Mt. Harvard (14,420 ft) and Mt. Columbia (14,073 ft) Backpacking Trip

Last year, Shari had recommended hiking Mt. Harvard and Mt. Columbia in a backpacking trip. The two mountains are connected by a 2 mile long ridge, so it seemed like a good idea. Although the pack trip was fun, and Mt. Harvard a sheer delight, the ridgeline between Harvard and Columbia (or rather the traverse 300 feet below the ridge) ended up being miserable.

It took us 3 hours to summit Harvard from camp (the third highest peak in the state) and 4.5 hours to cross the 2 mile ridge between Harvard and Columbia.

An exhausting day, we were all thrilled to be back at camp that evening, and that the weather held out on us. A lightning storm could've been a disaster - but we all made it fine!

Harvard offered a view of the most 14ers I've ever seen from a single peak!

Click here to read a detailed trip report of this hike.

View as a slideshow

Brad - ready to go Shari has a few key trail advantages that Lonny and Brian don't have... Brad and Shari Brian and Lonny pumping water Camp (Brian, Brad & Shari, and Lonny's tent from near to far) The stream nearby camp Making dinner whilst hunting mosquitos The circle of death
Playing Scrabble in Brian's tent Playing Scrabble in Brian's tent Playing Scrabble in Brian's tent Fun with a green laser Fun with a green laser Fun with a green laser Brian - taking his standard arm-length photo (sans Lisa) Alpenglow at dawn
Setting off on the trail on Sunday Sunrise on Mt. Harvard Lonny, Shari, and Brad, heading up the trail at about 12,000 feet The "Rabbits" on the Harvard-Columbia ridgeline seem to resemble something... ...we thought it looked like a hiker talking to a squirrel The Horn-Fork Basin above treeline Mt. Yale, shortly after sunrise Mt. Columbia
Goats up on the ridgeline Mountain goats on the ridgeline The dog (Ben) that I thought was a bear the night before at camp Ben (the dog/bear) following Shari and Brad The Horn-Fork Basin Shari, pushing about 500 feet below the summit Brian and Shari on the final push of the ascent of Harvard
Brian scrambling towards the Harvard summit Brian, scrambling towards the Harvard summit - Mt. Columbia in the backdrop Lonny, precariously poised at the edge of the summit On the summit of Harvard (Missouri and Belford in the immediate background) Brian, leaning against the summit high point Shari, descending one of many dirt shoots Lonny on a steep section of trail Part of our "ardous" traverse below the Harvard-Columbia ridgeline
Lonny and Brad, taking a break above a snowfield Mt. Columbia finally visible in the distance Lonny and Shari trudging through the boulderfield Brad, Lonny and Shari Shari, with our traverse behind her Brad goofing off on a rock Brad, photographing atop Mt. Columbia (Buena Vista in the backdrop) The obligatory Columbia summit photo (Harvard behind us on the left)
Brad and Mt. Harvard Brian and Lonny scoping out the descent route A marmot, mugging for the camera Mt. Yale, across the Horn-Fork Basin Brian, taking a break on the steep descent Shari and Brad...Shari's pretty much done at this point The steep descent of Mt. Columbia (Mt. Harvard in distance) An alternate descent - the "scree shoot of death"...can you spot the two people in it?
Lonny, taking a break on his descent Brian taking a break on the steep descent Attempting to fit four people laying down in my tent Attempting to fit four people laying down in my tent Drying our rain flies - or are the trees pretending to be ghosts? A false summit on Mt. Yale Packing out

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