Snowmass Mountain

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! 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/20/2023, By: pwalker1413
Info: Our experience matches the others recently posted. The one thing I haven't seen yet - you do not need snowshoes, leave them in the car or at home. Consistent snow the last mile up to the lake but snowshoes are not worth it for this section. I post-holed only a few times total. General notes: Recommend crampons and ice ax for final pitch. Recommend taking the direct approach to the ridge (the last few photos on the route description). Recommend starting no later than 3 am or snow will be too soft for a good ascent (unless you are fast). 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/20/2023, By: vertical_volume
Info: Began at 2:52am, 1 hour around the lake and 3 additional hours to summit. Took the non standard way to avoid the windy ridge and for a slightly quicker ascent. Every other person I saw that day followed my group's new bootpack. No freeze at the campsite in the trees, ok freeze around the lake, decent freeze on the first climb from the lake to 11.7k and a pretty good freeze above 11.7k. Dropped from the 13.9k saddle at 7:30, the top section was great corn, middle was still frozen. chilled around 13k for 30-40 mins to let it soften up. It softened up slightly (could've waited another 30 mins honestly for this part), but further down, from 12.1k to the lake was soft and slushy. Should be able to ride down to the lake for another couple weeks but the bottom part is scattered with small rocks and the dust layer. The ridge to the summit was mixed scrambling with ice axe/crampons. Talked to someone who chopped a cornice off of the summit and was able to get a summit descent. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/20/2023, By: jfm3
Info: I climbed the entire route on the 19th, going car-summit-car in 15 hours (12:20 am start, ~8:30 am summit). The log jam has a few small logs that can be partially submerged depending on foot placement, but it can be crossed without getting wet. The creek is flowing high down near the trailhead, but at the log jam it's not very deep or fast. As more snow melts, the log jam may get harder to cross. This was my 4th time climbing the snowfield above Snowmass Lake and this time was by far the most snow I've ever seen up there. The slope above the lake can be climbed entirely on snow. The snow above 13,000 feet was affected by the most recent storm on the 16th & 17th. About 4 inches of snow fell and on the 19th it wasn't quite consolidated with the lower layer. There were quite a few visible slides and some debris from the recent snowfall. None looked like they would be severe enough to bury a person. Everyone I saw took the direct variation. It's moderately steep and, comparing to other photos for this route, looks like it might have 5-10 more feet of snow than normal. The summit ridge on the west side is mostly snow that is much colder and drier, with some areas of ice. I kept my crampons on and it was slow climbing up to the top. The new snow above 13,000 feet was warming quickly at 9 AM and I sank in to my knees a few times until I was below 13,000 feet. The snow down to the lake held up nicely and I never sank in on the descent back to the lake. Any route will suffice for the lake traverse. All the willows and trail segments are completely buried. I used an ice axe for a third point of contact, because the snow is steep enough that a missed foot placement could put you in the water. In summary, the route above Snowmass Lake is still in full mountaineering conditions and will be for several more weeks. Several groups stopped me as I hiked out (they were hiking in) and asked about conditions. One guy was really trying to rationalize a summit attempt with microspikes. Don't be like this guy. You need crampons and an ice axe. Photos are from the upper mountain, since the most recent report doesn't have those. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/20/2023, By: pika_squeaka
Info: TL/DR: still all snow from the lake, start before 3am unless you are super fast, bring crampons (or microspikes minimum), ice axe, warm/waterproof gloves, gaiters, rain coat, down jacket, rain/snow pants, extra socks, extra shoes/crocs for camp. Snow shoes not needed. Prep for scary ridge hike of ice/snow climbing mixed with rock scramble, and try to glissade off ridge into bowl but beware glissading into rocky creek near lake. Snow looks prime for skiing but a hefty slog to get up there..... The trail is still all snow from Lake Snowmass and mostly snow from the log jam. There was room for about 12 tents the night we stayed (June 17), but everyone was pretty tightly packed in the dry spots. It snowed about 6 inches on the mountain June 17 and no one we met on their way down was able to summit that day due to storms/snow. It rained, snowed, and hailed on most people on their way up to the lake June 17, but we started first around 7 and set up camp at Lake Snowmass before the snow/hail at 3. Definitely still got rained on and boots were wet for the whole trip. Fortunately, the weather cleared on June 18 and we started for the summit at 1:50am that morning and summited at 7:15. We were the first to start June 18 as well, and had to break trail for most of the ascent until a fast guy passed us near the saddle as my partner was having a brief break to puke, lol. My partner and I were able to summit with microspikes, 1 set of poles (used like axes in sections) and 1 axe between us, but everyone else on the summit had crampons. We would have preferred crampons. Bring warm/waterproof gloves to grab snowy rocks and plan on your boots getting soaked!! We wished we had gaiters. No one we met with snow shoes actually used their snow shoes, and as long as you start very early while the snow is firm, you should not posthole too much. We did meet a couple who started at 5am and got back to camp maybe an hour after us, so if you are pretty quick and do not have to break trail in the snow you could start later. An ice axe is extremely useful, especially for traversing snowy sections of the ridge, and glissading down steep and slushy sections of snow on the descent! The ridge is pretty intimidating, especially after a fresh 6 inches of snow. We almost turned around, but pressed onward knowing we could skip a lot of the return ridge hike by glissading down the direct route. We worried that downclimbing the ridge would be more difficult than climbing up, but were pleasantly surprised that downclimbing was much easier/quicker. If you can make it to the summit, you should be able to make it back down, but keep in mind that the snow gets slippery and slushy as the sun bakes it. You climb along the SW side of the ridge, so it is still shaded longer into the morning (compared to the bowl/saddle you glissade down), but I would personally want to be off the ridge by 9 or 10am, when there is still this much snow. A wet slide on the SW side of the ridge would carry you down into steep and rocky shit and you would probably die. We were the first to start hiking to the summit, and had to break trail in fresh snow for most of the ascent. This definitely slowed us down and tired us out. A speedy guy passed us a bit below the saddle of the standard (non-direct) route, and this saved us from having to navigate the class 3 snowy ridge without a leader's tracks. (Thanks, dude.) The ridge is a mix of scrambling and snow/ice climbing so crampons and an ice axe are very helpful, but there were sections where I needed to tie up my axe and use both hands like axes and rock grabbers along snowy / rocky traverses! Definitely wear warm clothes and gloves, and pack extra socks because your boots will get DRENCHED. I was freezing on the summit and only hung out long enough to tap the top and take a few pics. GLISSADING: this was definitely my favorite part of the hike! Along the ridge, there are a few points where you can look onto the NE bowl and assess a potential glissade. The spot we chose had the signs of a prior wet slide, but since it was still early and fairly firm (probably 8-8:30 as we glissaded) we thought the chances of a wet slide were pretty slim. I think the cornice pictured on 14ers.com was not a good place for a glissade because there was a steep drop and large crevasse close to the nearby cliffs that would have been bad to fall into. We probably downclimbed half to two/thirds of the ridge before finding a good glissade spot and sliding down. My partner had a successful glissade off the ridge but I spun backwards and scorpioned down the last part of the bowl. There is still such an abundance of snow and easy, mellowing slope that if you do glissade off the ridge and tomahawk to a stop, you probably wont feel it. If you downclimb all the way back to the saddle and glissade down where you hiked up, I think you need to be more careful of drops on either side and hikers climbing up/down. 

Route: East Slopes
Posted On: 6/19/2023, By: ksw2127
Info: Log jam was easy to cross. Area around lake was still pretty snowy but lots of campers are able to squeeze in. Started walking at 215am. Took the non-direct route; I believe everyone else on this day did the same. Hit the ridge before 7. I turned around there because the ridge was snowier than expected (maybe due to the previous days snowstorm, this likely wont last too long). Several others made the summit. Might have been easier to summit from the direct route, which bypasses some spots on the ridge that sounded more challenging to scramble, particularly with snow cover. Lots of good glissading on the way down, back at camp around 930. Found a black diamond glove on the way down.