4/17/2022 Route: South slopes Posted On: 4/19/2022, By: dcruz654 Info: Windy but warm day up there sunday. Started up at 630am, snow had frozen over pretty well overnight. Booted up to about 11.2 before finding enough punchy snow to start skinning. Had just barely enough coverage to ski a strip of snow from the summit cairn to about 11600' or so. A lot Billy goating involved from about 13.6 to 13.2 but the skis / snowboards stayed on. Probably not worth taking skis out there this season anymore, it's melting quick. 2wd road was completely dry. Don't bother trying to drive past the 2wd junction I got my lifted 4runner stuck on the 4wd section in sloppy snow and mud about a 1/4 mile or so in where the road starts to lose elevation. Luckily I have a winch and was able to pull myself out with too much hassle on the way out. |
|
11/1/2021 Route: South Slopes Posted On: 11/2/2021, By: zootloopz Info: Such a pleasant route. Followed the boot pack of jeffdmar and a few deer/elk after the second creek crossing. Snow was basically entirely avoidable above treeline until 13,700' or so. Never used traction. The upper part of the standard route to San Luis is also looking pretty good! |
|
10/28/2021 Route: South Slopes Posted On: 10/29/2021, By: jeffdmar Info: Conditions are good here for late season. Snow begins at second creek-crossing but never got too deep. Sunk in maybe 4-6" at the deepest (around tree-line) for a relatively short section, but mostly it wasn't a problem. The trail can be a bit difficult to find through the trees but it charts a fairly obvious course and you can generally feel it when you've strayed. Above tree-line it's all grassy tufts with a few inches of snow on and between them, which actually made for great walking (plodding really). Once on the ridge where it was more rocky, I found walking on the rocks was easier than the snow between them, but by then you're basically at the summit. Pretty cold and windy, but a nice clear sunny day. Saw a moose too! Left my snowshoes in the car and ice-axe in the car; never needed them. Brought traction but opted not to use. Ski poles were helpful. |
|
10/9/2021 Route: Via Unnamed 13,402 and Lake Fork Cochetopa Creek Posted On: 10/11/2021, By: Anima Info: It rained Friday night below 12k and snowed above. I left the South Eddiesville TH and walked South along the CDT for a mile before turning off onto the Machin Basin trail. There is no trial across the creek, but a very good trail begins in the trees directly across the basin from the sign. I followed it for a couple of miles before I turned right and headed west up Lake Fork Cochetopa Creek. There was a trail the entire way and it has been cleared of deadfall. Above treeline, I went straight up the northeastern slopes of Unnamed 13,402. I then headed down Unnamed 13,402's west ridge where I followed it for about two miles to the summit of Phoenix Peak. I descended Canon Diablo. Snow began around 12,500' on north-facing slopes and a little higher on south-facing slopes. The snow was about 4 inches deep above 13,000'. Canon Diablo is not bad at all. There isn't much of a trail but very little deadfall if you pick your line. At some point, long ago, there was a good trail up it because I saw some very old cut logs that had obviously been cleared, but it doesn't seem to get much use anymore. The whole route clocked in at 19 miles. Really starting to feel like winter up high. |
|
9/25/2021 Route: South Slopes Posted On: 9/25/2021, By: yaktoleft13 Info: Full summer conditions, not a drop of snow seen anywhere on the route or on any peak visible from the summit. From base of 502.1A road, both gpses had distance between 12.3 and 12.4 miles |
|
9/18/2021 Route: South Slopes Posted On: 9/18/2021, By: CheapCigarMan Info: 4WD road is worse than Lake Como road before Jaws. Initial creek isn't straightforward. It's boggy and needs to be crossed in several spots. Lots of very cool beaver dams. Thin layer of ice in the morning. Pretty impressive 6' cairn on the summit. Was surprised to see such an elaborate cairn but no windbreak structure. Still some smoke and haze. Leaves are changing. Very peaceful and gentle mountain. |
|
8/29/2021 Route: Trail 787 Posted On: 8/30/2021, By: Grover Info: Beta for future hikers: The TH: Go up West Willow Creek Rd. (503). Turn R through the Midwest Mine site (there is a placard here) onto 502. Drive to the signed marker for 502-1A (it's on the left at a hairpin). If you do not have a better than average 4x4, w/ clearance and M/T tires, I would reco you park here. I drove the rough, boulder strewn 1.5 miles on 502-1A to the signed 787 trail marker. The Trail: Surprisingly defined and not hard to follow. Plenty of little cairns along the route. Next to the 2nd beaver pond you should go left to get up/above the downed white colored logs. Out of the trees the trail goes up grassy and talus slopes to the ridge bump, then you'll see the 6'+ tall summit cairn to your left. Summit, rejoice. |
|
7/23/2021 Route: South Slopes Posted On: 7/23/2021, By: brauda02 Info: Climbed the South Slopes route this morning. The correct 2WD road to the trailhead is not known to Google Maps, but it is clearly marked on CalTopo. I parked at the sign for the mine site. You could car camp here but it's not great and it was busy when I returned around noon. Roach says to park at the end of the switchback and a half mile past the sign, but the road is steep and loose -- not worth it -- and there's not really a good spot to park. I drove in last night and hiked in to look for a camp. The only halfway decent spot I saw the entire hike was just after the stream crossing in a stand of aspens. There is an ancient fire ring here. The trail is relatively easy to follow and well cairned all the way to the summit. Only a couple of blowdowns. Some of the most impressive beaver work I've ever seen along this trail. The La Garitas are remote and wild! |
|
5/2/2021 Route: via Phoenix Park Posted On: 5/2/2021, By: durkan Info: TL;DR: snowshoes, gaiters, ice axe, and microspikes all utilized. Class 1 is a lie. Attempted to ascend via FS502.1A and La Garita-747 trail. Failed and decided to bushwhack and routefind another way. Bailed 747 around (37.915,-106.895) and stayed north of all creeks (to avoid snow on the north aspects south of said creeks) until (37.916,-106.888). From here, did an ascending traverse to the saddle at (37.921,-106.880) where we then donned snowshoes. Postholing occurred occasionally in the mornings; however in the afternoon, postholing was much more common and ranged from knee to hip deep. Followed this same lower ridge to the base of the gully at (37.922,-106.867) and, depending upon the party member, ascended using snowshoes or microspikes. Nothing was needed once on the upper summit ridge. Glissaded where we could with ice axe. |
|
2/28/2021 Route: From Creede Posted On: 2/28/2021, By: climbingcue Info: The trench is in, we did a boat load of work putting it in. Please go use it. The snow was terrible, I was sinking to my knees with 36 inch powder snowshoes. 19.2 mile day |
|
1/17/2021 Route: West ridge Posted On: 1/18/2021, By: blazintoes Info: Via East Willow Creek to the waterfall now WI3. Phoenix west ridge is very steep with unconsolidated snow and wicked winds that whipped me knocking me down many times. Snowshoes up, micro spikes down the south ridge to avoid the wind. La Garita trail back to Phoenix Park took much longer than anticipated d/t terrible thigh deep sugary snow. 18.8 miles r/t and 6700 vert. Pretty hard solo effort IMO and I'm no MadDadMike. It took me 14 hours to complete. |
|
12/6/2020 Route: 502-1a/787 trail Posted On: 12/6/2020, By: VeraUndertow Info: Was able to my 4x4 Tacoma right to the split of 502-1A off of 502, the road has some serious icy patches and a high center with two tracks. I think a high clearance subie or cuv could make it up no problem right now tho. There is a very nice trench up to 11.5k thanks to CaptCo/Carl yesterday. I used my snowshoes and would recommend floatation. Above 11.5k was a mix of solid supportive snow, punch crust, sugar snow (knee high in a few places) and exposed talus. No need for an ice axe but microspikes might be nice, although I didn't use mine. Followed the ridge over to unranked La Garita Peak after summiting Phoenix and the conditions were the same as noted above. Don't think Phoenix will get any easier till the spring. Thanks again CaptCo & Carl for trenching |
|
12/5/2020 Route: Southwest Ridge from Phoenix Park Posted On: 12/5/2020, By: Carl_Healy Info: Parked at least a mile below "2WD Trailhead" for Phoenix Park, right at turn off for "Outlet Mine," thanks to ice. Though 4WD vehicles could have likely made it further. The 4WD road seems to hardly be a 4WD road... Need some serious equipment to get up there (and a couple of downed trees were in the way.) My partner and I trenched with snowshoes from basically the start of the 4WD road, though they perhaps weren't seriously needed until we cut South across the creek at Phoenix Park. From that point on snow ranged from knee deep to waist deep until just above treeline. Unfortunately this route appears to have a significant portion of it follow North-ish facing slopes on the side of a gully, which had all the deep and soft snow which was pretty tough to trench through. The other side is the gully (south-ish facing) was almost dry, and had me and my partner really wondering if there was a route there that would have worked better. Above treeline the snow was soft in places and hard and easily climbable in others. Approaching the final ridge to the summit almost all the snow was very hard and very easily climbable. There were also patches of dry talus above treeline here there. |
|
10/17/2020 Route: West Ridge from Phoenix Park Posted On: 10/18/2020, By: supranihilest Info: The road to Phoenix Park's upper trailhead is extremely rough. 4WD and high clearance both absolutely required. From the upper trailhead we went straight up "Phoenix"'s west ridge, which starts almost immediately from the parking lot. At first it's steep aspen, then gives way to blocky, solid rock in the trees, and eventually, above treeline, just talus. Several thousand feet worth. This was a very simple and efficient hike given its direct nature but it was about a 0/10 on the fun scale. |
|
7/18/2020 Route: South Slopes Posted On: 7/18/2020, By: angry Info: From 502-1A, trail is in good shape. It doesn't take much route finding to navigate any downed trees or creek crossings. |
