Snowmass in Spring

[mtn14]

Hey all, Hoping to tag Snowmass (standard route) before the snow melts out and I'm stuck in scree hell. Seeing 2025 snow pack is around 90%, thinking May might be primetime, but also unsure about stream crossings - would love perspective from others with Snowmass experience - thanks!

[JROSKA]

I’m sure you’ll get accounts contrary to mine but I’ve gone at Snowmass twice in early June and I have to give it a big “thumbs down”. Both times, the scenery was beautiful but both trips ended at the log jam. It wasn’t just me either. In both instances I was with at least one other experienced hiking partner who wasn’t any more comfortable with that crossing than I was. That thing can be problematic in your time frame when Snowmass Creek is running high and the water in that area is deep. Not to say it’s impossible, but just be mindful that if you do go for it in May, there’s a chance that you’ll reach it and not like what you see. Watch conditions reports and make sure everyone is getting across.

Apparently there’s some alternate location to cross in that vicinity when the log jam is problematic. If anyone tries to sell you on that I’d encourage you to try to find out exactly where that is. For me, in both cases, neither me or the person I was with could locate anything that even seemed worth trying.

[Ptglhs]

I’m sure you’ll get accounts contrary to mine but I’ve gone at Snowmass twice in early June and I have to give it a big “thumbs down”. Both times, the scenery was beautiful but both trips ended at the log jam. It wasn’t just me either. In both instances I was with at least one other experienced hiking partner who wasn’t any more comfortable with that crossing than I was. That thing can be problematic in your time frame when Snowmass Creek is running high and the water in that area is deep. Not to say it’s impossible, but just be mindful that if you do go for it in May, there’s a chance that you’ll reach it and not like what you see. Watch conditions reports and make sure everyone is getting across.

Apparently there’s some alternate location to cross in that vicinity when the log jam is problematic. If anyone tries to sell you on that I’d encourage you to try to find out exactly where that is. For me, in both cases, neither me or the person I was with could locate anything that even seemed worth trying.

Slightly downstream from the log jam with water shoes. Or go early enough that it's still consolidated snow over the crossing

[dwoodward13]

Also gone twice first week of June and had zero issues with the log jam. Just take a moment to plot your route and take it one at a time. Most of them are pretty solid in my experiences. I was there 2018 (low snow) and 2023 (high year). The best time to hit it is when is mostly dry to the lake but snowy above IMO. 2018 first weekend of June was right on the money, 2023 it was about a week or two too early and there was a fair amount of snow once heading up the switchbacks past the log jam.

In any case you will likely be camping on snow at the lake. The dense canopy holds snow at the camping area. The stream will be flowing nicely for water. Do note you now need permits for this if you don't have them already...I'd expect there will be some availability as the passes will be sufficiently snowed in, but weekends might be filling up for Snowmass climbers in June.

[masonzastrow]

Last year, I went with sean23 on Memorial Day and the snow wasn't fully set up yet. We could feel it and hear it collapsing below the surface maybe 200 feet above Snowmass Lake. We had no trouble at all with the log jam and both agreed that it was fun. Keeping snowshoes on at that point gave us great balance, able to stand on a number of logs at once. I don't remember any stream crossings aside from that as being eventful. Up at the lake there was still a good amount of snow, one spot for a tent was dug out but we were still camping on top of snow. It was so beautiful at that time of year, if you can get a solid freeze overnight or if things melt out earlier, I'd say go for it.

[Pcypher]

I went last year twice. First on 6/8 and we turned around at the ridge due to weather and unusual avy conditions that weekend but the jam was totally passable. However my partner did get feet wet and slipped off a frosty log. We successfully summited on 7/7 last year. Jam was fine then too…just go slow and plan your steps. The jam was much easier in July but the rocks were definitely poking through much more and the climb overall was a little more challenging for that reason coming down. It was a long trek both times but might just be my favorite camping peak. It really is amazing. In June though we stayed too high due to snow coverage leaving the camp which made for sketchy times in snowshoes on the slope heading around the lake so that was less fun! Good luck!

[ekalina]

Went last year around 5/17 and camped at Snowmass Lake. We knew the timing was poor because a wet avy cycle was peaking right around that time, but wished for good conditions. The night of the climb was warm, probably above freezing. We made it about 0.25 mi from camp before calling it. There was an odd 3-4 inch thick layer of friable snow on top that kept cracking under us on low-angle terrain. Seemed like a great interface for wet avys to run on once the sun came up.

Snow started about 3-4 mi from the TH. The log jam was a non-event, with plenty of snow that locked up the logs and made them easy to walk across. We may have crossed a stone's throw below the standard summer crossing, near the upper terminus of some aspens. The most physically difficult part of the approach was between the log jam and the bench that holds Snowmass Lake. To get on top of the bench, the trail switchbacks up a steep slope in the trees. I still have nightmares about wallowing in the deep snow drifts that those trees concealed in the late afternoon warmth. I think it took us an hour to go one mile. When we got to the lake in the evening, we saw that the direct route was clearly in, which would have saved a lot of tedious scrambling on the ridge. If we had timed it better, we probably would have been in business.

My thinking is that you can probably make the approach easier by waiting at least a couple of more weeks. But don't go during record warmth like we did.

[SchralpTheGnar]

When all else fails you can wade the river and get your feet wet then dry

IMG_1909.jpeg (87.9 KiB) Viewed 664 times

[madmattd]

I've gone twice in Spring - July 8/9 2023 (high snow year), June 22/23 2024 (roughly average snow year). Both trips were timed for a generally dry approach to the lake, but snowed-in snowmass itself. 2023 had the campsites all dried out, the path around the willows was mostly snow-free, the gully was melted out. We ended up turning around at ~11,700', just below the snowmass, due to a variety of non-snow-related issues, but reports said the snowmass was in good shape, though getting thin in a few spots down low. Last year some of the campsites were still under water during our trip, but there were plenty of dry ones too. The path around the lake was obnoxious as it was 50-50 mud and side-hilling on solid/icy snow fields (spikes helped sort of). The gully was mostly melted out, but the snowmass conditions were terrific - continuous snow all the way to the ridge, great crampon/axe ascent (good overnight radiative freeze). We took the direct route to the ridge, which probably only had a week or two more of being viable as it was starting to melt away from the ridge at the top. Things were getting a tad soft on the way down at the bottom of the snowmass, but a slightly earlier start would have dealt with that.

I haven't done a deep dive on conditions this year vs last, but I'd bet a weekish earlier than we went last year would be similar for this year - depending on what happens for spring storms of course. I was watching condition reports closely before each of our trips - in both cases, 2 weeks before had most folks camping on snow.

[two lunches]

Last year some of the campsites were still under water during our trip, but there were plenty of dry ones too. The path around the lake was obnoxious as it was 50-50 mud and side-hilling on solid/icy snow fields (spikes helped sort of). The gully was mostly melted out, but the snowmass conditions were terrific - continuous snow all the way to the ridge, great crampon/axe ascent (good overnight radiative freeze). We took the direct route to the ridge, which probably only had a week or two more of being viable as it was starting to melt away from the ridge at the top. Things were getting a tad soft on the way down at the bottom of the snowmass, but a slightly earlier start would have dealt with that.

I haven't done a deep dive on conditions this year vs last, but I'd bet a weekish earlier than we went last year would be similar for this year - depending on what happens for spring storms of course. I was watching condition reports closely before each of our trips - in both cases, 2 weeks before had most folks camping on snow.

you might end up being the beta if you pick a May date because there aren't a ton of reports before June. presently, we have less snow than we did in 2024, but last year we also had a BIG mid-May dump in the Elks. so in my opinion, it's still a little too soon to tell.. look through CRs for May and June of 2021/2022 because at the moment, those are the most similar snow years to this one.

anyway, if the sites at the lake are still snowed in and you don't want to camp on snow, there are several great camping areas immediately before/at the log jam/creek crossing and a couple more shortly after (around 10,200') that do not require permits to overnight at. but keep in mind the conditions for those spots were quite different than the ones by the lake, and you could end up backtracking about a mile to return to them if you don't like what you find up top. camping at those lower spots would lengthen your approach on summit day by about an hour, and for some context, pretty much everyone left the lake between 2:30 and 3:00 AM on summit day.

happy trails!

[aksean22]

I was up there twice last spring. The first time (May 11th) snow started about 4 miles from the TH and the river crossing was still frozen. It was still full on winter at the lake. Didn't summit because of bad weather so went back a few weeks later. The second time (June 4th) it was totally dry to the river crossing and water levels were still low so we had no trouble. Snow started a maybe a mile past that.

A bit of a lower snowpack this year but my guess is that you wont have any trouble with the river crossing if you go in May, but will likely be camping on snow at the lake. Definitely bring good flotation or you'll replace scree hell with posthole hell, which is waaaayyyy worse.

[CaptainSuburbia]

Just wait until summer and climb the S ridge express route. No river crossing to worry about and it's easily a top 5 14er route.