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Best State in the lower 48 for alpine climbing?

Original Post
willeslinger · · Golden, Colorado · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 25

Add it all together, winter ski mountaineering, winter ice, summer multipitch rock. Which state give you the best mix of it all?

My list:
1. Wyoming (The Winds AND The Tetons, in one state? Yeah, takes the cake).
2. Colorado
3. California (probably #1 if we took winter out of the equation)
4. Montana (probably #1 if we took summer climbing out of the equation)
5. Washington (would be higher but for the rain)

Josh Kornish · · Whitefish, MT · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 800

6. Utah (probably #1 if we take Mormons out of the equation) ;)

All six have stellar climbing!

Clockwork Orange · · California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 335
Josh Kornish wrote:6. Utah (probably #1 if we take Mormons out of the equation) ;)
Dont forget the 3.2% beer they got there!
Ryan N · · Bellingham, WA · Joined May 2009 · Points: 195

In this order-
Colorado
Wyoming
California

Colorado has easiest access followed by California then Wyoming.

If its ice your after, Colorado, Wyoming then California.

If its rock, California, Colorado, Wyoming.

That's my 2cents...

Mark Lynch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 5

Since ski mountaineering is my thing so here is my list.
NH - born and raised and moved back home to raise family. I know all you ec haters think it doesn't measure up but this my list. 33 days bc skiing and eleven ice climbing days this season. No plane travel and a maritime snowpack.
2. Wyoming - close second but so far have not convinced the wife to move there. :)
3. PNW.

Colorado and Utah for pow skiing lift serve but dislike that hair-trigger snowpack.

kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608
Mark Lynch wrote: ski mountaineering is my thing so here is my list. NH


Eastside Sierra in California along rt 395 from Whitney Portal to Bridgeport for Ski Mountaineering ... completely blows away New Hampshire by any measure of quality or quantity.

Eastide Sierra (in a decent snow year) is also on average more fun per visiting day than all the other USA locations, because of:
  • stable weather
  • snowpack typically stabilizes faster
  • longer descents and tours
  • better road access to trailheads
  • less-steep trails to reach snowline (e.g. than Washington Cascades)
  • great traverse tours (multi-day or fast-and-light)
  • great base camps on snow

Remarkably uncrowded because ... Los Angeles just doesn't have many backcountry skiers. And the San Francisco Bay area is cut off from the southern Eastside by closed mountain pass roads, so they do most of their skiing around Lake Tahoe (to the point where some of the Bay area skiers seem to think that Tahoe is the eastside ... but it's not really)

Ken
Tits McGee · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 260

WA - North Cascades, 365 training for the greater ranges.

jack s. · · Kamloops, BC · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 10

I have to agree with the first 6 listed, although must of Utah's climbing highlights don't include ice or Alpine. At least British Columbia trumps everything mentioned so far, but I suppose that is cheating given the thread's title.

Nicholas Patterson · · Sheridan, WY · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 55

colorado.

Eric8 · · Maynard, MA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 310

Having climbed in all those states except Montana, I would say for alpine climbing Washington is the clear cut number 1 and colorado number 2. WA has more glaciers than all those other states combined. Not that defines alpine climbing but I think is a good indicator. If your talking about ice cragging or rock cragging than it is not number 1.

mitchy B · · nunya gotdamn business. · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 0

Don't forget CT.

jim.dangle · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 5,882

WA.

kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608
jack s. wrote:British Columbia trumps everything mentioned so far
and Europe trumps B.C. -- and everything else mentioned so far.
Scott O · · Anchorage · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 70
kenr wrote: and Europe trumps B.C. -- and everything else mentioned so far.
North America trumps BC, too. I do enjoy that you've put the entire continent of Europe on the level of a state or province, though.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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