The Crestones

A backpacking trip in the Crestones and summiting peaks can be an awesome, but challenging adventure. The Crestones are a mountain range located in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. They are known for their rugged terrain, challenging climbs, and some of the most breathtaking views you’ll get to see.

As you can see, this particular climb was a dry one(mostly). A sun shirt and shorts with trucker cap was all I needed to hike in, along with approach shoes.

There are actually two access points to these summits. Once you arrive at the trailhead, you'll begin your hike into the mountains. The trails can be steep and rocky, so take your time and stay hydrated. Along the way, you'll pass through alpine meadows, dense forests, cascading streams, and even waterfalls.

As you approach the Crestones, you'll begin to encounter more challenging terrain, including steep ascents and technical scrambles. The peaks themselves are some of the highest in Colorado, with Crestone Peak standing at 14,294 feet and Crestone Needle at 14,197 feet.

To summit these peaks, you'll need to be prepared for a long and challenging climb. It's recommended that you start early in the morning to avoid afternoon thunderstorms that happens often in the Sangres and allow enough time to complete the climb before dark. This can be usually done in a single day(both summits), or a multi day depending on the time you want to spend out here. There is no cell coverage, so that is something to keep in mind.

This was done as a backpacking trip over a few days. I wanted to truly enjoy the experience and immerse myself away from society. It met all my expectations and more. Upon descending my second summit, the rain came in quick and I may have snapped one selfie before booking it off the mountain. The terrain became very slick and I made it back to the tent right in time for the storm to really start coming down.