Pennsylvania Mountain

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/9/2025, By: Ptglhs
Info: Late afternoon Summit and the snow was mildly supportive still. Above Treeline probably 80% snow coverage but most of that is from the recent storm. Still Consolidated drifts especially in between the sub Summit and the true one. Below tree line easily 90% snow coverage with most being consolidated drifts. Some kind of flotation still mandatory unless you enjoy suffering. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/3/2025, By: kilimannejaro
Info: Really good hike today. Didn't need microspikes or snowshoes, although the latter would have been handy. Got going at 5:30am as first car in parking lot (end of the plowed portion of road); by the time I left later in the morning, plenty of people were on the mountain or nearby Pika trail. Several snowfields along the way; wasn't able to glissade due to very soft snow. Note to future hikers: the summit marker is not the first one past 13k ft. It's further along on the plateau. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 4/13/2025, By: Paterclimber
Info: Started at 8:45am and ended at 10:45am. Boots only for the whole ascent. However, my microspikes would have been helpful, and I put them on for the entire descent. Above treeline, the snow really thins. Within a mile or so of the trailhead, amongst the trees, the snow is deepest, and on the way down, I postholed several times, even while trying to follow the light snowshoe track with spikes on. So, snowshoes are still useful here, and perhaps, starting earlier - to get back down before the snow began to soften - would have been better. I only saw one pair of hikers, and they had snowshoes on. Beautiful day! The sunshine was a welcome source of warmth especially with the wind gusts. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 4/12/2025, By: brian4328937
Info: Started at 6:30, ended at 9. Brought snowshoes but never used them, if I started any later I would have used them on the last mile descent. There was hardly any snow on the trail past treeline. Lots of dry areas, don't even need spikes. Beautiful Saturday morning but surprisingly had the entire mountain to myself 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 4/7/2025, By: cloudust
Info: Snowshoed Pennsylvania Mtn. Potentially doable with boots only, but it would be a miserable slog. Snowshoes with a heel lift are even a better choice to help assist with the uphill. The road is plowed to within 0.2 miles of the TH. Granted, all of this could change with one snowfall. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 3/29/2025, By: ProfetaP
Info: Beautiful day and great views from above. But, ski conditions were not ideal.. By the time we hit the false summit before heading right to the summit we had to take the skis off and boot back up around 3 different times. Then on the way down it was concrete snow until we hit the trees, which then turned to crust and trap doors that we found ourselves in a few times. Either way, I’d still take a ski day over not skiing! For the current conditions, you need snowshoes or you’ll have a blast postholing through the trees - roughly a mile. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 3/31/2025, By: adamorsubtractem
Info: Great climb up Pennsylvania on Saturday. There was snow on the forecast, but it was clear all morning, with most of the snow falling slightly North over the Decalibron. We brought snowshoes but didn't use them -- even in the trees --as the snow was solid today except for in a few short patches. Depending on how much snow was dropped Saturday evening / Sunday or how warm it is, floatation could be helpful. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 3/16/2025, By: 14er101
Info: Trailhead accessible but some deep snow and ice. Would not recommend without at least good tires, awd, and decent clearance. Flotation necessary until at least treeline. I used flotation all day and appreciated it. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 3/10/2025, By: jacksonanduha223
Info: Solid sheet of ice and snow leading up to the trailhead on a large hill so bring chains or have 4X4. Wind was no joke once you make it past the treeline. Snowpack is frozen pretty solid up to the second false summit. This was as far as my partner and i got before heading back. Only needed microspikes but snowshoes would help for the first mile or so. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 2/24/2025, By: Scott P
Info: Snowshoes or skis needed to tree line, but optional after that. Road is snow-packed, but any AWD should be adequate. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 1/12/2025, By: 14er101
Info: Road to trailhead snow covered but plowed and no issue for HRV w/ AWD. Snowshoes nice below treeline, not really needed above treeline but were still appreciated. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 1/4/2025, By: arthurtect
Info: Google maps led us straight to the Pennsylvania Mountain trailhead (not trying to poke a bear, just hoping to clear up any confusion). Enough parking for 5ish vehicles. Snowshoes were great from TH to just above treeline. The trench/trail gets blown in pretty quickly from what we saw. Dumped the snowshoes above treeline. The steeper east slopes held snow with occasional post-holing, but to be expected and wasn't annoying. Could stay on rocks, etc. most of the way. Got to love the wind and false summits on this one! Still a beautiful day up there! 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 12/27/2024, By: Istoodupthere
Info: Will try to make this as short as possible. Bailed on Marble a few hours earlier. Pennsylvania was on way home. Got to the Pika trailhead at noon so still had time. Directions to this trailhead from a trip report I found were wrong. Does everyone use this trailhead for Pennsylvania? Gpx file I found was from other trailhead. A couple inches of snow last night was blowing around in the higher than forecasted winds made finding the trail tough in spots below treeline. Got off trail twice and into postholing hell. Following blue markers werent always helpful. Like the one in the middle of and just beyond a trail split. Thanks. A previous report said snowshoes not needed. Was this from Pika trailhead? Regretted leaving snowshoes in car. Based on reports I thought I was supposed to turn right at cairns at treeline. This led to more postholing and almost turning around. Then the thought of bailing on Marble and freaking Pennsylvania on the same day proved to be too embarrassing. Ended up piecing together small sections of bare ground, with waist deep postholing in between to gain elevation. Snow became less halfway up the first hill. At the top of the first hill I finally saw the gpx file trail. The wind and blowing snow above treeline was very difficult to manage. Near zero visibility. Goggles were a life saver. Wind was directly in my face. Was very happy to have the breadcrumb feature on my garmin watch. Wind increased near false summit. Couldnt tell if the snow was just blowing or if a storm blew in early. Couldnt see true summit. It was getting a little dangerous, on Pennsylvania ha, and I probably should have turned back. Made my way as quick as I could to true summit and immediately headed back. The wind now pushing me downhill. Turned out to be a quick descent with conditions improving near treeline. What a shit show of a day though ha. 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 12/22/2024, By: LizWeiss
Info: Did not need snowshoes. Good trench through the trees. Microspikes also not needed. Get it before it snows again! 

Route: Southeast Ridge
Posted On: 12/8/2024, By: bigfoot1
Info: There is a moderately hard packed trench at the start and it is pretty easy to follow until the first little hump with a nice rock circle. Maybe like 20% of the ridge and trail is dry after that. When there is snow, the crust is pretty breakable in the wind drifted parts and it is a bit of a pain, but it's only knee deep. I wore my rock-dulled spikes but you don't need traction. The wind was as forecasted and was a bit breezy, but nothing crazy. It was a beautiful day!