Snowmass Mountain

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. 

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! 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 7/1/2023, By: Gritz3000
Info: Camped at lake on 6/29, left camp at 300am and returned at 1000. The climb is hard as soon as you leave camp. Either snow, scree, or scrambling the whole way from the lake to the summit. Our average moving speed was 0.6 mph. Ice axe and crampons are essential. North facing slope on the side of the lake is totally socked in with snow, so it takes a while to navigate. When climbing up the scree gully from the lake, go to the far right side and you can find a use trail that is decent. Also recommend staying on the snow as much as possible in the gully section. We climbed too far in the middle during the ascent and it was really loose and easy to send huge rocks. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/26/2023, By: dellwoodlegend
Info: Climbed on Saturday (Jun25). Saw 3 people make it to the notch via the direct approach using micro spikes + ice axe but it looked really really dicey doing that. My buddy was one of those three, I (using crampons) had to kick steps for him in a few places. I would very strongly recommend using crampons. From the notch to the summit I did not use my crampons but the ice axe came in handy. Worst part was getting around the lake, if you backpack into lake I recommend finding the trail the day before, it was hard to find and follow at night. The best path around the lake stays near the shoreline, probably never got more than ~20 yards above the shoreline. I have added a photo of the ridge from the summit. I circled climbers for scale. I also drew a red line + arrow on a rock rib you go around to reach the notch. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/26/2023, By: Hannahforkell
Info: Our group of 3 did Snowmass over two days. We started hiking in around 10:30am on Saturday. The parking lot was nearly full, but theres a pull off .1 miles down the road for another ~4 cars. We took our good ole time getting up to camp and arrived close to 5pm (logged 9 miles). We left some sticks close to the log jam but start looking for some long ones (5ft) at about mile 5.5 if youre clumsy / dont want to get wet trying to cross the river. We started the summit push on Sunday (day #2) at 2:45am and reached the summit at 8am. I would say we hike at an average to slightly slower-than-average pace. Returned to camp by 11:30am and departed for the TH around 12:30pm. Back to the car at 5pm. Gear recommendations: In my opinion, you will 100% still need full crampons for this. There is still a lot of snow. Microspikes will not suffice. Also definitely on an ice axe! Its useful for climbing up and also glissading down. I also (while walking down) slipped on the soft snow and used mine to self arrest. I wore full mountaineering boots, but you could probably get away with regular hiking boots (if they're waterproof). I would also strongly suggest gaiters. You wont need the crampons / ice axe until after the rock field, it should be pretty obvious. And then once you get to the notch, you can take off your crampons for the final couple hundred of feet to the summit. The conditions are still ski-able, but it didnt seem worth lugging the planks for 9+ miles. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/26/2023, By: astromuni
Info: Hiked in Saturday 6/24 and summited/hiked out Sunday, 6/25. LOG JAM: The rivers were raging this weekend with warm temps and ample snowmelt. That said, the crossing takes place between two broad/swampy lake areas. In other words: you have basically zero risk of being swept downstream if you misstep. Just take your time and *test* *every* *log* before trusting it with your whole weight. I made sure anything electronic or safety critical (e.g. sleeping bag) was in a dry bag or trash bag. But the most likely outcome for a misstep would probably just be wet pants and water-logged boots. CAMPING: plenty of dry space now. the trail to the campsites should be 100% dry in a week or two. As-is the snow is patchy in the last half mile. SNOWPACK: most people started between 2am-3am, and I think this is key to a safe/successful day. we had clear skies and relatively cold temps this past weekend, and the snow was firm the whole way up from lake to summit. even by 10am, when most folks were returning to camp, the lowest sections didn't involve much of any post-holing. This is probably is weather-dependent, and your mileage may vary! Slushy snow on steep sections can slide. Start early and stay safe. GULLY: the gully is steep! there's a LOT of running water beneath its upper sections, so at some point soon that could become a risk factor. Descending the gully as the snow was getting slushier was maybe the most anxiety-inducing part of the journey imho. DIRECT ROUTE: everyone took the direct route this weekend. it's continuous snow to the ridgeline, at least for now. It gets steep, but honestly, the gully felt headier (in both directions). this is not the only way to go (reports below describe taking the standard route), but for now it's a good choice. RIDGE: Pretty exposed scramble! And there are steep sections of snowpack still involved. Most folks did not wear crampons on this section, but nearly everyone had an ice axe. GEAR: imho crampons and ice axe are pretty much mandatory at this point. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/25/2023, By: Belchfire
Info: Single day Ski push from TH was a 'blast' as I like to refer to it as. started just before midnight, got stuck (and wet) at logjam for almost an hour thanks to early morning brain fog/trying to cross 20 feet too high. Supportive snow patches started just below lake, worst part is traverse around lake (bring spikes/transition to crampons here). climb was magnificent, took the direct steeper route. Scrambling above this was real fun with skis on! Dropped in off the ridge ~75ft below summit at about 9:30 for a speedy descent down to the lake but snow is suncupped and kinda F'd. Still worth it! Snow still supportive on the way down, trail is in nice shape. 1 of 3 to summit on Saturday (congrats Jake/Jason (?), one of y'all's finisher!), passed 20 heading up for SM on the trail on the way down. Back to car by 2:15pm, one of the most fun solo days I've had! 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/23/2023, By: djacobson
Info: Snowshoes not needed. Snowy sections were well packed. Post holed 3-4 times (mostly around the lake) but still not worth carrying them. Hit the snow on the approach at the hottest part of the day and still wasnt a big issue. I heard the shorts with gaiters look is in. 100% recommend waterproof boots for the hike to the lake. Snow is intermittent about 1 mile below the lake but the fast melt has made the train wet/muddy starting at the last switchback or two above the logjam. The log jam itself wasnt too bad - I recommend taking a large stick (longer than hiking pole) across since its deeper than a normal pole if needed for balance. There were a few lying around in both directions. There were 10 or so downed trees to navigate along the lake approach. All doable. Plenty of room to camp (granted there were only 3 tents there total). I attached pics of the dry area for perspective. Significant melt of the bottom of the route above the lake (see pics) in the last couple days. I recommend making sure you scout how to get to the start of the trail around the lake in daylight. Was a bit tough in the dark at 2am but obvious once it was light out. We wore crampons and carried an ice axe since youre walking across a slope that leads right into the water. Above the lake there were a couple crampons on/off cycles until the solid snow started. Snow was firm before the sun hit it. Had to turn back around the slope that levels out due to a broken crampon. Didnt seem safe when it kept falling off every 5 steps before we even hit the steepest part. Two folks we started with summited. Said snow was good but a bit icy on the class 3 ridge section. They took the direct route. Watch for ticks. My partner found two on his sock/leg. Also watch for the chipmunks at camp. They will chew through plastic to get your snacks even if the bag is right behind you. Lots of fish in the lake, we saw a beaver, monarch butterflies, and many marmots near the logjam. Gorgeous all around! Go get it!