Humboldt Peak (Colorado)
| Humboldt Peak | |
|---|---|
 Photo taken near the beginning of the hike from the South Colony Lakes trailhead. |
|
| Elevation | 14,064 ft (4,287 m) NGVD 29[1] |
| Prominence | 1,184 ft (361 m) [1] |
| Listing | Colorado Fourteener |
| Location | |
 Humboldt Peak
|
|
| Location | Custer County, Colorado, USA |
| Range | Sangre de Cristo Range |
| Coordinates | 37°58′34″N 105°33′19″W / 37.97611°N 105.55528°WCoordinates: 37°58′34″N 105°33′19″W / 37.97611°N 105.55528°W[2] |
| Topo map | USGS Crestone Peak |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike/scramble |
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2011) |
Humboldt Peak is a high peak in the Sangre de Cristo Range in southern Colorado. It is the least challenging climb of the Crestone group of fourteeners, which include Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, and Kit Carson Peak. (Challenger Point, a subpeak of Kit Carson Peak, is sometimes included in this list.)
Despite the rather impressive north face of Humboldt Peak, the standard route on the peak is not much more than a hike along a decent trail with some minor rock scrambling (Class 2) near the summit. It is considered an easy climb and is recommended for those just beginning to climb the fourteeners. The trail climbs the peak from the South Colony Lakes basin, accessed from the east side of the range. This basin is a popular site that is also the base for most climbs of Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle. A very rugged four-wheel drive road follows the South Colony drainage to near the Lakes; however this road will be closed half-way up on October 13, 2009. There is a lower parking lot for two-wheel drive access at the San Isabel National Forest boundary. The climb involves 4,464 feet (1,361 m) of elevation gain in a 14-mile (23 km) round trip when done from the two-wheel drive access point, but only 3,100 feet (940 m) of gain in a 6-mile (9.7 km) round trip from the current high-clearance four-wheel drive access point. As of 8/30/2007, 2WD lot has been moved back. From here climb involves 5,200 feet (1,600 m) of elevation gain in an 18-mile (29 km) round trip. When hiking Humboldt be sure to stay right on the ridge because the left is the north face and drops steeply.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Humboldt Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5906. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ^ "Humboldt Peak". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:192424. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
