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"...
A late start for a snow climb - alternate route up Columbia
5/27/09 - Hike into Horn Fork Basin, set up camp
5/28/09 - Mt Harvard http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=6008&cpgm=tripmain
5/29/09 - Columbia via west-face couloir
Once again, my alarm failed us. This time we both had our heads buried in our sleeping bags and didn't even see that it was getting light outside, so I woke up at 7:00 instead of 4:30...oops. We ate breakfast and got ready for the day as we contemplated whether or not it would be safe to make an attempt. We came to the decision that we would hike up to the snow and check the conditions and, if all was well, start climbing with the knowledge that we would flee the mountain at the first bad sign.
The snow had set up beautifully over night, and the ascent started at 9:00 with a breakneck pack, covering the first 600' in a hair over 20 minutes. Shawn started getting hot spots on his feet, so our pace slowed a bit but we maintained a good clip.
Our route:
As we approached the crux I was a little nervous because, from a distance, it looked like ice. As I got to the base of the crux, I could tell that it was mostly snow and turned out to be a fun section to climb. Skiing this area would be extremely risky, as it would involve a mandatory point downhill and the runout is littered with small to medium sized rocks.
Looking up at the crux
Looking down at Shawn climbing the crux
As we continued up the snow, I kept a close eye on the skies and continued assessing the snowpack; it was looking like the mountain gods were smiling on us. The snow's west exposure gave us a late sunhit, and as the sun swung across the sky, small clouds appeared and gentle breeze kicked up, buying us more time. About 150' above the crux was another choke point. There was water running underneath this section, the snow didn't appear to freeze overnight, and I didn't like the overall look of the snow, so we bypassed this area on the somewhat loose rock
Shawn bypassing the snow choke
The snowfield ended about 100-150' below the ridge, but the new snow had covered the rocks with 6" of snow. We were able to climb up on snow, but it was thin, poorly bonded to the ground, and melting fast, so I don't think this area could be skied. We reached the ridge and found 8-10" of fresh snow that was starting to get a little too sticky for my liking. This snow was hit by the sun much earlier in the day, and the clouds were building up, so I decided we still had time to scramble up to the summit.
Clouds building over Yale, time to book it down the mountain
We topped out at 11:30, 10 minutes after gaining the ridge, took a few pictures, ate a granola bar, and high-tailed it down the mountain
Curious marmot checking us out on the summit
Summit shot with Harvard in the background
Shawn doing a standing glissade down the lower part of the couloir
...and sliding to a stop
When we reached the stream crossing we stopped to fill up water bottles, eat the lunch that we neglected in our haste to get off the mountain, and soak our feet in the cold water. Shawn needed a table to make his sandwich, so why not use feet?
The clouds were looking much more ominous as we returned to camp, so we made short work of packing up and were on our way back to the car in no time.
Unlike our ascent, we were able to stay on-route for the descent and we were back at the car 2 hours after breaking camp - a significant improvement over the 4 hours it took to reach camp. On the way down we found a beer on the ground. We were tempted to drink it, but when we saw the "Born On" date was September 2007, we figured it was best to just dump out the skunked beer and carry out the trash.
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
Nice pics, way to bang out Harvard and Columbia in one backpack. And now I know I should look elsewhere for more snow climbs!!
About not drinking that beer though....
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.
