Shav/Tab Winter Route Perspective....

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Mindy
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Shav/Tab Winter Route Perspective....

Post by Mindy »

http://www.summitpost.org/colorado-14er ... ter/337648

"Tabeguache Peak: Probably best climbed from Shavano (see Shavano), though the Southwest Ridge/Jennings Creek Route is said to be reasonable."

Outside of additional mileage to get to TH (if you can get to it at all), do you agree it is best to climb Tab from Shav from Blank Cabin TH in winter conditions, or Tab then Shav from Jennings Creek TH in winter conditions, or are both possible routes about equal in winter conditions (taking into account avi concerns).

Thanks for any input.

Mindy
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EatinHardtack
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Re: Shav/Tab Winter Route Perspective....

Post by EatinHardtack »

I've been up the Jennings creek route twice and the blank cabin route twice. I'll say that Jennings creek in the winter would probably pose some avalanche danger, possibly a good amount depending on snowpack. Summitpost may be talking about gaining the ridge as per the old route but was closed due to environmental concerns, that route would probably be good but you should still avoid it out of respect for the closure. Going through the valley could get pretty dicey. Blank Cabin would be my recommendation.
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Jim Davies
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Re: Shav/Tab Winter Route Perspective....

Post by Jim Davies »

The recommended road to the Blank Gulch trailhead gets a drift across it several miles from the trailhead every year. A report from December 18 here indicates it's already an extra 6 miles r/t. Monarch reported almost five feet of new snow last week.

Starting from the Angel of Shavano campground (along the road to the Jennings Creek TH) is common in winter.
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Kiefer
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Re: Shav/Tab Winter Route Perspective....

Post by Kiefer »

That closed route (Jennings Creek) on Tab is pretty bad. Only been up it once but I won't repeat that route. It was pretty, but also as Hardtack said, some good avy concerns.
I took Blank's Gulch for Shav/Tab a couple winter's ago. That snowdrift that Jim mentioned is kinda weird. It's always there.
It stopped me dead in a lifted Tacoma. But a few extra miles on flat terrain is nothing.

If no one's been up there, getting through the forest can be a bit...challenging. I wondered around for a while before I got aggrevated
enough to pull out my compass.
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Mindy
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Re: Shav/Tab Winter Route Perspective....

Post by Mindy »

Thanks guys... very helpful and appreciated.

Cheers.

Mindy
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Kevin Baker
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Re: Shav/Tab Winter Route Perspective....

Post by Kevin Baker »

I would say the standard route is better than Jennings Creek for sure as others have stated. Tab's west ridge is pretty tedious with snow. It's a big day to get both no matter how you slice it. The big drift on the road to the Blank Cabin TH is about 3 miles from the summer TH. We were able to get there both times I've done Shavano in winter. You'll have a better chance of the trail at least being tracked for a ways compared to the route from the Angel of Shavano TH. It's best to hit the east ridge of Shavano in the trees if there are avy concerns.
Always do what you are afraid to do. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Mindy
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Re: Shav/Tab Winter Route Perspective....

Post by Mindy »

Thanks Kevin.

I value all opinions on this, and am appreciative for the input given the combined experience here.
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