Mount of Holy Cross (14,005′), Cross Couloir, 3.23.08

Mount of the Holy Cross is the northernmost 14er in the Sawatch Range. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness near Holy Cross City (a ghost town). Holy Cross was named for the distinctive cross-shaped snowfield on it’s northeast face. The mountain was formerly a U.S. National Monument but lost that status in 1950 because the number of visitors to the mountain, and the nearby “Pilgrim’s Hut” had waned, and the expense of fulltime staff could not be justified. The peak is still considered as a holy place for those of the Christian faith and is believed to hold a spiritual presence. The Holy Cross Wilderness area became a wilderness during the 70s, but this act of Congress did not mean the wilderness was protected. Holy Cross is a tough peak to climb due to the long approach and large vertical gain (5,000′+).

This mountain has been much celebrated in the past by painters and photographers. The first known publicly available photograph was published in National Geographic magazine. Thomas Moran depicted the mountain in a well-known oil painting, which now now is part of the collection of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City, OK.[5] It is still much photographed but it is not as well known today as it was in the past.This peak is a tough one as many variables come into play ranging from access to stability to weather to the approach. The stars aligned and we were fortunate enough to make a sneak attack on a peak that doesn’t come easy. Met up with the guys from Sweetgrass Productions to ski the cross couloir. I’ve been turned back three times on Holy Cross due to weather, snow conditions, etc., so it felt good to finally check this one off the list. The long and tedious approach paired with the access issues make Holy Cross a bit of a challenge.

In the winter NOVA guides out of Vail run a snowmobile guiding operation up the Tigwon road. They groom the road all the way to the summer trailhead, making the ride-in smooth and straightforward. Once the operation shuts down for the season the forest service closes the road for elk calving, forbidding people to access the trailhead. Not wanting to ski the couloir in June, I’ve been keeping a close eye on the snowpack in that region and waiting for the right opportunity to go for it.

Skinning up towards half-moon pass:

We got a late start due to complications with the sled, and so we didn’t start skinning from the summer trailhead until 9:45am. NOVA grooms more than just the usual summer road, but no matter what groomed road you choose to take, they all lead to the same location. The ride up to the trailhead was smooth and uneventful. They do a great job grooming the roads and maintaining them during the winter. We reached the trailhead, sorted our gear, and started skinning in the direction of the summer trail. All of the signs were buried under feet of snow. This area has had quite the winter in terms of snowfall.

I’m pretty sure we got off the summer trail within the first 5 minutes, but that didn’t matter as the approach to half-moon pass is pretty straightforward and direct. The forest leading up to half-moon pass is not very dense, making for an easy bushwhack.

Traversing around Notch Mountain:

Taking a break:

We cruised up and over the pass and traversed around the north and northwest slopes of notch mountain. These slopes are open and avalanche prone, but we weren’t very concerned as the pack underneath was very solid, wind hammered and well settled.

First sight of Holy Cross:

At this point we pulled our skins and made the 1,000′ descent down to the creekbed. The skiing wasn’t all that bad considering it was west facing and the previous two days were warm and dry. While others might not agree, I’m convinced the winter/early spring approach is easier than the summer approach mostly due to the fact you can ski and/or skate a lot of the mileage and vertical.

Ben skinning up the north ridge:

We all agreed that the north ridge would be the easiest route up to the summit and so we traversed to the base of the ridge and skinned all the way to the low saddle below the summit.

The flats across the lower ridge:

Ben cruising along:

Taking a rest before the last push:

Keeping our skins on for most of the way was key in saving energy and time. This ridge is a field of small boulders which make booting a pain. We didn’t have to bootpack until we reached the entrance of the Angelica couloir. It was right around this point where we started to slow down as the long approach was beginning to wear on our energy levels.

Looking up towards the top:

Some scenics:

Ben’s final steps to the summit:

We reached the summit shortly after 3pm and relaxed for a while as the weather was perfect and the winds were calm. The views from Holy Cross were astonishing.

I can’t wait to get back in the Reeds Meadow area to ski some lines and peaks. There is a lot of potential in this small zone of the Sawatch. Nick shot some footage while Ben and I sat back and soaked in the sun and the great views.

More Summit Scenics:

The entrance to the couloir drops right off the summit and maxes out around 45 degrees in pitch. Lower down in the couloir the slope mellows out to the mid to upper 30s. This time of year the couloir is pretty wide, especially at the top. Our main concern was the immediate convexity at the entrance.

Ben on the summit:

We set a plan and I dropped in to make a couple of ski cuts and to dig around a bit. The snowpack had settled very nicely over the past week. This area had gotten a good 15″ of new snow 6 days prior, and then another 8″ earlier in the week. All of that snow had bonded and settled fairly well, leaving us with the green light.

Checking out the entrance from the top:

Nick skiing:

Ben:

Snow conditions in the couloir were absolutely amazing. There was a good 10″ or so of super silky smooth powder on top of a firm layer, which made for effortless turns all the way down to the exit.

Since we didn’t bring a rope and some gear we didn’t ski and rapp the cliff band at the bottom. The exit was apparent and straightforward. We had excellent powder and fun turns all the way down to the Bowl of Tears

Looking back up the couloir:

There was a bunch of hooting and hollering as we reached the bottom and looked back up at our line. With some miles and a long sled ride ahead of us, we didn’t waste too much time on getting back to the trailhead.

The skin up and over half-moon pass:

The descent from the Bowl of Tears back to the creekbed can be tricky and cliffy. We skated the skier’s right side of the basin and found it to be the best and most efficient way out. We stayed as high as we could and managed to bypass heading all the way down to the creekbed. This part can be tricky, but if you keep pushing and traversing right, you will be in good shape and probably save a couple hundred vertical of climbing back up the pass.

One last glance at the peak:

We reached the pass right at sunset and donned our headlamps for the mellow descent back to the sled.

It felt good to finally ski this peak. I’m glad we were able to get it before the road closed for the spring. Holy Cross is a fun mountain with some amazing views and skiing surrounding it. We did scope a potential line off the south-southeast side of the summit, which would make for a fun alternative to the Cross Couloir.