Good snowshoeing Late Nov

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Mike Shepherd
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Good snowshoeing Late Nov

Post by Mike Shepherd »

I have some guests coming in from back east around Thanksgiving and staying into the first week in December, who have never been snowshoeing. I've actually never really been out that early before (usually I head out around mid to late December for the first outing of the year) so I am unsure if most of the areas I normally go (Kenosha, Abyss trailhead, Brainard Lakes among others) will have anything even worth attempting. Obviously it will depend on weather leading up to it, however, are there any areas that people who have been out more regularly this time of year could recommend as a possibility?
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shearmodulus
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Re: Good snowshoeing Late Nov

Post by shearmodulus »

It depends on where you live, but I've had success in December and January with the road from St. Elmo (near Mt. Princeton Hot Springs) heading up to the continental divide. It gets snowmobile traffic, so it stays pretty well packed down, and it's not too steep for your back east friends. Throw in a ghost town, an opportunity to hit the continental divide and then soak in the springs and you've got yourself a winning trip.

Also, if you're near Crested Butte, the road out to Gothic does much the same thing. You basically drive to the Ski Resort and keep going down 317 (I think) until it dead ends. You can then ski/snowshoe to Gothic, which is basically a ghost town but for the fact that the Rocky Mountain Laboratory uses the facilities during the summer. Pretty neat trip, all in all. Mt. Gothic itself is pretty cool to look at.
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Mike Shepherd
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Re: Good snowshoeing Late Nov

Post by Mike Shepherd »

I have been to St. Elmo in the fall before but not the winter. I will surely keep that in mind. I live around Denver.
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Re: Good snowshoeing Late Nov

Post by Turtle Boy »

I've had good luck in RMNP in the early season - Wild Basin, The Loch or even Trail Ridge Road (windy). A short big bang for the buck hike is Emerald Lake with great views. If there is snow usually the winter routes to The Loch and Emerald are broken in immediately saving a trail breaking fest.

If any of this is of interest it should be easy to check snow conditions as the time approaches given it's RMNP.
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Steve Knapp
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Re: Good snowshoeing Late Nov

Post by Steve Knapp »

I would suggest a few spots near Berthoud Pass. Butler Gulch is great and a shorter drive. Just over the pass into Grand county First and Second Creek are also nice. These are popular places and you'll likely have a broken trail to follow unless it just snowed. Usually reliable early season snow by Thanksgiving, but who knows this year. There's also Herman Gulch up by Bakerville.
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Mike Shepherd
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Re: Good snowshoeing Late Nov

Post by Mike Shepherd »

That's also a great recommendation
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Re: Good snowshoeing Late Nov

Post by Cruiser »

We've has some success snowshoeing around Echo Lake below Mt Evans between Thanksgiving and Christmas in past years when we had out of town relatives come in. Things are certainly starting off slowly this year up there but hopefully all that will start to change after Halloween.
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