Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/5868855025
After seeing Aly’s pictures of Mount of the Holy Cross I knew this was a mountain I had to climb! We picked the last Saturday in August and lucked out with excellent conditions. The plan was to hike the standard route (North Ridge, Class 2) to the summit and decide there if we would follow the out-and-back route or make it a big loop and descend along the Halo Ridge (“difficult” Class 2). Although the weather was perfect and physically we both felt up for the longer Halo Ridge Route, we decided to return via the North Ridge, partially to avoid running out of hydration under the hot sun but also, and perhaps primarily, “due to mountain spiders…”.
There were already quite a few vehicles at the trailhead when we arrived, so Aly had to park along the road. We started our watches and started up the trail shortly after 7am.
It was chilly at the start but it didn’t take long to warm up enough to shed layers. The initial elevation was over 10,000′ and I was breathing fast and heavy to try and catch up, but I drank and ate early and often and had my best day on a 14er in terms of avoiding altitude sickness. The first segment of the trail is a gradual uphill climb through conifer forest.
After climbing 1,300′ over the first couple miles to the top of Half Moon Pass (fun fact: we could see a half moon in the sky when we got there), the trail heads back down for 1,000′ to the creek and campground.
The descent down to East Cross Creek featured some loose sand and rocky steps. After crossing the creek and campground, the remainder of the route to the summit was uphill.
I had already consumed 2 liters of water, so I swapped out for another 2 liter hydration bladder (with Pedialyte packets this time) before starting the big climb. The first segment was rocky and rooted and cut through a pleasant forest.
The trail above tree line followed a fairly straight path up the side of the mountain, although the well-defined dirt path gradually gave way to hiking over talus. Cairns marked the route and it was pretty easy to find our way to the summit. We saw and heard many pikas but no marmots or mountain goats. I’m yet to see a mountain goat. Hopefully soon!
The wind picked up for the final few hundred feet of ascent, which required some scrambling over large talus. We put on gloves and a warmer layer before making the final push.
Reaching the summit of Mount of the Holy Cross felt awesome. It was my third 14er (Aly had done this one previously) and my first trip above 14,000′ that didn’t leave me feeling dizzy and nauseous. We found shelter from the wind at the top and took some time to enjoy being up there. We took our outer layers off, ate some snacks, and took a bunch of photos while we talked about whether to try for the ambitious Halo Ridge descent or head back the way we’d come.
There was definitely a part of me that wanted to go the long way and pick up a couple of 13ers on the way down the more challenging Halo Ridge. But that would mean significantly more time above 12,000′ – uncharted territory for me – and under the high-altitude sun I wasn’t sure our finite hydration would be quite enough. For Aly, it was the 14ers.com route description calling out the abundance of mountain spiders along that route that gave her pause. I was happy to check the 14er off my list and so we followed the North Ridge trail back to the car.
After crossing the creek we had to reclimb Half Moon Pass. This time we were in full sun and it was a tough slog up the switchbacks. We saw several other hikers in this area. The views of the mountain were still pretty amazing, though!
My Coros Apex watch recorded a distance of 11.37 miles whereas Aly’s was closer to 13 miles. 14ers.com calls it 12.00. Regardless of the exact measurement, it was a fun day on a scenic mountain. We capped off the adventure, after getting around shirtless-water-jug-guy, with some craft beer and vegan food truck tacos at Vail Brewing Company.
Next up: Grays and Torreys combo (if things go according to plan)!
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