Mt. Columbia is ranked as the 35th highest peak in Colorado, also part of the Collegiate Peaks group in the Sawatch Range at 14,073'. This was our LAST fourteener in the immediate area, and thankfully we were house-sitting for friends directly below Columbia, allowing for quick access. Instead of hiking the peak, the standard route via the North Cottonwood Trail, we opted to try the 3 Elk Trail located less than 10 minutes from our doorstep.
In the car for our early morning start, some of us looking a little more tired than others!
We ended up doing quite a bit of bushwacking when we left the 3 Elk Trail, but as a result discovered some pristine areas. This was an abnormal summer for us, we only hiked two fourteeners, but we're psyched to have done those!
Truckin a long... this route was really exposed for several miles, as we saw a storm stewing we opted for a short cut on the way down... yikes!
awe! So awesome! truly!
We were pumped, another one donzo!
Toby, happy and wiggly as always!
This is the view of the Horn Fork Basin, you can see Bear Lake just off center looking toward Birthday Peak (center), Mt. Harvard (far right), and Mt. Yale (far left). We've hiked up that basin on Search & Rescue calls a bizillion times, but love it every time!
Looking east back to Buena Vista and the Arkansas Valley. The green ridge to the left is the route we hiked up.
When we stopped for a break on the way down, these two little grasshoppers jumped right in front of me onto this plant. I zoomed in for a closer look and whoops...I felt like I was intruding.
The beginning and the end ( same access to the Harvard Lakes)
