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Hi guys, I'm thinking about doing South Arapaho tomorrow with a friend. Anybody's been to the trailhead lately? I know the road leading to the 4th of July trailhead is not plowed. If the snow is hard packed will it be drivable? I have a 4wd CRV.

Also are there any other summits in the Indian Peaks or within an hour from Boulder that are doable in the winter without a LONG approach (like Audubon because of road closure)

Thanks guys!

I don't know anything about the 4th of July trailhead right now (and I'm guessing you won't reach anybody if you try calling the Boulder forest service office), but for other IPW summits you could do far worse than Saint Vrain Mountain.

Road is not drivable in winter. IPW is tough to access in winter. I have been going up the coney flats road, which is drivable for a 3-4 miles but rough 4wd, to access sawtooth and red deer mtn. It is still a haul to get the summits, but closer and easier than most of the other IPW peaks. Audobon can be climbed from coney flats too in a very long day, but the connecting trail winds steeply through trees and snow was rotten and unsupportable two weeks ago( we didn't make the summit). From the summit of berthoud pass today it looked like mines pk, flora, eva, and parry are all doable with minimal snow above treeline and a well packed trail from the parking lot to treeline, you could bring snowshoes but probably don't need them. Anything else in IPW is a multi-day excursion at this point. Hope this helps! Alex

Thanks for the info guys. We are going to wait until my friend has her sleeping gear ready then we'll tackle the peaks near Brainard Lake.

ak47 wrote:Road is not drivable in winter. IPW is tough to access in winter. I have been going up the coney flats road, which is drivable for a 3-4 miles but rough 4wd, to access sawtooth and red deer mtn. It is still a haul to get the summits, but closer and easier than most of the other IPW peaks. Audobon can be climbed from coney flats too in a very long day, but the connecting trail winds steeply through trees and snow was rotten and unsupportable two weeks ago( we didn't make the summit). From the summit of berthoud pass today it looked like mines pk, flora, eva, and parry are all doable with minimal snow above treeline and a well packed trail from the parking lot to treeline, you could bring snowshoes but probably don't need them. Anything else in IPW is a multi-day excursion at this point. Hope this helps! Alex

Did Flora from Mines Peak two weeks ago. The cat track to Mines Peak was firm enough that you could get by without snowshoes, but used them for traction purposes. The rest of the route did not require snowshoes.

Skied a 15 mile loop up the 4th of July road to diamond lake, to jasper lake and back to eldora yesterday. The road is passable in a good 4wd vehicle up to the hessie turn off. Several vehicles were up there yesterday. From hessie to the 4th of July summer TH is 4 miles, and the road is hard packed and bare in spots. Evidence of bootpack all the way up to the summer TH. You should go for it.

skimrg81 wrote:Skied a 15 mile loop up the 4th of July road to diamond lake, to jasper lake and back to eldora yesterday. The road is passable in a good 4wd vehicle up to the hessie turn off. Several vehicles were up there yesterday. From hessie to the 4th of July summer TH is 4 miles, and the road is hard packed and bare in spots. Evidence of bootpack all the way up to the summer TH. You should go for it.

Thanks for the info skimrg81. You think a 4wd vehicle can make it all the way to the summer TH? An extra 4 miles each way is a bit long for a single day trip for me.

No I don't think a 4wd vehicle could make it all the way up, that would be a little ambitious. However, a good 4wd could probably make up up atleast another mile past hessie.

Thanks. In that case I think I'm going to camp at the summer TH and do Skywalker couloir the next day or something.

Not to sound condescending or assume you don't know your avy stuff, but with all the new snow lately, I would be very cautious about going anywhere near Skywalker (or any other couloir or avy slope). Skywalker is a long steep walled couloir, and if you were to find unhappy snow conditions half way up, you would have little option but to continue up or go all the way back down (and stay in the path of danger).