Humboldt Peak

Psalm 18:2 states, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in who I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Here's the deal...God is firm, solid, impregnable, and immovable. David, in the psalm, writes of a rock large enough that he could hide on top of it from his enemies below...After spending a long weekend in the Sangre de Cristos...I could see what David meant. I also got a glimpse of how solid and strong God's protection is.

In times of trouble or retreat, smaller armies would run up the hillside or mountainside for protection. From this vantage point, they could see their enemies from up above. They also felt secure, knowing there was nothing above them. These were the places they felt most protected and/or least vulnerable. In essence, it was a place of refuge.

David makes the connection that God does the same thing for our lives. He is that place...where we can find refuge. He shields us from our enemy and is our stronghold in times of weakness. The Lord is our rock...Really, the Lord is much more...He's a Himalayan Mountain on the coast...scratch that...be's bigger than that!

Humboldt Peak-14,064'
When: 08/07/11
Who: Me (SOLO)
TH Start: 4:55 p.m.
Elevation start: 11,685 ft
Summit: 7:10 p.m.
Back to TH: 8:55 p.m.
Distance: 3.8 miles
Total elevation gain +/-: 4758 ft

Class 2
After summiting Crestone Needle earlier in the day, I went back to camp and hung out with the guys by the lake for most of the afternoon. I sat on a rock for a few hours as I watched some of the guys fish...I was tired. But I knew that we would be hiking back down to the car in the morning and I really wanted to bag Humboldt on this trip. The rest of the guys were not interested...so this was going to be a solo hike up to the top. I started my hike up right before 5pm an knew I had so much daylight left...I was comfortable with this decision...I had studied the mountain, had my headlamp, and was not going to be denied!!! So I made my way up to the Upper South Colony Lake, turned North and started to make my way up the green slope (pictured above)...
This trail is unlike the trail up to Broken Hand Pass (BHP)...it was a dirt trail, well marked, and switchbacked all the way up to the saddle. This hike was also very green and heavily vegetated unlike the talus-fested BHP trail. Let's just say, it's a whole lot nicer...(in the picture above, you can see a hiker on the left and the upper lake behind.)
So, after you zig zag your way up to the saddle...you get to this point. You get a good view of the North Colony Lakes to the North and Colony Baldy Mountain. You also see the remainder of the hike up the connecting ridge to the Bear's playground (pictured above).
These are the mountains North of the saddle...
As you make your way up the route towards Humboldt...this is what you see all the way up. I felt like that point way up above never got any closer...it was one continuous summit. It's like it kept growing as I kept climbing it! But I knew that it was 1000' climb from the saddle to the summit...so I kept going.
Here I am about hundred feet above the saddle...with the Crestone group behind me. I had to share this picture because it's one of my favorites and because it gives you a good view of the saddle. If you look close enough, you can see a faint trail to the left of the saddle where I came up...
About a few hundred feet above, this is what your view is to the South. Down below is the Lower South Colony lake (where we camped nearby) and the upper lake is on the right side of the pic. The upper lake sits 400' above and .5 mile from the Eastern side (or far left in picture) of the lake where we camped. But it you lose all perspective when your this high up...
When you finally get over the top...ths is where you arrive. To a cliff that falls hundreds of feet straight down. The views here are incredible. Behind me...that hight point, is the true summit.
Here is the summit...there is a manmade windbreak here that serves relief in times of high winds. But the winds were calm this evening. I took a second and just sat down in here...
I took in the views, prayed, was very thankful for the opportunity to climb these mountains...then I signed the register like I only know how...
Giving credit where credit is only due! Thanking God for being my Rock during this adventure!

The Lord is my Rock, and I will take refuge in Him!!!!!

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