Sangres Avy Beta?

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Tim A
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Sangres Avy Beta?

Post by Tim A »

As usual, the CAIC has limited information on snowpack conditions in the Sangres given the lower number of people recreating down there. Anyone have anecdotal data to share about instabilities down south? Recent pictures from a Humboldt TR and a picture Nick posted of the Blanca group show great coverage down there, like that from April 2015 or May 2017, and I’m considering B/E from Lake Como for this weekend to take advantage of the great looking coverage. The CAIC did offer caution for NW facing slopes with a thinner snowpack (basically describes the terrain to gain Blanca’s NW ridge) which gives me pause so I’m hoping a few forum members can share some data points to help me decide one way or the other. I can make my own assessment on-site but would rather not waste the weekend hoofing a heavy ‘winter’ overnight kit up to the lake just to bail the following morning.

The backup plan would be Humboldt’s East ridge which as we all know is mostly an unpleasant slog with A+ Crestone summit-views the only rewarding thing about it. To my knowledge there aren’t many avy-safe Sangre routes on the 13ers either but I’m open to more interesting backup plans than Humboldt if anyone cares to share.

tia
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k_fergie
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Re: Sangres Avy Beta?

Post by k_fergie »

Someone had posted recent beta on the Lake Como group on the FB group, so go check that out if youre interested. From what I remember, they observed natural loose wet point releases along Ellingwood's S slopes and turned around after camping at the lake. In terms of avy safe 13ers, I did Colony Baldy a month ago and stayed off of slopes >30 degrees without much issue. I too saw the recent photos from Horn and that area is looking filled in fat, much more so than early March. I'd posture that the recent storms are filling in areas, but that the pack is still thin overall and you'll have to rely on good ground observations and smart travel techniques due to a lack of forecasters and a unique snowpack. LMK if you want to hit something out there in mid April

Edit: I'd recommend Colony Baldy for A+ views over Humboldt personally. Still a slog, though haha
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angry
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Re: Sangres Avy Beta?

Post by angry »

Marble and Twin Peaks A would both be doable although there is plenty of snow in dem trees.
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Tim A
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Re: Sangres Avy Beta?

Post by Tim A »

@k-feet,

Thanks for the fb beta. Went and found that post, coverage looks great back there and there’s enough rock showing on Blanca that I’m thinking the wind has stripped most of those suspect slopes on the west face (but thereby made Ellingwood more loaded). With a week of warm sunny days and clear cold nights between that post and this weekend, I’m leaning towards going for it. I’ve done most of Marble before and am not ready to repeat (turned back in December with atrocious winds) and Col Baldy just looks like a straight wallow but thanks for the suggestions all the same.

@angry,
Yep. Sangre sub-treeline wallowing is the worst.
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Re: Sangres Avy Beta?

Post by jmanner »

A man has got to know his limitations.-Dr. Jonathan Hemlock or Harry Callahan or something F' it: http://youtu.be/lpzqQst-Sg8

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"That man's only desire was to stand, once only, on the summit of that glorious wedge of rock...I think anyone who loves the mountains as much as that can claim to be a mountaineer, too."-Hermann Buhl, Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage
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Hjelmstadlt
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Re: Sangres Avy Beta?

Post by Hjelmstadlt »

The terrain around the Sangres is pretty complex and unfortunately on the ground observation is your only sure fire option for determining safe terrain. The general warning that CAIC offers about snowpack less than 4 feet is a great margin. Couloirs will generally be safe as long as the terrain above isn’t too heavily wind loaded/corniced. I think with the general warming trend we’ll have over the next week things will start to consolidate pretty well and the only concern will be new snow that falls.
If you’re looking for partners let me know, I’m a SLV Local and April is prime time for skiing in the Sangres.
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Tim A
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Re: Sangres Avy Beta?

Post by Tim A »

@Hjelm,

I’ve settled on Horn Peak for this weekend if you’d like to join. The ridge seems a safe route in the warm temperatures and I’ve always stared at it lustfully while driving back and forth on CO69. Not sure it’s much of a ski and I’ll be starting real early to try for sunrise on the summit since it’s Easter. I am hoping to get back later in April for Humboldt SE flank (if it doesn’t get wind-stripped this week) and the OB/Kirk couloirs up at Willow lake if you haven’t already done those lines. The Sangres rarely look so good so trying to take advantage.
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