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 Peak:  Blanca Peak
 Route:  Northwest Ridge
 Range:  Sangre de Cristo
 Posted By:  tree_beard
 Date of Info:  8/29/2014
 Date Posted:  8/30/2014
Details

headed for blanca and ellingwood. the rocks in the basin and the boulder field, especially under, on and above the ledges section, basically the ledges all the way to ridge of Blanca were frosted. I used my yak trax and had no problem, but took a few slip and falls before finally giving in. The conditions did not improve until noon, and even after noon some areas remained really icy. Gaining the ridge on blanca, and staying ridge proper is the best way to go, if you drop at all expect icy rocks because they are in the shade all morning and the ridge proper is exposed to sun. Ellingwood is sun exposed and was great. The face of blanca is starting to collect snow that hasn't melted over a few days of summer weather.


Comments or Questions
bdloftin77
User
Next weekend?
8/30/2014 6:40pm
Do you think the ice/snow on Blanca might be gone by next weekend? Got to Ellingwood on the 23rd from Zap Falls, but didn't make Blanca because of ice.


tree_beard
User
Snow Season is close or building?
9/3/2014 2:19am
the weather has been pretty consistently awesome for the last half a week or so, this weekend, pending the week, is looking awesome... so maybe free of snow and ice?... I would say that planning for all weather from here on out is a safe way to travel. Especially the way the rocks were frosted in the basin, they were very wet and frozen just from the cold temps and the damp air/low clouds, not necessarily from rain and snow (even though there was rain and snow a couple of days before of my trip, the nights were too cold to melt it away, even with a great day of sunshine). Giving the sun a chance to rise but also , staying on the ridge where the sun has been heating the rocks should help better your conditions on the rocks... you can pretty much stay ridge high all the way to the summit once you've hit the the saddle. All of that said, with my $20 yak-trax i had enough traction for the black ice rock.



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