Good couloirs this week?
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- Ecocrazy
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Good couloirs this week?
Any good conditions likely out there this week? I've done a few snow climbs (snowmass, pikes via the Y, a few cascades volcanos) and was hoping to get a few good ones in this June, having just gotten back to Colorado. Any I might look at this week? Don't need to be 14ers but bonus if they are; car camping near the trailhead would be nice. Thanks!
- cottonmountaineering
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Re: Good couloirs this week?
freezing level is going to be like 14k this week, might not be good snow conditions
- Alpinefroggy
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Re: Good couloirs this week?
Not really going to be a good enough freeze to get a couloir in good enough shape pretty much all week. Itll likely be a sloshy crapfest with some real danger of a wet slide.Ecocrazy wrote: ↑Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:45 am Any good conditions likely out there this week? I've done a few snow climbs (snowmass, pikes via the Y, a few cascades volcanos) and was hoping to get a few good ones in this June, having just gotten back to Colorado. Any I might look at this week? Don't need to be 14ers but bonus if they are; car camping near the trailhead would be nice. Thanks!
- davisrice4
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Re: Good couloirs this week?
Yeah looks like it is going to be another rough week on the snowpack. Hopefully the clear nights help and facilitate some type of freeze. You never know unless you go and I think this it is possible to catch some fair conditions this week, but you also could get skunked. I would be looking at North facing couloirs this week.Alpinefroggy wrote: ↑Mon Jun 07, 2021 10:13 amNot really going to be a good enough freeze to get a couloir in good enough shape pretty much all week. Itll likely be a sloshy crapfest with some real danger of a wet slide.Ecocrazy wrote: ↑Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:45 am Any good conditions likely out there this week? I've done a few snow climbs (snowmass, pikes via the Y, a few cascades volcanos) and was hoping to get a few good ones in this June, having just gotten back to Colorado. Any I might look at this week? Don't need to be 14ers but bonus if they are; car camping near the trailhead would be nice. Thanks!
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Snowmass
I haven't taken on any of the Elk Range yet but am wondering when you all anticipate Snowmass Mountain will be "summer conditions" (I know this may be a relative term for Snowmass specifically) but any info on the this 14er and when the standard route will likely be the easiest would be greatly appreciated. Also, is this one where snowshoes/micros/crampons may be helpful even in the dead of summer?
Thanks for the info!
Thanks for the info!
Re: Good couloirs this week?
Record heat is expected in much of Colorado late this week and well into next week. Even if conditions are OK in the morning, expect them to deteriorate quickly once the sun comes up.
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- Been_Jammin
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Re: Good couloirs this week?
After this much heat in the Sawatch... how many consecutive nights of freeze would be appropriate to attempt say the Cross Cooly which is East facing? That road is opening back up soon. Has anyone had eyes on Cross lately? Even if from a distance?
- jfm3
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Re: Snowmass
Based on the trends in the condition reports, the route should be (mostly if not completely) snow-free from the trailhead to Snowmass Lake sometime next week. The snow on the upper mountain will linger much longer, well into July. Once the snow around the lake melts out, you very likely won't need snowshoes. I climbed it on June 21 last year and the snow above the lake was very firm all day. I wore boots & crampons (and will again when I climb it next week), but people managed fine in shoes & spikes. Having crampons and an ice axe removes a lot of the worry on the top of the slope below the ridge and makes it more fun.Msbaker wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 6:46 pm I haven't taken on any of the Elk Range yet but am wondering when you all anticipate Snowmass Mountain will be "summer conditions" (I know this may be a relative term for Snowmass specifically) but any info on the this 14er and when the standard route will likely be the easiest would be greatly appreciated. Also, is this one where snowshoes/micros/crampons may be helpful even in the dead of summer?
Thanks for the info!
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- ClimbingFool
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Re: Good couloirs this week?
I'm planning on climbing the cross couloir in a couple of weeks and am also a little concerned about the recent weather trends. An early start will be key, but I'd love to hear other opinions on conditions.Been_Jammin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:05 am After this much heat in the Sawatch... how many consecutive nights of freeze would be appropriate to attempt say the Cross Cooly which is East facing? That road is opening back up soon. Has anyone had eyes on Cross lately? Even if from a distance?
- blazintoes
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Re: Good couloirs this week?
I’m no expert so take what I posted as just FYI. I posted this about Pacific Peak north Col: By 0200 started hiking (up to Mohawk Lakes which are beautiful) and found the upper tarns difficult to navigate d/t softening snow. Made it to the Col later than I wanted but it's only 800' vertical so blasted up and the Col conditions felt like over ripened avocado mush. Kinda scary. Topped out at noon and it was very warm. Too chicken to glissade so screed down the northeast face and posthole hell back to the waterfall. This years snowpack is the most difficult I've experienced and hard to predict what's good. With as warm as it's been I'd say couloir season is over. Sorry.
I did Hopeful with a group a couple weeks ago and feel we just got lucky because others reports day before and after were post hole misery.
I did Hopeful with a group a couple weeks ago and feel we just got lucky because others reports day before and after were post hole misery.
- Ecocrazy
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Re: Good couloirs this week?
Thanks all for the perspective. Bummer, but hey, summer routes will be open soon. Fingers crossed for a strong monsoon.
- supranihilest
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Re: Good couloirs this week?
I have to agree with this sentiment. I climbed a lot of couloirs in the last two weekends and conditions rapidly deteriorated between the first and second weekend. The snow wasn't avalanching, it was just horrible to climb on, horrible to walk on, and without freezes it hasn't gotten any better. My last snow climb was Saturday the 5th and while I've deliberately avoided true snow climbs since then the snow I've encountered on the climbs I've done daily since then has all been mushy, soaking wet, posthole hell. There's no end in sight to the hot weather either, as best as I can tell, so I'd agree and say snow climbing season is done.blazintoes wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:39 amWith as warm as it's been I'd say couloir season is over. Sorry.