Mt. Parnassus

Route: Watrous Gulch/West Ridge
Posted On: 6/27/2019, By: HikerGuy
Info: Summer conditions. Dry except for going over a snow bank left by an avalanche. The creek rises during the day, but there are plenty of small ripped out trees close by to make a bridge, if needed. Wildflowers are starting to bloom, but they are few and far between at the moment. 

Route: From Herman Gulch Trailhead
Posted On: 5/12/2019, By: WildWanderer
Info: First half mile of trail was dry, but as soon as the snow starts it doesn't stop. I had to put on crampons to get up certain sections of the lower part of the Waterous Gulch trail early this morning, as it looks like someone flattened it out with a snowboard and it's like walking up an ice chute. On the way down after the sun had warmed the snow it was easier to navigate. Lots of snow in the gulch. Don't expect a trail after the Waterous/Bard turnoff. Above treeline most of Parnassus was windblown. Due to intense winds today I wasn't able to summit Bard, but it looks like it would have been a fun challenge in less wind. Wood Mountain was an easy hike up from the Wood/Parnassus saddle. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 5/5/2019, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Consistent snow from 3/4 mile up the trail until the saddle with Woods basically, though you can take a more direct angle versus going to the saddle and up. Snowshoes not needed in the morning, but it was def getting sloppy and deep in the afternoon. Tons of snow in the basin. 

Route: Watrous Gulch
Posted On: 4/17/2019, By: Jay521
Info: Good packed trail. I booted it all the way to the top (microspikes were helpful but not necessary) but I was glad I had snowshoes coming down. Afternoon heat really softened the snow. If you get an early start and are faster than I am (almost everyone is...) you could probably boot the whole thing. Once at the Woods/Parn saddle, you can avoid snow the rest of the way but there is a LOT of snow below that. I haven't figured out how to add text to the photos but the one of the avalanche debris is near where the split to the Bard Creek trail is. 

Route: Watrous Gulch
Posted On: 12/14/2018, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Flotation required beyond the Bard Creek junction as you head into Watrous Gulch and up to the saddle between Parnassus and Woods. I put down a fresh snowshoe trail through a mix of 1-3 feet of snow all the way to the saddle basically. Enjoy! 

Route: Watrous Gulch
Posted On: 9/2/2018, By: madmattd
Info: Around 11.5k, ~1/2-mile after the Bard Creek Trail splits off, there is a very obvious path diverging right that passes through a few campsites then climbs to within 100' vertical of the Woods-Parnassus saddle. The remaining 1000' of ascent on the ridge is tundra with the occasional stretch of a social trail. Hardly any talus to deal with. I found easy going a short ways below the ridge to climber's right. 

Route: Via Bard Peak from Ruby Gulch
Posted On: 8/26/2018, By: supranihilest
Info: The ridge separating Mount Parnassus and Bard Peak is not as technical as it looks from far away. At worst it's Class 2+. Stay below the crest and you'll find you can weave in and out of the rocks to keep it at Class 2. Be aware that some of the rock is loose, even some of the huge boulders. You can also drop down below the "difficulties" entirely on tundra but this requires a few hundred feet of loss and re-gain. Dropping off Parnassus to the Parnassus-Woods saddle is somewhat steep tundra but all Class 1. 

Route: SW ridge from Waltrous Gulch
Posted On: 4/26/2018, By: Ptglhs
Info: Snow is melting along the trail from the parking lot, but still quite deep from 11-12k. SW was steep and deep and posthole hell coming down late in the day. Above treeline conditions are much improved. I didn't see a trail up the SW ridge. 

Route: Watrous Gulch
Posted On: 3/12/2018, By: cardgenius
Info: Used microspikes up the trail until the second split off. Trail is hard packed snow and ice. Snowshoes after that up through the drainage to the saddle. Stashed the shoes at the saddleish point and put the spikes back on up to the summit as it's mostly wind blown. Lots of snow in the north basin and on the north and north eastern Face. Got to watch to skiers climb the north eastern Face. Deep snow.... 

Route: Via Woods Mountain
Posted On: 2/18/2018, By: Buddyboy27
Info: Set the skin track to Machebeuf but enough traffic from other skiers later in the morning that you shouldn't be breaking trail unless it has been windy or recent snowfall. After ascending Machebeuf, Woods mount is not difficult with good hard wind packed snow. The climb from Woods to Parnassus is basically free of snow. Ridge to Bard Peak has a few drifted sections were you will sink to your knees but these sections are short. Bard ridge is incredibly windy and carries snow from the west. I completed the loop with ski boots, but regular hiking boots after treeline would be fine. 

Route: Watrous Gulch
Posted On: 1/1/2018, By: coleofsoup
Info: Climbed Mt. Parnassus on Friday, 29Dec2017 as the snow conditions seemed favorable on its west-facing slope and avalanche danger was so high in many other areas. The trailhead parking area at Herman Gulch was nicely plowed and easily accessible in a sedan. Forecast was for winds around 25 miles an hour and gusts up to 44 mph. We started out just at sunrise and quickly warmed up as winds were almost nonexistent on the trail to Watrous Gulch. The trail itself was well-packed by skiers all the way to the junction where one can either continue along the skiers trail or break right to head up Parnassus. My partner and I broke trail from that junction all the way to the saddle and snowshoes were absolutely mandatory. We followed the ridge line avoiding the steep south face as much as possible. Up on the saddle, the snow gave way to frozen tundra and rock due to the high sustained winds. Warm boots were all that was needed and we never put on our microspikes on the ascent nor descent from the summit. The summit itself was cold and windy indeed, but the views were incomparable and I can't wait to go back. 

Route: West Ridge
Posted On: 12/20/2017, By: Jay521
Info: To expand on LetsGoMets report - snowshoes definitely not needed but spikes were helpful on the way down after Mother Nature used her warming temperatures Zamboni on the ice. 

Route: Herman Gulch TH
Posted On: 12/18/2017, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Avy free route at the moment. That could change later this week, so just be aware of the slopes around you @ around 11,400 feet. Traction is very helpful getting out of tree line. Flotation could be useful if it warms up, but not needed at the moment. Ridge between Woods and Parnassus to the summit is essentially windblown and rock. 

Route: North Face Couloirs
Posted On: 7/3/2017, By: KyleS
Info: The two-track trail into the Ruby Creek cirque is completely free of snow but the multiple creek crossings are swollen and during our pre-dawn approach the crossings were icy. The couloirs on the north and northeast faces are still holding enough snow for respectable snow climbing, but the surface is heavily sun-cupped/runneled - the ski descent was less than ideal. There was also evidence of serious rockfall near the bottom of the drainpipe. Shortly after dawn we watched a pack of coyotes chase a herd of elk around the basin. 

Route: NW Slopes via Watrous Gulch
Posted On: 6/19/2017, By: xcrunner365
Info: The route from Herman Gulch TH via Watrous Gulch is 90% snow free. With only a few small lingering snow fields along the trail. Mainly from the Bard creek/ Watrous Gulch trail junction to treeline. I brought gaiters and microspikes and used neither. The water level at the stream crossing in Watrous Gulch is high and care must be taken to find the best way across.