Elkhead Pass to Missouri Mountain

[mcquentin]

Just wondering if this route is possible this time of year? I am thinking of Belford then Oxford then hitting the bivvy at Elkhead Pass to climb Missouri the next day. I am planning on wearing my Lowas and taking crampons, ice axes, a snow shovel and Pieps but not sure if I should bring a harness and rope - for Elkhead to Missouri. If yes, I am thinking I should also bring a picket and anchor, but no screws - thoughts? Does anyone have any idea of the snow conditions up there right now? I am expecting a lot. I'll be with one person - my climbing partner.

[mcquentin]

Looks like snow for Sunday. I'll have to see where the ceiling is. If Missouri is in the clouds we'll just decend from Elkhead... but don't you just love being on a mountain above the clouds in winter?

[turbocat]

So are you looking at a direct assault of Missouri starting from Elkhead or dropping back into the basin and climbing the standard route? I remember that ridge from Elkhead as being pretty intimidating, choppy and vertical. There are definitely a bunch of nice couloirs that run from the upper basin to the summit and I don't remember them looking to bad (looking down) if they are filled in nicely and stable.

[mcquentin]

Thanks turbocat. I am trying to determine the best way to summit Missouri from Belford. My partner and I like Class 4 / scrambling, but what would be the characteristics of this ridge right now? Is it covered in snow or is it bare with some snow / ice? Is it windblown and might there be cornices - and could we walk below the cornices and out of the sheer zones? An alternative is to drop down into the basin on the south side of Missouri and then come up the southwest ridge to the summit. I honestly haven't considered a couloir ascent yet as I am not thinking there will be enough snow. I did see RobertKay's report from a week ago and the bit about 3 ft of snow and it sliding. Since our intent is to stay high for the night, I haven't considered dropping down into Missouri Gulch and ascending via the northwest ridge yet either. There may be some wisdom to keeping our camp in the gulch and travelling light, to return there between Belford and Missouri, but in the winter I like to have enough gear to keep me alive should trouble arise, so I am not keen on making a big descent only to reascend again. I'd like to keep those changes within 1,000'.

[mcquentin]

Yes, a direct assault along the ridge.

[sgladbach]

So are you looking at a direct assault of Missouri starting from Elkhead or dropping back into the basin and climbing the standard route?

You can alos use a route off the south side of the pass and contour to the Iowa side of the summit.

The 14ers.com fall gathering was held in the area 10/10. There was snow, but not enough to require snowshoes. I'm confident that had changed. The wind was ferocious and ended most climbers day after climbing Belford. Four of us added on Oxford.

After the return from Oxford, I dropped to Elkhead Pass. I'd always wanted to try the three in a day, but this was my first opportunity since no one was dependent on me descending with them. I contemplatd the ridge proper, but it looked a little tough for the dog. Class four for sure (which he can generally do), but some of the work looked like it had high reaches.

There is a route where you drop 500' (from 13.200' at the pass, down to 12,700') into upper PineCreek basin on the south. Then you head for the Iowa/ Missouri saddle; you finish up Missouri's south ridge. I settled for a route between the ridge and the low route. I dropped 150' and contoured under the ridge for quite a ways , eventually returning to the ridge a couple bumps east of the summit. The deepest snow of the day was on that ridge.

Of course, one 14ers.com member reported an avalanche on the north colouirs last week.
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=7464&parmpeak=Missouri+Mountain&cpgm=tripmain&ski=Include

Also, there was an mid-season death on the south side of Elkhead several years ago.
http://avalanche.state.co.us/pub/accidents_co.php?accident=20030222

I think a strong class 4 climber (in mixed conditions) can make the ridge proper. On my winter foreys into the basin, the ridge had a good deal of snow, but crampons would just get in the way of the considerable amount of rock climbing. I think I would drop the full 500' into upper Pine Crek (after snow evaluation). Snowshoes are needed.

Let us know how it goes!

Steve

[fletchersteel]

I'd have to agree with the current conditions on the elkhead basin side to be in bad shape right now. We were up there on the 17th and saw countless avy's all over the north face. Including the gully/ramp up the standard summer route. I posted a tr on it. http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=7446&cpgm=tripmain&ski=Include and my blog has a lot more pics in it. I have wondered about the traverse, but from what I remember researching, it has some class 5 stuff in it. There was a thread about this route earlier this year, with a report on someone that had climbed missouri from elkhead pass. I think that he went along the south side of missouri and avoided the class 5 moves, but it was done without snow. I can't find the thread, but let us know what it is like up there.

[mcquentin]

Thank you Steve and fletchersteel. We have decided to not take harnesses and ropes, etc. We will evaluate the ridge from Elkhead to Missouri as we ascend Belford and as we descend to Elkhead Pass. If the ridge looks like we can do it without protection, then we may try it; otherwise we will descend into the south bowl and go up to the Iowa-Missouri saddle and ascend from that direction. So, the plan is to go up Missouri Gulch and camp at the CFI trailhead up Belford tonight (in the dark probably). In the morning we will ascend Belford with all the gear and then ditch it to travel light over to Oxford. On the return we will pick up the gear and descend to Elkhead Pass and make a decision on the route to Missouri. If we will take the ridge, we'll camp at Elkhead Pass and if not, we'll camp at the Iowa-Missouri saddle for Saturday night. The descent will be by the standard route up/down Missouri. Two concerns in addition to the ridge feasibility: 1) can we negotiate the ridge with backpacks (depends how we feel), and 2) snow is forecasted for Sunday. I have never posted a trip report so this time I'll take lots of pics and write something up as it should be interesting for many. Heading out now to pick up my climbing partner in Denver...

[sgladbach]

Good luck and good weather to you.