Feeling motivated after a textbook spring ski of Mount Elbert, Christy and I headed to the trailhead(North Cottonwood Creek)for Harvard and Columbia. In order to nail these two descents in one spring day we thought it best to make a high camp so we packed in all our stuff and set up for the night, just below treeline on the trail up into Horn Fork Basin. It was a big effort in unsupportive, late afternoon snow with the heavy packs, nobody's favorite thing to do. Some cursing was overheard by the wildlife.

The morning was beautiful though, if anything we were concerned about too much sun on the snow so we moved as quickly as possible. Considering this was the third 14er ski in as many days and our legs were a bit tired, we still made good time. We managed a ski line from within a pole touch of the summit block, then skied some pretty perfect south facing corn snow down to the valley floor. From there, it was a straightforward traverse to the bottom of the west couloirs of Columbia. Was it too late and too soft to go up and down another 14er though? Could we climb the spring snow? How would it ski? Maybe we should go all the way down and come back another day. Hmm.