Route: South Face from Horn Fork Basin

Team: Ted, Christy

Feeling motivated after a textbook spring ski of Mount Elbert, Christy and I headed to the North Cottonwood Creek trailhead for Mount Harvard and Mount Columbia. To nail these two descents in one spring day, we thought it best to make a high camp, so we packed in all our stuff and set up for the night just below the treeline on the trail to Horn Fork Basin. It was a big effort in unsupportive, late afternoon snow with the heavy packs, nobody’s favorite thing to do. Some cursing was possibly overheard by the wildlife.

The following morning was beautiful. Considering this was the third 14er ski in as many days, and our legs were tired, we still made good time. We managed a ski line from within a pole touch of the summit block on Mount Harvard, then skied some pretty perfect south-facing corn snow down to the valley floor. From there, it was a straightforward traverse to the bottom of the west couloirs of Mount Columbia.