South Arapaho Peak

Route: Skywalker Couloir
Posted On: 6/4/2018, By: Buckie06
Info: Great climbing conditions in the couloir. The Princess Leia finish is still in. We measured 58 degrees with a short 3' 70 degree step. The snow was still too firm to ski but as we walked back down to the bottom we saw multiple people skiing down since the cloud cover dissipated. People above knocked down several large rocks into the couloir as they were climbing to the true summit. Two large rocks zinged by the person below me within feet of hitting him. PLEASE be careful after you top out and continue hiking to the summit as the route funnels any rocks into the couloir. 

Route: Skywalker
Posted On: 5/28/2018, By: gmarc
Info: Skywalker is in! Full snow coverage all the way up, including the direct finish. Had a good freeze last night, so the snow was really firm before the sun hit the couloir, but perfect for kicking steps up higher in the steeps when it warmed a bit. Enjoy! 

Route: Old Baldy and S. Arapaho Peak Combo
Posted On: 9/23/2017, By: CreekRunner
Info: Despite it snowing, none was accumulating on the mountain, so nothing extra is needed in regards to the mountain's conditions. 

Route: Via Fourth of July TH and South Arapaho Peak
Posted On: 8/5/2017, By: jennincolorado
Info: Trail clear of any snow. Once past the glacier overlook, we took the social route that headed up towards the ridge and then cut over to the false summit, then down a bit, then up to the summit. Cairns are there but some are knocked over. We picked up the ones we were close to. Stuck close to the ridge the whole time - little scrambling opportunities here and there. Some loose rock - be careful and be sure to yell below if rocks start to fall. 

Route: Skywalker Couloir (direct finish)
Posted On: 6/19/2017, By: Wildernessjane
Info: My friend and I climbed Skywalker this morning and conditions were decent. I wouldn't say primo but good enough. Coverage is still good. Snow conditions were pretty variable (good firm consolidated snow, a little bit of ice, and a fair bit of loose faceted snow). A small bergshrund has formed at the base of the direct exit (Princess Leia). We bypassed it by going up to the right and stepping back across the rock onto the snow. We were out well before the sun hit it and the snow held up nicely for us. 

Route: Via Fourth of July trailhead
Posted On: 6/24/2017, By: medley56
Info: Totally clear almost all the way to the mine site at the junction with the Arapahoe pass trail. Streams were high but easily crossed. Finding the trail up to the right required crossing snow fields. The hike from the saddle to the summit had intermittent snow patches. I would recommend gaiters. 

Route: Via Fourth of July trailhead
Posted On: 5/13/2017, By: addrock528
Info: Drove up to the town of Eldora and parked where the pavement ends. Rode my electric fat bike all the way to the 4th of July trailhead. The road is completely clear of snow, but presently is closed for grooming at the Hessie Trailhead fork. I suggest you call Forest Service to find out when that ends. I was able to zip on by. The whole trail is covered in snow and drifts still. There was some footprints but they quickly departed from the official trail. Route finding is very difficult due to the drifts. I made it to the 4th of July mine before turning around. The remaining trail to S. Arapaho above treeline looked mostly clear of snow. In general the snow was nice and compacted. I didn't posthole much at all. 

Route: Skywalker
Posted On: 6/22/2016, By: Col_Forbin
Info: Skywalker is now past prime conditions. A small bergshrund has formed at the bottom of the direct (princess leia) exit. This can be bypassed to finish by making a few class 4 moves on the rock to the right and then moving back onto the snow. Snow conditions were variable throughout the couloir. If you want to climb this via the direct exit, I suggest you get on this soon. Sorry for the low quality flip phone pictures. 

Route: Via Fourth of July trailhead
Posted On: 6/20/2016, By: emgordon
Info: If you want photos of Jasper, Neva, or the Arapahos, PM me. I took a ton. I hiked to Arapaho Pass and Lake Dorothy but this information is useful for the whole area. The first section to the Diamond Lake split had a fair amount of water but my feet stayed dry. The second section to the Arapaho Peak split had a lot of water and long snow to cross. The snow is pretty rotten too and not freezing overnight. It can be hard to follow the trail at times. The last bit to the Pass and Lake has maybe three snowfields to cross and the pass is clear but the lake is still frozen. 

Route: Skywalker Couloir
Posted On: 6/16/2016, By: Mike Shepherd
Info: Trail is mostly dry until near treeline, then large patches of snow. Skywalker was in excellent shape, snow was very very firm. We left from the trailhead around 330am and topped out around 6:55am, and were back at the car around 1130. We did not need snowshoes due to the snow staying firm. We only descended part of the standard route, but there was a lot of snow cover on parts of it. 

Route: Via Fourth of July trailhead
Posted On: 6/14/2016, By: forwardbias
Info: The snow above 11,000ft on the small plateau is deep and soft, you could walk 10 or 20 feet and then suddenly fall into waist deep or deeper holes, crawl out and then repeat. Snowshoes could be helpful here but might not be worth the extra weight for the short stretch where its a problem. After you start up the mountain again at around 11,400ft the snow is mostly melted and the going is easy again. After 12,800ft patches of snow start back up, its also soft but you can easily just kick in steps and move up while occasionally post holing. Not much ice so crampons weren't needed. 

Route: Skywalker Couloir
Posted On: 6/6/2016, By: supranihilest
Info: The trail from the Fourth of July trailhead is still covered by large drifts in spots, especially in the shade. These drifts were mostly solid. We did not need snowshoes. The trail itself was wet and muddy until above treeline. The Skywalker couloir itself was in excellent condition, being just slightly icy in the early morning and increasingly soft as the sun hit it. We topped out before it got dangerous, then picked our way down the mostly snow covered trail off the flank of South Arapaho and back to the main trail. 

Route: Skywalker Couloir
Posted On: 6/4/2016, By: pseudoghost
Info: Went up Skywalker this morning. Road to TH open and easily passable with some clearance. Left TH at 5:30. LOTS of snow still in this area. Trail to Arapahoe Pass has large patches with at least 12 inches of snow still. Surrounding peaks are loaded with snow still. We arrived at base of couloir at 7AM. Started up at 7:30 behind a large group from the CMC. The staircase is in after today. Snow was pretty soft to start, even at 7:30. Higher up in the couloir the snow has not fully consolidated yet. A bit of a crust overnight, but once you got through the crust, you were into pretty sugary snow in spots. Snow still felt supportive enough to safely climb. Not a lot of avy debris around Skywalker, and no one really felt there was significant danger. Significant evidence of slides on other aspects on surrounding peaks. Another group tried Mt Neva today and bailed because they felt avy conditions were ripe. We were able to do a Princess Leia finish. Be warned though, the "bergschrund" about 50 feet below the exit is covered by rotten snow. Very hard to get purchase in there, although all who attempted made it today. On another note, we saw two climbers about mid-way up the couloir (and still climbing) at 12:30 PM today on the way down. I just don't understand why some people push it so much when there is so much evidence of wet slides on surrounding peaks.... 

Route: Old Baldy and S. Arapaho Peak Combo
Posted On: 7/5/2015, By: Powder_Moose
Info: Trail snow free to summit. Some stream crossings but all passable without getting wet. 

Route: Via Fourth of July trailhead
Posted On: 6/29/2015, By: davebks
Info: The peak is clear all the way up. Trail is wet and muddy so wear boots. There are a few snow crossings near the top but no gear is needed. Overall it was in great shape and the traverse is doable without crampons. That being said, there is snow on the traverse. Use good judgement. I did get rained on a bit and I'm pretty sure I heard the thunder from the storm over bierstadt. Some of the pics are of skywalker. I saw a few ppl on it around 11am. Sorry the pics are sideways. Can I fix that on here?