Mt. Belford

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/27/2020, By: TheAmateur
Info: SUMMER CONDITIONS. Couple small snowfields on the way up, otherwise its completely dry. Did it in sneakers. Oxford is ready, and summited by others but bring spikes just in case! Its completely dry except for one section! Went down Elkhead pass, that has some snow fields that I was easily able to navigate with careful route finding near the end. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/20/2020, By: Vaunts_Grit
Info: Summer conditions. Two small snow fields before the Missouri/Belford Junction. After that it's all rocks. Trainers and shorts the whole way, puffy at the summit due to harsh winds. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/19/2020, By: gregpeak
Info: Near summer conditions. The snow that remains is easy to cross without traction or flotation. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/17/2020, By: langecorya
Info: On Sunday (May 17th) we hiked Belford and Oxford. Great weather and the snow was melting fast. The trail was almost completely open to the top of the peaks besides a few small snow patches. Did not need any crampons or snowshoes. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/13/2020, By: Eagle Eye
Info: Monday I reached the summit of Mt Belford. The snow is melting fast there, I didnt have any trouble with deep rotten snow until the upper part of the avalanche debris area. This is near the cabin ruins, before tree line. After the cabin but before the Belford/Elkhead Pass trailfork there are deep, sloping snowfields the trail runs straight through, I found these (both going up and coming down) to be almost entirely supportive of my probably 225 lbs. This was a bad weather day and very much as forecast, with either rain (low) snow (higher up) or a painful freezing rain on the upper mountain. It added a couple inches of snow on the mountain.
I liked having micro spikes on for better traction on the upper switchbacks and icy summit area. The summer trail is visible and usable the whole way.
By mid afternoon the sun was appearing when I was on the lower, last (muddy) half of the route. Only one other car at the TH when I got back, none when I left at about 6 am.
I saw nobody on the route and from mud tracks nobody came up the trail.
I will attach 3 pictures: 1) Missouri Mt from the summit, 2) upper NW ridge from the summit, 3) low 13er Pecks Peak from the summit.
Edit 5/16 added last 5 pictures taken near the tail end of NW Gully ski line near the junction of NW Ridge trail. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/4/2020, By: HelpImL0st
Info: As mentioned below, the trailhead was very easy to get to even for 2 wheel drive vehicles. Spikes were useful in the morning hours before the sun hits the snow and it's still frozen. We found snowshoes useless because when floatation was needed you'll posthole right through to your waist, regardless. That is true for the section right after the makeshift tree bridge, and even further until right after tree-line. In the frozen morning though, I made it through these sections with ease (120 lbs w a 20 lb pack) but my husband kept breaking though (155 lb w a 30 lb pack). Careful here as we heard several large avalanche “cracks”. It was a beautiful day with just two layers needed until about 12,500 where the wind really kicked up. We had to turn around at 13,500 due to 30mph gusts. So close!! We didn't see a single soul all day until two skiers passed us on the way down around 12,000. They said the snow was great for skiing but wind was brutal at the summit! Will give another go in a few weeks.

Also, watch for the herd of bighorn sheep we saw on the Eastern slope! 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 4/29/2020, By: wildschut
Info: Trailhead parking was fine. No snow at all. Started at 6:40am. Wore spikes the first 3/4 mile due to remnants of snow that was icy. I was shocked how much I was post holing and falling up to my waste at the section after the creek crossing. This area was brutal. Allow time for it. Climbed Belford with no problems. Lost the trail a few times. Stashed my snowshoes at the base near the last sign and turnoff. They were not needed going up. Decided to hit Oxford as well. Wind was around 5-10mph. Climbing back up Belford was tough and I was exhausted. Did not see another soul. However, the toughest part of coming back was the avalanche section at the bottom. Imagine walking through a swimming pool 7 feet deep with the consistency of a Slurpee. section was probably 500-600 yards. That small section took an hour and it was painful. Snowshoes barely helped and had to actually crawl. Completly sinking and falling almost every step. If it wasn't for my friend it might have been a long night. It will probably be melted in a few days. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 4/26/2020, By: stauffgj
Info: Went up Mt. Belford from the Missouri Gulch trailhead today (Saturday, 4/25/20). The country road 390 is clear all the way to the parking lot which was ideal and the parking lot was empty except one vehicle. I ended up seeing those two guys skinning up to Missouri Mtn. They helped identify the trail for which was huge. About a mile in, when it opens into the gully, I was post-holing really badly (about three feet deep). Took me twenty minutes to push through that section but glad I did. Made it to the peak with just microspikes and water proof boots. Got fortunate with the weather. But an intrepid hiker could go do it. Just expect some post holing and bring solid microspikes. Got windy up top so I had a couple long sleeve layers on. Trailhead and parking lot and county road leading to--all good to go! 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 2/29/2020, By: screeman57
Info: We parked at the Winter closure, 3 miles from the TH. Very supportive snow on the road, and it went fast.

From the TH, we booted all the way to the stream crossing, then re-trenched and re-tracked past the cabin to the turnoff for Belford. Snowshoes definitely necessary for this portion.

The wind events of last week have scoured the upper mountain of snow, and virtually the entire summer trail is visible to the summit. It's quite drifted in places - some might want traction but we didn't use it.

Oxford wasn't in the cards for us today. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 2/25/2020, By: This Guy
Info: Made it about half way up CR390 in a Subaru Outback before getting stuck and stopping, approx. 2 mi from TH.

Snowshoes necessary below treeline, stashed before trail climbs the spur. Fair pack most of the way up, trail visible as well.

Chutes on Missouri seem to be holding, evidence of rollers.

Pic 1 looking South just after treeline, toward the rib that begins your ascent of Belford.
Pic 2 Descending the rib, looking Southwest 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 2/21/2020, By: angry
Info: Booted up the road from snow plow turnaround. Donned snowshoes from trailhead to about 11,900. From that point stashed snowshoes and booted to both summits which consisted of some snow, some completely dry sections, and some exposed rock/tundra. Didn't use traction. In the gulch there were 3 different tracks weaving all over the place, I stuck pretty close to the summer route. 17.2 miles rt. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 2/2/2020, By: fakejox
Info: As of 2/1/2020, Winfield road is drivable to the plow turnaround in most vehicles. With snow tires, high clearance 4WD, and finesse, one can get to about 2 miles before the Missouri Gulch trailhead, although there is ample evidence along the way of cars sliding off the road into drainage ditches. Unless you are comfortable driving in this kind of terrain and have several others in your party to help dig you out if you get stuck, would discourage driving beyond the plow turnaround. Otherwise, snowshoes recommended to the base of Belford's NW ridge, although the section between the cabin and the ridge is mostly traversable with boots alone. On the ridge proper, microspikes will suffice. Picture 1 (of Leah catching a gaiter), is illustrative of the trail conditions leading up to MO Gulch. Picture 2 demonstrates the relatively low snowpack in the Gulch itself. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 1/27/2020, By: SurfNTurf
Info: We parked on the side of the road just short of the plow turnaround, about 3 miles from the trailhead. We saw a few 4WD vehicles beyond there, half of which were stuck. Just park and walk. It ain't worth it.

Perfect trench to just below treeline. It fades where the trail crosses a creek and heads out onto an avalanche debris field, but you could still follow it as of 1/26. As tempting as it might be to stash flotation at the cabin, Missouri Gulch is in a high snow winter. I'd suggest keeping skis/snowshoes on until at least the base of Belford's ridge. We didn't, and it cost us two summits.

FWIW the NW Ridge appeared blown dry and completely avalanche safe. The summer trail was even mostly visible. If only we'd have gotten there... 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 1/27/2020, By: LilRascal
Info: As already stated, snow shoes needed up to about 12100. Great weather for January. 

Route: Northwest Gully
Posted On: 1/21/2020, By: RWSchaffer
Info: There is trench from trailhead to cabin. Between cabin and gully, snow depth varies; melting sections of shallow snow made it difficult to follow my morning tracks in the evening. The lower sections of the gully have sufficient snow for climbing, a base of very supportive and icy snow being topped by 2-4 inches of more recent accumulation. I ascended on snowshoes with heel lifts and descended on spikes. The open slopes between the top of the gully and the summit ridge are a mix of lots of scree and very little snow.