Uncompahgre skiable?
Forum rules
- This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
- Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
- Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
- Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
-
Carl
- Posts: 1800
- Joined: 5/20/2007
- 14ers: 58 58
- 13ers: 30
- Trip Reports (32)
Uncompahgre skiable?
Anyone seen the south / southeast side of Uncompahgre in the last week? Or have plans to in the next week? I'm hoping to make a ski attempt Feb. 11/12. Slumgullion snotel snow depth looks about average, although I have yet to figure out how close that is to Uncompahgre. Thanks.
-
skiwall
- Posts: 896
- Joined: 10/6/2008
- 14ers: 2
- 13ers: 3
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
If you make it down there, I'd love conditions info and a TR... 
"A good woman knows her place is in the backcountry." - PW '08
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
+1skiwall wrote:If you make it down there, I'd love conditions info and a TR...
"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." -Henry Ford
"Slow and steady wins the race (unless you're racing someone who is fast and steady)."
"Slow and steady wins the race (unless you're racing someone who is fast and steady)."
-
EatinHardtack
- Posts: 1092
- Joined: 7/10/2006
- 14ers: 42 20 3
- 13ers: 79 32 2
- Trip Reports (8)
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
I'd be interested in beta for Uncompahgre as well. Let us know how it is Carl.
"In our youths our hearts were touched with fire" - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
There is enough snow to ski the peak. The snowpack is crappy, with a significant rotten base. This will particularly be evident at lower elevations. Slumgullion's snow stake is reading right at the three-foot mark. I look at it when I backcountry ski up there, and last looked at it friday evening (2/3/12). Have fun. Be safe.
The Dalai Lama when asked what surprised him most about humanity:
“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
-
Carl
- Posts: 1800
- Joined: 5/20/2007
- 14ers: 58 58
- 13ers: 30
- Trip Reports (32)
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
Thanks for the conditions update. Headed down Tuesday for 5 days of skiing in the San Juans so we'll keep this beta in mind throughout the trip. Looks like there was a slide yesterday on a run I like on Red Mtn. Pass. Hopefully things improve a little after this storm moves through tomorrow.
-
Carl
- Posts: 1800
- Joined: 5/20/2007
- 14ers: 58 58
- 13ers: 30
- Trip Reports (32)
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
Anyone recall if Nellie Creek is typically accessible for water near (or within 1/2 mile above) the summer TH this time of year?
-
Shawnee Bob
- Posts: 527
- Joined: 6/23/2008
- 14ers: 22
- 13ers: 6
- Trip Reports (6)
- Contact:
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
Yeah, there are a lot of creeks there that have long been polluted by mine tailings.
Because life's too short to be an indoor cat.
http://proactiveoutside.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://proactiveoutside.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
-
Carl
- Posts: 1800
- Joined: 5/20/2007
- 14ers: 58 58
- 13ers: 30
- Trip Reports (32)
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
Good point about the water being a little heavy on the minerals. I've already got Bean putting in a trail for me earlier in the day so maybe he'll drag up a few extra liters of water too. Melting snow sucks.
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
Hey Carl....Dec of 2010 when Gladbach and the rest of us did the "winter camping" trip, we were able to get running water below the summertime TH, and that's also where we camped.Carl wrote:Anyone recall if Nellie Creek is typically accessible for water near (or within 1/2 mile above) the summer TH this time of year?
I don't recall it tasting bad or having any discoloration.
-
Carl
- Posts: 1800
- Joined: 5/20/2007
- 14ers: 58 58
- 13ers: 30
- Trip Reports (32)
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
For those who asked for a conditions update...
We headed in yesterday for a single day attempt with a group of 9. Nellie Creek Road is snow covered the entire way and it took us 2:15 to reach the 4wd TH. Bean broke trail most of the way, as expected. A shot showing the plentiful snow coverage above treeline:
CAIC avalanche rating was considerable on most of the aspects we were on yesterday and we experienced numerous collapses in the snowpack and saw a few slides from the last couple days. We turned around at approx 13,400ft since crossing/climbing a 30ish degree wind loaded slope with high consequences was mandatory. The arrow shows area of concern where we ended our ascent:
As we skied down we saw this recent slide, which was also on an east aspect. We don't think it was there a few hours earlier:
If you head in there soon be careful with the snowpack. We'll be making another attempt but I'm not sure if it will be in a few weeks or a couple months.
We headed in yesterday for a single day attempt with a group of 9. Nellie Creek Road is snow covered the entire way and it took us 2:15 to reach the 4wd TH. Bean broke trail most of the way, as expected. A shot showing the plentiful snow coverage above treeline:
CAIC avalanche rating was considerable on most of the aspects we were on yesterday and we experienced numerous collapses in the snowpack and saw a few slides from the last couple days. We turned around at approx 13,400ft since crossing/climbing a 30ish degree wind loaded slope with high consequences was mandatory. The arrow shows area of concern where we ended our ascent:
As we skied down we saw this recent slide, which was also on an east aspect. We don't think it was there a few hours earlier:
If you head in there soon be careful with the snowpack. We'll be making another attempt but I'm not sure if it will be in a few weeks or a couple months.
Re: Uncompahgre skiable?
Thanks for the update Carl. Sounds like you made some wise decisions.
"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." -Henry Ford
"Slow and steady wins the race (unless you're racing someone who is fast and steady)."
"Slow and steady wins the race (unless you're racing someone who is fast and steady)."
