Route: South Face from Horn Fork Basin
Pretty good timing for soft snow.
Team: Ted, Christy
Feeling motivated after a textbook spring ski of Mount Elbert, Christy and I headed to the North Cottonwood Creek trailhead, for Harvard and Columbia. In order 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 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 overheard by the wildlife.
The morning was beautiful. Considering this was the third 14er ski in as many days and our legs were a bit tired, we still made good time. We managed a ski line from within a pole touch of the summit block, 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 Columbia.
The morning approach to Harvard form high camp.
Christy skinning high up on the South Face.
Cutting switchbacks near the top, the West Face ski route of Columbia we skied afterwards is in the background.
Almost there, Mount Yale is in the background.
On the big South Face, with lots of room.
Pretty good timing for soft snow.
Some more skiing, but now it’s time to start traversing to Columbia.
The ski line on Harvard, as seen from Columbia
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