Route: East Slopes Posted On: 9/24/2023, By: Split_the_FR Info: Practically still summer conditions on the mountain. A dusting of snow for about 100ft before I gained the ridge but Im sure it melted by the end of the day. Left car at 5am, back at 4pm. Fall foliage is great down low |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 9/21/2023, By: Briere Info: Started at 2:30am from the TH and got to the summit for 10am and was back to the TH by 3pm. Approach was smooth and easy to navigate in the dark. The log crossing really sucked since it was all icy in the morning cold (crossing back in the afternoon it was no longer slippery). Once past the lake; and gaining the elevation it was mostly Boulder hopping. I found it very tiring after the long approach. I heard constant rock fall and never saw anyone else going up that day so be mindful of lose rock since I think with the freeze/thawing rock is falling. There was a minor dusting of snow in the Boulder field and on the ridge but most was melting already and likely gone now if it doesnt snow again. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 9/10/2023, By: mtgoatmike Info: Hike in is a breeze, the log jam is easily navigable. The loose gully up from the lake is rough, be on the lookout for cairns to the right of the rock slabs that lead to a dirt trail to the next "fun". There are random cairns all the way up to the ridge, I noticed my .gpx file was probably from someone's accent when snow is present. It is manageable without snow, just a little more tedious. Once on the ridge, there are cairns that lead you lower, which is fine, but you'll just have to regain vert. Our group stuck mostly to the ridge direct, with the exception of a few small 10-20ft down climbs around some loose rocks. Overall, Snowmass Mountain makes you REALLY earn her without snow. Beautiful mountain and surrounding area. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 9/1/2023, By: jdmorris Info: There is no longer any snowmass - coming off the ridge is entirely dirt and there are only a handful of small and optional snow patches. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 8/15/2023, By: sehessler92 Info: Peak Conditions: No ice axe is needed on the standard route. Microspikes were more a preference thing but I appreciated having mine although the snow fields did get soft pretty quickly. The willows right by the lake ended up having a ton of dew on them early in the morning which completely soaked the front half of my clothes so bringing waterproof clothes, extra socks, and extra layers is highly recommended. Watch out for a very thin coat of ice on rocks on the backside of the ridge up to snowmass especially with this monsoonal afternoon weather. There are two log jams ( that or the original log jam was split into two). I took the one further from the lake itself and it seemed pretty stable (even with a backpacking backpack on). Once you get to the lake there is another set of logs you will have to cross so take your time there as they can be slick early in the morning. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 8/15/2023, By: sehessler92 Info: Peak Conditions: No ice axe is needed on the standard route. Microspikes were more a preference thing but I appreciated having mine although the snow fields did get soft pretty quickly. The willows right by the lake ended up having a ton of dew on them early in the morning which completely soaked the front half of my clothes so bringing waterproof clothes, extra socks, and extra layers is highly recommended. Watch out for a very thin coat of ice on rocks on the backside of the ridge up to snowmass especially with this monsoonal afternoon weather. There are two log jams ( that or the original log jam was split into two). I took the one further from the lake itself and it seemed pretty stable (even with a backpacking backpack on). Once you get to the lake there is another set of logs you will have to cross so take your time there as they can be slick early in the morning. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/30/2023, By: donovanrice Info: Lake at 3, summit at 6:30, back at lake at 9. Snowmass doesn't start till pretty high up, but then continuous till ridge. Was soft at 5ish am. Ascended to the right of and then on the cliff band rather than to the left. Made for a nice glissade down too. Ice axe and microspikes worked well for me. Navigating without gps in the dark was semi-challenging, especially since I walked down the wrong trail at 2:15. If you are going uphill for extended time and/or cross snow, you've gone up the wrong trail from start of lake. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 8/9/2023, By: Jonathan Deffenbaugh Info: Snowfield still in starting around ~13,000', ended up going up the direct route then climbed beneath the summit for a nice glissade out. Was able to pull off all the 22-25 miles off in one day, thankfully. Word of caution, though, while the gully above the lake is low threat in the morning, it's literally water rapids in the afternoon, which may affect your descent route. Try to avoid going too far to the right if you can as you're descending so you don't get sketched over the solid scree slopes. As for the log jam, don't go for the one at the far western end where it turns into lake, as the route description describes, instead go for the log jam next over downstream, easier to connect the dots there. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/30/2023, By: alpinenut Info: East Slopes of Snowmass seem from North Maroon on 7/28. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/23/2023, By: dogsandguitars12 Info: Snowmass east slopes as a day hike. Left car around 10:30 PM, back to the car a little before 2PM with generous breaks. Approach trail is in great conditions with no down trees or snow. Theres a trail that hugs the lake and one that stays further from the lake, the one further up is the actual trail. Scree gully is a waterfall at the moment, its easier to cross lower rather than higher. Other hikers had issues crossing higher. Snow is melting fast in the upper section but is in great condition before the sun comes out. Used spikes and axe, one member of our group managed to ascend/descend with just an axe. Lots of mosquitoes at lake, if youre camping be prepared for that. When we got back to the TH there was people parked like idiots in the middle of the lot and parked in front of other cars, if theres not actual spaces available in the TH lot park somewhere else. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/15/2023, By: jmg11 Info: Hiked in Fri 7/14, summited Sat 7/15. Phenomenal conditions and perfect weather. No wind and very warm temps. Buggy the entire trip. Bring bug repellent for the flies and skeeters. No snow from TH to lake and all campsites dry. Started summit approach at 2:30am and summited at 5:50am. First up there and was on top for sunrise! Wore only microspikes (with hiking poles) and was able to take direct variation approach with no concerns. For descent, I traversed ridge and took standard route down. Regardless of which way you take, I recommend bringing an ice axe. I didnt pack mine and was very uncomfortable glissading without a means of self-arrest. Log jam was a cake walk. Turn right at the permit sign and walk straight across. Someone must have laid down new logs because it was in much better condition than 6 and 9 weeks ago. As for willow travel around west side of lake to boulder field, the trail starts higher up near campsites across the creek crossing, dips as low as 3ft from water, then jumps back up significantly about halfway across, sometimes 40-60ft above water. There is a definitive dirt trail to the left of the willows and up the left side of the gully on the initial headwall above the lake. As for crossing the gully, I crossed at approximately 11600-11640ft. 1) Water wasnt rushing as much here, 2) There were dry rocks to hop step, and 3) anything above 11700-11900ft is wasted on the left side of the gully. Scree has completely given out turning it into an extremely steep grade slide (attached picture of what to avoid circled in red, and my travel line in green with full avoidance of that mess). Once crossing, work up a couple steep smooth rock faces until merging with the standard dirt route around 11800ft. Bring a fishing rod for the ponds or lake! So many troutrainbow, cutthroat, brook. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/12/2023, By: YerpsoGdawg Info: Hiked into the lake on Sunday 7/9 and climbed Monday 7/10. Very warm temps for the hike in and out. Left camp at 3:40am and summited at 8am via the direct route. Snow conditions were really good - firm going up and softened but not postholing on the way down. There are a lot of runnels in the snow which makes glissading a bit of a bumpy ride. On the way up I crossed the waterfall at about 11600' and clambered up dirt/grass until I found a footpath. On the way down made the error of crossing back over at 11,900' where there is a large cairn. This places you on steep loose dirt and scree - not fun and potentially dangerous with multiple hikers. Instead cross at about 11,600'. Only human to do the summit hike that day. It's a slog and long journey over a little more than 24 hours but what an extraordinarily beautiful place and experience. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/11/2023, By: Pandora Info: Backpacked into the lake on 7/8 and summited on 7/9. Our group underestimated the effort the hike into and out of the lake from the TH during the heat of the day would take with our heavy packs. Lake was so buggy; bring deet and face nets. Started our summit push at 2 am and made it to the summit in 4 hrs with perfect snow conditions up and for our glissade down. I was comfortable in crampons and ice ax, but two in my party used microspikes and did just fine. Getting to the ridgeline before sunrise is key for safe snow conditions that are not slippery. I'd recommend ski pants and gloves during the glissade as the snow can be rough. I was nervous about the ridgeline hiking, but it was easy class 3 and very solid if you stay on route (you may have to go down and back up a little more than you'd like, but this will keep the route solid). The worst part of the hike was going down the loose scree right above the lake. Bring your helmet! And try to be courteous and let one group down this section at a time so that you don't knock rocks onto people's heads. I cannot imagine doing this route once the snow has melted out in a couple of weeks. The most important element of this hike is going to be having the fitness level for the distance and elevation gain, but if you have that covered then I don't think it's anything to be too scared of as long as there is a snow field. Our group was very nervous, but it was a beautiful summit and not too difficult other than distance/time to complete the hike. Happy to answer any questions! |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/10/2023, By: schultzy23 Info: Hiked from TH to Snowmass Lake on 7/8 in 4.5 hours and logged 8.5 miles and over ~2,300 elevation gain according to AllTrails. Hiking poles are helpful when crossing the log jam but not necessary, otherwise the hike is relatively smooth going. Left camped on 7/9 at 2am and submitted at 6:30am with multiple stops. Some groups we talked to took on the way up and at base camp took them 6 hours to summit, so plan on leaving early as possible to avoid post holing. When approaching the boulder field work your way along the lake while slightly going up. Your best bet are making it up the scree field is staying as far right as you can next to the waterfall. The scree field is the worst part of the hike. Halfway up the scree you will across the waterfall. There are snow tracks that show you the way across the waterfall. If you go to high you may have to hike through some tough bush (similar to hiking around the lake). Once across the waterfall, you hike up through some grass area until you reach the snow fields. Once you hit the snowfields pick a point (ridge line or direct route) and just hike towards it. We started hiking towards the notch but decided against it as we go closer. Once on the ridge, the rock is solid and the path to the summit is easy to follow. Glissaded down the snow fields but noticed the snow was getting soft quickly around 8am. Going down the scree created a lot of rock fall which is unavoidable. Micro spike going down the scree seemed to help with gripping the loose dirt some. Overall, this is a fun and rewarding summit adventure. Recommend starting early and going before the snowfields melt completely. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/10/2023, By: madmattd Info: Just adding to all the recent conditions to inform that there is only a small, short ribbon of snow left in the gully - effectively summer conditions until ~12k. Only isolated patches of snow in the woods, campsites are a non-issue now. Mosquitos are out at the campsites, weirdly not nearly as bad at the lake. Also - the camping permit zone starts just below the logjam (brand new sign there), not partway between the logjam and lake like the zone map suggests. So campsites between the logjam and the lake are ALL in the new permit zone. Our camping permit was checked by a ranger at the lake. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/9/2023, By: Jorts Info: Good bit of sun cupping. We were still able to glissade from down off the summit fairly far. |
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Route: West Slope Posted On: 7/9/2023, By: Jorts Info: West slope still had a lot of snow. But the west rib was totally dry. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/3/2023, By: samsmithxc Info: Summited Snowmass Mountain at 8am this morning. The proportion of scree/talus scrambling to snow climbing is increasing. The ridge (gained through the direct variation) is almost entirely snow-free. On my way up I found a filter water bottle. Message me on Instagram if it's yours @_i_am.sam. |
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Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/4/2023, By: Happe_camper Info: Left Snowmass lake ~2:45AM, difficult to find trail around the lake. Would recommend test hiking it in daylight if you get to the lake the day before with enough time. Microspikes are useful for this portion of the trail as well. The right side of the gully is pretty solid until you get to snow patch when the pitch starts to get much steeper. I'd recommend putting crampons on here and climbing the snow patch with an ice axe while its still there. The scree on that section is very loose otherwise. Conditions in the snowfield up to the notch was solid, would definitely recommend leaving the lake at 2:30am or earlier to make sure the snow is still firm when you get up there. We were approaching the notch around 8:10am and the snow was becoming increasingly slushy. Our group wasn't the fastest , so take our timeline with a grain of salt. But make sure you plan for yourself and account for slushy conditions being present earlier in the day as the summer goes on. All that being said, the approach to the notch for our group was straight forward as there was a well defined boot pack thanks to 2 groups and a snowboarder in front of us. There was about a 3-4 foot snow wall at the top of the notch, but it looked like if you approached it on the right side that wall was a bit shorter. Regardless, our group got over it on the left side of the notch at 8:40am. After getting around the first corner on the ridge traverse, our group headed directly for the top of the ridge as we saw groups ahead of us take this route. I would recommend not going all the way to the top of the ridge after the first corner and take a more lateral approach towards the summit as we had to down climb from the top of the ridge to get a better line for the summit. From the top of the ridge about 30 feet from the summit, we saw some weather moving in from the southeast (9:05am). The groups in front had made it to the top and were still there. We were able to call out and ask them how it was looking from the summit, they said they thought we could make it but would need to turn around immediately after. Given that our group had several out of state climbers on their first mountaineering experience, half of group turned around there, while the other half summited quickly and immediately turned around. All the groups summiting or attempting to summit made it back to the notch around the same time as it started to snow. The weather appeared to be a serious potential issue, most groups decide to glissade down as much as possible. There was some white out conditions and strong cold winds while on the snowfield. Would have been extremely dangerous to be caught on the ridge in that weather, we were lucky to get out before it hit. Most groups stayed within eyesight of each other the whole way down the snowfield. The weather passed once we got to the gully. Hike out was fairly straight forward from there. Advice on the trail, not considering weather: 1. Leave camp at 2:30am or earlier unless you know you're an incredibly fast hiker. You'll be glad you have firmer conditions. 2. Try to use snowfields in the gully to avoid loose rock 3. Be wary of the snow wall on top of the notch. Its one of the sketchiest parts of the hike. 4. Don't climb all the way to the top of the ridge immediately after the first corner you go around. Look for the route that traverses below the crest. Advice related to weather: Don't mess with it. This hike is difficult enough by itself. The conditions on the way down were truly miserable, and would have been incredibly dangerous if we got caught on the ridge. |
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Route: West Slope Posted On: 7/4/2023, By: iamalex Info: Was planning on climbing Snowmass via west slopes on 7/1/23, but didn't have any beta on the route so decided against it. Still quite a bit of snow on the west slops, figured I would provide a picture to give an idea of conditions. |
