Mt. Oxford

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 6/27/2013, By: esagas
Info: The small patch of snow is still there (on the way up from the saddle), but it‘s melting quickly. Easy to avoid on the hiker‘s left, if you want to. 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 6/20/2013, By: pklotzbach
Info: Trail from Belford to Oxford is clear except for one small snow drift patch near the top of Oxford. Snow drift can easily be avoided if so desired. 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 11/3/2012, By: dehrlich101
Info: Very little snow across the saddle. See picture below. 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 9/29/2012, By: Ceastar
Info: Belford- Oxford trail is clear of snow except for a few small spots. Elkhead Pass clear of snow and muddy in places. 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 5/5/2012, By: MissH
Info: Muddy trail on downclimb from Belford, but no need for snowshoes or spikes. Most of the snow (and mud) can be navigated around. 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 5/5/2012, By: aoskaran
Info: Trail is mostly snow free or easily avoidable. I did not bring snow shoes or micro spikes and did not ever need them. The conditions are more like July than early May. There is one small snow field about 2/3 the way up to Oxford from Belford that was very soft at 1:00 pm and I post holed both legs up to mid waist. I have included a picture of it. Kind of shocking but I easily climbed out. Coming back through it I used my poles to find bottom and then supported myself better and did not get stuck. The climb back up Belford from Oxford is pretty strenuous after 5300‘ of vertical, save some energy for it. I started at 8:30 am and finished at 5:00 pm. Weather was perfect. 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 5/2/2012, By: KentonB
Info: From Trailhead to treeline: Dry ground the first half of the trail. The second half was crusty/consolidated snow in the morning, but slushy (still consolidated) snow in the afternoon. Postholed once or twice. Microspikes would have been somewhat valuable, but I didn't waste the time putting them on and off even though I had them in my pack (i.e., not necessary). From Treeline to Belford: Mostly wind-blown and snow free! Only a couple patches of snow to cross. From Belford to Oxford: Almost no snow at all that wasn't easily avoidable. I do recall one patch a short ways from the Belford summit that had to be crossed in order to stay on the trail, but that was about it! Questions? Feel free to ask! 

Route: From Pine Creek
Posted On: 3/26/2012, By: taylorzs
Info: You can skin into Pine Creek from about a mile in. We were going to climb/ski the south face but turned around due to avalanche instabilities around 11,000‘. Widespread whumping, cracking, and collapsing was observed between 10,200‘ and 11,000‘ due to radiation recrytallization in the basal layer caused by the recent sun crust over thin snow cover. I would expect similar conditions higher on the route as well coupled with a deeper slab. Snow travel gear is necessary for the approach. The south face was still a little sketchy due to avalanche concerns in my opinion. The south shoulder is probably doable if you are not looking to ski. 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 10/17/2011, By: climbingbiz
Info: Conditions were good other than VERY heavy winds, especially on top of Belford. Snow was not bad, spotty and knee deep at worst. Brought micro spikes but never put them on, though there were a few spots where I probably should have. 7.5 Hours car to car 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 9/24/2011, By: byteman
Info: Trail from TH up to Bedford in peak condition. Low water, relatively dry trail near creek sections heading up Missouri Gulch. Once on the mountain, Beford trail has to be the best maintained I‘ve ever encountered on a 14er. Traverse to Oxford a bit slick in spots with some mud; more care needed here on the climb down from Bedford to the saddle. Skirted Bedford on the way back and headed over to Elkhead Pass and Missouri Mountain trail. Conditions here were also excellent. Get out there and steal some late-season 14ers! 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 8/29/2011, By: RockyMountainMustang
Info: Trail to Oxford from Belford is clear and in great shape. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get back up Belford again. It was starting to sprinkle as I was coming down, and there were still a lot of people no doubt stuck up in the saddle or on one of the two summits when I started seeing lightning hit nearby. NOTE: Missouri Gulch TH is REALLY hard to see at night, the sign is tucked away in the aspens on the left side of the road coming in from 24. If you drove past the Vicksburg Museum sign, you just went past it, so make a u-turn and the TH will be on the right, after the wooden fence. Otherwise, the turn off looks no different from a campsite. Pic 1 = easy to see by day, impossible to see at night TH sign. Pic 2 = Oxford from Belford Summit Pic 3 = start of saddle trail Pic 4 = Belford from Oxford Summit 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 8/3/2011, By: mrschaible
Info: Route is clear and dry to summit! 

Route: Via Mt. Belford
Posted On: 5/29/2011, By: thatstite
Info: Once you get to the saddle between Oxford and Belford its almost snow free all the way to the summit. Getting to the saddle requires a little more post-holing but we were fine without snowshoes which we left at the base of Belford.