The descent down Mt. Yale has been the setting of much Type 2 fun, as the very steep avalanche gully down to Cottonwood Creek is strewn with the wreckage of an old airplane crash and haunted with the ghosts of its lost souls. Pick the wrong line and the bushwhacking could lead you to madness. Take a small breather and get ready to summit Mt. Columbia, followed closely but Mt. Harvard. The traverse between the two has also been the setting of many a meltdown as it’s much longer than one might expect. Keep your cool to start your graduation out of the Collegiates.
Nolan’s 14 Line Stats
- 8.09 miles
- +5513′
- -5297′
Nolan’s 14 Line
From the summit of Yale, hike northwest following Yale’s standard Southwest Slopes route for a short while.
Break from the standard route fairly soon and descend down paralleling Yale’s northeast ridge at approx. 38.84689, -106.31590. Your goal is a saddle on the ridge at appox. 38.85645, -106.29835. You can hike right on the ridgeline, but, it’s much more efficient to side hill it on the southeast face, a little farther down than the ridge crest. You’ll avoid a lot of steep talus and instead walk on a nice carpet of tundra.
From this saddle, descend north towards Cottonwood Creek. The going starts as easy talus hopping at a reasonable grade. While in the gully, you’ll pass by the scattered wreckage of a crashed plane from 1956, riveted aluminum parts strewn down the gully by a series of Spring avalanches.
Once you reach treeline, stay to the west of the trees, locate and follow the watercourse that appears. Depending on the season, this may have a healthy flow, with springs appearing, adding to it.
Near the location of one of these springs at approx. 38.86516, -106.29586, locate a social trail just to the east of the stream to help you get out of the flow of water. This social trail is steep and rough, but the alternative is much worse. This trail will start bending northeast. In front of you, you may notice the forest thins out and the going seems easy, but that is all lies: beyond is a nightmare of downfall.
Continue descending, traveling northeast as the grade eases out and you find yourself under the canopy of much larger trees. You should be able to hear the sound of Cottonwood Creek. The easiest way across is the bridge at approx. 38.87037, -106.29179.
Once you’ve attained the trail, continue northwest. The trail will split just a few paces to the west. Take the northern, right fork that goes to Horn Fork Basin. The southern/left fork will take you to Kroenke Lake.
Take the trail up into Horn Fork Basin for only a minute, then turn north at a small unnamed creek that crosses the trail and set off up the loose, steep slope, bushwhacking north up Mt. Columbia (38.87332,-106.29453).
Stay to the west of this creek and east of any large cliffs you may encounter. The creek will retreat into a deep gully that you’ll want to stay well away of.
The slope will soon turn into more of a broad ridge. Find your way onto the crest of the ridge itself, meet up with the standard route, and take it all the way to its summit.
From Mount Columbia, follow its northwest ridge down until you reach a small saddle, then drop from the ridgeline to the northeast side of the main ridgeline that connects Columbia with Harvard. The main ridgeline can also theoretically be taken on, but the brief splitter hand crack crux goes at an exciting 5.7.
Ascend Harvard’s southeast ridge and follow it northwest to the summit of Mount Harvard. This traverse isn’t the most pleasant – prepare for a lot of loose side hilling and talus hopping (14ers.com route description). The line on our map differs slightly, ascending back up the ridge farther to the east to avoid a small point on the ridge, and allowing you to ascend a much more gentle tundra-covered slope, rather than a steeper talus-covered ridge. This is one of the few instances where the Nolan’s 14 line takes an longer and easier route than a standard route!
Slowlans Alternative
Descending Yale
The Nolan’s 14 line off of Mt. Yale is as “classic” as it gets for this style of bushwhackin-eering. It’s also the most direct line down to Cottonwood Creek by a considerable margin. If your route finding skills are good and you find the social trail, it’s not as bad as some trips reports will describe it as. But there are alternatives:
Yale’s East Ridge
From the summit of Mount Yale, descend Yale’s East Ridge Route (Class 2) to the Colorado Trail. Take the Colorado Trail north to the Silver Creek TH. Follow CR 365 West to the North Cottonwood Creek Trailhead and rejoin the Nolan’s 14 line at the Kroenke Lake/Horn Fork Basin trail junction (38.87082,-106.29284).
From the summit to Yale to the trail junction, this alternative adds x miles and xxx’ gain/xxx- loss.
Kroenke Lake Route
From the summit of Mount Yale, descend Yale’s Northwest Ridge, towards Peak 12,995. Head north before ascending Peak 12,995. Some Class 3 terrain will be found here. You’ll locate the Kroenke Lake trail west of the lake itself. Follow the trail northeast, then east until you reach the Kroenke Lake/Horn Fork Basin trail junction and rejoin the Nolan’s 14 line. Camping in the Kroenke Lake area would be a highlight of this alternative.
From the summit to Yale to the trail junction, this alternative adds x miles and xxx’ gain/xxx- loss.
Ascending Mount Columbia
Mt. Columbia to Mt. Harvard: Standard Route up Mt. Columbia
This is a great alternative to take and may be just as fast as the Nolan’s 14 line with the new trail work done.
From the Kroenke Lake/Horn Fork Basin trail junction, continue onto the Horn Fork Basin Trail, past where you would break off from the trail to ascend Columbia via the standard West Slopes route (14ers.com route description). The trail up this peak used to be devastatingly terrible, but trail work has beendone to create a new, more sustainable trail. Most of the trail is built but the last third still seems in turmoil. If you plan to camp before summiting Columbia.
From the trail junction to the summit of Mt. Columbia, this alternative adds x miles and xxx’ gain/xxx- loss.
Ascending Mount Columbia
Mt. Columbia to Mt. Harvard: Standard Route Down Mt. Columbia, Standard Route up Mt. Harvard.
From Mount Columbia, descend the West Slopes route (14ers.com route description) back to the Horn Fork Basin trail. Continue on the trail north, and take Harvard’s standard route (14ers.com route description) up to its summit.
From the summit of Mt. Columbia to the summit of Mt. Harvard, this alternative adds x miles and xxx’ gain/xxx- loss.
Water
- Water is scarce from the summit of Mount Yale until you get to North Cottonwood Creek. On the main line, the steep avalanche gully may hold water in the small seasonal creek (38.86330,-106.29648).
- Cottonwood Creek makes a fine water source, but do make especially sure to treat the water, it’s a high-use area, including guided horseback groups (38.87060,-106.29330).
- If taking the Mount Columbia alt. and/or the Mount Columbia alt, plenty of running water is available, until you start ascending the west slopes in earnest.
- The next water source after Harvard will be Pine Creek (38.94664,-106.33623)
Camping
- Good dispersed camping near water sources is available in both the Horn Fork Basin (38.89138,-106.31335), as well as along the Kroenke Lake Trail (38.87060,-106.31533). It’s suggested to camp just below treeline.
- Once you ascend any of the slopes/ridges, camping (as well as water sources) will dry up. There’s little option on the standard Columbia to make a rough camp around 12,200′ (38.91706,-106.29353).
- Your next option to camp after Harvard will be at Pine Creek (38.95476,-106.31434).
Bailing/Resupply
Reach CR 365 from the main Nolan’s 14 line by hiking east on North Cottonwood Creek trail, all the way to the N. Cottonwood Creek TH (38.87070,-106.26671). Buena Vista is easily reached from CR 365, and chances of catching a hitch into town are great.
Skipping
Reach CR 365 from the main Nolan’s 14 line by hiking east on North Cottonwood Creek trail to the N. Cottonwood Creek TH (38.87070,-106.26671). Continue east on the dirt road, until the Colorado Trail (38.86449,-106.23863) and take the Colorado Trail north until the Pine Creek Trail (38.96483,-106.27670). Take the Pine Creek Trail west until you’re south of Mt. Oxford (38.94765,-106.33573).
Next: Mt. Harvard to Mt. Oxford/Mt. Belford, and Missouri Mountain