Uncompahgre in winter

[JsinDeAZ]

So, I've got the itch. Uncompahgre is in my sights. I'm plannin on doing it in a few weeks. Anybody done this one lately or in the winter? Is there a better snow route? Any areas I should avoid? Is the road usually cleared, or decent, so that my round trip will be roughly 16 miles? I'm planning on making it just a one day trek and I'm hoping for minimal new snow and good weather. Ahhhh... to dream.

-J

[SarahT]

I was just up there yesterday and a friend of mine was there the day before. We took two different routes.

The standard winter route is the standard summer route from Nellie Creek. Most people who climb Uncompahgre in winter go this way. It's a long haul but if snow conditions aren't too bad and you have a strong team it is possible to day trip it. Many people won't be able to do it in a day trip though and many do it as an overnight. Unfortunately I did not take this route myself so I can't say whether any slight variations to the summer trail are needed to avoid avy risk. I do know that there is usually a safe line. Dawson's 14er books have good beta for the 14ers with snow.

I went in from Matterhorn Creek, the standard approach for Wetterhorn and alternate approach for Uncompahgre. There is some avy terrain to finesse and the route is longer. It can't be done as a day trip in winter (unless you're a lucky bastard and some other crazy climber has put in an awesome track for you.... right Kiefer?). I wouldn't recommend going this way if Uncompahgre is your only goal.

[CO Native]

If you want to cut down your mileage you can rent a snowmobile in Lake City and use it to drive to the summer trailhead. Other than that the road is not passable for vehicles this time of year.

If you start from the normal winter trailhead then to do it in one day your going to have to have some serious stamina. If SarahT calls it a long haul then you know you're in for quite a challenge.

[gb]

For some reason, they like to gate the roads down there pretty low (same thing at Sherman for S/R/H), and it makes it hard to snowmobile. That's what we found in March of '07, anyway, so I would suspect that you will be stymied by snow to get a car high, and by dirt to use a snowmobile on Nellie Creek, and by the gate to get to Matterhorn creek. We did the Nellie Creek route and found it to be fairly safe other than a small section as you gain the ridge below the summit block. I remember it being a fairly average day, time-wise, but we also got to ski most of the way to the car. It's a pretty good winter route, overall, IMO. Hope that helps, have fun

[Jcwhite]

If you want to cut down your mileage you can rent a snowmobile in Lake City and use it to drive to the summer trailhead. Other than that the road is not passable for vehicles this time of year.

If you start from the normal winter trailhead then to do it in one day your going to have to have some serious stamina. If SarahT calls it a long haul then you know you're in for quite a challenge.

Do you have first hand experience on renting one in Lake City? Before I bought my own, I remember asking around, and the only way they would rent them is with a guided tour.

[PKelley]

Lake City Auto rents them for $250 a day for a two seater. The snowpack is horrendous right now.

[killingcokes]

I'd be really interested to hear how the snow is down there right now and to know if it's continuous from the summit

[sgladbach]

Ken Nolan Climbed it last sunday (1/10) and reports a broken trail all the way from the summer 2WD TH to the summer 4WD TH. He started at 5:15AM and did a one day summit. I've caught it in unbroked trail (8"-1' trench-building needed) and got it in a day in mid-January. Both of us are snowshoers. if you are a skier, the descent is one full ride.

good lick,

steve

[Kiefer]

The road is packed down very well to the 1st stream crossing. You can walk it in boots.
From there to the 4x4 trailhead, there's a nice packed out trench. Past the 4x4 trailhead, as Steve said, Ken laid out a good trail to the summit which Benners and myself signiicantly improved. Sarah and Dom continued Ken's trail to the summit from the notch which we of course, made more visible.
I left my snowshoes at the notch. No need to bring them to the summit. The snow isn't continous.
If you plan on skiing from the summit, you'll have to link several small snowfields together with the usual traversing on bare talus.

Snowpack in the Uncompahgre Basin is highly inconsitant/variable. However, it seemed stable. Snowcover is scant and not very deep but bulletproof and windloaded in other spots. Completely bare ground in other areas and some pockets of soft sugar and semi-hard powder.
It's an easy but long day from the bottom of the road.

Sarah,
We scrapped Wetterhorn. We decided we both wanted to get back to Vail at a reasonable hour. Looking at your tracks across the traverse didn't make it an easy decision though!
Plus, I've got a big weekend in store!

[killingcokes]

Thanks Kiefer for the beta. I guess it'll have to wait

[benners]

Fritz, you can make it work off the summit, it's just not that pretty...on the other hand I'm not sure it ever is on Uncompahgre. I was able to get it from the top yesterday but probably would have waited a month or so in hindsight.