Grizzly Mountain

Route: Grizzly's east ridge from "Lo Carb"
Posted On: 9/8/2024, By: RyanB06
Info: Grizzly is in full summer conditions if you haven't guessed by any of the reports recently, and so are the surrounding peaks, if you haven't guessed by trip reports. the rock is solid, a bit loose in places so just watch your step. The class 3 down climbing off off of "Lo Carb" is good and pretty solid. there are a few tiny patches of snow visible on some parts of the mountain but are tiny and aren't in the way of any routes. 

Route: Traverse from Lo Carb
Posted On: 6/29/2024, By: QuietBear
Info: The entire Baldwin Cirque is in summer conditions. Rock quality begins loose on both east and north ridges of Grizzly. It's looser on the east ridge between Grizzly and Lo Carb. Quality improves as you get closer to the summit. Several snowfields block the typical route along Grizzly's ridges in a few critical places. In several I had to take more difficult and sometimes more exposed routes to avoid falling in very deep and soft snow. With snowshoes and an ice axe, it would be no problem, except then you'd have to bring and put on snowshoes and an axe. In current conditions the east ridge is Difficult Class 4 - Perhaps 5.2. The north ridge is Class 4. There is an abundance of muddy, slick, and sinking ground at lower elevations, especially near the lakes and willows. The creek is running very strong and Baldwin Creek 4x4 Road (Forest Service Road 277) has a good amount of water running over it in places. Mostly 1-2 inches, but perhaps 8-10 in one spot. Mosquitoes are in full bloom in the forested areas. Getting out of my car for a second resulted in 10-15 intruders. 

Route: Grizzly - Lo Carb - Cyclone - Carbonate
Posted On: 10/12/2023, By: sarahmariekirk
Info: Great day climbing 4 13ers - climbed Grizzly, Lo Carb, Cyclone and Carbonate (in that order). The ridge from Grizzly to Lo Carb was spicier than expected, with some knife edge action and a fun class 3 chimney climb up to the saddle (class 4 option is available if you have a helmet - I did not bring one and regretted it). This route also has an abundance of loose rock, so easier to mitigate when not with multiple people. After Lo Carb, it is an easy class 2 rock hop over to Cyclone and Carbonate. 

Route: Bicentennial grand slam
Posted On: 7/7/2023, By: blazintoes
Info: From Carbonate stay left/south provided the best option for climbing on the loose rocks. Beautiful peak. 

Route: Baldwin creek
Posted On: 8/6/2022, By: gcook33
Info: Easy route. 13.25mi, 4200' from lower TH. 

Route: From Cyclone Creek
Posted On: 7/26/2022, By: yaktoleft13
Info: Did the Carbonate --> Cyclone --> Lo Carb --> Grizzly loop today with my dog Fawkes. He had no problem on the class 3 downclimb from Lo Carb to the Grizzly saddle (DISCLAIMER: Fawkes is not your average dog! I left my Golden at home for a reason). Went straight up the Carbonate ridge from my parking spot. The bushwhack was at times sucky, but once above 11.7k the ridge was easy and largely solid grass/talus. The descent off of Grizzly is long and tedious, and until about a mile from the car, there isn't really a trail, just less willowy and boggy sections than others. 

Route: Baldwin Gulch
Posted On: 7/4/2022, By: ScottLovesRMNP
Info: After hearing about the tenuous and dangerous nature of the descent off "Lo Carb" to reach Grizzly, I decided in light of the weather forecast to do the straightforward route up Baldwin Gulch, although I did walk from the bottom of the road since my car can't do FS277 at all. It's beautiful up at Baldwin Lake right now with all the flowers. All snow is avoidable and this seems like one of the easier summits I've done. It would be even easier if you can drive any portion of FS277. Summit is in need of a new register. The one there now does not have a top! 

Route: Carbonate/Cyclone/Lo Carb/Grizzly from Cyclone Cre
Posted On: 6/30/2022, By: JasonKline
Info: Did the Carbonate/Cyclone/Lo Carb/Grizzly loop from Cyclone Creek. The entire route was free of snow and ice. I'd like to reiterate, as others have stated, how dangerous and loose the descent is from Lo Carb to the saddle with Grizzly. It's more like something from one of the nastier Elks than the Sawatch. My foot barely grazed a refrigerator-sized rock, causing that rock and others to go sailing for several hundred feet. The rest of the route is nice and solid. 

Route: From Lo Carb
Posted On: 6/24/2021, By: SionaRW35
Info: Summer conditions, albeit an abundance of loose rock to deal with on this ridge. Summit register is missing a cap and currently only contains a very dead mouse. 

Route: Cyclone Creek
Posted On: 5/30/2021, By: angry
Info: Carbonate>Cyclone>Lo Carb>Grizzly Unavoidable snow on ridge from Lo Carb. Class 3 section consists of unstable rock requiring extra caution to check hand and footholds. Descent route has standing water and mud. There are several small streams and snow melt making it a bit of a mess. Apparently some people take issue with mud so others might want to wait until later in the summer as I don't see it drying out anytime soon. Once you make it past the deadfall, the trail is dry back to th. 

Route: S ridge, from Billings Lake/CR 240
Posted On: 6/28/2020, By: d_baker
Info: I've been up Baldwin Gulch too many times, and Cyclone Creek twice, so going up Grizzly Mtn from this approach was a nice change. Thanks to Garratt & Martin's guidebook for the prod in this direction. The G&M guidebook seemed a little off on road details, but nonetheless the beauty of their route descriptions is that they point one in the direction, and then it's up to the individual to do the rest. The drive from Hwy 50 to where I parked took me an hour to get out this morning. It's a rough road a little ways after it goes to dirt. I was about 10.5 miles in. The Class 2 route was a straight forward hike, dry, & scenic. ~5mi's RT w/~2500' gain from where I parked on CR 240 a little below Billings Lake. Ascended grassy slope to the ridge, topping out a little W of Pt 12,831 (G&M suggest going to flat area to E of 12,831). Descend N ridge of 12,831 to saddle with Grizzly. This ridge looks worse than it is when approaching from 12,831. Ridge proper likely goes but I stayed a little below on the E side (Cyclone Cr side). Get to saddle, ascend S ridge to Grizzly Mtn's summit. Went back the way I came. 

Route: Traverse from Cyclone
Posted On: 5/23/2020, By: WildWanderer
Info: Traverse was clear of snow in all the areas that matter. The hike through the basin back to the trailhead was a long slog: unavoidable snow at treeline and the basin was mushy marsh. It was impossible to cross without getting my shoes completely drenched (I even lost one in the muck at one point). I would compare the loose rock on the traverse as being similar to the rock on the Hagerman/Snowmass traverse: very, very loose, large, and ready to fall. Keep your group size small and trust your partners for this one. I didn't use traction on the descent from the ridge but was down into the basin before 10:30am. 

Route: From Baldwin lake
Posted On: 7/4/2019, By: cottonmountaineering
Info: No snow until around lake, used crampons for a short section of the ridge up. Baldwin lake is still frozen