Thanks to the change in ownership in the Cielo Vista (formerly Taylor) Ranch, I was excited about the prospect of getting to Culebra this year. I found the right contact information online (you need to call the ranch owners in Glen Rose, Texas at 254-897-7872. Don't call the ranch directly), and promptly called in, leaving a message that I'd take any available weekend in July or August. A very nice woman named Carole called me back and let me know that they had a full reservation schedule, but they'd be happy to put me on a wait-list. From that, I was surprised to get a call again from Carole on June 29th, saying there was a spot available on Sunday, July 3rd. Being unsure when I'd get the chance again, I jumped at it. Carole emailed me the directions to the Cielo Vista north gate, and the obligatory waiver form to fill out. I was to meet the ranch representative at 6:00am to get in.

Being the 4th of July weekend, I couldn't find a hotel any closer to the area than Pueblo, which didn't help much. So, I bit the bullet and took off from Denver right about 1:30am on the 3rd, steeled for a long, dark drive. At least the holiday traffic was light! I overestimated the travel time a little bit, and ended up pulling up to the ranches' gate around 5:30am, along with three other vehicles, all there for the Culebra. Right at 6:00am the ranch rep, Alanzo, drove up to let us in. From there we had to stop off briefly at the ranch headquarters building to drop off signed waivers and pay the climbing fee. Alanzo gave us a quick rundown of the directions to the trailhead and to please be respectful of the property, pack out our trash, etc. Presently we were off, up the trailhead/parking area.

The road to the trailhead is in pretty good shape, and easily passable for pretty much any 4x4. The distinguishing characteristic of the road is that it's long, steep, and very, very straight. Not a single switchback to break the road up, just a number of epic drainage ruts. Still, it was a quick ~4 miles and it was time to climb!

As I mentioned earlier, the most notable aspect about the Culebra climb is the lack of an established and maintained trail, which is mildly disconcerting. From the parking area, the first task is to gain the ridgeline directly to the east, which then snakes it's way to the summit. Without a trail, it was pretty much climber's choice through the tundra. All of us there were experienced climbers, and almost automatically we spread out so as not to concentrate our cumulative footfalls on any one path, in an effort to minimize our impact. I picked a line that was pretty much straight up the shallow basin, hiking in small switchbacks and trying to target my path amongst the rocks and lingering snowfields where possible. The cool morning began to warm almost immediately as the sun crept over the ridge, and looking back, the dawn over the vast, flat San Luis Valley was beautiful.

After just under an hour, we all reached the ridge (give or take a few minutes and a few dozen yards of each other), and finally got a good look at our goal, Culebra Peak. From the ridge we had crested, the rest of the route was obvious - following the ridgeline to the south and east to the summit. There was a lone cairn marking the ridgeline, but being about 7 feet tall, it was pretty unmistakable!

After a pause to add another layer against the chill morning wind, I set off (along with the others) towards Culebra. Even without an established trail, it wasn't too hard to find easy hiking along the ridgeline, punctuated by a few snowfields that were a nice respite from the rocks. After dipping down to a small saddle (about 13,200'), it was a moderate but entirely pleasant climb along the ridge, with minor variations to either side. The exposure is minimal and not a problem at all. The true summit of Culebra is hidden about a quarter-mile beyond a false summit (~13,900), and in close proximity to one of the other hundred-highest points in Colorado, Red Mountain (13,460').

It took just a little over an hour from the ridgeline to the summit, and by this time our little group had spread out somewhat. I had the summit of Culebra all to myself for about 20 minutes or so, and took the time to take pictures and reflect on what a great hike and summit this was. Despite the remote location of Culebra, the views are spectacular, looking across the San Luis valley to the west, with the Uncompahgre plateau visible far in the distance. The Blanca massif dominates the view to the north, and the Crestones are lined up right behind them. A series of rugged peaks lies south, and the lush Cucharas Valley sits to the east, punctuated by the Spanish Peaks.

As the rest of the group settled in to the summit there was an obligatory round of 3rd-party picture taking, and then I left the summit to everyone else, and began the descent. The hike back was just as straightforward as the hike to the summit, and took just about the same amount of time - a little over 2 hours from summit to trailhead.

After swapping my hiking boots for a comfy pair of Tevas I drove back down to the ranch HQ and signed myself out, per instructions given earlier in the morning. I had another 4~5 hours of driving ahead of me to get back to Denver, but I had an excellent hike to reflect back on. Culebra occasionally gets maligned because of the private property issue, and some of the guidebooks call the ridge hike to the summit "long and tedious", but I came away from Culebra with an appreciation for not just the enjoyment of the route, but also for the pristine condition of the mountain, which will hopefully be maintained throughout the years, and hopefully the climbing community will be able to forge a long and productive relationship with the Cielo Vista Ranch and it's owners.