7/21/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 7/22/2023, By: sazoic1 Info: Amphitheater has snow but it's avoidable, gulley is very loose - took us much longer than expected to get to the ridge. There is a snow filed at the beginning of the ridge at 13,000 feet. It's somewhat stable but will be impassable very soon. Beyond that the ridge is clear with exception of one tiny snow field that is melting fast. There is running water on gray/green rock but it is avoidable. |
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7/16/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 7/17/2023, By: nweitzer7 Info: Lots of snow in amphitheater makes the trekking a bit easier than only Boulder hopping. Avoidable snow until the saddle where a cornice persists on the far side of the route, its avoidable but postholes are getting deep. Only 2 small snow crossings on the route above 13, can scramble around both if desired or if a mountain goat detours you with a glare |
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7/13/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 7/14/2023, By: prspost Info: Agree with others, spikes and ax needed. Snow can be avoided ascending the ridge going up to the 13,000 foot saddle. Would recommend staying climbers left of the snow field 3/4 of the way up to stay on the trail instead of the choss on climbers right. I've included a picture of the cornice about 200 feet from the saddle up the northeast ridge. The cornice is on the opposite side of the ridge, but if it were to go there is a small chance some snow would come down onto the route. |
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7/12/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 7/13/2023, By: helenemily Info: Amphitheater still for the most part covered in snow. Doable with crampons or spikes + axe, great glissade down. Above the gully the cornice is still there just not visible when ascending so be careful. Snow got bad fast when sun was up. |
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7/9/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 7/9/2023, By: blonde_dinosaur Info: Not summer conditions yet, give it a couple more weeks. I would not advise doing pyramid right now unless you have snow travel and self arrest skills. If you do, the route is very doable. There are a few small but steep snow crossings. My group brought spikes (no crampons) and axes and we used both. Id say axes mandatory for the snow crossings. Like others have said, you can get to the northeast ridge without really having to deal with any snow. You may prefer to follow the trail in the amphitheater through the snow instead of having to climb up the loose boulders. The snow in the morning was bulletproof though. Whatever cornice that was on the northeast ridge is now gone. Route finding is tricky, especially since there are still snow slopes on the route, so pay close attention. |
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7/6/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 7/9/2023, By: Jorts Info: The amphitheater is still fully snow covered. Cut climbers right of the NE ridge route with a snow climb and some glissading. Appeared like the true standard route was 90% snow free. |
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7/3/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 7/4/2023, By: amitchell Info: Snow is totally avoidable up to the amp. There are tiny patches on the trail you can go around. Snow in the amp is firm all day, even when warm. No snow from the amp to the ridge. From ridge to the summit is burly to say the least. It is a maze of snow patches ridgeline, ledges, and gullies. There is a lot more class 4 climbing than just the green wall. The good thing is that there is always another cairn. We never had to go past one cairn to find the next, which made routefinding easy. |
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6/26/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 6/27/2023, By: ColoNativeGal Info: A couple of pics and views from afar in case someone needs it. Block below the summit is still holding snow. |
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6/11/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 6/13/2023, By: bribaker2001 Info: Icy snowfield at steep angle halfway up to the boulder field/amphitheater made trail dangerously slick and near impassible with microspikes and poles. Could wait until later in the day for snow to soften up, yet then there's also higher storm potential. |
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5/28/2023 Route: Area Posted On: 5/28/2023, By: WillRobnett Info: Hiked up an Aspen hill this morning for a good view of Pyramid. Summer colors are starting to come out all over the valley! |
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5/28/2023 Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 5/29/2023, By: 1nt3rn3tc0wb0y Info: Very firm snow the whole way, but post holed a few times in the trees. The trail to the amphitheater is ~95% covered. I turned around at the ridge. |
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5/20/2023 Route: Northwest Ridge/West Gulley Posted On: 5/22/2023, By: HikerBox Info: Semi-continuous snow from ~1/2 mile below Crater Lake. Multiple snow bridges across Maroon Creek, the first of which is just upstream of Crater Lake but the avalanche path just below the gulley is also bridged over pretty well. Snow in the west gulley that leads to the NW ridge was solid below ~12,000 feet but turned into a less than supportive crust over dry facets that lead to some random hip deep post holing and a lot of calf deep boot packing. The crust skied really well around noon on a partly cloudy day with solid freeze overnight. Occasionally your tails would break through. The "rubble gulley" to the notch was dry so expect loose rock there. We turned around below it, out of time and our weather window closed. |
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5/15/2023 Route: Area Posted On: 5/15/2023, By: WillRobnett Info: Amphitheater approach holding snow. Trail by Maroon Lake mostly melted out. |
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5/5/2023 Route: view from below Posted On: 5/6/2023, By: WillRobnett Info: road opening soon, hearing 5/15 |
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4/29/2023 Route: Landry line Posted On: 5/2/2023, By: rangercarl Info: The landry line was "in" on 4/29, but the sidestep/choke didn't have much longer on it before it is a significant dry ski...the road was showing some bare spots (100ft or less), but those will be growing quickly. |
