Taylor Peak

Route: Via Andrews Glacier
Posted On: 6/1/2025, By: jfm3
Info: I don't have anything to add to the previous report except 1 picture I took from the top of Hallett Peak on June 1. Still lots of snow on the Divide. 

Route: Via Andrews Glacier
Posted On: 6/1/2025, By: Mitchman98
Info: Summited Taylor and Powell with my friend Peter. 99% continuous snow after the Loch up to the top of Andrews Glacier. Mostly snow covered on the north slopes of Taylor Peak - you can hop talus for a break from the snow, but you'll have to cross the snow several times to get to the summit. Heading west off the summit to follow the route towards Powell Peak is a little drier, mainly at the low point between them, but is continuous deep snow after that to the summit of Powell. We wore snowshoes from here until getting back to Andrews Glacier, and they helped a lot, though it was a lot of sidehilling. Was able to contour at about 12,500-12,600 around the west side of Taylor to get back to Andrews Glacier, all on snow. Glissading down the glacier wasn't very effective with how deep and punchy the snow was in the early afternoon, it seemed better to plunge-step. Did not posthole much on our way back to the main Loch/Sky Pond trail 

Route: SE Couloir
Posted On: 5/15/2025, By: colin j
Info: Snow is continuous above the Loch. The SE couloir is on it's last legs and may not last through next weekend. Crux still has snow but it's melting out fast. Snow was very soft and punchy until I got above the choke (maybe 12,400') and then it was nice and firm. I descended Andrew's Glacier which is still holding lots of snow and is in good condition for skiing. Left the trailhead at 4 am, summited 9:45, returned around 3:45. 

Route: Via Andrews Glacier
Posted On: 4/12/2025, By: bangerth
Info: Continuous snow from just above the Glacier Gorge trailhead all the way to the top of Andrews Glacier. As usual in winter, snowshoes are necessary once you turn off the main trail that goes up to Sky Pond; below, I found them useful, my partners did not. We put on crampons at the base of the headwall going up to Andrews Tarn, and then from there up the glacier. In the morning, all of that was hard and icy. With the hot weather today, it was glissadable all the way from the top of the glacier to the bottom of the headwall around 11am, but was getting very much into wet slide territory. We were glad for the early 4am start. Above the glacier, once you turn left towards Taylor Peak, it was 50/50 snow covered and wind blown bare. We stayed on the rocks/tundra on the way up, and plunge stepped the snow on the way down. 

Route: Via Flattop Mountain
Posted On: 7/9/2024, By: SionaRW35
Info: No summit register 

Route: Via Flattop Mountain
Posted On: 4/15/2024, By: NittanyLion14er
Info: Packed snow to Dream Lake, then followed ski/snowshoe tracks to Flattop area with traction. Mixed rock and snow to Taylor and Halett Pks. Snowshoes for descent due to soft conditions and post holing. 

Route: Via Andrews Glacier
Posted On: 7/22/2023, By: MidsizeAl
Info: Trail to Andrews Tarn is in summer conditions. The glacier itself was soft and slushy, even in the morning. Glad to have brought an axe and spikes. Ascended the bulge and then stayed on the south end. There are some embedded rocks and a few sun cups that have iced over, so glissade with caution. I caught one squarely between the cheeks and am limping around the house now. 

Route: Via Andrews Glacier
Posted On: 3/19/2023, By: dleflar
Info: Summit is patchy and windblown. North slope heading up from the glacier was crusty and fairly windblown in spots but you could go either way with snowshoes or just punching through the crust in your hikers. It was never more than calf deep in some spots and exposed tundra in others.. That little space where neither option is preferable but both would work just fine. It was very cold up top even with the blue skies and sun shining. My phone battery died, my battery pack died, my inreach mini started acting wonky, and my instinct watch kept restarting. Either all of my electronics crapped out at the same time or it was just a bit to cold for them handle. The glacier is in "good" condition with lots of snow in the middle, the sides are bullet proof. I wanted to hop around the rocks and ice a bit so snowshoed from the tarn up to the southwest corner of the glacier instead of exiting through the middle, switched over to crampons and fiddled about in the ice and rock. Foot wear: TH to Andrews Glacier cutoff -> Boots. Cutoff to top of glacier -> Snowshoes. Southwest corner exit with mixed ice and rock -> Crampons. Glacier exit to summit -> Snowshoes. One could snowshoe all the way from the TH to the summit, but that sounds kinda miserable. 

Route: Via Andrews Glacier
Posted On: 6/26/2022, By: jfm3
Info: The trail from the parking lot to The Loch is dry. I took the Glacier Knobs shortcut. There is some standing water around The Loch. The initial climb up the Andrews Creek trail is dry. The snow starts right at the treeline. It is possible to stay on snow all the way up the slope to Andrews Tarn. The snow on this slope is very slick. It is supportive (I never sank through) but even with crampons my footsteps slid and blew out. Ice axe plunges were solid. The trail around Andrews Tarn is dry. The snow on Andrews Glacier is not as slick, and very supportive. The upper part of Taylor Peak from the glacier to the summit is mostly dry. There are two small, icy snowfields that could be avoided entirely. On the descent, I saw two people in microspikes sliding around a lot on the lower snowfield. I think crampons and an ice axe are still required for easy/safe passage. 

Route: Via Flattop Mountain
Posted On: 10/17/2021, By: supranihilest
Info: The lowest mile of the trail is dryish. After that mile we wore spikes until treeline where the snow and ice on the trail thins out considerably. We also wore our spikes down from treeline and were very happy to have them given how slick the trail was, sometimes ice a couple inches thick. From the summit of Flattop Mountain to Taylor is tundra with embedded boulders and plenty of patchy snow, which melted a lot during the day and will continue melting this week. The snow from Flattop to the low point below Taylor is mostly avoidable. Going up Taylor is very snowy owing to its northern aspect. Expect annoying rock hopping to avoid the snow, which can be done to a very high degree with enough hopping. We wore trail runners and were fine, those who get cold easily, move slowly, and/or don't want to bother avoiding the snow should wear warmer or more waterproof footwear. 

Route: Seen from Hallett Peak
Posted On: 5/28/2021, By: jfm3
Info: I climbed Hallett Peak today and got a look at the north side of Taylor Peak. Looks like continuous snow coverage from Andrews Glacier to the summit. 

Route: From Powell
Posted On: 6/8/2020, By: B_2
Info: A very enjoyable class 1-2 tundra walk from Powell, down Andrews Glacier which was lovely in the afternoon for a glissade and exit. Drainages are highly variable right now in RMNP right now both levels and firmness. Andrews drainage had continuous snow all the way back down to the Loch, luckily minor postholing. Taylor glacier looks like a terror right now. All cornices at top are ready to fall, snow looks pretty rotten on steeper top section. I'll classify it as a NOPE. 

Route: Via Andrews Glacier
Posted On: 6/1/2020, By: jfm3
Info: I climbed Otis Peak via the glacier. Snow starts above the switchbacks on the Loch trail at 10,000 feet. There is a clear path that mostly follows the summer trail around the Loch. No path or visible trail in the trees at the Andrews Glacier turn. My advice is to turn up toward the glacier before you cross the creek. It quickly opens up into the creekbed and large amphitheater below the Sharkstooth. I put on crampons here and it was great snow climbing with crampons and axe up to the tarn. The upper part of the headwall is steep snow. On the way down I missed a foot placement and had to self-arrest. The glacier is all snow right now- I didn't see any ice or crevasses. The safest path is right up the center. The south side is at the bottom of a gully with a huge cornice about 400 feet overhead. I saw a chunk calve off on my descent. A huge amount of debris came down and a few pieces almost landed in the tarn. Snow was getting soft and wet by 10 AM but it felt firm underneath and there was no evidence of avalanche activity. The upper slopes of Taylor are partially dry, partially snow. Not sure how thick/firm the snow is- it may be thin crust covering the mix of tundra and talus up there. Photos 1. Snow below the Sharkstooth 2. Upper glacier from the summit of Otis Peak. The cornice zone is visible left of center. 3. Descending the glacier 4. Glacier from the tarn. 2 skiers are heading up for a second run. 5. Headwall & basin below the tarn. The headwall is the steepest part of the route right now. No getting up/down without axe & crampons. 6. Taylor Peak from the summit of Otis. 

Route: Stone Man Pass
Posted On: 9/16/2019, By: BrandonSlacks
Info: Clear and dry. No snow from last weeks storm. Some water running in parts of the tundra--enough to collect and filter. 

Route: Via Flattop Mountain
Posted On: 7/28/2019, By: shaunblair
Info: Dry. Be prepared - this is not an easy tundra walk as described on the route page, but more like an eight mile rock hop from the summit of Flattop out to Powell and back.