Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
I was hoping to get some information about Loch Vale. We are leaving this weekend for some snowshoeing up there. Planning on starting at Glacier George TH and working our way up to Loch Vale for a few nights. Everywhere I read suggested that this is a popular place for snowshoeing so I am hoping it is relatively safe as well. Maybe a wrong assumption; that's why I am posting.
With the temperatures warming up there this week I was wondering if there are problem areas (avalanche) along our route and at camp. I called the ranger district the other day and will call again as the weekend gets closer but I figured I can't get too much info. With that said, can anyone offer any information on this area?
I was up at Lake Helene a few days ago and the trails were packed and the snow was spring like consolidated snow. According to the Ranger, at the time, the conditions were the same on the Glacier Gorge side. However, this is Colorado so wait a day and it will change.
You can avoid any Avy concerns on the way to the Loch by taking the winter routes. The first deviation from the summer route takes you between the Glacier Knobs then at the Mills Lake Junction you follow the stream bed up staying off the slopes of the west Glacier Knob. When looking at a topo map, these route modifications should be fairly evident. These trails will be trenched and packed so navigation shouldn't be an issue
Looking at your other marked trails there are areas of Avy concern all around but nothing that can't be avoided if paying attention.
Turtle Boy wrote:I was up at Lake Helene a few days ago and the trails were packed and the snow was spring like consolidated snow. According to the Ranger, at the time, the conditions were the same on the Glacier Gorge side. However, this is Colorado so wait a day and it will change.
You can avoid any Avy concerns on the way to the Loch by taking the winter routes. The first deviation from the summer route takes you between the Glacier Knobs then at the Mills Lake Junction you follow the stream bed up staying off the slopes of the west Glacier Knob. When looking at a topo map, these route modifications should be fairly evident. These trails will be trenched and packed so navigation shouldn't be an issue
Looking at your other marked trails there are areas of Avy concern all around but nothing that can't be avoided if paying attention.
Have fun.
Thank you Turtle Boy.
I've found another map online. Is this close to the correct path?
After reviewing the route on a topo map. It appears the biggest areas of concern are around the Glacier Knobs and the approach to The Loch Lake?
That's basically the correct winter shortcut (although there's a lot to like about the standard approach in my opinion). This time of year, I'd bet money that something's pounded out ahead of you.
Doctor No wrote:That's basically the correct winter shortcut (although there's a lot to like about the standard approach in my opinion). This time of year, I'd bet money that something's pounded out ahead of you.
I've only done a little snowshoeing but a lot of research and studying about warning signs and dangers. I just don't have the field experience so I am using caution. If there is a nice, hard, snow packed trail up the standard route that would probably be ok to take?
The trail to loch vale is practically a a highway of packed down snow due to its popularity. If there was a big dump the day or so before you might find it to be less tracked, but if its had a few days the ice climbers or folks on snowshoes will have beat it down.
"I found that nothing truly matters, that you cannot find for free." - The Gaslight Anthem
Turtle Boy wrote:I was up at Lake Helene a few days ago and the trails were packed and the snow was spring like consolidated snow. According to the Ranger, at the time, the conditions were the same on the Glacier Gorge side. However, this is Colorado so wait a day and it will change.
You can avoid any Avy concerns on the way to the Loch by taking the winter routes. The first deviation from the summer route takes you between the Glacier Knobs then at the Mills Lake Junction you follow the stream bed up staying off the slopes of the west Glacier Knob. When looking at a topo map, these route modifications should be fairly evident. These trails will be trenched and packed so navigation shouldn't be an issue
Looking at your other marked trails there are areas of Avy concern all around but nothing that can't be avoided if paying attention.
Have fun.
Thank you Turtle Boy.
I've found another map online. Is this close to the correct path?
After reviewing the route on a topo map. It appears the biggest areas of concern are around the Glacier Knobs and the approach to The Loch Lake?
Yes, that the best winter path. As MetalMountain mentioned it will be packed and easy to find as there is a bridge at the turn spot.
The standard approach as you can see from the topo has an area of Avy concern. It's steep and on the south side so can be clear often times. This issue is that after a big snow even a small slump can knock you off of the trail.
