Thann Scoggin

I think about a lot of things when I hike. The clarity of mind brought on by the soft sounds of nature, unspeakably beautiful vistas, and my own intense physical exertion is perhaps the most important thing I get out of all this.

Today I thought a lot about how fortunate I've been in my time in the mountains. I've never gotten hurt. I've never faced sudden and terrifying storms that have taken so many on the high peaks. It's an immense privilege to stand on top of these mountains, most of which are public lands that belong to US! (We MUST keep it that way, friends.)

Today I completed my first circuit of the 14,000-foot peaks of the Sawatch Range, which I began three years ago. The Harvard-Columbia Traverse from trailhead back to trailhead in one day was the last objective on my list. It's daunting. 15 miles, 6100 ft of elevation gain. Route finding challenges between the two peaks that catch many off-guard and result in frequent search and rescue missions. There's still a bunch of snow. The descent from Columbia is a total disaster! The list goes on...

But today was perfect. Amazing weather. I felt fantastic from my 5am start onward (made sure to fix caffeinated coffee - that helped). I had the honor of summiting gorgeous Mt. Harvard (14,420 ft), 3rd highest in CO, and Mt. Columbia (14,073 ft), 35th highest in CO, my 22nd and 23rd 14ers.

Most importantly...SO MANY MARMOTS!!!

After that very early start, I got up to Horn Fork Basin for my first good look at the massif of Harvard at around 7:30am. There were a few fun snow patches on the ascent up to the ridge, but nothing troubling. Harvard’s characteristically knobby summit block makes for some really satisfying scrambling up very quality rock. My stay up top was just long enough for a snack, a chat with a CT through-hiker, and killer views of pretty much every other Sawatch 14er, in particular the less-common south faces of Belford, Oxford, Missouri, and La Plata.

Surveying the clouds and determining all was clear, I headed down Harvard’s long east ridge. I had a couple more strong hikers begin the traverse just ahead of me, so that put me very much at ease. At the pivotal decision-making point on the east side of the jagged ridge of death, I went with my gut, dropped down a little earlier than recommended, and ended up downclimbing a bunch of steep boulders. Better than the scree-filled gullies higher up, though. No big deal. Then it was time to put on the spikes and rip up those snowfields! The snow was probably easier than all the talus would have been (and I fucking love bounding up some talus).

Once through the snowfields, I went completely off-book to avoid some marshy spots. I ended up a little east of the traditional line, heading straight up steep, grassy slopes. Then I hit some great talus which took me all the way up to Columbia’s summit. There I had a well-earned rest with entertainment provided by a VERY photogenic marmot friend.

Despite all the fun I’d had in the 9 miles up to this point, the most hair-raising shit was still to come. I mean, I’m masochistically glad I got to experience Columbia’s legendary gully on descent, but goddamn am I glad they’re working on a new trail to bypass that nightmare. Thankfully I crossed paths with a lovely fellow hiker on my surf down to share in the hilarity/misery. After that, the easy hike back to trailhead was all one delirious blur.

Happy. Fucking. Day!!!