Meetup.com trip. We backpacked in from below Willow Creek Trailhead and camped at Willow Lake on Jul 23. The mosquitoes were voracious. We left camp the next morning a little after 5AM, climbed up the talus slope to Challenger Point, arrived there around 8AM. Our leader did not want to bring his dogs up Kit Carson, so he headed down to camp. We continued on to the saddle, then followed Kit Carson Avenue to the gully that took us to the top. We hung out for a little while (it was windy, and there was a lot cloud cover, so there wasn't much to see) then returned to camp the way we came. One of the hikers had trouble with leg cramps, so it took him a lot longer to get back to camp. We spent one more night at Willow Lake, then hiked back down and returned to Denver on July 25. This was my first time in the Sangres.
Alex Wood - Jul 9, 2010 9:35 pm Date Climbed: Jul 8, 2010
Twofer
Had planned on hiking up to Willow Lake the night before, but we ran out of time. We had read a trip report on 14'ers saying that there was lots of mosquitos, and they were definitely right. Right out of the car at the trailhead, we got attacked by HUNDREDS! We slept at the trailhead and started at 4:45am the next morning. We made it up to Willow Lake by 7:20am with no mosquitos! Got up to Challenger Pt at 11:00am. Got to Kit Carson at 12:15pm. Got back down to Willow Lake around 2:45pm and then got back to the cars at 5pm. Long day, but the views were out of this world. Willow Lake is amazing! Love the area, but the mosquitos sucked on the way back. 14'er number 16 and 17
Missed out on Challenger Pt on this day since I had given blood a couple of days prior.
shknbke - Jan 20, 2010 4:25 pm Date Climbed: Jan 17, 2010
South face winter ascent
Climbed the south face in winter from our camp at treeline in the Spanish Creek drainage. We tried to traverse across the avenue to Challenger, but it would have taken too long to belay everyone across safely with the amount of time we had left. Amazing scenery in Spanish Creek, but the deadfall is annoying!
bryangast - Jan 7, 2010 10:27 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2000
Foggy day
Fog on the summit. Did challenger point as well but it's not really a peak.
seano - Sep 7, 2009 9:32 am Date Climbed: Sep 5, 2009
North ridge from Crestone
Long approach, but nice route! Great views of the Crestones with a fresh dusting of snow.
pyerger - Aug 25, 2009 1:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2009
north ridge
awesome climb! one of the best in colorado
strudolyubov - Aug 8, 2009 11:14 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2009
Kit Carson/Challenger combo via Willow Creek
Climbed Challenger point (second summit since 2002) together with Kit Carson starting from Willow Creek TH at 4:30am. After climbing Kit Carson, returned over Challenger and was back at the car at 2:45pm. A great day in Sangres!
08/12/2011: Climbed Kit Carson Peak via North Ridge route. Traversed to Columbia Point and returned over Challenger summit. 11 hours car-to-car. Fun scrambling, nice weather, great views!
myrone - Jul 30, 2009 11:56 am Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2009
Kit Carson via Upper S. Colony Lakes TH
4th attempt at this peak...started up at 4:50AM and reached summit at 10:52AM via Columbia Pk.("Kat Carson") Then back over Columbia on return route...made for a long day but met some good people and the weather was OK until the rain & hail the last mile back to TH. Finally succeeded;my 44th 14'er.........sweet!!
mattpayne11 - Jul 28, 2009 1:21 am Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2009
Standard Route
Backpacked to Willow Lake and climbied via Challenger Point.
Climbed via the Willow Lake Approach from Crestone. A wonderful introduction to both the Sangre de Cristos and the Rocky Mountains. The long, steep scramble up Challenger Point's North slopes was exhausting but the view was well worth it. The traverse over to Kit Carson was equally exciting and the solitude quite unexpected.
First 14er and first glissade coming down standard route of Challenger Point. Started out from Willow Lake at 4:30AM on a picture perfect day. Not too much snow left on the Avenue to KC according to my friends who went over while I relaxed on Challenger. The view of the Valley really makes you feel up there. Cannot wait to get back to Colorado to do my next 14er!
Got in hail/rain/snow, but still had a great time. Willow lake is a beautiful place, great for backpacking.
2nd time: 6/20/20 - Challenger, Kit Carson, Columbia Point, Kitty Cat Carson and Obstruction Peak.
Kiefer - Apr 27, 2009 1:24 am Date Climbed: Apr 26, 2009
Via OB Couloir
Poor snow in the morning but got better as the day progressed.
Was with 5 others in my group and ran into Tim Mahon and Christy on the climb! A sweet day!
ClearSkiesAhead - Jan 23, 2009 5:40 pm Date Climbed: Sep 9, 2008
Loooong Day
Started from the car at about 3:30am and did the whole trip in a single day. I would say one of the longest I have ever done. I almost wish I had planned to camp at the lake after I saw that waterfall. Absolutely amazing! I also think I may have exited the avenue a little early on Kit Carson, but it worked out. I made it back to the trailhead around 5:00pm.
SarahThompson - Jan 7, 2009 11:00 am Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2004
Summer/ Fall / Winter x2
8/29/04 - Climbed Kit Carson Mountain and Challenger Point in a day via the standard route from Willow Lake. Epic 19 hours with a sloooow partner.
1/17/10 - Winter climb of Kit Carson Mountain. Spanish Creek approach, climb of south face. Beautiful area!!!
1/8/11 - Winter ascent of Challenger Point. Backpacked to Willow Lake and climbed north face. Standard route was buried under steep, avy prone snow slopes so we climbed a more difficult but much safer line up a rib further east. Descended the northwest ridge (which we had largely explored the previous day after packing in). Challenger is quite the challenge in winter, seemed tougher than Kit Carson.
12/8/12 - Up Challenger's SW Ridge, traverse to Kit Carson, down Kit Carson's South Couloir. Awesome loop!!!
2/2/13 - Up Kit Carson's South Couloir and South Face to top of Kit Carson, traverse Kit Carson Avenue to Challenger, traverse back across Avenue and descend Kit Carson's South Couloir. Peaks were caked in amazing hoar frost. Incredible day in the hills.
srclimb1 - Oct 14, 2008 11:27 am Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2008
Challenger Peak
1st 14er back in CO 5 days from New Orleans,#16.Beautiful approach...Loved the meadow. Willow Lake is worth the hike in. I actually camped at the lake. Morning of summit was cloudy and very misty. At the notch on the ridge the wind was blowing about 70mph. It was basically pouring rain on the ridge. Great hike up steep scree and soaking wet & cold, but wouldnt have been anywhere else!
2nd attempt, good weather this day. A beautiful area. Animals everywhere. Std route. Couloirs are all ice...no glissades here! Might have to go back and try the N ridge someday.
Mots010 - Aug 31, 2008 8:49 pm Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2008
via Challenger
Couldnt find a partner for north ridge, so settled for standard route. Love Willow Lake.
GeorgeJames - Aug 25, 2008 3:12 pm Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2008
North Ridge
All accounts of this route were proven true, it's amazing. I must admit that the high exposure (plus some rockfall early on) made me a little anxious, but the ridge is pretty darn solid, and all in all it was really fun. Traversed across the "avenue" and descended via the Northwest Ridge/Northwest Slopes of Challenger Point. What a great area!
belexes - Jul 25, 2010 5:59 pm Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2010
Willow LakeMeetup.com trip. We backpacked in from below Willow Creek Trailhead and camped at Willow Lake on Jul 23. The mosquitoes were voracious. We left camp the next morning a little after 5AM, climbed up the talus slope to Challenger Point, arrived there around 8AM. Our leader did not want to bring his dogs up Kit Carson, so he headed down to camp. We continued on to the saddle, then followed Kit Carson Avenue to the gully that took us to the top. We hung out for a little while (it was windy, and there was a lot cloud cover, so there wasn't much to see) then returned to camp the way we came. One of the hikers had trouble with leg cramps, so it took him a lot longer to get back to camp. We spent one more night at Willow Lake, then hiked back down and returned to Denver on July 25. This was my first time in the Sangres.
Alex Wood - Jul 9, 2010 9:35 pm Date Climbed: Jul 8, 2010
TwoferHad planned on hiking up to Willow Lake the night before, but we ran out of time. We had read a trip report on 14'ers saying that there was lots of mosquitos, and they were definitely right. Right out of the car at the trailhead, we got attacked by HUNDREDS! We slept at the trailhead and started at 4:45am the next morning. We made it up to Willow Lake by 7:20am with no mosquitos! Got up to Challenger Pt at 11:00am. Got to Kit Carson at 12:15pm. Got back down to Willow Lake around 2:45pm and then got back to the cars at 5pm. Long day, but the views were out of this world. Willow Lake is amazing! Love the area, but the mosquitos sucked on the way back. 14'er number 16 and 17
theREALCarpeDM - Apr 8, 2010 6:17 pm Date Climbed: Sep 11, 2009
S Colony Lakes approachMissed out on Challenger Pt on this day since I had given blood a couple of days prior.
shknbke - Jan 20, 2010 4:25 pm Date Climbed: Jan 17, 2010
South face winter ascentClimbed the south face in winter from our camp at treeline in the Spanish Creek drainage. We tried to traverse across the avenue to Challenger, but it would have taken too long to belay everyone across safely with the amount of time we had left. Amazing scenery in Spanish Creek, but the deadfall is annoying!
bryangast - Jan 7, 2010 10:27 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2000
Foggy dayFog on the summit. Did challenger point as well but it's not really a peak.
seano - Sep 7, 2009 9:32 am Date Climbed: Sep 5, 2009
North ridge from CrestoneLong approach, but nice route! Great views of the Crestones with a fresh dusting of snow.
pyerger - Aug 25, 2009 1:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2009
north ridgeawesome climb! one of the best in colorado
strudolyubov - Aug 8, 2009 11:14 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2009
Kit Carson/Challenger combo via Willow CreekClimbed Challenger point (second summit since 2002) together with Kit Carson starting from Willow Creek TH at 4:30am. After climbing Kit Carson, returned over Challenger and was back at the car at 2:45pm. A great day in Sangres!
08/12/2011: Climbed Kit Carson Peak via North Ridge route. Traversed to Columbia Point and returned over Challenger summit. 11 hours car-to-car. Fun scrambling, nice weather, great views!
myrone - Jul 30, 2009 11:56 am Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2009
Kit Carson via Upper S. Colony Lakes TH4th attempt at this peak...started up at 4:50AM and reached summit at 10:52AM via Columbia Pk.("Kat Carson") Then back over Columbia on return route...made for a long day but met some good people and the weather was OK until the rain & hail the last mile back to TH. Finally succeeded;my 44th 14'er.........sweet!!
mattpayne11 - Jul 28, 2009 1:21 am Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2009
Standard RouteBackpacked to Willow Lake and climbied via Challenger Point.
Tahawus - Jul 24, 2009 6:38 pm Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2009
Kit Carson Peak - Challenger PointClimbed via the Willow Lake Approach from Crestone. A wonderful introduction to both the Sangre de Cristos and the Rocky Mountains. The long, steep scramble up Challenger Point's North slopes was exhausting but the view was well worth it. The traverse over to Kit Carson was equally exciting and the solitude quite unexpected.
Bkoziol3 - Jul 14, 2009 8:37 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2009
Challenger PointFirst 14er and first glissade coming down standard route of Challenger Point. Started out from Willow Lake at 4:30AM on a picture perfect day. Not too much snow left on the Avenue to KC according to my friends who went over while I relaxed on Challenger. The view of the Valley really makes you feel up there. Cannot wait to get back to Colorado to do my next 14er!
Liba Kopeckova - Jul 10, 2009 8:52 am
from Willow lakeGot in hail/rain/snow, but still had a great time. Willow lake is a beautiful place, great for backpacking.
2nd time: 6/20/20 - Challenger, Kit Carson, Columbia Point, Kitty Cat Carson and Obstruction Peak.
Kiefer - Apr 27, 2009 1:24 am Date Climbed: Apr 26, 2009
Via OB CouloirPoor snow in the morning but got better as the day progressed.
Was with 5 others in my group and ran into Tim Mahon and Christy on the climb! A sweet day!
ClearSkiesAhead - Jan 23, 2009 5:40 pm Date Climbed: Sep 9, 2008
Loooong DayStarted from the car at about 3:30am and did the whole trip in a single day. I would say one of the longest I have ever done. I almost wish I had planned to camp at the lake after I saw that waterfall. Absolutely amazing! I also think I may have exited the avenue a little early on Kit Carson, but it worked out. I made it back to the trailhead around 5:00pm.
SarahThompson - Jan 7, 2009 11:00 am Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2004
Summer/ Fall / Winter x28/29/04 - Climbed Kit Carson Mountain and Challenger Point in a day via the standard route from Willow Lake. Epic 19 hours with a sloooow partner.
1/17/10 - Winter climb of Kit Carson Mountain. Spanish Creek approach, climb of south face. Beautiful area!!!
1/8/11 - Winter ascent of Challenger Point. Backpacked to Willow Lake and climbed north face. Standard route was buried under steep, avy prone snow slopes so we climbed a more difficult but much safer line up a rib further east. Descended the northwest ridge (which we had largely explored the previous day after packing in). Challenger is quite the challenge in winter, seemed tougher than Kit Carson.
12/8/12 - Up Challenger's SW Ridge, traverse to Kit Carson, down Kit Carson's South Couloir. Awesome loop!!!
2/2/13 - Up Kit Carson's South Couloir and South Face to top of Kit Carson, traverse Kit Carson Avenue to Challenger, traverse back across Avenue and descend Kit Carson's South Couloir. Peaks were caked in amazing hoar frost. Incredible day in the hills.
srclimb1 - Oct 14, 2008 11:27 am Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2008
Challenger Peak1st 14er back in CO 5 days from New Orleans,#16.Beautiful approach...Loved the meadow. Willow Lake is worth the hike in. I actually camped at the lake. Morning of summit was cloudy and very misty. At the notch on the ridge the wind was blowing about 70mph. It was basically pouring rain on the ridge. Great hike up steep scree and soaking wet & cold, but wouldnt have been anywhere else!
RMdaytripsgrl - Sep 19, 2008 3:13 pm Date Climbed: Sep 18, 2008
Willow Lake TH2nd attempt, good weather this day. A beautiful area. Animals everywhere. Std route. Couloirs are all ice...no glissades here! Might have to go back and try the N ridge someday.
Mots010 - Aug 31, 2008 8:49 pm Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2008
via ChallengerCouldnt find a partner for north ridge, so settled for standard route. Love Willow Lake.
GeorgeJames - Aug 25, 2008 3:12 pm Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2008
North RidgeAll accounts of this route were proven true, it's amazing. I must admit that the high exposure (plus some rockfall early on) made me a little anxious, but the ridge is pretty darn solid, and all in all it was really fun. Traversed across the "avenue" and descended via the Northwest Ridge/Northwest Slopes of Challenger Point. What a great area!