6/8/2025 Route: East Face + Taylor Posted On: 6/8/2025, By: Geckser Info: Arthurspiderman and I skied Taylor and Star yesterday. Approach to Star’s upper basin (South Side of the River) sucked with significant sections of unconsolidated snow. Once above treeline snow was largely supportive and the boot to the summit was easy. We skied down Taylor around 7:30, supportive, fun skiing. Definitely in from the summit but going fast. We traversed over to Taylor, dropping down to around 11,800 before marching up to Taylor’s ridge, mostly on dry ground. Taylor’s East couloirs are out from the summit, but only require about a 20 foot descent of the ridge. The line skied great a bit after 9:00, and we made it down to around 11,000 where we switched to runners and descended the steep, but dry, slope. This took us almost right back to the car. Two great late season lines!! |
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5/25/2025 Route: from Taylor Park Posted On: 5/26/2025, By: 9patrickmurphy Info: We were able to cross the creek without getting wet. The trail is almost entirely snow covered to treeline, but a good freeze made travel doable. Mostly continuous snow to the summit. Good corn skiing down at 8:30am. Skied down to about 11,800 before starting the climb up Taylor, which involved a fair amount of contouring until we were beyond the gendarmes of Taylor's South ridge. The snow was mostly supportive on the way up despite all the sun. The ridge was dry and I was happy to have packed my trailrunners for the blocky and shifty talus. Unfortunately, the good snow on Star meant similar aspects on Taylor were super junky, quite bad skiing down the north bowl at 11:30am. I took snow until it ran out then bushwhacked back to the car. My partner was not skiing, and he took Taylor's SE should which was mostly grass, then negotiated his way back to the valley, which was quite boggy but overall fine. |
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5/24/2025 Route: north ridge Posted On: 5/24/2025, By: Dobsons Info: Climbed Taylor then Star today from the mountain Tilton TH. Cottonwood pass is open from BV side and then the road from Taylor reservoir is clear all the way to the end. The Mount tilton trail is covered in snow so I never crossed the Taylor river and instead opted for less snowy south facing slopes. This led to some moderate willow bashing and short snow stretches in the trees. I eventually ascended a south facing dry avalanche path to the upper basin. I was able to use crampons almost the entire way up Taylor up the face to a finish on the south ridge. Then backtracked and traversed high in the basin on snow to the north ridge route on Star. Snow was perfect for crampon climbing but getting pretty soft even by 930 when I descended star. Ski lines everywhere if you are a skier and one could ski straight from the summit of both peaks currently. Beautiful day |
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6/3/2023 Route: East face/N ridge Posted On: 6/8/2023, By: B_2 Info: You can drive to the high TH, there is plenty of snow in the drainage on the south side of the drainage to skin up (following Mt Tilton trail) but a substantial creek crossing is necessary. The snow up high is still in to ski from the top (pic 1), but was too soft for us to do so, we skied from the saddle and booted the summit ridge. We found axe & crampons necessary for the top 700 vert. Doing this route with a hard freeze and early start will be very helpful. Snow was too hot to then ascend Taylor, but we traversed below it, and there are still plenty of shark-free snow lines for skiing on the E and NE aspects of Taylor as well (pic 2). Utilizing the old mine road on the north side of the drainage for travel is highly recommended for ascent and/or descent! (we used it on the descent to stay high and out of the slop in the valley) - although you may have company as we did - (pic 3 lol) |
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5/29/2023 Route: End of road 742 Posted On: 5/29/2023, By: Sbenfield Info: Hiked along with Taylor A. We were basically able to drive to the summer TH, almost all the way up road 742. We brought snowshoes, and stashed them partway up. Did not need them in the morning but used on the way back. Used crampons and axe for both peaks. Really nice, grippy, sticky snow all the way up Star Pk NE face. Glissaded down Star and contoured around to Taylors South slopes. By this time, the snow warmed so we took a combination of snow and rubble trash to the summit of Taylor. |
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5/29/2021 Route: North Ridge/Face from Taylor Park Posted On: 5/29/2021, By: Wildernessjane Info: Summited Star Peak today from Taylor Park. You can get into the summer trailhead now but the stream crossing right after the trailhead is running high. We elected to go on the opposite side of the drainage so we could start out with dry feet, which involved a fair bit of shenanigans. Snow conditions in the upper basin and on the face are still skiing very nicely. The snow was getting pretty soft already by 9:30 am and so no Taylor Peak for us. There were signs of new wet slides on some adjacent peaks as we were skiing out. On the way out, we were able to stay on skis all the way to the initial stream crossing by staying on the opposite side of the stream (where the actual trail is). If I were to do it again, I would bring shoes to cross the creek in the morning and then stash them for the way back. |
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5/6/2021 Route: from Taylor, NE face Posted On: 5/6/2021, By: SnowAlien Info: Fantastic conditions right now, very little wet slide debris. With a solid freeze we were able to ski both peaks. Road is gated at Pearl pass turnoff. Snow starts about a mile up the road, well before the hut. We went up Taylor first and skied the east face (great coverage), traversed around to Star and skinned up the face to the saddle ~13,300 ft, booted the ridge from there. Dropped the 2nd line @noon, still solid conditions. Exited the ~12,600ft (lower) saddle between 2 peaks, perfect corn in the basin, even trees down lower were still solid. Do not recommend approach via North couloir (we almost took it), doesn't look like that ridge goes. June couloir doesn't appear to be in. |
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11/6/2020 Route: Northeast Basin and North Ridge from Taylor Peak A Posted On: 11/6/2020, By: supranihilest Info: From the summit of Taylor Peak A descend the ridge and talus into the basin below the ridge. You could probably traverse the early part of the ridge but I doubt it's worth the trouble, just drop below it all and begin a lengthy and extremely tedious sidehill on very loose talus towards Star. There are some ups and downs along minor ribs but the difficulty never exceeds Class 2. Once in the upper northeast basin you'll find yourself below a great gully. There's a big ugly block of rock in the middle and either side of the gully around the block can be ascended or descended. Neither is really better than the other and both are steep and extremely loose. Ascend to the ridge, then head south, at first on the east side of the ridge (the west side is almost vertical) and gain the ridge as soon as it makes sense. The east side of the ridge is very steep, very loose, and covered in up to knee deep sugar snow, disguising all the garbage rock below. The ridge is narrow but a little better than making an ascending traverse on the dangerous rock/snow combo. Difficulty is somewhere in the Class 2+ range but the risk and consequences are very, very high on this part in current conditions. It's only a few hundred vertical feet but requires great care. Don't blindly grab rock as most of it is ready to slide. To descend retrace your steps, being very careful as you go. At the top of the gully descend back into the basin then head south, picking your way around cliffs and such, until you're in the forest, continuing until you find the trail. Take it back to the trailhead. I would consider boots or some kind of warm, waterproof footwear mandatory in current conditions. I didn't use an ice axe or traction despite the snow but traction would probably have been a smart move - bring it and if you don't use it no problem, but I suspect most will want it. |
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10/30/2020 Route: from Taylor Peak A Posted On: 10/30/2020, By: WildWanderer Info: See Taylor Peak for approach pictures/conditions. Snow conditions on Star Peak are similar to Taylor Peak. I gained the ridge to the right of the gully, as the snow in the gully was sugary and not consolidated. The rocks to the right of the gully are rubbish and roll. The ridge is narrow and extra time was necessary to avoid punching through snow/dislodging rocks. I wore spikes from the summit back to my truck. |
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5/10/2020 Route: West Face Posted On: 5/12/2020, By: Grover Info: If you are contemplating Star Peak, the Cooper Creek drainage still has plenty of snow in it. From Road Closure up the Lindley Hut, there is only a small amount of snow on the road, and it was melting fast. You can walk this 2 mile section. Snow from Lindley Hut up to the West Face was continuous, but very hard early in the morning. The couloir to reach the weakness in the North Ridge on the West Face is losing snow. Only 65% is covered (Picture 1), and it was very solid/icy; crampons and ice axe are required. Transferring to the East Face, snow was much softer getting an early sun hit, and I used the initial spine to get onto the ridge (Class 3 / Class 4), as the snow was giving away under foot at the rocks right there. If you are thinking of attacking Star Peak from the East Face (see: bergsteigen trip report), the snow is continuous from the summit down into the valley, and would be far more ideal to be on compared to hardened snow I encountered in the 'bowls' of the Cooper Creek Valley. FYI: Elk Range Peaks should have some new wet snow on them today, Tue, 5/12, as it rained most of the day in Aspen on Mon, 5/11, and the Aspen Mtn. snow stake showed 4" of new snow last night, which is at 11,200 ft. |
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9/15/2019 Route: From Taylor Posted On: 9/18/2019, By: tdawg012 Info: Summer conditions on traverse..dropped to 12.4K at Saddle to avoid the nasty east ridge up Star. Followed furthermore's path on way to some 12ers south. The west decent gully off Star was as loose as he described. Be wary |