2014 Colorado Snow Climbing Thread

John MI wrote: I am heading there for the bluegrass festival this weekend and I am wondering if I should bring my gear..

haha I'll be there too...but I can tell you the most "exercise" I'll see is walking from bar to bar and maybe the falls. Last year I had big plans to hit stuff up, but you just end up watching a ton of music and hanging out.

See ya there!

Scott McMahon wrote: haha I'll be there too...but I can tell you the most "exercise" I'll see is walking from bar to bar and maybe the falls. Last year I had big plans to hit stuff up, but you just end up watching a ton of music and hanging out. See ya there!

Nice, it's the 40th anniversary of the festival this year, should be a lot of fun. There's no harm in hanging up the axe and crampons for a weekend of good booze and tunes

Hit the base of shooting star on james at 11pm. Front points to mid foot snow all the way up. Some runnels and optional bergy. No snowshoes. Work is going to be fun.

14ers.com/php14ers/peakstat…

Matt.Zia wrote:Does anyone know what condition the Bell Cord Couloir is in? I assume it's good, just hit it early in the day, but if someone's been up there it'd be nice to hear the conditions.

Bell Cord was in good shape as of yesterday. Super great neve/hard snow for the first half and slightly crustier but already boot packed snow for the second. A large runnel has formed but is easily avoided.

If you get an early start and move fast you can tag both summits and make it down the NW ridge of North Maroon to the easy descent couloir before it gets too soft. The descent couloir is still very snowpacked so no entry rap is needed. The NE ridge looks pretty snowy and oh so long and chossy so I would definitely recommend descending the NW ridge while it's still a relatively simple affair. Enjoy!

And I'll try to add pictures later if I get the time...

Chasm Lake area.

Still a little snowy up in the cirque and routes like Kieners and the Notch still look to be in mixed condition. Photo taken 6/15.

Anyone been up to the Ypsilon area yet? How would approach and descent be from Blitzen Ridge? Flotation needed?

Thanks.

Climbed the Savage Couloir yesterday. Direct finish starting to melt out, had to do 5-10 feet of scree scrambling. The left finishes looked worse. Mild postholing on the approach (beware the white snow...follow the brown) Still a snow bridge over the creek though, so no tricky tree traversing needed.

Anyone been up to the Mohawk lakes trailhead? Is the road clear all the way to the summer 4wd parking?

Mohawk below pacific? Can drive to 11k. Avy debris half mile from the end

Ryan Marsters wrote:Mohawk below pacific? Can drive to 11k. Avy debris half mile from the end

That's the one. Thanks Ryan.

I know someone recently posted this question but to reiterate has anyone been up in the area of Ypsilon lately? I'm wondering if the cornice is still on top of the couloirs and what the snowpack is like. Any beta would be great, thanks.

The runnel is huge. I didn't get the best look at the cornices, but it looks like it is still above the right branch of the Y Face pretty large, not so large above the Y Couloir or the rest of the Y Face. You can get a good look at it from trail ridge.

Notch couloir was in prime condition yesterday.

Anybody know anything about the climber's right start of Dreamweaver? We did it on Saturday, and it proved to be a nice mixed pitch. Complete with a chockstone and a bit of ice. Came out just below the top of the Flying Buttress, and we were able to move back onto the standard route below the first proper step.

Anyone been on Skywalker or Dead Dog recently and have info on the conditions? Hoping to hit up one or the other this coming weekend.

Has anyone climbed Apache via Queens Way recently? Advice?

Same boat as everyone above. Just got back from T-ride and am looking to see what's good in the hood from 2 weeks ago for either climbing or boarding. Any thoughts on what's left? Doesn't need to be too gnarly just 5-fun. Figure worst comes to worse I can go up to the IPW (brainard, 4th) and find something, but I haven't been out in 2 weeks.

Any recommendations of lines up Mt. Sopris (near Carbondale, Co) or other couloirs in the elk range and ragged mountains. I'm looking for something about 50 degree slope or less.

Travis,

I climbed Dead Dog and skied Tuning Fork this past Saturday. Dead Dog was full of hard neve from the apron to the summit. Large runnels from melt made us not want to ski the couloir, but Tuning Fork was excellent.

Queen's Way still in. Looks like it's starting to thin out up top but still okay.

Pictures from Pawnee today (Audubon/Paiute,Lone Eagle/Iroquis/Mohling Traverse, partial Isabelle Glacier). Pawnee Couloirs not really in. Ski line off the ESE face in and a pair up there today.
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