2014 Colorado Snow Climbing Thread

Skywalker.

Skywalker does have a nice runnel forming right now FYI.. Apron is pretty much melted out as well.. I would not call it in that great of shape to ski, unless your there just to climb snow..

Neva on the other hand... Good shape! No runnel! Longer ski descent!

Mt. Neva, 6/1/14.

Slushy steps up the " Juliet Couloir", Mt. Neva.

Skiing off the summit is always RAD!

NE face of Neva.

Upper basin below the NE face. many short steep coolies to choose from.

Plan for the day was to ski Skywalker but once we got a close up view of the couloir we didn't feel like it was in that great of shape for a ski descent.. With a soft freeze the night before we booked it over to Neva and barely got it done.. Skiing off the summit of Neva at high noon.. Hopefully it starts freezing up there!!

Ryan Marsters wrote:Lambslide, Broadway, and Notch all good snow with a booter. No ice yet. Another week of warming might just clear out the Broadway crux move.

You're welcome for that booter! I had to hack at the broadway crux move to knock a lot of snow out the way.

Did it Saturday and it was getting VERY Soft when we topped out before 11AM. Get your starts early!

GLD

From the depth of some of those steps, pretty sure I owe you a beer or future trench.
Crux of the entire thing at the moment is traversing across a wet friction rock ledge to get to the bottom of the Staircase chimney. Maybe 30 ft above the Notch topout. Perhaps I was off route and boots didn't help, but that was sketchy and I backed off half way through.

Climbed the Snave this morning before work. Some postholing through crusty snow on the approach and in the gully. Nice AI on the direct start and around the mixed steps more than made up for the approach.

The more direct line through the lower cliff band.

The 14ers facebook page has been seeing some good traffic for mountain lines as well.

Love this shot of JohnS heading down Tuning Fork (with Grizzly Peak in the background)

Tuning Fork, 31May2014. Photo by Mark Egge.

mt evans summit couloir cragging

mt evans summit couloir

summit cragging at mt evans
Taylor Brown and I found some nice mixed couloir's just below the summit of Mt. Evans today. get on em before they melt away.

whittlesticks wrote: Taylor Brown and I found some nice mixed couloir's just below the summit of Mt. Evans today. get on em before the melt away.

I was eyeballing those lines yesterday. Any comments on the level of difficulty?

Im a bad judge at grades but the three couloirs we climbed all felt like wi 3 m3-4 ish. Good rock pro but run outs.

whittlesticks wrote:Im a bad judge at grades but the three couloirs we climbed all felt like wi 3 m3-4 ish. Good rock pro but run outs.

Nice. Thanks.

Did the North Couloir on Mt Democrat today. A little soft, but minimal postholing on the climb or the approach. We descended the leftmost continuous line on the face with a combination of plunge steps and glissades. Had planned to come down via the Lincoln amphitheater, but wasn't meant to be. Surprisingly large amount of ice remains on Lincoln Falls.

North Face of Mt Democrat 6/4/14

Anyone know the road status on Brainard lake? The wesbite doesn't work for the road status. Closed or clear? I'm guessing clear, but still only biking?

Here's a question for you couloir experts-
I'm looking to get out next week, but have to work till late so probably can't get to sleep till 1 or so, which means maybe a 5 AM start from Boulder. (I can't do those all nighters anymore!)
Any suggestions for snow routes that will forgive a later start? I was thinking maybe the Flying Dutchman might be sheltered from early sun? Would still need to come down the Loft I guess, but at least that would be downhill.
Other routes we are looking at seem to all face east- Shooting Star, maybe Dead Dog.

Mark E Dixon wrote: Any suggestions for snow routes that will forgive a later start?

I would suggest Mt. Evans, there are tons of great couloirs up there and you can drive and park above 13,000ft.

The MP page for Mt. Evans is getting stacked and a bit confusing! Here is a good beta photo with routes drawn in. I added a few new routes to the page last night and many others in the past and I appreciate any feed back on grades or if I f-up names of routes or FA info.
The Summit Lake Cirque. Pink-Lazy is Lazy Does Dark Blue-The Snave Forest Green- The Snave Direct Purple-Telepherique Green-Crystal Couloir Red-North Face Crag Blue-The Bib Black-Diamond Couloir Yellow-White Trash Dark Red-The Far Right Dihedral

Taylor-B. wrote: I would suggest Mt. Evans, there are tons of great couloirs up there and you can drive and park above 13,000ft. The MP page for Mt. Evans is getting stacked and a bit confusing! Here is a good beta photo with routes drawn in.

Thanks for that pic!

Hey can anyone speak to conditions on longs peak? Hoping to do Kieners soon, and would welcome any beta on the snowpack, whether any flotation is necessary, impressions on Avi danger, and the condition of lambs slide and maybe even the rock pitches. Thanks!

Nobleman wrote:Hey can anyone speak to conditions on longs peak? Hoping to do Kieners soon, and would welcome any beta on the snowpack, whether any flotation is necessary, impressions on Avi danger, and the condition of lambs slide and maybe even the rock pitches. Thanks!

Well a 19 year-old soloed it in workout clothes and tennis shoes last week so...

Mark E Dixon wrote:Here's a question for you couloir experts- I'm looking to get out next week, but have to work till late so probably can't get to sleep till 1 or so, which means maybe a 5 AM start from Boulder. (I can't do those all nighters anymore!) Any suggestions for snow routes that will forgive a later start? I was thinking maybe the Flying Dutchman might be sheltered from early sun? Would still need to come down the Loft I guess, but at least that would be downhill. Other routes we are looking at seem to all face east- Shooting Star, maybe Dead Dog.

With the long approaches required for Shooting Star and Dead Dog, those east-facing aspects (which get early sun) will likely be way too soft by the time you get there. To avoid the risk of wet slides, you need an alpine start and should plan to be on the couloirs by 7am, at least. A clear night to allow long-wave radiation cooling is also helpful (and clouds are in the forecast for this weekend).

I think Taylor-B's suggestion is excellent, as those couloirs on Mt. Evans are north-facing and offer a quick approach from the lake (which can be reached by car).

Nobleman wrote:Hey can anyone speak to conditions on longs peak? Hoping to do Kieners soon, and would welcome any beta on the snowpack, whether any flotation is necessary, impressions on Avi danger, and the condition of lambs slide and maybe even the rock pitches. Thanks!

Ryan climbed the Notch last weekend and said it was in good shape. Alpine start required, of course. He posted some good beta photos here:
plus.google.com/photos/1036…

Broadway 31May2014 Photo by Ryan Marsters

Easily done in tennis shoes:

Broadway 31May2014 Photo by Ryan Marsters

I climbed Meeker via Lambs Slide and the Loft on Tuesday, 3 June. Started up the slide at around 0830, snow was a bit soft in the sun, firmer in the shade. Enjoyed steps leading up to the Broadway turn-off. Did not notice any rock fall.
Descent from the Loft was spicy on the steep snow slope leading down to the ramp - soft snow made that the crux of my climb.
Recommend an alpine start so as to tackle any snow slopes on the east face before the sun hits it.