Mt. Belford

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 11/9/2025, By: elliebeauchamp
Info: Extremely windy at both summits (Oxford and Belford), not too much snow we didn’t use our spikes but they might’ve made us quicker on the descent. Strava said 11 miles & 5,901 ft elevation gain including both summits. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 10/25/2025, By: scfauth
Info: Clear to about 9800, then spotty snow up to 10K. Above 10K consistent snow 1-4 inches. Above 12K up to 12 inches is frequent and there are quite a few drifts over knee high in some places on the trail. Route finding on elkhead pass above 12500 was challenging. The majority of the trail has been broken now with the few groups that were out there today so maneuvering on the route should be much easier. Be careful crossing the streams- make sure you are stepping on something solid under the snow and not the ice shelf which will give way. Highly recommend traction, gaiters and poles. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 10/20/2025, By: swilson753
Info: Plan A was Iowa/Emerald. We encountered some rather treacherous creek crossings in upper Missouri Gulch that were half ice, half deep water at 8am, so we decided to switch to Belford.

This part of the Sawatch got a lot of snow in the last storm. We put on spikes at 12.3k and left them on until the summit. Snow was up to 12" deep in some wind drifts. Other parts of the trail above 13k were dry. Just about everything north facing in the area had consistent snow at 12.5k and above. The Tenmile/Mosquito ranges looked bone dry on the drive up. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 10/8/2025, By: Browndw22
Info: Did Belford & Oxford. Both trails are in great condition and easy to follow. Some patches of snow/ice as you get towards the peak. I felt comfortable enough with just trekking poles and didn’t feel the need to put microspikes on. Very cold and windy towards the summit, glad I packed lots of layers and gloves. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 10/1/2025, By: khughes321
Info: Trail was totally dry and free of snow. Heads up - the toilet at the parking lot is "closed for the season" and the door was locked so make other arrangements if you were planning to use it. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/28/2025, By: logo
Info: Windy and chilly, snow dusting on trail in places but did not need spikes. Aspens in full flame! 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/26/2025, By: medleyjosh
Info: some snow fell last week, but it is mostly melted, maybe 2 drifts of a foot deep but only for 20 feet in total. Mostly dry, a little muddy in a few places, but other than that, very clear at the moment. 

Route: Southwest Slopes
Posted On: 9/11/2025, By: owenalex72
Info: I did Missouri, Oxford, and Belford in that order, then came down the same way I went up. I did NOT go up or down Belford from the north.

The Missouri Gulch to Elk Head Pass route was dry (except for the creek crossings) the entire way. I will say, since I started at 2:40 AM and summited Missouri before dawn, the trails were frozen. I think the ground has begun to freeze at higher elevations already this year.

Other than that trails were in perfect condition. Day was beautiful. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 7/28/2025, By: hsfedina
Info: Perfect condition trailhead to peak. We had blue sky day and the entire route was pristine 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/24/2025, By: Tmo1983
Info: Hiked oxford/belford today. Great shape all around. Only one small snow patch I'll post a photo of it shortly. Thanks for everyone who keeps the trails in fine shape. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/24/2025, By: paigemoney
Info: Bell/Ox Northwest Ridge and down Elkhead Pass: Bell/Ox NW Ridge is in great shape. The log bridge pictured on the .com was icy when we crossed early yesterday morning. There’s one snowfield that’s well traversed just before the Belford summit. The boot prints are down to the ground, no post-holing. There’s a small section of snow left on the saddle going up to Oxford but I was able to avoid it completely. Elkhead pass is a lovely leisurely walk but is very wet right now. A lot of stream crossings and 2 snowfields. One is avoidable, the other is more challenging to go around and I did posthole a few times. Otherwise route is dry and as advertised! Enjoy! 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/22/2025, By: wabbajack
Info: Did Mt Belford and Mt Oxford together. Very windy above 13k elevation with not much relief. If you take the Missouri Gulch trail down, there a couple of ice fields that require diversions or glissading. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/19/2025, By: JROSKA
Info: There are two snowfields just short of Belford’s summit. The one closer to the summit can easily be bypassed but the other one must be crossed. Snow was supportive mid morning, but on the return trip after Oxford it was not. Just be mindful that if you cross this snowfield in the afternoon you’ll probably posthole a few times. Other than that it’s summer conditions. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/13/2025, By: ktcampbell22
Info: Summer conditions! Very minor snowfields at the tip top, so far mostly holding for the 10-20 feet they span. Saw probably 20 others. No spikes, wore trail runners and summer clothes. Great hike - more challenging than other "beginner" 14ers, but not crazy - just vertical. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/8/2025, By: caesarsalad
Info: 99% snow free to the ridge. Some patches from the ridge to the summit, but no need for flotation or traction as they’re easy to avoid or go over. Poles would have been nice for the descent as there’s some steep & slightly loose sections.