5/31/2025 Route: Moonshine Couloir Posted On: 5/31/2025, By: slawrence2011 Info: Started just after 5 from Fremont Pass S. Trailhead. Easily accessible in my civic with some moderately careful navigating. Discontinuous Snow starts right from TH at 11K, became reasonably continuous at 11,3. Started skinning around 11,4. Note that the drainage that goes to the NE bowl from the road is starting to get very thin on snow. I got it to be continuous on the way down by going E of the creek, but I had to take skis off once on the way up. It is also very trapdoory, so I doubt it will last long. The basin is in great shape, it was very soft even by 8-9. The couloir looked "out" at the top due to exposed rocks, but it still went reasonably well for climbing, and good for skiing with side stepping through the choke, which is about 1 ski width now, and very steep. Summited around 9:30, descended around 9:45, the upper part of the steep side step part is more N facing, so the upper part of that was perfect side stepping conditions, but then when it starts to turn more E, that was soft and more scary side stepping. The snow was on the soft side below, probably :30 to :60 past it's prime but reasonably safe. I doubt this will be in much longer, and one could argue it wasn't really in today. Thanks to the other party for the majority of the boot pack! Back to the car around 11:30. |
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4/26/2025 Route: Moonshine Couloir Posted On: 4/26/2025, By: Veory Info: Started from the car at 730 in a cloud, climbed the couloir in pretty great booting conditions. A handful of skiers were up there before us, but I think we timed it pretty well, dropping in around 1045. Could've waited longer for the best snow. The cornice is plenty there and plenty big, with small pieces shedding off occasionally. Top part had a few rocks, but after this was pretty consistent and fun. We skied down to the valley and then skied Tweto after. |
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9/29/2024 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 9/29/2024, By: mjlucarelli Info: Still summer conditions from Fremont Pass South TH to the summit. The little amount of snow still left in the area is completely avoidable. |
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9/1/2024 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 9/4/2024, By: mtngoatwithstyle Info: Did not summit due to clouds rolling in as I reached the ridge at 13,100ft. Turned around. Dry conditions from railroad tracks up the forest to clearing and ridge. The forest has many social trails but found one that took. me almost all the way out. |
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6/29/2024 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 6/29/2024, By: durkan Info: All snow can be avoided, though at times you could find some bogs and wet grass for some early morning cold toes. Summer conditions, even to Tweto. |
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5/27/2024 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 5/27/2024, By: Ssgustafson Info: Continuous snow from the TH to summit. I started at 650AM in boots and quickly transitioned to snowshoes as the snow was already softening in the forest. After tree line I switched to crampons and wore them until re-entering the forest on the descent. There was no bootpack to follow and at times I was sinking 6 or more inches all the way up. Definitely bring an ice axe to help circumnavigate the obstacles on the ridge on moderately steep snow/ice. Snow conditions remained good descending from the ridge at about 11AM, but I was really glad to have snowshoes back in the trees. |
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5/5/2024 Route: Tweto and Arkansas Traverse Posted On: 5/5/2024, By: Anima Info: Went up North Ridge of Arkansas and traversed to Tweto. We could see a nice bootpack heading up Moonshine Couloir with a couple skiers on it. Still lots of snow but was firm all day. Probably best to avoid the ridge, instead stay on the west / south side. Lots of big cornices are beginning to separate, leaving human sized cracks, as I found out when I fell in one. |
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4/26/2024 Route: North Ridge to Moonshine Couloir Posted On: 4/27/2024, By: jeffh7 Info: Climbed the North Ridge and skied the Moonshine Couloir. The North Ridge in snowy conditions was a lot spicier than class 2 in the summer. The cornice at the drop-in to the Moonshine Couloir was massive. We built an ice ax + ski anchor and belayed our first three skiers into the couloir. We performed some ski cuts to try to trigger the wind slab and nothing went. The drop-in required a steep traverse over exposed cliff edges. Not for the faint of heart. Powder skiing in the couloir was phenomenal. |
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2/25/2024 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 2/26/2024, By: durkan Info: Tried to stick to track, because of which we had to break trail in snowshoes, so hopefully that trench is still there from the road thru the trees. Kept snowshoes on with the heel lift assist until a couple hundred feet below the reaching the smooth part of the ridge. Could spot some cairns below the ridge after scrambling up more, so we followed those. However I was sinking up to my waist or more at times trying to traverse on the west side of the ridge. Between warming and poor snow, an hour past turn around time, and a hurt hand: we turned just before reaching the traverse below the crux. Descent had plenty of postholing and trapdoors. |
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11/12/2023 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 11/12/2023, By: lauren_exploring_ Info: Snow is present on the entirety of the trail to the summit. Snowshoes and microspikes are necessary. Started off in snowshoes up to the first ridge then swapped them out for microspikes for the ridge leading to the summit. I slipped into quite a few "trap doors", so it pays to be cautious on descent. It was a stellar day out there. |
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10/14/2023 Route: Tweto and Arkansas Traverse Posted On: 10/15/2023, By: kyrawhitworth Info: We were able to get 1/2 mile or so past the 2WDTH by London Mill and decided to park. Some small spots of snow on the road. Didnt need spikes up to Tweto but should have put them on when descending to the Tweto/Arkansas saddle as the spots of snow made things a bit slick. Spikes not needed on the rest of the way up to Arkansas. Sawatch and Elks looked pretty snowy out in the distance. On the way back, We sidehilled below the Tweto summit to avoid re-summiting. Saw moose, a herd of elk, and mountain goats so keep your eyes out! |
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9/29/2023 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 9/29/2023, By: cdgibbons Info: Summer conditions, for now; light snow is nearby but not on the route. Fun, straightforward route. There is a serviceable trail through the trees, but the forest is open enough that doesn't matter that much if you find it. The route to bypass the towers is cairned as well. No other people on a beautiful September Friday; saw a moose cow and two calves at timberline. Aspen are in perfect form this weekend. |
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9/24/2023 Route: Tweto and Arkansas Traverse Posted On: 9/24/2023, By: donovanrice Info: Snow free! Don't recommend skirting the false summit ridge on the way back, as you'll deal with a lot looser of talus and scree. |
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9/9/2023 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 9/11/2023, By: nedryarson Info: Followed the Route Description on the site other than some variations in my ascent/descent through the forest. Left trailhead 6:25, summit 9:20, left summit 10:00, returned to trailhead at 11:45. |
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6/29/2023 Route: North Ridge Posted On: 6/29/2023, By: blazintoes Info: Dry. Enjoyed the east side scramble up more than the west side down. Also Moonshine is in. Easy couloir. |
