6/9/2024 Route: Northwest Gully Posted On: 6/11/2024, By: nohandz Info: I started at 4am with 45F, but it was noticeably colder above treeline. Conditions in the NW gully were perfect - frozen consolidated snow and coverage all but the last few hundred feet. I heard a little running water but not much. Snow was 6-18 deep and solid as I dug down with my adze.. I headed over to Oxford and then down the ridge standard trail. It was mostly clear of snow. Either you could walk around any snow or it wasnt consequential. Any snow crossings were very soft in the afternoon and 78F at the trailhead! |
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6/2/2024 Route: Northwest Gully Posted On: 6/3/2024, By: BillMiddlebrook Info: We climbed and skied the NW Gully. The trail is dry until some on/off snow between 11,100' and the old cabin at 11,300'. Then there's on/off snow above the cabin and all the way to where the Belford trail crosses the gully and begins climbing the standard, NW Ridge. We went left there but could see most of the standard ridge was dry. The NW Gully has a good snow coverage and was firm, continuous snow to the summit ridge. We hit the reached the summit at 9:45 and skied at 10:30. Temps were in the 30s but winds kept the upper portions of the gully firm but the rest was corn. We skied back to the Belford trail and booted down to our hiking boots, 200' above the cabin. |
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6/2/2024 Route: Northwest Gully Posted On: 6/3/2024, By: BillMiddlebrook Info: The trail is dry until to 11,100'. Then there are snow patches up and the old cabin at 11,300'. Then on/off snow all the way to 12,000' where the Belford trail crosses the gully and begins climbing the standard, NW Ridge. We went left there and climbed/skied the NW gully but we could see the NW ridge was mostly dry and there were hikers on the ridge. For the next 2 weeks, just be prepared for snow between 11,100' and 12,000'. Microspikes and an early start would will work - snowshoes are not necessary. If the snow becomes soft, you may be able to circumvent most of it. |
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5/19/2024 Route: via Pecks Peak Posted On: 5/19/2024, By: 14ercooper Info: Road easily passable to the trailhead. A bit of snow below treeline, with the old avalanche path just below treeline functioning as the crux of the climb. Fairly easy snow climb up the easy gully of Pecks Peak, and then just a ridge traverse over to Belford. Returned to the Belford/Pecks saddle and then dropped down to the valley along a dry-ish slope. Hiked back out. Snow was pretty much bullet proof in the morning, and started to soften up a touch (making everything very slippery) near mid-morning as I was getting close to the trailhead. |
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4/21/2024 Route: Northwest Gully Posted On: 4/21/2024, By: Skimo95 Info: Bring rock skis for the summit and corn skis for the gulley. Road is dry and Oxford is out for now |
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12/29/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 12/29/2023, By: SionaRW35 Info: Trailhead to tree line is packed snow. I found snowshoes helpful for about .5 miles or so around tree line but I saw some day hikers doing ok without them around 11,300. After the split, I took the standard summer route which has minimal snow. Its your standard mix of rocks and ankle/shin high snow all the way from the split to the summit. Microspikes are helpful. I stashed snowshoes at the Belford/Missouri split. |
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11/18/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 11/18/2023, By: Will_E Info: Nice day on Bel-Ox, the trail is snowy, but well packed, I didn't need any traction or flotation. |
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11/7/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 11/8/2023, By: beervendor Info: Missouri Gulch kicked my ass so I only made it to the Missouri-Belford junction and can't speak to summit conditions. The trail to that point (almost 12k) was well packed up to the log bridge stream crossing. I'd highly recommend spikes and/or poles but not strictly necessary to that point. After leaving the trees, I was occasionally breaking thru drifts of 1-2ft. Lots of route-guessing thru the snow so be careful whose tracks you follow and watch your GPS. A beautiful fall day on an incredible piece of Colorado but not meant to be my first winter(ish) summit. (Xposted to Mt. Missouri) |
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11/4/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 11/4/2023, By: stickmann Info: There is now a nice ski/boot pack monstrosity of a trench up to the ridge. Snow on the ridge is thin but has exposed icy rocks which makes steep sections more difficult. The path is covered in deep snow and disappears intermittently into big snow drifts which were common but avoidable. The lower half of the ridge had sloppier snow conditions and made it harder than the upper half. I did not use traction, the snow was soft enough, but I did use an ice axe for support and probing. I wish I had brought flotation for below treeline but you can probably go either way until the next snowfall hides the trench. The snow isn't all that deep or supportive. The route to Oxford is mostly free of snow difficulties except on the descent from Belford. The east aspects had a lot more wind drifted snow with but is mostly avoidable. |
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10/21/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 10/22/2023, By: technicolorNH Info: The looping Missouri Gulch trail had minimal snow on it and the stream crossings were easy. Other climbers who did the more direct north slope trail said it had considerable snow but no glare ice yet. |
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10/21/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 10/22/2023, By: technicolorNH Info: The looping Missouri Gulch trail had minimal snow on it and the stream crossings were easy. Other climbers who did the more direct north slope trail said it had considerable snow but no glare ice yet. |
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10/21/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 10/21/2023, By: hannahjfarris Info: Snow covering the trail starting at 11,000 feet. By 12,000 feet the snow fully covered the trail. Microspikes are immensely helpful in slick areas. Would bring them for safety. |
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10/21/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 10/21/2023, By: hannahjfarris Info: Snow covering the trail starting at 11,000 feet. By 12,000 feet the snow fully covered the trail. Microspikes are immensely helpful in slick areas. Would bring them for safety. |
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10/15/2023 Route: Elkhead Pass Posted On: 10/16/2023, By: wintersage Info: Went up Elkhead, then up to Oxford, and then summited Belford to take the standard route down. Microspikes and gaiters helped for some portions of the route that had deep/slippery snow. |
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10/8/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 10/8/2023, By: Violet Info: The trail is dry up until the tree line. There is snow on the trail above that . Micro-spikes are strongly recommended . The trail is very steep even from the beginning. |
