6/18/2017 Route: Southwest Ridge Posted On: 6/19/2017, By: pmp6 Info: Drive to the TH is snow free. Hike is mostly snow free, but very muddy. No microspikes or snowshoes needed. I lost an iphone 7 above near the peak. If you happen to find it, please give my wife a call: 857.756.4533 |
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6/12/2017 Route: Southwest Ridge Posted On: 6/12/2017, By: Eli Boardman Info: The "trailhead" is getting decrepit, with the register broken and sign missing. Once the trail is located leaving the "trailhead" to the north, it is easy to follow. The trail is muddy and is often a small creek, and there are lots of small snowfields to climb over. At treeline, the trail disappears into the snowfields, but it is easy enough to navigate the willows. Just pick a path that avoids the worst of the sun cups. To gain the ridge, I climbed to the far right of the summer route on steep scree but avoided all snow. I descended the summer route in this section once it was slushy, but you would probably want at least microspikes for the summer route in the early morning. Once on the ridge, the route is easy and scenic, and there are only occasional snow patches. In many places, the supportive snow offers a relief from the talus. The summit is currently a snow cone. I don't know why the southwest ridge is not done more often--it was a really fun route with view of the 3 Apostles and Sayers at sunrise. I started hiking from the pullout by the Winfield cemetery (1.5ish miles below the "trailhead") at 4:15 and summited at 7:16. |
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6/10/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 6/10/2017, By: alpinenut Info: For those who want snow you can be on near continuous snow once on ridge to summit. Go straight up the middle on the snow and traverse left at top on snow field and keep heading that direction towards summit. Today there was a small section of rocks in that direction that you could cross with spikes or crampons on. Hit it early, it went soft in spots from warm temps today between 1030 and 1130. For those who do not want snow, once you hit the ridge just keep to the right and stay on rocks. Don't go up snow without traction or ice axe. You'll probably be fine but you never know. There were firm slick spots even today. |
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6/9/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 6/9/2017, By: chicagostylehotdog Info: Still snowy on the ridge. Two considerable snow fields to cross below the ridge, but otherwise dry. The snowfield just before the ridge can be crossed twice, allowing you to stay on trail. Most people are walking up the whole snowfield. Started at 4:30ish and summited by 8:15. Conditions were starting to feel soft on our way down, but no significant postholing was experienced. Microspikes helped with the descent of the ridge. Snowshoes not needed if hiking early, but may be useful if on the snow after 10am. |
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6/5/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 6/5/2017, By: curth83 Info: Route is in pretty good shape, if you have traction an ice ax, and start early. I hit the summit at 9 AM and was postholing down the entire summit ridge on descent, some as deep as mid thigh. Snow is good early though! |
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6/4/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 6/4/2017, By: Tony1 Info: Get up and down early and you won't need snowshoes. I carried spikes but didn't use those either, although they'd be helpful around treeline and just below the summit. Patchy snow just below treeline, a couple of snowfields around treeline near the steeper portion of the trail, and then a large snowfield from ~13,400' to just below the summit along the ridge. |
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6/4/2017 Route: Southwest Ridge Posted On: 6/8/2017, By: BillMiddlebrook Info: A shot of the southwest side of La Plata Peak, taken from the summit of Huron Peak. |
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5/28/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 6/1/2017, By: SurfNTurf Info: Standard route is open, no need for the winter variation unless we get another big storm. Mud and running water beginning at the log bridge, intermittent snow from 10,800' to 11,500', then mostly snow. Microspikes and an ax were helpful to gain the ridge. Some people used crampons. Flotation wasn't necessary down low, but helped folks a ton from the ridge to the summit where there was surprisingly deep powder. I didn't have snowshoes and the guy I had an even pace with all day smoked me by 30-45 minutes on the last 1,000 feet using them. Lots of skiers cruising easily up a skin track. Of course, a lot could change this time of year. On the way down people following my bootpack without snowshoes said they weren't postholing any further at all. C'est la vie. |
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4/23/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 4/24/2017, By: Generalcuz Info: The route to La Plata is melting out fast, but definitely doable. Started hiking at 6:00 AM and was back by 4:00 PM. Floatation is a must, but well worth it. Having snowshoes made this seem easier than on a summer day. Also the glissading is in prime condition. |
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4/23/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 4/24/2017, By: Thevirtualsherpa Info: Still lots of snow from top to bottom on this route. Ended up following the stream directly up to the basin and found my own route to the trail that works up to the ridge. Stay right once on ridge to follow trail and avoid others path's. Summit has lots of snow and great opps to split down. 100% need flotation and some kind of crampons, especially for hike down. If you take NW Ridge route down, be careful of slides/avalanche, as I did see signs on my trek down. Conditions are beautiful, just bring the right gear and start early. |
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3/31/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 3/31/2017, By: bmcqueen Info: I snuck up La Plata via the winter northwest ridge route today before the 3-5" of snow that was in the forecast. The prior trench was still visible although a couple inches of snow had fallen. I was in snowshoes up to the headwall, then spikes the rest of the way from there. I was early enough getting down that spikes did the trick and I didn't have to put my snowshoes back on (but I was back at my car at 11:25 AM - strongly advise having snowshoes for the descent if you'll be in the warm afternoon). |
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3/19/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 3/19/2017, By: Danger_D Info: Great spring conditions. Snow on the winter trail all the way to the headwall/scree, though almost on all the snow on the headwall itself is gone. Since it was so warm we were post-holing the last mile or so back to the car, so some flotation might be nice for the descent. The approach to the headwall and the last snowfield are very steep, so crampons or microspikes needed (I would feel a little unsafe on yaktraks). Get out and do this soon, its in great condition. 5 hours up and 3 down |
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3/18/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 3/19/2017, By: Tlorbets Info: Previous condition report still holds true! No snowshoes needed, wore micro spikes for most of traverse. I felt more comfortable scrambling up the rocks that are straightforward as you come out of timberline. Stayed on most of the summer trail to peak. Trail was in great condition. 1.45 minutes to head wall 5 hrs total to summit. |
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3/11/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 3/12/2017, By: ajlavigne Info: Report from last week is pretty accurate. Firm snow up to tree line. Microspikes and trekking poles worked great for me the whole way. The flat section in front of the 'headwall' was the only soft snow we encountered. There are a few bare spots on the ridge, through the switchbacks on the upper part of the summer trail, and most of the 'winter route' gully. We scrambled up the north end of the headwall (3-3+) and stayed on the NE side of the upper ridge past the buttress because the snow was in great condition. Descended the upper part of the summer trail and came down the W-facing gully near the bottom of the ridge, which was really loose and prone to tumbling down big rocks, but obviously doable. The guys I climbed with were able to get over and do E La Plata as well, though they said it was 4+ or low 5, including down climbing, to get it done - too 'spicy' for my comfort level. |
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3/4/2017 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 3/5/2017, By: vdavidoff Info: The trench up to tree line (already there when we found it, but lightly used at that time) is the best I have come across on this route. Gentle and direct. We made it to the headwall in right at 2 hours including probably 20 minutes of breaks for gear fiddling. There were 4 total in my party and if I recall correctly all 4 of us used snowshoes to the headwall. I recommend snowshoes in the trees though you might get by without them, especially for as long as the trench stays packed. Though in the afternoon on the way down, things are soft and snowshoes can make that less painful, if you like snowshoes for that kind of thing. The ridge proper was mostly covered in thick sun crusted snow, though there were stretches that were bare, and the more aggressive parts of the ridge, while snow covered, weren't covered so badly that dealing with things like rock wells was too bad. I carried my snowshoes just because it was easy to do so, but used only microspikes on the ridge, as did the rest of my party. I was a bit slower than the rest of the group, but I summited in 6h30m. The group descended at just a tad over 3h for ~9.5h RT. |
