Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

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sieggy80305
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Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by sieggy80305 »

I'm looking to try and do a climb up Kit Carson and Challenger. However, I'm trying to work out dates around other commitments through the summer. The weekend of the 7/1 would be awesome but I'm little nervous about the route being free of snow. I'm looking for more summer than winter climbing conditions. The question is on a typical year is that route usually clear by 7/1? If not, how much more is the difficulty increased? I totally get that spring snows may shift the actual dates considerably. I'm just looking for a general guideline of what to expect.

Thanks!

Sieg
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by globreal »

You should be fine climbing these two peaks around July 1st. Not all of the snow will be gone in the gullies, but you will easily be able to avoid what snow is left.
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by Wish I lived in CO »

I've been to the Willow lake area 5 times. Probably you will be OK July 1st, but not necessarily. Watch the conditions reports as the time nears. Mid July if you can wait would be "safe" i.m.o. I was up there around June 20th last year, and encountered snow in the Challenger gulley, and turned around as I'm not experienced on snow.
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by BKS »

There was a lengthy forum discussion of this about a year ago. The discussion focused on the snow that is late to melt on the avenue between Challenger and KC. That is the crux with snow not the gulley on Challenger. There is also a trip report that involved the late SGladbach and previous poster globreal that shows the drifted snow slope on the avenue in the area of concern. Read that report - sorry I didn't take the time to search out either of mentioned items. Those both would be helpful for decision making.
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by reinselc »

BKS is 100% correct. The little bit of late June gully snow is no problem. BUT if the avenue is covered in rock hard snow, you really need an axe, and possibly something on your feet to get across safely. The way the sun hits the avenue, the snow nearest the edge melts first, so you end up with a rock hard mess of icy snow on the avenue that slopes off towards nothing, and not towards the good safe wall.
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by Wish I lived in CO »

reinselc wrote:The little bit of late June gully snow is no problem.
All depends on your skill set and preparedness. When we reached the crossing around June 20 last year we had, for reasons I won't get into, one axe and one set of crampons between 2 of us. But at that point in time turning around was an easy decision, disappointing as it was. The run-out below was long, pretty steep, and undoubtedly ended in a pile of rocks somewhere; and I'm not very experienced in snow. For the person with no axe I could totally see sliding to oblivion with no recourse a possibility. Just because it was only 50 feet doesn't make it "safe". On the other hand someone with enough equipment, a little experience, and maybe starting early enough, then no not a problem. Just don't show up expecting it to be for sure be dry in late June and / or "no big deal" to cross with no equipment, etc.

The avenue of course is really more of an issue and is covered in the other posts above.
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by TallGrass »

Do an Advanced Search for that peak and that time frame then look through those TR's photos for an idea of what lingers on average. Also look through Conditions reports right next to TRs in header. Follow closely as 2017 date nears. It could be snow free or lots left. Mountain weather and conditions are fickle, so there's no "safe" time guarantee.
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by Trotter »

don't go too late either. I went in late august and the early snow covered the avenue. About half the hikers turned around rather then cross it
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by Jim Davies »

Past years' condition reports are still there. https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/peakstat ... type=14ers
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Re: Earliest 'safe' time for Kit Carson and Challenger?

Post by TallGrass »

sieggy80305 wrote:on a typical year is that route usually clear by 7/1?
This shot of the Avenue after The Prow was taken July 7, 2016, with Columbia Point (near) and Kitty Kat (far) in the upper right. Some went on, some turned back. There was icy snow on the Avenue at the saddle with Challenger, and patch of icy snow at the saddle with Columbia Point. Fair amount of snow on the standard route up Challenger though most skirted it.
Avenue3.JPG
Avenue3.JPG (70.14 KiB) Viewed 459 times
Another farther down on the Avenue. There was no way around the snow, well, not unless you wanted to scale the face above over below.
Avenue4.JPG
Avenue4.JPG (55.92 KiB) Viewed 455 times
It appears there'll be a bigger than average base to melt off. Note the above was shot when the chart shows basically snow-free. If you just pack an axe and 'pons you won't have to sweat what you encounter.
Image
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