Buffalo Peaks

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.
Post Reply
User avatar
Bob Kocher
Posts: 166
Joined: 6/29/2009
14ers: 58  1 
13ers: 24
Trip Reports (4)
 

Buffalo Peaks

Post by Bob Kocher »

Anyone drive by the Buffalo Peaks (just NE of Buena Vista) this past weekend and could give me an idea of how much snow is on them (covered, just snow fields, etc)? I'm considering them this weekend and any info or pics, especially of the north side would be helpful.

Thanks
User avatar
AndYouSeeMe
Posts: 450
Joined: 7/17/2008
14ers: 58  5 
13ers: 209 25
Trip Reports (23)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by AndYouSeeMe »

I don't have any pics but I can tell you the gate right off of 285 on the 431 forest road to access the peaks from the east was still closed as of Sunday.
User avatar
johnF
Posts: 104
Joined: 4/25/2007
14ers: 6 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by johnF »

I drove down rte 9 south from Breckenridge on Sunday, so I had views of the Buffalo Peaks from the north and east, and they looked maybe 90% white above treeline, if my memory's working. My guess would be that the north side still has fairly deep snow in most spots.
User avatar
CO Native
Posts: 4879
Joined: 7/26/2004
14ers: 58  2  15 
13ers: 29
Trip Reports (50)
 
Contact:

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by CO Native »

Not a great image but you can see them in this webcam: http://www.cotrip.org/images/ws/camera?imageURL=160
Remember what your knees are for.
http://www.hikingintherockies.com
User avatar
Bob Kocher
Posts: 166
Joined: 6/29/2009
14ers: 58  1 
13ers: 24
Trip Reports (4)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by Bob Kocher »

hmm, that could be postholing fun with the warmer temps into the weekend. thanks for the quick responses. I just left a message at the South Park Ranger District asking about the roads into the BP Wilderness. I'll update this once I hear back.
User avatar
Rarefied
Posts: 169
Joined: 9/29/2010
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by Rarefied »

I understand you are more interested in the north side but, if it will help, the south aspect is perhaps ~40% covered with the west aspect being perhaps 70%.

R
User avatar
Bob Kocher
Posts: 166
Joined: 6/29/2009
14ers: 58  1 
13ers: 24
Trip Reports (4)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by Bob Kocher »

I forgot to update this once I talked to the Fairplay FS office. They confirmed what AndYouSeeMe saw and said the gate for FS431 won't open until sometime in early-mid June and there's still a lot of snow in the BP Wilderness. The ranger said CR22 was open (I think that road goes to Weston Pass and campground, although I might be mistaken), but there was a bridge that was "unstable" ... um, how's that ... but the road's open?!?!

Guess I'll go to plan B for this weekend and come back later in the season. Thanks for everyone's info.
User avatar
jeffskio
Posts: 80
Joined: 3/11/2009
14ers: 51  1 
13ers: 23
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by jeffskio »

Bob, thanks for the update. I would have arrived at a closed gate tomorrow.
User avatar
ColoradoEd
Posts: 115
Joined: 2/5/2008
14ers: 55 
13ers: 9
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by ColoradoEd »

anyone have more recent info? Thinking about heading this way over the weekend.
User avatar
Rarefied
Posts: 169
Joined: 9/29/2010
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by Rarefied »

South & west aspects are probably down to ~10% coverage now.


R
User avatar
Paul S
Posts: 37
Joined: 8/24/2004
14ers: 51 
13ers: 164
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Buffalo Peaks

Post by Paul S »

Rarefied wrote:South & west aspects are probably down to ~10% coverage now.


R
Here's what they looked like from the summit of Marmot Peak yesterday.
Buffalo Peaks from Marmot Peak.jpg
Buffalo Peaks from Marmot Peak.jpg (234.17 KiB) Viewed 448 times
Post Reply