North Eolus

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 7/21/2018, By: alyannkar
Info: Summer conditions. Pretty much just a hop and a skip up. I backpacked into Chicago Basin from the Purgatory Trailhead the afternoon of 7/19 and then summitted all four peaks the morning of 7/20 and backpacked out later that afternoon. Not quite sure why the longer route to the basin gets a bad rap. It was a gorgeous and mellow trail, easy hiking. There are several trees down towards the end of the Animas River Trail in the mile before the bridge and register where the trail intersects with the Needle Creek Trail and the train stop. The Needle Creek Trail has even more trees down. Otherwise, both trails are in great condition. In Chicago Basin, insects and goats are in full swing. The lower you camp in the basin (or just before the basin), the less you will have to deal with the goats swarming. The trail up to Twin Lakes is beautiful (thanks Colorado Fourteeners Initiative!) and is in summer conditions, as well. 

Route: Chicago Basin Approach
Posted On: 6/24/2018, By: Beas
Info: There are dozens of downed trees on the Purgatory, Animas, and Needle Creek trails, however, they are all easily bypassed. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 9/9/2017, By: kayleenann8
Info: Dry and clear. Scrambling on this is super fun! 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 8/21/2017, By: Marmot96
Info: No snow whatsoever on the Eolus/N Eolus Route, and a very easy route to follow. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 7/3/2016, By: thebeave7
Info: Ascended the NE ridge from North Eolus. Ridge is clear and no snow on top. I climbed up to the tarn between North Eolus and Glacier Point via the obvious couloir from Twin Lakes from the high basin. Snow was continuous on 6/29, but getting thin and soft for the last 200ft at the top and might be melted out by now. Snow in the basin between North Eolus and Glacier Point was bottomless much with knee to waist deep postholing. The standard approach to Eolus from the Twin Lakes junction had some snow in the lower basin below the SE face. Both approach slopes to the high basin and ridgeline between Eolus/N Eolus were solid snow. I used microspikes and ice axe, some may prefer crampons. These slopes make for a good glissade. Sorry no photos. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 9/23/2015, By: WillRobnett
Info: Climbed N. Eolus, Eolus, Windom, and Sunlight. Fall colors are mostly holding back in the basin. Starting to show pretty well on the Silverton-Durango train. Fall colors are near peak coming into Silverton from both Durango and Ouray. Hwy 550 south from Ouray has construction road closures. Hwy 550 is closed Monday-Friday 8:30AM to noon and 1PM to 5:30PM. Last night (9/22) it snowed in the Silverton/Chicago Basin area. Climbed Sneffels today 9/23. Sneffels was clear of snow on the standard route. From Sneffles we could see Chicago Basin, Pigeon, Turret, anything near Chicago basin had snow down to at least 13,000 on north aspects in the morning. Sneffels had snow on the north face as well. Thin layer most likely melting fast. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 7/3/2014, By: aweilert
Info: A small bit of passable snow down by Twin Lakes at the trail turnoff. The ramp is still fully snowed in and quite lumpy. Some groups managed without traction but micro spikes or trail crampons were helpful even with the hard snow early and the spikes and ice axes made for a much surer ascent. Many of the cups/boot-tracks slope down the hill and were quite slick; so, the tendency was to slip out and down the hill. The class 3 above the ramp is clear to both Eolus and N. Eolus. As the snow softens later in the morning, but before it‘s soft enough to posthole, the hike back down the ramp can be iffy even with spikes. My climbing partner‘s spikes slid on the softer covering snow and he ended up needing to do a self arrest; so, the axe was certainly a good thing to have at that instant. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 6/25/2014, By: kmccormi
Info: Hike up basin from Twin Lakes and NE ramp were covered in snowfields filled with suncups. In the early morning, these firm cups provided relatively good steps to ascend on, though an ice ax was helpful. We also had microspikes but members of our party would probably have felt much safer with crampons. Coming down this snow later in the morning, it was softer and didn‘t hold as well. Ice ax was even more helpful there. Higher class 3 terrain after the notch to summits of both Eolus and N. Eolus were snow-free and straightforward. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 5/21/2014, By: freeinthehills
Info: no summit decent, but great snow E off the ridge 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 7/4/2013, By: nyker
Info: Climbed Sunlight & Windom on 7/1 and Eolus & North Eolus on 7/2; conditions on Sunlight, Eolus and North Eolus are snow free on standard routes, if you‘re traversing over to Windom from Sunlight, you will have to cross over a small snowfield or two if you drop down earlier - but they provide no real problem even early morning since they are short and if steps are not kicked in already, poles should get you there fine. No need for an axe or traction IMO. Stream crossings lower down are very easy. Hail and some snow fell up high above 12k on the morning of Jul 2, but nothing accumulated and was short lived (just a bit scary sitting there @ 13k+ waiting out the dark skies and weather!). Marmots and Goats very active below basin - guard your stuff and watch where you pee (goats will follow you). 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 7/13/2012, By: cardinal010
Info: The "ramp" leading up toward Eolus and North Eolus is wet, especially on the rock, so take care. North Eolus itself is good. You may be tempted to try out what I guess is the north/northeast ridge, especially if you are tired and don‘t want to deal with steep terrain, but it‘s not a very viable route. I got to just below a false summit to the north and was stuck and had to backtrack quite a ways. The south ridge is actually not that bad.