Mount of the Holy Cross - Trip Report

By Brett Jones

July 13-16, 1996

Varsity Team 1380 (Boy Scouts 14-18) from Kingwood, Texas camped at Half Moon Campground and loaded our frame packs heading for East Cross Creek. The Team included 14 youth and four adults. The hike to East Cross Creek is on a beautiful trail that rises from around 9,000 feet up over Half Moon Pass to around 11,000 feet to a saddle north of Notch Mountain. Beautiful view from the saddle! From the saddle, the trail drops swiftly into the valley below with many switch backs.

A few hundred yards past the saddle, the first view of Mount of the Holy Cross appears! The view of the mountain does not get any better. (There is no view of the cross on this trail, the cross is on the east face. The best view of the cross would be to climb Notch Mountain (photo above) or take the exit at the summit of Vail Pass on I-70. There is a dirt road off to the left of the interstate. Take this about 3 miles and there will be a sign and parking for Mount Holy Cross Overlook. A quarter mile stroll!)

After about five hours to get all the boys to East Cross Creek (about 10,000), we set up camp. Camping is restricted by the creek due to overuse, but continue on the trail another quarter mile and there are many places off the trail to set up tents. We thought the mosquitoes were bad at Half Moon Campground. Ten times worse at East Cross Creek. I remember one random slap on my leg that killed three!

We left on July 15 about 7AM to climb Holy Cross. We had a diverse group with young men at very different levels of fitness. The trail continues west and starts to switchback through the trees until reaching timberline. At this point the trail basically ends, but just keep heading up or south. There are many markers along the way. Eventually, the climb levels off probably around 13,000 feet and a snow ledge appears on the left. We all moved to the snow right next to the rocks as it was far easier than to climb over rocks. The snow ledge extends a good fifteen feet off the mountain, but stay close to the rocks! Once the snow ends, you are back on rocks for the last 500 feet. The grade is quite steep and some of the rocks very large as you head east up to the summit. Another beautiful view on top. Two of your young men summited between 10:30 and 11:00AM The rest were all to the top within five hours.

Twelve boys and all four adults made it to the top! An experience that everyone will never forget. The distance is about 10 miles round trip from East Cross Creek with a 4,000 foot elevation gain. The trip from Half Moon Campground is 14 miles round trip with a 5,000 net elevation gain. Remember you drop a thousand in to East Cross Creek. There is no technical climbing and would be an excellent first climb for a novice. Strongly recommend camping at East Cross Creek unless climbers are in excellent physical condition.

Submitted by the author.

Photographs by Keith Jensen.

Ascending the north ridge of Mount of the Holy Cross early on a September morning. Gore Range is in the background. This is the route described in the trip report. East Cross Creek is on the right. This point is on the left edge of the photo at the top of this page with the route following the skyline to the summit.

This is a view of the Elk Range from the summit taken in late September. The Maroon Bells are near the center and Pyramid to the left.

Other Information

• Located in White River National Forest.
• USGS Maps - Mount of the Holy Cross and Minturn 7.5' Quads.
• Trails Illustrated Map #126 Holy Cross, Ruedi Reservoir.
• Because of too much use of the East Cross Creek area for camp sites, the Colorado Mountain Club does not use it or recommend anyone else using it. In an agreement with the Forest Service to avoid requiring permits for this area, the Club only climbs this route as day trips.
• Guidebooks:
  • Climbing Guide to Colorado 14'ers, by Borneman/Lampert
• What to Bring on a Hike
• Safety And Survival
• There's Weather Out There
• Learning Safety Through the Experience of Others