan and his pups made it across (we found out later via his trip report). Now we had to find our way back to the trail. I had a map and compass along but with the rain it was much easier using the GPS. Making our way across yet more wet boulders and through the woods, we found the trail just before dark. As we reached the trail we ran into a couple groups of people hiking in. We were really happy to be back on the trail and to see people. We slowly hiked up the 1000' out of East Cross Creek, moving as fast as we could with our knees the way they were. It wasn't too long and we donned our headlamps, something we didn't think we were going to have to do again today. We really wanted it to stop raining but it continued through the night. The trail was quite soggy and at times it looked like a river as the rut of the trail was filled with water. We pressed on into the cold (we could see our breath) and cloudy mountain darkness; one foot in front of the other illuminated by our headlamps. The thought of encountering wildlife was on my mind so I started talking louder to Sarah and I kept the gap between us small. At one point I saw two sets of eyes off in the distance (~50 yards away). As I tried to figure out what they were, they moved away from us. Along the way we encountered another group of hikers from Colorado Springs, they gave us hope that we were getting close to the parking lot - even though the GPS didn't agree. Moving at our slow pace we still had another hour or so, but we didn't know that then. We joked with each other now and then about how this mountain didn't want to let us go; the trail seemed to go on forever. By midnight (19 hours and over 15 miles later) we FINALLY made it back to the parking lot, a sight for sore eyes...legs, knees, bodies... We quickly got the vehicle started, cranked up the heat and made our way down Tigiwon Road. We survived MHC. Now if only there was anyplace to get food open anywhere at 1 am. Overall we felt we were very prepared and glad we had along with us everything we did. We had plenty of food (although we didn't eat much), water, clothing, GPS, the rest of the standard gear, etc. Our wind and waterproof jackets were invaluable, along with our hiking boots, packs and waterproof pack cover. We now understand and believe even more so in buying good quality gear - even if it costs a little more. It's this high quality gear that kept us alive and going. We also learned that clothing choice can play a big role when weather conditions are not ideal. For instance, I found my (hiking/climbing) pants dried much quicker than Sarah's did. We both also had several layers with us, adding them as the day progressed. It seemed like overkill (in the morning) but we used every single one of them. Next time we will be keeping them in a more waterproof bag/ziplock. We also found out that whatever I bring for layers Sarah should bring one or two more just in case. A small tarp to cover up with would be a nice addition to the pack as well. This would have kept us drier when we had to take shelter. This trip report (like any TR) cannot even begin to really convey all of our experiences and feelings that we encountered. But hopefully this TR sheds some light on our MHC hike and helps someone else. There were times (especially during the lightning and at the river crossing) that we kept thinking that this kind of thing doesn't happen to us, it happens in books and movies. I guess it can happen to anyone. It was quite the adventure for our first 14er but we are both excited to do more (we did Grays Pk. a few days later and the weather was great). This is a picture of MHC from the top of Vail the next day. This is a picture of MHC from the top of Grays - a successful 14er we did a few days later. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Our 19 Hour Tour of MHC -Halo/North Ridge

Trip Report - Mt. Of the Holy Cross via Halo Ridge, descending the North Ridge
Distance covered: ~16 miles (with "creek" detour)
Trip time: ~19 hours

Date Hiked: August 7th, 2008

This is our first TR and as you can see it took forever for us to post it.... Sorry about that

Here is our GPS track of our hike.

Our alarms went off at 3:20 a.m. As early as it was, it was made easier by the excitement of getting on MHC. We had been looking forward to and training for this hike for quite some time and our journey was about to begin. We got ready and to the trailhead around 5:00 a.m. and were hiking shortly after. This was later than we wanted, but figured we were still ok.

With our headlamps cutting through the morning darkness, we started our way up the Halo Ridge trail. The trail was well defined and straight forward up to the Notch Mountain Shelter at ~13,000 ft. The creek crossing was simple, unlike the crossing later in our day.

A view of the mountain meadow on our way up.

Halo Ridge trail.

Looking down at Halo Ridge trail.

The trail and fauna were wet from the previous day/nights rain. As the trail crested and the shelter came into view, our spirits were high and the views of the Cross Coulier were amazing! The hike up to the shelter was one of the best hikes we've ever done (incredible views, variation of terrain, scenery, etc.). We took some photos and checked out the shelter, noticing we had made pretty good time to this point and the weather was still looking good.

We had only 1000' feet and 2.5 miles to summit according to the book. Unfortunately we underestimated the difficulty of the terrain and the time it would take us to summit from here. We thought we'd have plenty of time to summit by noon.

Leaving the shelter, the "trail" disappeared, but we knew where we had to go. Shortly after we got going we learned what a 'talus slope' was (we think it's better defined as a large boulder field).

On our way up unnamed peak 13,248.

A look straight up unnamed peak 13,248.

Bowl of Tears.

We made our way up the first of the three 13ers en route to MHC ( unnamed peak 13,248 ), getting a better view of our next challenge. This would be the Class 2+ crux of the route noted in the book/14ers.com. We were a little unsure of the route up this unranked peak 13,373, but it became clear as we descended down to the saddle and reached the base of the steeper boulder field that we were to just climb straight up. We felt a sense of accomplishment when we reached the top of this and felt we were fairly close to the MHC summit. We felt pretty good that our flat-lander MN lungs were handling the altitude quite well. Shortly after this point we ran into two guys who had summited via the North Ridge and were descending Halo. We continued on, watching the skies and getting a bit more concerned about summiting by noon. The clouds had come and gone all day but none ever looked threatening amidst the blue sky.

As we descended down and made our way along the 'grassy' area towards the Holy Cross Ridge peak (13,831), it started to sprinkle. We stopped to cover our packs, put on our jackets, and snapped a photo of the sky (not knowing that this would be the last photo of the day).

Here is our last photo of the day....

We witnessed firsthand what we had read about how quickly weather can change at these altitudes. Quickening our pace as much as we could on the now wet/slick boulders, we pushed on through yet more large boulder fields. As we began the first of three false summits towards the Holy Cross Ridge peak, it started to hail as the clouds darkened even more.

We knew that we had to get below tree line as quickly as possible. We felt that going back down the way we came (Halo Ridge) would take longer and be more risky (with the steep slippery class 2+ boulder fields) than to continue toward the North Ridge route. At this point we had no idea that the North Ridge itself was one very long boulder field. Thus we continued up into the storm.

As we summited the Holy Cross Ridge peak and continued down to the 13,500' saddle, we heard thunder and I noticed Sarah's hair was sneaking out of the brim of her hood and standing straight up... which worried me. Lightning followed shortly after. A few steps later I heard a buzzing noise coming from what sounded like inside my hood but I'm guessing it was my trekking poles that were strapped to the back of my pack. This continued off and on for a little while and we tried to stay off the ridge and low.

As we walked, we discussed whether or not we should take cover or continue. The magnitude of the situation seemed surreal. The fact was that we only had these two options and both were bad. If we continue we risk a lightning strike but if we take cover we risk hypothermia.

Having no idea how long this storm would last; we pressed on... until the lightning got closer to us than we were comfortable with and we changed our minds. We took shelter under a slightly overhanging boulder that we almost both fit under, with our packs in front of us blocking most of the wind, rain and hail. We were concerned about how wet and cold we were getting, seeing as how we were showing early signs of hypothermia. After catching ourselves nodding off, we decided that we would have to move as soon as possible. We waited until the thunder and flashes of lightning subsided, then ventured back into the rain and hail.

Shortly after leaving our 'shelter' the North Ridge came into view and we discovered that we wouldn't have to summit in order to reach it. At this point we were under 70' away from summiting! With the unstable atmosphere, Sarah's hair still on end and how wet and cold we were, neither of us felt it was an option to summit. We just needed to get off the mountain. Alive. I was really getting concerned for Sarah, I knew she was really cold and wished I had another layer to give her.

On our way down the long North Ridge boulder field, my left knee began to hurt a bit so I started using my trekking poles when I could. That is until I broke one when I slipped on the edge of a snowfield. It should be noted that there are many cairnes on the North Ridge marking at least two different routes down. We ended up following the left route which put us off of the main "trail" quite a bit. As we made our way down the North Ridge we saw someone else making their way down. We eventually caught up to him (Comedic04 -Ryan), as his two pups (Louie & Dizzy) were having a hard time with the boulders. It was great to see someone else and nice to have some company on our hike to tree line. Shortly after getting to tree line we stopped to take some Advil for our aching knees and wrap Sarah's knee with an Ace bandage. This is where we parted ways with Ryan, it was fun hiking with him but we didn't want to slow him down. We half thought we might catch up to him with the help of the Advil & Ace bandage... too bad neither helped.

As we neared the creek the rain started picking up again. We got to the creek crossing and it didn't look anything like what we expected. Because of all the rain, the creek had swollen and was running quite fast and the rocks and log that we were to step across were completely underwater. I started exploring down stream and found some even bigger rapids and falls, at this point I knew that trying to cross/forge back at the regular trail was not an option. If we slipped there and fell into the water we would be swept down into these sets of rapids. I wasn't exploring too long and I ran into a couple guys camping and one told me he thought he saw a log that crossed the creek way upstream.

Off we both went upstream... like we had any other choice.

I explored a bit and came back for Sarah because I thought I saw an option to cross. The creek narrowed just enough to where we could jump across. We quickly found out that the creek split into three so we still had to cross it twice more. The second crossing was almost too easy as there was a log near by... Well that dead-ended to a wider creek that was quick moving and didn't look safe to cross. So back across the log we went. Once again I left Sarah to explore up a hill next to a large waterfall. It wasn't too long and I finally found a couple nice logs that crossed the creek all the way. I went back to get Sarah and away we went. Crossing the logs was a bit tenuous seeing as how the logs were wet, both our knees were aching, the raging creek was right below us and the large waterfall was very close by. After crossing we really started to wonder how Ryan and his pups made it across (we found out later via his trip report).

Now we had to find our way back to the trail. I had a map and compass along but with the rain it was much easier using the GPS. Making our way across yet more wet boulders and through the woods, we found the trail just before dark. As we reached the trail we ran into a couple groups of people hiking in. We were really happy to be back on the trail and to see people.

We slowly hiked up the 1000' out of East Cross Creek, moving as fast as we could with our knees the way they were. It wasn't too long and we donned our headlamps, something we didn't think we were going to have to do again today. We really wanted it to stop raining but it continued through the night. The trail was quite soggy and at times it looked like a river as the rut of the trail was filled with water. We pressed on into the cold (we could see our breath) and cloudy mountain darkness; one foot in front of the other illuminated by our headlamps. The thought of encountering wildlife was on my mind so I started talking louder to Sarah and I kept the gap between us small. At one point I saw two sets of eyes off in the distance (~50 yards away). As I tried to figure out what they were, they moved away from us. Along the way we encountered another group of hikers from Colorado Springs, they gave us hope that we were getting close to the parking lot - even though the GPS didn't agree. Moving at our slow pace we still had another hour or so, but we didn't know that then. We joked with each other now and then about how this mountain didn't want to let us go; the trail seemed to go on forever.

By midnight (19 hours and over 15 miles later) we FINALLY made it back to the parking lot, a sight for sore eyes...legs, knees, bodies...

We quickly got the vehicle started, cranked up the heat and made our way down Tigiwon Road. We survived MHC.

Now if only there was anyplace to get food open anywhere at 1 am.

Overall we felt we were very prepared and glad we had along with us everything we did. We had plenty of food (although we didn't eat much), water, clothing, GPS, the rest of the standard gear, etc. Our wind and waterproof jackets were invaluable, along with our hiking boots, packs and waterproof pack cover. We now understand and believe even more so in buying good quality gear - even if it costs a little more. It's this high quality gear that kept us alive and going.

We also learned that clothing choice can play a big role when weather conditions are not ideal. For instance, I found my (hiking/climbing) pants dried much quicker than Sarah's did. We both also had several layers with us, adding them as the day progressed. It seemed like overkill (in the morning) but we used every single one of them. Next time we will be keeping them in a more waterproof bag/ziplock. We also found out that whatever I bring for layers Sarah should bring one or two more just in case. A small tarp to cover up with would be a nice addition to the pack as well. This would have kept us drier when we had to take shelter.

This trip report (like any TR) cannot even begin to really convey all of our experiences and feelings that we encountered. But hopefully this TR sheds some light on our MHC hike and helps someone else. There were times (especially during the lightning and at the river crossing) that we kept thinking that this kind of thing doesn't happen to us, it happens in books and movies. I guess it can happen to anyone. It was quite the adventure for our first 14er but we are both excited to do more (we did Grays Pk. a few days later and the weather was great).

This is a picture of MHC from the top of Vail the next day.

This is a picture of MHC from the top of Grays - a successful 14er we did a few days later.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

mennoguy	those two guys 9/2/2008 3:30pm I was one of those two guys you met on the ridge, that was quite the day, we made it down to the trees before the major lighting and rain hit.
SarahT	Glad everything turned out OK! 9/2/2008 3:37pm I‘m curious as to why you guys picked Holy Cross via this very long route as your first 14er. Not critisizing at all, just wondering. I‘m sure you learned a lot of valuable lessons from this experience. Your next 14ers should seem like a walk in the park compared to this epic!
COmedic04	Whew!! 9/2/2008 7:54pm What an ordeal! I was so glad to have the company of you two on the way down to treeline, it really lifted my spirits after getting beat down on that ridge!! I was so relieved to find that you made it out alright, after that horrible ‘stream‘ crossing, I considered waiting for you two to help, but was really cold and wet at that point, and knew I needed to keep moving. I applaud your tenacity and endurance! I only did the ”there and back” on the standard and I was exhausted; I can‘t imagine enduring that afternoon/evening after coming across Halo Ridge!!
hike-n-climb	Thanks for the tips 9/5/2008 3:17pm I checked out the link and a few other lightning articles on that page, all very good info. We did a fair amount of reading and researching mountain safety before taking this trip, this new info is a nice addition. Thanks again for the tips.
SuperPolok	Lightning Tips 11/30/2010 5:28pm I noticed a couple of things about your trip report that early on in my hiking career that I did not know but have learned since: 1) overhangs are NOT safe places to be. It seems counterintuitive but lightning will jump the gap THROUGH you rather than through rock. 2) That trekking pole buzzing? Get rid of it and anything else metal in your pack. Here's a good little listing of things to think about:
wreave	clothing 2/5/2011 12:22am Can you tell us exactly what clothing/layers you had? On my climb this weekend, I also ended up wearing everything I had, and am in the process of rethinking my layers - even for a ”summer” climb.
hike-n-climb	Replies all around 2/5/2011 12:22am To ”wreave": Pretty basic stuff - baselayer, short sleeve T, long sleeve T, fleece/sweatshirt, wind/waterproof jacket, hat, gloves. Sarah‘s layers were similar and we had on different combinations of these throughout the day. To ”mennoguy": So glad you guys made it down safely! We were wondering about you two, you must have been moving quickly. Nice work. To ”SarahT": That is totally a fair question We spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out which 14er we wanted to do first and decided on MHC because it really grabbed us. To us, it looked like the most scenic and interesting route of all the class 1 & 2‘s we looked at. We knew it wasn‘t going to be a real easy first 14er, but we trained pretty hard for this hike and felt we were ready for the challenge. We did learn quite a bit from this experience and when we did Grays Pk. a few days later it did seem much easier (not to diminish Gray‘s at all). To ”Comedic04": Thanks Ryan for the kind words. We are still amazed at how you made it out and across the ”creek" safely with Louie & Dizzy. Great Job! We found ourselves asking the different groups we ran into on our hike out if they saw you and the pups. So it was really cool to see your trip report go up when we returned from vacation. It was definitely a very long day.

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