Mt. Flora

Route: Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 5/14/2022, By: Laxer04
Info: Climbed via Berthoud Pass. There is still a good amount of snow below tree line but we didn't need snowshoes or traction. The north face of Colorado Mines peak is mostly snow covered - if going around Colorado Mines Peak I would bring traction and an axe. A fall there would not be fun. The rest of the snow past Colorado Mines Peak is avoidable. Near summer conditions. Enjoy! 

Route: Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 4/16/2022, By: csf-lhiver
Info: Started around 5:30 AM. Snow shoes recommend to Colorado Mines Peak. The rest of the way to Flora you don't need them. Snow is on the trail but not snowshoe worthy. Traversed to Mount Eva and Parry Peak (conditions posted for those as well) 

Route: Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 1/22/2022, By: NittanyLion14er
Info: From Berthoud Pass lot. Could wear snowshoes to about tree line but after not needed. Used spikes for whole trip. Trail discernable about 70% of time once on ridge, buried other 30%, some snow drifts to knee deep. Made to Flora and turned around due to wind and cold. 

Route: Berthoud pass
Posted On: 1/15/2022, By: jbealer
Info: Leave the snowshoes at home. About 500ft of boot packing till you hit dirt. We did wear spikes, but up to you if you want to or not. Super windy and cold but great trail all the way, had enough of the weather and turned around after flora, eve was super easy to get to if you wanted. Whole ridge is just patches of snow. 

Route: Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 12/3/2021, By: cliffjar
Info: Berthoud pass is extremely accessible. The service road up to the trail split is walkable with just hiking boots. After the colorado mines trail split, the trail is just a boot track. Easy to follow for most of the way. I used microspikes after trail split for maybe 1.5 miles. Snow is deep if it's there. The last miles or so of trail was basically dry. 

Route: From Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 11/21/2021, By: bangerth
Info: There is continuous snow all the way up to the upper turn off the road to the station atop Colorado Mines Peak, but it is packed and occasionally loose, but never slippery -- neither flotation nor traction needed. From there along the ridge, over Flora, all the way to Eva there is a thin layer of snow on the trail/landscape but never deep enough to warrant snow shoes, nor icy enough to warrant microspikes. That is because the trail is always on the western side of the ridge, so it is wind blasted. There are quite substantial cornices forming on the eastern/downwind side of the ridge though, and one is probably wise to stay off larger areas of snow along the ridge. On the way back, we took the shortcut across the steep slope on the northern and western slopes of Colorado Mines Peak, starting at the saddle between CMP and Mt Flora. Along the northern side, the trail slopes and is hard packed, making it a bit slippery at times. Getting out the microspikes might have helped, but we were tired and made do without. On the western side, around treeline, the snow suddenly gets very deep and a lot of postholing ensued; the trail is also lost quickly as the wind apparently deposits large amounts of snow over it right after someone else makes a trail. So we made our way over to the (lower) intersection with the zig-zagging road, but then ended up just plunge-stepping all the way back down to the parking lot. There is at present probably little avalanche danger on that shortcut trail from material sliding higher up, given that the northern and western slopes of CMP are pretty windblown. But there is a lot of material accumulating at around the elevation of the trail itself, and it will not take much longer before that slope will have enough deep snow and will become unsafe to traverse, given its slope. There are already 2-3 feet of snow just above the parking lot. Conditions up high in general were as usual in the winter: unrelenting wind, blowing snow that exfoliates every bit of unprotected skin, and wind chill below 0F. Come prepared. 

Route: From Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 6/6/2021, By: joannalee07
Info: Hiked on 6/5, started at 6am. The temperature was already 45 degrees at this time so post holing wasn't avoided by starting early. There is lingering snow for the first 1.5 miles. On the mining road it's packed and stable, once you get off the mining road onto Mt. Flora trail the snow is very deep and we were post holing every couple of steps, sometimes as deep as our waist. Once you get around the curve the snow fades away. The remainder of the hike to the summit is clear of snow. We got lucky with beautiful weather and no wind, it took us 4 hours. 

Route: Southwest Ridge from Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 5/27/2021, By: mijoflynn
Info: Took the road up to CO Mines Peak -- there was consistent packed snow below treeline, but the only snow above treeline was on the road itself. The ridge from CO Mines to Flora is about 90% clear, and the snow at the top of Flora doesn't require any special effort. Took the bypass down. It's still got lots of snow all the way from the Mines/Flora saddle to the trailhead, but it was surprisingly crunchy when I descended at 11:00 -- I didn't posthole at all. Microspikes were handy on the descent, but you could get along without them. 

Route: Standard
Posted On: 4/18/2021, By: Brittanyjomad
Info: Hiked this the morning of 4/18 after the 10+ inches of snow fall. Packed path through the switch backs in the trees. We were able to follow ski tracks for a while once we exited Colorado Mines path and onto the trail to Flora, but once we rounded the corner where you can see the false summit we were breaking trail/ Snowshoes were 100% needed today or we would not have been able to get as far as we did. The most difficult spot was the traverse along the ~28 degree slope from miles 1.4- 1.8- these are estimates (mile markers on the way up). Make sure you stay high enough on the slope & check for avvy risks as this is really the only section that has potential risk of you are too low on the mountain. We made it 2.5 miles into the trail (still over half a mile from the summit) when clouds descended making visibility very low & temps dropped making us decide to turn around. Winds were very minimal which is always a pleasant surprise on Flora. 

Route: Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 3/7/2021, By: tcphoto87
Info: Snow was pretty packed and spikes were plenty, never needed to use my snowshoes. Up higher there were some short sections where it was all dry though. I originally wanted to add on Eva and Parry, I went a bit past Flora to where it dips down to a low saddle and decided I wasn't feeling it lol. Massive cornices along the east sides too. I added on CO Mines Peak on the way back, total it was 9.23 miles and 2,546ft gain 

Route: Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 1/24/2021, By: habaceeba
Info: 10am start. The morning started off sunny with light wind. As I rounded Colorado Mines Peak the clouds started moving in from the SW, wind died down and snow started falling as I was working my way down the ridge. Visibility was never an issue, but it did cause me to think that the true summit was further down the ridge than the true summit so I got a little more vert in than necessary. I did not take snowshoes and it wasn't much of an issue. The road up is packed pretty well by snowshoes and skis. I brought microspikes but never pulled them out, but they would have been nice for a few sections on the way down. I recommend leg gaiters. I descended the cutover route under the N slope of CM Peak and it tested my nerve on the slope angle, but it wasn't a problem today. I would avoid that if there was more snow. 

Route: Colorado Mines Pk
Posted On: 1/3/2021, By: Sbenfield
Info: Zig zagged the road up Colorado Mines & then over to Flora. I'd do this instead of the bypass around the side. Didn't need spikes or snowshoes. 

Route: Standard
Posted On: 1/1/2021, By: Ryspriggs92
Info: Trenched. Only spikes needed. 

Route: Colorado Mines Peak
Posted On: 12/29/2020, By: angry
Info: Ascended via Colorado Mines Peak. Good trench to tree line. Small drifts along ridge. Did not use flotation. Never punched through more than a foot and a half. Spikes helped on the slippery bits. Wind wasn't too bad. Route to Eva did not appear safe. 

Route: Berthoud Pass
Posted On: 11/22/2020, By: Paterclimber
Info: Snow-covered from Berthoud Pass around the northwest shoulder of Colorado Mines Peak. Microspikes or poles would be helpful. Postholing occurred in some spots. From the saddle between Mines and Flora all the way to Flora's summit, there is very little snow.