Snow Climb – Horseshoe Mountain - Boudoir Couloir Climb

Subject to conditions, I nominally plan to wake at 4:00 am to leave camp 5:00 for the quick approach to the base of couloir. From the couloir we will summit nearby Horseshoe mountain. The top of the mountain should offer great morning views of 14ers Sherman, Massive, and Elbert as well as nearby Leadville. 

Previous descriptions of the route may be found at:

https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=201306020700583

https://www.summitpost.org/boudoir-couloir/193964

This trip is a good snow refresher, with modest mileage and typical elevation gain. The snow climb itself is exploratory (I have not visited Horseshoe mountain before). The trip is intended for those with previous snow experience – CMC Alpine Climbing School (ACS snow courses) or the former Basic Mountaineering School (BMS) is a pre-requisite. If you are inquiring to join the trip, please describe: (a) similar ‘snow climbing’ or 'big peak' experiences you have done recently, and (b) when you took ACS, BMS, or equivalent (and the date of).

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Trip report:

Climb of Horseshoe mountain (13886') via Boudoir couloir on Saturday, 2025/5/03.

Three of us car-camped on the road to Mt. Sherman trailhead Friday night; the other 4 CMC members drove up to meet up at Saturday morning. It is key this time of year to drive on CO18 (google destination of Mt. Sherman trailhead) as the shortcut through Thompson park is closed until June 15.

The road was snowed over before Mt. Sherman trailhead. Some of the group had cars, so we stopped to car camp about 1 mile down from Leavick townsite. A truck or 4WD could drive and park to start from Leavick townsite.

I woke at 3:30 to have breakfast and get going at 5 am. The temeprature was 22 deg F when we started. We got to the fork in the road at 6:08; cached snowshoes at 6:30; put on crampons at 7:15; started up the couloir proper at 8:05; topped out the couloir at 9:30; reached Horseshoe summit at 9:50.

The snow was usually deep enough for a completely secure axe placement/belay. But sometimes no more than a foot thick mix of snow and rock. I expect that is typical except in a big snow season, which is not this season. With some aggressiveness/rounding up, I measured the angles of 35.4 and 39.0 degrees on the couloir. I would say ithe inclination includes the 30's of degrees, but does not quite get to 40 degrees, even at its steepest at the top.

To return, we continued N to NE, and then went right - descending the ridge east of Peerless mountain. Once we recovered our snowshoes, we followed the roadways to where we parked. The temperature was 54 deg F when i drove away.

I did not weight before leaving, but my pack, camera, and snowshoes weighed 27.6 lbs at the end.

waypoints:
closure gate for Thompson park shortcut
N39.20398° W106.05104° at 10103'

parked at
N39.19894° W106.12369° at 10985'

Leavick parking
N39.19649° W106.13891° at 11330'

fork off of road
N39.19893° W106.15130° at 11598'

snowshoe cache
N39.19573° W106.15933° at 12033'

crampons on
N39.18981° W106.17536° at 12402'

base of couloir
N39.18634° W106.18000° at 12772'

top of couloir
N39.18306° W106.18284° at 13805'

Horseshoe summit
N39.18480° W106.18441° at 13886'

crampons off (probably most seasons here)
N39.18987° W106.18242° at 13521'

Album of photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/19047247@N04/albums/72177720325957045

Posted 2025/5/08.

Trip officially starts in Horseshoe basin near the Leavick site. Participants are welcome to rideshare or caravan after work Friday evening, 2025/5/02 to car camp overnight in the valley.