14ers.com

Does anyone know if there's any snow on the east side of Knee-knocker Pass on the way to Mt. Powell? Is it possible to keep the difficulty level to Class 2 if there is snow up there? Thanks a lot for your help.

It has been a very long time since I've been up there, but if I remember correctly there is usually a permanent snowfield between kneeknocker and the upper ridge. I bet it is a lot smaller this year since it's been so dry. I remember having to traverse the snow to get up and this was an August climb. It wasn't difficult.

Last year in September, we had to do some definite class 3 climbing to get around the snow on the east side of Kneeknocker. We traversed a ledge and down climbed a crack. Hopefully someone who has been up there this summer can tell you what the snow is like this year.

Tempelton wrote:Last year in September, we had to do some definite class 3 climbing to get around the snow on the east side of Kneeknocker. We traversed a ledge and down climbed a crack. Hopefully someone who has been up there this summer can tell you what the snow is like this year.

We also did Powell last September. Here are a few pics just past Kneeknocker on the ascent. We had to do a little Class 3 (and maybe a 4th class move or two) not too far above the hikers in the first pic.

I'm resurrecting this thread because I'd like to climb Mt. Powell (the Mt. Powell in the Gores) in the next week or 2. Does anyone know how big the snowfields are, currently, on the east side of Knee-knocker Pass and if they're easily traversed or avoided? Thanks for the info. from the previous posters. I'm wondering if the snowfields are smaller this year even though this is August and the pictures that were posted are from a previous Sept. Thanks for your help.

I haven't been to Powell this year but have climbed a lot of other peaks this year and generally my impression is that snowpack in July this year was already well below September of last year.

Was up there a couple weeks ago and the snowfield on the east side was tiny (very easily avoidable). Looks like Powell could be done without touching snow and without scrambling around the snowfield. My computer is trying to destroy itself, so if I get a chance before it succeeds, I'll post a photo.