| After the 3.5 hour drive to Colfax lane south of Westcliffe, CO, I eyed the ominous clouds already sending down rain on Kit Carson and Columbia Point. My objective for the day quickly changed to not include a drive up South Colony Rd to perform a sustained ridge climb in lightning. I stopped at the Trinidad Library and waited fot it to open so I could look up some info of Little Costilla or Sierra Grande. I opted to take on the safer of the two since clouds were smothering most of the Sangre de Cristo Range into New Mexico as well after arriving in Raton. I was pleased to see the public lands entrance to drive further the peak. The road is very faint, and the rocks made for a bumpy ride, but it lead to a parking lot at 7,200', 2 miles from the summit. The bushwhack began at 10:40 a.m., and was already very hot. On the right, the lower reaches of the peak are displayed with the two Southern subsummits in view. Having mountaineering boots was not such a bad thing considering the quanity of cacti and yucca. | |
| Soon enough, the terrain crossed a volcanic talus field, avoiding some small decidous trees that we densely packed toward the ridge. I arrived at the first subsummit in 47 minutes, at 8,500'. I kept going toward the objective after a brief gulp of water and was amazed to see so many lady bugs on the bare rocks. There were millions up here. The next obstcale was the dividing barbed-wore fence running North-South. A hop over it, and the final 50' or so joined me with the myriad radio tower components (photo below). The clouds to the Northwest looked like they were pummeling the Sangres. I made my way down and drove out an hour later and drove through torrential rains on Raton Pass. It was nice to get another highpoint and somewhat salvage the day. |
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