Quandary Conditions

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Steve Gio
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Quandary Conditions

Post by Steve Gio »

Anyone been up there this week. Thinking about a trip up tomorrow and wondering on gear. Snowshoes required?
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djkest
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Re: Quandary Conditions

Post by djkest »

We were all up there Saturday, wonder if it actually ended up snowing since then? If not, I would bring micro spikes, but not snowshoes. Not quite enough snow for that in most places.
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Steve Gio
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Re: Quandary Conditions

Post by Steve Gio »

Thanks.

When you say all does that me all 14ers members???
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somethingrandom
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Re: Quandary Conditions

Post by somethingrandom »

Steve Gio wrote:Thanks.

When you say all does that me all 14ers members???
About 50 of us yeah :P

It was a couple inches of packed the whole way up, getting a bit deeper as you go along, and on the way back down (after 12ish) it got slushy as hell...

Only been getting warmer this week, I would guess conditions would be a bit muddy, possibly slick along the 3rd ridge up to the summit.

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Re: Quandary Conditions

Post by tlbeveridge »

I went up Thursday, Nov. 4th. It was my first 14er alone. I didn't use snowshoes or crampons. DIdn't even have gators. The snow has most definitely been melting, it was slick in places on the way up, and slushy all the way down. Deepest snow was through drifts about 1,500 feet below the summit, and they were only half way up my calf.

Started a little before 9am, had plenty of time to enjoy the summit, take rests, eat lunch, and enjoy the sun below the tree line before returning to my vehicle roughly about 330. All in all it was a great day! Only saw 3 people total, so it wasn't packed with tourists!

From the peak..
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Gueza
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Re: Quandary Conditions

Post by Gueza »

bump---Anybody have any ski beta? Continuous snow from summit to TH? Coverage? And anybody interested in climbing it this saturday?
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Jesse Peterson
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Re: Quandary Conditions

Post by Jesse Peterson »

lostsheep5 wrote:bump---Anybody have any ski beta? Continuous snow from summit to TH? Coverage? And anybody interested in climbing it this saturday?
I skied the lower east bowl last week, before the latest series of storms. it was very firm sastrugi and breakable crust, not good coverage below treeline.

I checked out the east ridge from hoosier today, looks great above treeline. with anywhere from 2-4 feet of new snow (and likely much deeper drifts) it should be continuous from the summit but with a spotty base below treeline and the usual windscoured rocks on the upper saddle. there was fresh avy debris on hoosier ridge & northstar, windy up high all day today.
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Re: Quandary Conditions

Post by Monster5 »

Jesse Peterson wrote:I skied the lower east bowl last week, before the latest series of storms. it was very firm sastrugi and breakable crust, not good coverage below treeline.

I checked out the east ridge from hoosier today, looks great above treeline. with anywhere from 2-4 feet of new snow (and likely much deeper drifts) it should be continuous from the summit but with a spotty base below treeline and the usual windscoured rocks on the upper saddle. there was fresh avy debris on hoosier ridge & northstar, windy up high all day today.
Did you get a good look at Cristo, by chance? We were considering climbing it Sunday but I was looking for more information. I was hoping the avy danger would subside by then and make a decent couloir climb.

Thanks,
Ryan
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Jesse Peterson
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Re: Quandary Conditions

Post by Jesse Peterson »

yeah, the cristo looked ok, the middle half was filled in, still pretty bony at the top and bottom though. you could see it getting cross-loaded this morning. coverage is improving but still far from 100%
"As for mountains, there are mountains hidden in jewels, there are mountains hidden in marshes, mountains hidden in the sky; there are mountains hidden in mountains. There is a study of mountains hidden in hiddenness." Dogen Kigen , Mountains and Rivers Sutra
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