7/19/2019 Route: West Gully to Southwest Ridge Posted On: 7/20/2019, By: WildWanderer Info: Geneva Lake snow free. Creek crossings were up to my knees in places but I'm short. Used the 1st gully on the west to avoid snow and wasn't disappointed: gained the ridge as quickly as possible. Trail was snow free from trailhead to summit on all the areas that mattered. Water on trail near waterfalls. |
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7/19/2019 Route: West Gully to Southwest Ridge Posted On: 7/20/2019, By: WildWanderer Info: Geneva Lake snow free. Creek crossings were up to my knees in places but I'm short. Used the 1st gully on the west to avoid snow and wasn't disappointed: gained the ridge as quickly as possible. Trail was snow free from trailhead to summit. |
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7/6/2019 Route: SW Ridge and S face Posted On: 7/7/2019, By: CarpeDM Info: The trail to Geneva Lake is snow-free, but has some places with water run-off -- nothing major. There's still plenty of snow around Geneva Lake (and some exposed trail) -- no flotation needed, though. The creek above the lake must be forded -- at least mid-calf depth. From there, snow completely covered the west side of the SW ridge (including the trail) - again, no flotation needed. I made my way around to the southern aspect approximately on the Trail Rider Pass trail. Once you're ready to leave Trail Rider Pass trail, be prepared for a snow climb. I used crampons and axe to ascend a couloir to access the SW ridge at about 12,700 (left edge of pic 1). Small rocks (and a couple of not so small rocks) littered the path to the couloir. The ridge above seems to get an early sun-hit. However, they were mostly from climber's left of the couloir instead of the couloir itself, the snow was still in very good condition, and no rocks came loose while I ascended. The ridge was essentially dry. But there was one short downclimb to a tiny saddle that required a reachy move to avoid some snow. For the descent, I was hoping to glissade or plunge step the south face, but the by now too soft snow (i.e., sinking to my waist) made me settle (mainly) for a tedious downclimb of a loose, bare rock rib. |
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6/17/2018 Route: SouthEast Ridge Posted On: 6/19/2018, By: wondering_hough Info: No need for traction. The creek crossing on Geneva lake's north side was not at the marked trail, we had to get creative to get over and not submerge our boots. We were attempting Hagerman's SE face route but mistakenly followed the approach the the SE RIDGE route. It rained on us from 745am to our turn around point, 12,451, at 10am.... we couldn't see anything and just followed the terrain. The face held some snow but it all was avoidable. |
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6/5/2018 Route: S face Posted On: 6/5/2018, By: cottonmountaineering Info: The upper road is snow free and driveable to the Lead King TH. S face was really suncupped, i climbed up via snow and descended via a rocky rib to the climbers right of the gully. I did not need any traction to make it down with this route. Lake is mostly melted, some snow in the trees to make it over the ridge but no need for snow shoes. Snow below treeline was generally rotten and snow above treeline was supportive. Not sure there is currently a way to make it across to the trail without fording the inlet - the outlet logs were under water. |
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5/27/2018 Route: SW ridge Posted On: 5/29/2018, By: Marmot72 Info: No snow until Lake Geneva, then the trail lost in soft, snow (no hard freeze the night before). Trail rider pass indistinguishable under all this post-hole snow, so took a couloir for a direct route to the SW ridge. Ridge all dry except for snow below summit that made for nice steps. Descent on mellow snow on the south face, from east of the summit. |
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9/19/2017 Route: South Face Posted On: 9/23/2017, By: desertdog Info: We opted for the South Face rather than the ridge because of the wind forecast. It was completely dry on the whole route. If you stay on the right of the gully there are large rocks allowing you to avoid most of the loose rock. Not bad at all. |
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8/2/2017 Route: SM ridge & S face Posted On: 8/7/2017, By: TallGrass Info: Ridge from Snowmass Mtn. is snow free though there are some lingering snowfields in the basin towards Geneva. There's one snowfield on the south face but it's easily avoidable. |
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7/1/2015 Route: South face Posted On: 7/5/2015, By: Jason Halladay Info: Snow free from Crystal to about 12,000‘. Easy summer snow crossings to get to south face. The gullies on the south face are full of summer snow and a bit icy on the edges but the rock ribs on the side of the gullies allow for easy and direct scrambling. |
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6/19/2015 Route: South Face Posted On: 6/21/2015, By: taylorzs Info: Hagerman‘s south face has lots of snow on it but a very large wet slab avalanche that ran sometime last week has left most of the south face runneled. Cramponing conditions are not bad but ski conditions would be pretty bad for most of the face. The one couloir off the false summit to looker‘s right of the main summit that Chris Davenport also skied for his centennial ski project did not slide yet and is in great condition for skiing. We climbed up the avy debris below the summit, skied off the summit ridge scrambled back up to the false summit and skied the looker‘s right couloir off the false summit to looker‘s right of the main summit. |
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9/20/2014 Route: SW ridge Posted On: 9/21/2014, By: SnowAlien Info: Summer conditions on the mountain. Stayed either on the ridge crest or as close as reasonable with sustained Class 3/4 scrambling with one or two low 5 move in order to stay on solid rock ("easier" bypasses on less solid rock available). Noted sketchy looking blocks within 100 ft from the summit (angle of repose is a concern). Descended SW ridge as well, with route much easier to see on the way down. Rock on the ridge looked fairly solid, but I‘d still test every hold. Ridge difficulty is somewhat similar to S ridge on Snowmass, just a little shorter in length. |
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6/22/2014 Route: South Face snow Posted On: 6/22/2014, By: JosephG Info: Snow free to Lead King Basin (via Crystal), snow free to Geneva Lake. After that? Snow. Lots of it. Some of the best snow either of us has climbed. There are three gullies filled with snow, all lead to the summit ridge. The official south face route is the furthest right (south) and has the most moderate angle. The gully furthest left (by the southwest ridge) has steady snow and convex features. All have some sun cupping down low. The southwest ridge appeared mostly clear, but I suspect there was some snow hidden there. Do not take the north fork approach, as the river is impassable. Similarly, it would be quite a trick to cross just below Geneva Lake. Decent fording opportunities are present just above the lake. Start early and snowshoes aren't necessary. Edit: right. But, yes, mildly protruding snow bumps. That‘s what happens when you provide an update on little sleep with uncooperative internet. |
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9/21/2011 Route: South Face Posted On: 9/22/2011, By: rockymountaindiva Info: Took the upper 4WD road in a Ford Expedition. Wheel base was a little too long for even this road, the back bottomed out about 4X in the hour that it took us to get from Marble to the 4WD trailhead. Road was in good condition (dry). Camped at Lake Geneva, fall colors starting and very lovely. On the way to Hagerman, some patches of snow around 12,000‘, more higher, very firm and slippery in the am. We had yak trax/microspikes in our packs and were too lazy to put them on, which might have helped a little. Summited around 10:30 am, and for the descent the snow was pretty soft. This was helpful for plunge-stepping, but in some places made things a little slick. North-facing slopes on other peaks held considerably more snow. Photo 1: Fall vegetation Photo 2: Looking up towards Hagerman en route, close to 12,000‘ Photo 3: Snowmass Mountain from Hagerman, see difference in amount of snow between N (right) and S (left) facing slopes |
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9/11/2011 Route: South Face Posted On: 9/13/2011, By: Wyoming Bob Info: Road from Crystal to upper 4WD TH drivable by stock Tacoma, sign advertising otherwise at base is b.s.; no snow but for sleet and ice pellets up high, fell on Sunday a.m, melting by our descent an hour later, no route finding issues to/fro Geneva Lake, route up stream gully from Trail Rider Pass is a visible track; no colors as of Sunday. |
