Handies Peak

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/20/2025, By: JSSL_
Info: Road is snow free and easily done with an SUV with AWD. A little tight at times but took no time at all to get up. Trail to peak has two short sections of snow. Very simple to navigate through and didn’t add any time/distance. Poles are nice but traction isn’t needed. This is almost summer conditions; go get it. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/19/2025, By: pcsongei
Info: Similar to the previous conditions report, there is still a good amount of snow in the upper basin obscuring the trial. I tried to be clever and climb above the snow towards the ridge but it ended up being more effort than it was worth. I crossed the snowfields on the descent (around 8am) and while some were large and unavoidable, it was much easier and still pretty firm. I punched through the snow a few times but overall not a big deal. I didn't have traction and it might have helped a bit but I was fine without it 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/13/2025, By: Matthew Holliman
Info: Mostly clear or just patchy/short snow crossings until 13k, then there's snow up to the ridge at 13.5k. Trail from there to summit is 99% clear. There's a decent boot pack most of the way through the only significant snow section, but I used crampons, and was glad I'd bothered to put them on in one or two short places where it was icy and the existing steps vanished. Any later in the morning, probably not necessary. Absolutely stunning views up here. I returned by following the easy, enjoyable ridge over to Whitecross Mtn, taking its SE Slopes back to the trail; this avoided all snow on the descent. 

Route: Southwest Slopes
Posted On: 6/7/2025, By: MountainBuhn
Info: Still fully socked in. From Jones Gulch pass. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 5/31/2025, By: masonzastrow
Info: Summer is coming fast! More or less snow-free until 12k, although mud and running water on the trail are frequent. Then pretty deep snow from there to 13.5k. I was sinking as bad as thigh deep in snowshoes by 9AM. Mostly sinking closer to ankle deep, but when you break through the lower layer, you really fall! But today set the spring trench. Routefinding should be pretty clear and the softest snow has already been broken through. Above 13.5, snow can mostly be avoided while staying on the trail. There are short sections to carefully climb loose talus or stay on the snow. Only saw one other person on the trail all day. I used my axe to glissade briefly but didn't need it otherwise. It is really gorgeous up there right now. I'll also plug: if you're scared of driving to that trailhead (I'm a wimp in a low clearance car), hiking the road is actually pretty pleasant. It adds 3 miles and 1K gain if you start from the Sherman townsite and take the trail to join with the road, you get to go through some ruins of the town. And the views are gorgeous too! 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 5/30/2025, By: Youngan
Info: Parked at the stream crossing in American Basin. Miserable post holing in the lower basin, even with an early start. Chose to head up the West Slopes on dry ground to avoid possible post holing further up the basin. Decided to give the SW slopes a try on the way down, very minimal post holing in the upper basin. Lower basin was getting soft by the time we made it out. 

Route: Southwest Slopes
Posted On: 5/21/2025, By: kghdiesel
Info: Too early to try to hike unless you have the right equipment. Absolutely caked in snow near the trailhead. The road to the lower trailhead (where American Basin meets Cinnamon Pass) isn’t terrible. Definitely need at least 8 inches of ground clearance and at the very very least AWD, and some off-road experience on your belt. Drove up CR-30 and it’s pretty rough and there’s some water crossings you have to make. About half a mile before the upper TH in American Basin, there’s a pretty deep and tough creek crossing that I didn’t try to attempt, looked like only something a 4X4 Jeep or OHV could make. Pretty much immediately after that, the road is covered in deep snow all the way to the TH and probably all the way to the summit. 

Route: NE Couloir
Posted On: 5/17/2025, By: Jcinco
Info: Excellent steep ski line that is a little overlooked, probably because it doesn’t drop from the summit. Entrance is a little tricky but otherwise in very good condition. 1-2” stiff powder from the previous night and quite cold for May. East slopes have excellent coverage as well. Was able to ski down to 11.4k. Still some mandatory wallowing in the trees above and below that spot. If I were to do it again, I would skin up in the trees on the south side of the creek from 11.4-11.7k instead of trying to follow the trail. 

Route: Southwest Slopes
Posted On: 5/11/2025, By: jwilhelm3
Info: We left American Basin trailhead about 7 am and conditions were hard pack/boilerplate lower in the basin. The gate to the upper road was open, so we camped at the upper trailhead the night before. At about 12,600’ we booted approx 700’ up the left South-facing gully just Southwest of the summit. The snow was still hard-packed pretty much through out the gully we booted. We had to rest for a bit after that. We then switched back to skins and summitted just after 12 noon. Very calm, beautiful day on the summit, mostly sunny with hardly any wind. We rested for a bit and then skied SW from the summit, On our descent the snow was softer on the SW aspect, so we cut right and skied down the NW pitch to the lower basin. The snow was soft, but not corn. The ski back to camp in the lower basin was soft and collapsing at times. We made it back to camp about 1:45 pm. What a beautiful day skiing with two great friends, Ben and Tim. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 5/5/2025, By: FrankP
Info: After finishing Sunshine and Redcloud, i was back to the truck before noon. With the weather pretty overcast and sqaull-ish , I decided to try for a late afternoon Handies. The forest section was a patchy, sloppy nightmare that late in the day. I got suckered into transitioning to boots way too early and paid the price. The weather really couldn't make up it's mind and changed every 5 minutes. My skins couldn't keep up with all the changing conditions and I battled glop like never before. I didn't ski off the top until 5pm, but the skiing was nice. Only 1-2" accumulation. I was pretty smoked at that point so I just cruised the main bowls. Road to trailhead is totally dry. 

Route: Southwest Slopes
Posted On: 4/25/2025, By: mikeso
Info: Approached via Grouse Cr, CR 2 is plowed. Coverage on SW and W slopes is a bit meager, although we were able to squeak out a complete ski descent. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 12/22/2024, By: booger
Info: Skied the NE facing slopes / chutes - a little thin / firm with some breakable crust, but fun nonetheless, put in a skin track from Grizzly Gulch. Winter road closure in place which made. a long trek up to Grizzly Gulch. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 9/29/2024, By: RRanger1996
Info: 99% dry conditions with a bit of snow the last 100ft of vertical to the summit. Absolutely gorgeous with the Aspens popping everywhere. 

Route: Southwest Slopes
Posted On: 8/3/2024, By: dr_j
Info: Great trail, thanks to the CFI crew working just below the lake. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 8/4/2024, By: TheBuff66
Info: Hiked on 8/1/24. Road to the TH (Silver Creek/Grizzly Gulch) was fine for my Crosstrek. I was worried about the shelf road but only 2-3 turns had pucker factor, it wasn't as intimidating as I expected. The majority of the 16ish miles to the TH was smooth gravel, and the shelf road had plenty of pull-offs to allow cars to pass if needed. The road got bumpier after making the right turn onto Cinnamon Pass but it wasn't any worse than your usual 14er road. The hike was beautiful. My Garmin logged 7.93 miles RT in 4hrs 45min. You can cruise the first 3 miles but the final push from the ridge to the summit is much steeper and slows you down. Summer conditions, no route finding or traction required. Very obvious single track trail the whole way. I hitched a ride to American Basin the next day and that road is as bad as everyone says it is. If you don't have a genuine off-road capable vehicle, do not attempt. Pretty much every car at that TH was a Tacoma, Tundra, 4Runner, or Jeep. The East Slopes is a prettier hike anyway. P.S. Cinnamon Mountain is a fun side quest, you'll see that trail branch off from Handies about 1mi up from the American Basin TH. That trail (the route from Grouse Gulch to Handies) brings you to the ridge, follow it down to the base of Cinnamon, and charge up off-trail. It was more fun than Handies in my opinion and added about 1hr 15min from the start of the branch-off to the summit