Summer conditions. Above the lake and once above the scree slope, as you head up to the ridge, you can walk on snow at times or you can avoid it--your choice. So, no traction/ax really needed. On the way down, we did choose to use traction and ax to link together some snowfields to make the descent go faster, but even so the snow looks like it is melting out fast and wasn't ideal for long glissades (a 10a.m. descent, approx). If you do decide to walk on the snow beware of postholing to the hip next to the warmer rocks, especially later in the morning. No snow at all on the traverse along the ridge to the summit. On our way down to the trailhead, we saw two guys with skis/board headed up--seemed like a lot of work for some pretty crappy conditions and a very short run. Hope it went OK for them. Additional note: No campfires permitted and they were checking for bear canisters at Snowmass Lake (although, apparently, very little bear activity noted so far in the area). I will have a full trip report with pics up within a couple of days. Snowmass is an awesome mountain!
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