I've never been to the Gore Range and am considering making my way out there on Saturday to explore. Does anyone have recent conditions to report? I know that "Gore" range is vague, but I don't have it narrowed down much more than that. I'm a trail runner, so covering a lot of ground would be ideal.
Thanks!
Gore Range conditions
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pstew85
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planet54
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Re: Gore Range conditions
I made it to the Rock Creek TH two weeks ago. That road is rough for cars but a 2WD pickup or SUV would make it easily.There will be snow on the North facing slopes and in the trees for sure. You could try running the Gore Range Trail, I'm not sure on the conditions though.
Last evening I made a lap around Lower Cataract Lake which is about 8600 feet. There was snow in the trees on the south side but none on the sunny north side. It took me only an hour to walk it so it wouldn't take you long to run it. Do it 2 or 3 times maybe.
Bottom line, I think that the Gore is holding snow a little better than most of Colorado, at least on the east side. I hope this helps and watch out for dead trees falling over. Have a good one.
Last evening I made a lap around Lower Cataract Lake which is about 8600 feet. There was snow in the trees on the south side but none on the sunny north side. It took me only an hour to walk it so it wouldn't take you long to run it. Do it 2 or 3 times maybe.
Bottom line, I think that the Gore is holding snow a little better than most of Colorado, at least on the east side. I hope this helps and watch out for dead trees falling over. Have a good one.
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H D Thoreau
Re: Gore Range conditions
All of the lakes accessed from the Vail side are still snow-covered (Gore Lake, Snow Lake, Deluge Lake, Pitkin Lake, Booth Lake), and the trails are dry for the first couple of miles until you reach snow. But if you've got snowshoes/skis and good navigation skills any of these lakes is a good daytrip. Otherwise there's lots of 12ers and 13ers in the range to climb (some technical, some not) that are doable in a day. If you wanted a super long trip and have two cars for a shuttle you could go up to Red Buffalo Pass from either the Vail or Frisco side and down the other way. One of my favorite trails to run is the North Trail, although it's currently closed for elk calving. I'm pretty sure Red Sandstone Road is still gated, so you can't drive up to Piney Lake, but I love running up that road when it is closed and if you go far enough you get some cool views of the range. If you're looking to do some backcountry skiing, there's still plenty of skiable stuff up there as well.
