Sangre de Cristo Range · Colorado 13er · No. 99 of the 13ers
Northeast Ridge from Horn Creek
Colony Baldy, 13,692'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip12.5 mi
Elevation gain4,700'
TrailheadHorn Creek
Trailhead elevation9,100'
Conditions on the summit
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Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Colorado 13er · Northeast Ridge from Horn Creek
Overview
Colony Baldy is the big peak northeast of Crestone Needle, above Westcliffe. You follow the Rainbow Trail south from the Horn Creek trailhead, leave it at a rock to bushwhack up a narrow forested ridge, and follow the long northeast ridge over two false summits to the top.
It is Class 2. The bushwhack is the hardest part; knowing where to leave the Rainbow Trail helps a lot, so load a map on your phone or GPS.
The round trip is about 12.5 miles with 4,700 feet of gain.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at treeline by 9:30 a.m.
Crux
The bushwhack up the forested ridge.
Route-finding
Moderate. About 3.5 miles in, leave the Rainbow Trail and head west-southwest into the forest until you're clearly on a narrow ridge. Stay on its crest to treeline.
Go south from Westcliffe on Colorado 69 about 3.4 miles to Schoolfield Road and head west. In 1.7 miles go south on County Road 129; in about 2 more, go west on Horn Creek Road (County Road 130). Sky Ranch comes up 2.4 miles along; turn right there, and the big Horn Creek lot (9,100 feet) is half a mile ahead.
Trail in the treesOff-trail, no set pathRidgeTundraExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Horn Creek trailhead 9,100' · 0 mi
Start up the wide, rocky trail near the toilets.
2
Rainbow Trail 9,400' · 0.6 mi
Turn left, cross a bridge and follow the Rainbow Trail south.
3
Macy Lakes junction 9,700' · 3.1 mi
Stay left, cross another bridge.
4
Leave the trail 9,800' · 3.4 mi
About 0.3 mile farther, turn right into the forest near a distinctive rock. There's no trail here.
5
Narrow ridge 11,200' · 4.6 mi
Bushwhack west-southwest onto a narrow ridge and follow its crest, finding a faint trail at times.
6
Treeline 11,600' · 4.9 mi
The ridge gets broader and steeper; grind up about 400 feet to treeline.
7
Cliff edge 12,000' · 5.2 mi
Pass rocks and a couple of dead bristlecone pines. Where the ridge meets cliffs near 12,000 feet, turn left and follow it.
8
False summits 12,950' · 5.9 mi
The ridge eases near 12,300 feet. Pass a first false summit with Humboldt Peak to the left, then a second.
9
Summit 13,692' · 6.25 mi
From about 13,300 feet the top is in sight. Climb the final pitch.
Getting down
Return the same way. Take care to find the right ridge back down through the forest.
If things go wrong
The ridge leads back to the Rainbow Trail.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the Rainbow Trail the route is a bushwhack and a trailless ridge. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
Every way up Colony Baldy we list, with its class.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.