Pikes Peak Conditions?

[JeffR]

Anyone summit Pikes by Barr Trail this past weekend or know conditions above Barr Camp on that part of the mountain?

You can email Neil and Teresa at Barr Camp.

Welcome to the forum.

[tmassie]

Thanks!

[hollamby]

Climbed to above the tree line today. Snow is starting to melt. Much better conditions today. Trail is still confusing though, many different tracks.

Ryan

[tatesrus]

We climbed it yesterday - barely. There is packed snow & ice from below Barr Camp and up. Making it to treeline is no problem as long as you have some traction augmentation (micro-spikes, StabilIcers, YakTrax). Within a hundred yards above treeline however, the trail is almost completely obscured by drifted snow. It gets worse as you go up. I estimate that at least 75% of the trail is either completely obscured or so piled in with snow so as to be useless. When we did manage to find the trail again, it would disappear within tens of feet. The last 2/3 of the grand-traverse and the switchbacks up the Cirque were the only peices of trail we were actually able to use. the rest, we ended up going vertical, off-trail and scrambling through the rocks. It was physically brutal. Three of our six made it, the others gave up. All of us that made it are very fit and we all agreed that the climb above treeline was absolutely the most difficult thing we'd ever done. I’ve climbed the Peak at least ten times and none of the other (even winter) climbs were anything near as difficult as this one. The 16 Golden Stairs don’t even really exist right now - they’re just full of drifted snow. We ended up summiting about 100 yard to the south of the visitor's center - that's several hundred yards south of the normal trail. I am always up to a challenge and sometimes scoff when I'm warned off difficult endeavors, but I would definitely not recommend anyone to attempt the summit right now - probably for the rest of the year. It was that difficult.

[hollamby]

Hey, has anyone been up the backside of the peak lately? I am heading up tomorrow and just wondering how much snow.

Thanks!
Ryan

[Kevin Baker]

According to the NOAA site, the most snow you'll see on Pikes right now is 20-30", which is a bit above normal for this time of the year I think.

http://www.nohrsc.nws.gov/interactive/h ... &js=1&uc=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Dancesatmoonrise]

Hey, has anyone been up the backside of the peak lately? I am heading up tomorrow and just wondering how much snow.

Thanks!
Ryan

Might see ya up there...though I may be leaving late morning. What time are you going?

[hollamby]

I am leaving the springs around 8ish. I have a bright orange jacket and a black pack. I'll be snowshoeing hopefully. Which way you heading? to the peak or the crags?

Ryan

[Dancesatmoonrise]

Peak -- Devil's Playgroud -- will be at TH late morning. No big push to summit, just out for some exercise and sun. (Sun? What's that? : I

I might try to leave a little earlier and catch you. I'll be on snowshoes or microspikes, depending on conditions.

Replied to PM. Hope to see you tomorrow.

Jim

[ryguy79]

I was thinking about heading up to devil's playground from crags tomorrow. how was it up there?

[Dancesatmoonrise]

I was thinking about heading up to devil's playground from crags tomorrow. how was it up there?

Windy. Not much snow up high, what was there was firm. Below treeline was a mix of just about every type of snow from firm suncrust to thigh-deep sugar.

Devil's Playground 12-11-09.jpg (216.77 KiB) Viewed 1290 times

[hollamby]

Just updating the Pikes Peak conditions from the backside.

Snow in the woods was rather deep, but if you stayed on the trail it wasn't a problem. Above tree line the snow was hard packed not to bad to travel on. The top section with the rocks was hard on me. There was snow on the rocks and it was a pain to climb up over. I would definately recommend a pair of microspikes for this climb right now. Snowshoes aren't need but would be helpful in spots.

Ryan