The Sawtooth

Route: From Mt. Blue Sky summit parking
Posted On: 11/2/2024, By: BiggasPanda
Info: Traversing the sawtooth was still doable today with a little bit of snow and no ice, but I wouldn't do it after the upcoming storm. 

Route: From Bierstadt/across the saw
Posted On: 7/22/2023, By: MaryinColorado
Info: Sawtooth from Bierstadt is completely dry with the exception of a lengthy snow field that can be avoided if you want to drop a bit further down than you need to (but not by a whole lot, really). We opted not to try crossing it high up because it was pretty firm; steps hard to kick in. Slick enough that a slip would be a long, injurious ride. We crossed it way further down where the snow was softer and there were more rocks. We took our spikes just in case but ended up not using them. And yes, we did the final push at the end to the true summit. Gotta have that unranked 13er! Did you even do the Sawtooth if you didn't have a terrible willow adventure on the way back? Followed the "standard way out" through the willows. Go into this knowing your boots will get muddy and your pants will ... also get muddy. Ankle deep mud was super prevalent. (I don't mean to brag, but I found the calf-deep mud.) Poles were very helpful for testing puddle depths. 

Route: From Guanella Pass via Bierstadt
Posted On: 11/12/2022, By: daway8
Info: Went Guanella Pass to Bierstadt across the Sawtooth Traverse and up to The Sawtooth, then back across the traverse, up Bierstadt and back to Guanella. Snowshoes would be total overkill right now. Didn't use or feel the need for traction until the off ramp of the traverse where there was just enough really firm snow at a high angle over huge dropoffs that I finally pulled out the microspikes. Used them at that spot on the way there and the return but nowhere else. Might not have been a bad idea to have put them on for the descent from Bierstadt to Guanella but I was eager to be done with the long day so didn't bother to stop to put them on (only had one minor wipeout as a result). Snow up Bierstadt was pretty well packed down but only occasional small spots of ice. Sawtooth Traverse had much more snow between rocks on the standard route so I opted to stay mostly ridge proper which was drier but resulted in a little bit of class 4 or higher action to avoid occasional sketchy sections. Snow between the rocks was sometimes only an inch deep but sometimes I would lower myself down waist deep and still not touch ground so had to stay on exposed rock on the ridge proper as much as possible (which provided some fun scrambling). On the way back I tried to drop to the main trail as defined on this site - big mistake - horrible mess of rocks sticking up between snow patches of wildly varying depth. While you could keep it mostly class 2 in that section, if you have to step on snow it's treacherous. Eventually went back up to the very top of the ridge with harder scrambling but less snow. So the traverse is definitely doable at the moment but not a good choice for the faint of heart. This could be totally wicked chaos with another foot or two of snow though... 

Route: Guanella Pass
Posted On: 7/4/2021, By: BigJereCO
Info: Route from Bierstadt to Sawtooth is clear. Some lingering snow depending on where in the boulder field you go. No snow or ice on the harder parts of Sawtooth traverse. 

Route: Bierstadt Sawtooth Evans
Posted On: 9/28/2020, By: Rickalbanese
Info: Parking packed at 4:45. Winds were very strong going up Bierstadt causing partial freezing if my water tube. Hands were getting numb at points with some solid gloves so I'm not sure how barehanded folks made it. Regrouped and slowly traversed Sawtooh the wind was not a factor until the crux. I waited with another climber there and we safely made the turn out. Winds continued all day and challenged my balance on Evans. Slogged down through willows never finding the trail as there are many trails through the willows. Ended up following the Gomer Creek out getting pretty wet and nasty along the way 

Route: Bierstadt-Sawtooth-Evans
Posted On: 7/4/2020, By: daway8
Info: Very similar to 2018 update from this time of year - one or two snowfields that you might avoid if you really worked at it but they have plenty of steps kicked into them so no traction needed. Otherwise totally dry/clear. Descent via West Evans trail down the gully was easier than expected - pretty obvious trail. Even the willows trail was fairly easy to follow though extremely muddy in places. 

Route: West Gully
Posted On: 1/26/2020, By: dolfh
Info: The Guanella Pass road is hardpacked from Guanella Pass CG to Guanella Pass. Bierstadt trail is well tracked to turnoff for Evans West Ridge route. Trench is good up to the West Gully. Gully is time and energy consuming with steep areas of deep snow. Above the gully not much snow. The West Ridge route of Mt. Evans looks dry. 

Route: Bierstadt-Sawtooth-Evans
Posted On: 6/25/2018, By: bwinners
Info: Totally bone dry except for one minor snowfield, which you can almost totally avoid. Descending down via Scott Gomer Creek was a total mud fest. When I wasn't too busy getting whacked in the face by willows, I was heads down trying to keep my feet above the muck, though there were unavoidable times where the mud came to my knees (I hate being short sometimes). 

Route: via Bierstadt East Ridge
Posted On: 7/25/2017, By: ZenZin
Info: one short snowfield I chose to walk across the top of on the downclimb from Bierstadt so as not to lose elevation. Otherwise, summer conditions as would be expected. 

Route: Bierstadt-Sawtooth-Evans
Posted On: 10/12/2015, By: crazymarmot
Info: Went up the NW gully to Bierstadt. Snow on the cross over was tricky (not enough) so it either was hiding big holes or went straight to ice. The gully itself did not have much snow, all avoidable (I did the left side). Coming down Bierstadt had some snowy/icy spots (of course where the easy holds are) but again all avoidable. The class 3 to Sawtooth was free of any snow/ice. Once on Sawtooth ledges, the first part (narrows) were fully covered with hard snow/ice BUT nobody at the time had traction and continued without an issue. I had my micro-spikes but found it to be a waste of time to put them on for such a short section. Plenty of hand holds make the crossing still fairly safe; but I can see how most people would like to have some traction for that portion. On the scree slope there was no snow/ice. Once past the exit, the flats of Sawtooth were covered in snow, but all manageable. The snow disappeared on the way to Evans, roughly 10-20min from Sawtooth. The "bowling alley" (descent from Sawtooth - Spadling) is free of snow. The willows were quite muddy (ankle+ deep) due to the recent snow melt. Have fun! 

Route: Mount Bierstadt - Mount Evans
Posted On: 11/24/2012, By: capetrekker
Info: I hiked Bierstadt to Evans via the Sawtooth. Descending Bierstadt I encountered 4-6" of snow, spikes and an axe are needed. When I started my ascent of the Sawtooth there was virtually no snow, at least nothing to hinder my hike. The Sawtooth is in great condition, with no ice and very little snow. 

Route: Sawtooth Ridge
Posted On: 5/21/2012, By: altidude
Info: The Sawtooth ridge is holding still holding snow on both the east and west faces. An ice axe is strongly recommended for climbing/traversing the snowfields before ascending the ramp on the west face of the Sawtooth itself. 

Route: Bierstadt west
Posted On: 7/8/2011, By: Gopherboy
Info: Bierstadt trail is snow free to summit. But snow is still complicating the route to Sawtooth. There were some old tracks across the snow up near the ridge but we decided to drop lower and cross. Except for the one snow crossing, the route was mostly dry with only a few wet/icy spots. Wind was howling.