Ever since moving to Colorado in 2006, the Crestones have been very high on my “To Do” list. These prominent mountains in the Sangre de Cristo Mts are jagged spires of conglomerate that jut up from valley far below. I tried to climb them once in May, but due to extreme fire danger and heavy smoke, bailed on my route. This time, with clear skies overhead, good weather, and an ambitious plan laid out, I went for it. I left the new South Colony parking lot with the intent on summiting Humboldt, Kit Carson, Challenger, Crestone Peak, and Crestone Needle all in a day. My trip report for the adventure is linked below.
When the dust cleared, I’d successfully summited all five peaks, and in a new FKT of 9h17min05sec (TH->TH). Another fantastic adventure in the mountains.