Snowmass Mountain

Route: West Slope
Posted On: 10/3/2023, By: EmmaClaire5280
Info: Summited Snowmass peak from the West Slope this past Sunday! I was a little concerned as most other reviews that I have read raved about the insane rockfall danger, however my group and I experienced none. The West Slope was a pleasant route. You essentially walk through a gorgeous valley past a few lakes and then are straightened up a few gullies right to the summit! When you reach the grassy patch about a quarter of the way up the west slope, there is a waterfall that runs through it that has frozen over and become icy. Other than that conditions are CLEAR COPY. A fantastic little scramble and marvelous summit. It for sure beats the 22 mile haul of the standard route and avoids the crowds. Peak 45/58:) 

Route: South Ridge / West Slopes
Posted On: 10/1/2023, By: Broderick22
Info: Started at the Lead King Basin TH and hiked the S-Ridge and descended down the West Face. The entire route was snow free and in summer conditions. This looks like it could change quickly as we go into October however. Also, as mentioned in a previous report, the colors are spectacular and it is a special time of year to see the mountains. A side note, if doing Snowmass from Lead King Basin, I would advise getting to the trailhead via the upper part of the road as it is a loop and can also be approached from Crystal. The portion of the loop between Crystal and the LKB trailhead is nasty and is better avoided. 

Route: S Ridge
Posted On: 9/26/2023, By: Wentzl
Info: If you want to see pretty leaves, go now. 

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 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 7/30/2023, By: alpinenut
Info: East Slopes of Snowmass seem from North Maroon on 7/28. 

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. 

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. 

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.