Humboldt Peak - Mountain Summits on Waymarking.com

By far the simplest approach is from the well-maintained trail that begins from the South Colony lakes. You can reach the South Colony lakes from either the Rainbow Trail (6 miles) or from the CR 120 parking lot (7.5 miles). Unfortunately, the jeep trail from the parking lot is still open to cars and ORVs, but it is very rough and we actually went faster on foot than most vehicles. Because of the easy access to the lakes, the campgrounds tend to fill up.

The jeep trail ends at a gate, and shortly afterwards is the trail register. From this point, the peak is roughly a 3-4 hour climb.

My map actually shows a northern trail from the gate, but it is now closed. The southern trail is nice and scenic. Once it reaches the Colony lakes after 1.5 miles from the register, a sign points to a southern route to Crestone Needle. Instead cross the stream and begin making your way to the saddle.

The trail up the saddle is in wonderful shape and a perfect slope. Humboldt Peak is on the east end of the summit, and a well traveled route goes nearly to the summit. The final approach to the summit requires paying some attention to the easy routes, but search for the small cairns and it is a safe and easy approach.

The summit contains a large, circular cairn with the summit log. There's many friendly yellow-bellied marmots and a few pika, so be wary of leaving any food unattended. The summit provides views of several nearby 14k summits: Crestone Needle, Crestone Peak, Kit Carson, Challenger, and in the distance, Blanca. Other notable peaks are Colony Baldy and Little Horn which dominate the view to the north, and to the far southeast can be seen the Spanish Peaks.

The saddle has a twin pair of cairns (see photo) that marks a route from the North Colony Lakes, which would provide a better challenge as well as a wilderness experience. From the Rainbow Trail, the North Colony trail is an easy hike up past some waterfalls and also contains a register. However, the trail fades away into an avalanche-prone basin just as the lakes are approached. This hike would be an interesting approach, but requires more gusto.

Another interesting approach could be made from the unnamed rocky ridge to the west that leads to Bear's Playground, which is a broad meadow with views of Bench Lake, Crestone, and Kit Carson. While Kit Carson may be approached from the Bear's Playground, it takes significantly more time and effort.

Altitude in Feet: 14065

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