To get to Mars takes seven to ten months, as well as to get back. For a round trip you have to stay on Mars about a year and a half to wait for the return opportunity, so a round trip is about three years. Mars has clouds now. Some are carbon dioxide ice clouds and some may be water ice clouds. Hydrogen however is more difficult since it is an ingredient of water and is usually found in water.
Water is relatively scarce on Mars.
Around 6000 hours. It depends on what the colony is for. If science, then we'd go where the good rocks are, probably not at the poles. If for settlement then we would go where the resources are, probably to the poles. It is lunchtime here and we are signing off.