Pikes Peak

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 1/14/2023, By: ssowalskie
Info: The trail was mostly hard packed and easy to navigate up until about 12,000', and then the trail sort of disappears while you gain the ridge until about 12,600'. You can see various footprint trails that people have left as they decided how to get up the ridge. While I brought traction, I didn't use it at all, nor did I need snowshoes. There was one brief snow field past the Bottomless Pit on a bit of an incline that was very hard packed and I had to use a trekking pole for stability. I did wear gaiters, which helped, as the snow is about knee-deep at parts as you gain the ridge. I ascended on a pretty warm day for winter, so I experienced some minor postholing on the way down. The boulder field near the summit is still pretty easy to navigate, just follow the cairns. The wind wasn't too bad, just a little gusty in the afternoon. Overall, a great hike. Left the parking lot around 8:30am and returned at around 5:00pm, with a hiking time of about 7:30 and overall mileage of 17.38 (including walking on the summit). 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 1/8/2023, By: sarahmariekirk
Info: Echoing what others have said recently — no snowshoes needed, trench is packed and in place. Winds were brutal. An epic day on Pikes with hot chocolate at the summit. :P 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 1/7/2023, By: shapovalovm
Info: The trail by now is mostly packed. No spikes were really needed, but I still wore them car to car. Gaters were useful. Either the trail or cairns are visible at almost any time, so I stayed on trail both up and down.

TH is easily accessible by any car. Just be careful parking downslope on packed snow.

Started at around 8am, finished by 4:30 with 7:40 walking time and donuts at the summit.

Just a piece of advice: this is already a long hike on paper (I tracked 16.4 miles), but it actually is even longer, especially the part above Devil's Playground. If you find yourselves running out of daylight or are just tired, the rangers encourage hitchhiking down to Devil's Playground. It will save you 60-90 minutes (~3 miles). 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 1/6/2023, By: the_hare
Info: Last wave of snow only put 1-4in or so on the ground between yesterday and New Years, less down below and more up high. Trail is well-packed up to just before treeline but gets blown over at around 11,900ft. From there I chose to go straight up the slope towards the flat rounded off-area at 12,700ft on the way to DP, snow was shallow there due to wind blowing upslope.

And boy was it windy, incessant winds blowing all of that new loose snow from DP area all the way to the summit and back. I decided to follow the summer trail and traverse the NE side of Little Pikes as the snow wasn't too deep and I only had to posthole a few steps. I walked the road back to DP since nobody else was up there. Really pretty area, forest is lush down below and there's expansive mountain views on the approach. Didn't really need snowshoes, gaiters would be helpful for stepping in drifts. I should have insulated my stuff more, a lot of time spent above 13k made my stuff freeze and shut down more than usual. 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 1/1/2023, By: stomblin7
Info: Boot pack till treeline. Did not use snowshoes, but snow was a bit deeper above treeline to saddle before Devil's Playground. Mostly wind blown from Devil's Playground to summit. Talus to gain summit is pretty snowy, so careful footing required. 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 12/26/2022, By: aholle88
Info: Packed snow from TH to the ridge. Briefly lost the trail from treeline to the ridge but it's pretty self explanatory, go up. From DP to summit there was intermittent patches of snow but mostly dry. The boulderfield has snow but you can hop rock to rock without much issue. Did not use floatation or traction all day, summited in trail runners. Traction optional for the packed snow 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 12/26/2022, By: dawuda
Info: Hiked up Barr Trail. Started around 7:45am. A little snow and ice, but good traction up to Barr Camp - a few icy areas to cross where creeks cross the trail. Snowy conditions from Barr Camp up to the A-frame, but all packed snow and nothing worse than ankle deep snow. Most, if not all, of this was packed down and inconsequential. No need for spikes through here either.

Above tree line the snow has been blown away and it's almost totally clear. What snow is present is firm and easy to manage. The final mile has more snow and some icy areas where spikes are nice to have, especially for descending.

Not much for pics today as we were hiking fast and/or running - 10.5 hours round trip. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 12/14/2022, By: gsh935
Info: Very little snow leading up to Barr Camp. Almost consistent snow following the camp, patchy at best, but traction proved helpful at spots.
Above tree line, some ankle-knee deep post holing occurred. Minimal slab danger on the golden steps, but even down south we are seeing some sketchy spots. The random patch of ice will keep you on your toes for the last mile. 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 12/6/2022, By: wmagnuson7
Info: The trail was in excellent condition, no floatation necessary, though spikes were helpful for the first 3 miles or so. The winds were horrific, and the temperatures around zero, so would recommend saving this hike for the summer or fall and having a more pleasurable experience. God Bless. 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 11/23/2022, By: elevatedtv
Info: Intermittent compact snow and ice along entire route, but nothing requiring flotation or traction at this time. Poles highly recommended. The final pitch up the boulder field was a bit sketchy with snow accumulation, but manageable. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 11/12/2022, By: calhack7
Info: Did the Barr trail today. Trail alternates between dry and 1" of powder for the first nine miles. More dry for the first 3 miles, more snow from 6-9. For the last 3 miles above treeline it's a mix of dry, hard pack, and ankle deep powder. Did not use any traction. 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 11/13/2022, By: pittbrownie
Info: Road to the TH is in good shape. Still some dirt showing, no major snow. Most vehicles will be fine.

Trail has a bit of snow but not much. Had traction with me but never thought about using it.

Hardest part was the $12 tab for two donuts and a small coffee. Oof. 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 11/5/2022, By: Veory
Info: Not much snow to go through that isn't packed or shallow. Footprints do dissapear quickly in some sections. Fairly windy summit made it feel quite cold today, felt more like a winter outing. 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 10/30/2022, By: bfaulkne
Info: Quite a bit more snow present on the trail compared to the last update. If you're trying to stay directly on the trail and not trample the alpine grasses, gaiters would be a good idea. A few shin-deep drifts to contend with. The boulder field up to the summit is in pretty good shape if you follow the cairns, but we took a more direct path and ran into some trapdoors with the snow. Be careful with your footing. Microspikes will likely be a good idea moving forward as the snow on the trail turns to slush during the day and freezes overnight. Things were getting icy on the way down after sunset. 

Route: Northwest Slopes
Posted On: 10/21/2022, By: PeakMiller
Info: Had the day off from corrupting the youth, so yesterday was spent on Pikes. Hadn't done this route before and really enjoyed seeing it all from a different side. No ice/snow on trail. All sun, no clouds. Two doughnuts at top and two beers at Paradox after.