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Jones Mountain

Peak Condition Updates  
5/28/2022
Route: Niagara Falls
Posted On: 5/31/2022, By: CheapCigarMan
Info: Took Jones' South Ridge Route from Niagara. I found this to be a very easy ride. Mostly Class 1 across the gentle grassy saddle with easy Class 2 to the summit. Used crampons and ice axe as I glissaded down Niagara to the saddle. From there, dry. No flotation, no traction. Once back down to the saddle glissaded several times on nice consolidated snow until I got back to the road. 
8 3
1/15/2022
Route: American Pie
Posted On: 1/16/2022, By: blazintoes
Info: MadDadMike and I skinned up the Snares Stairs then split as he went for his orphaned Niagara and me all 3 with American first. Trek to Jones looks meaner than it is. The snow was stable and there were no excuses to not keep moving. This is some of the best January conditions I've ever experienced unlike last year as looked over at Half Peak which destroyed me and my phone. But that's winter climbing. Varies day to day, year to year. It was so nice to pretend to keep up with Mike as I'm feeling like an imposter behind him but the conversation was good all the way up and 5 miles went by so fast together. I stashed my skis and snowshoed up American as the sun peaked out behind Half. It was steep but the snow was solid. The summit was corniced but easy to walk across. The side hilling to Jones wasn't annoying and the scary loose east ridge was easy to navigate. I made it there an hour after American and another hour to Niagara where I could see Mikes tracks and a cairn he made for me. Cute. Of course his classic B&B cairn was on the summit. I sent him a message that I got 3 for 3. Yippie! With crampons I made quick time all day and down the final descent into the Snare Creek basin. I made the mistake of following mikes ski tracks down and got too far below where my skis were stashed and had to trench back up then cross the last drainage down and back up to the Stairs. Torture! When I finally got to my skis I couldn't get the pin binding to snap into ski mode so I strapped them to my pack and hiked all the way to Cuba gulch then skinned back to the car at Cataract. It was best to keep skins on anyway. Hey I'm a ski mountaineer now!!! There's no excuse to not get out and climb the San Juan's now. They are in perfect condition! Get it! 
15 6
10/3/2021
Route: from American via Snare Stairs
Posted On: 10/5/2021, By: madmattd
Info: Traversed over from American, some snow here and there from the saddle to the summit, mostly in the lower half. We used microspikes for this lower stretch, then took them off for the second half of the ascent as it was on mostly dry rock. Descent to the Jones-Niagara saddle was almost entirely snow, from 1"-6", spikes were nice for the whole thing. Dropped from the saddle to the basin and picked up the old road back to the cabin at the top of the Snare Stairs, pretty much snow-free. 
9/19/2021
Route: From Burns Gulch
Posted On: 9/21/2021, By: Tweedie
Info: Climbed American, Jones then Niagara from burns gulch. The upper trailhead is easily accessible. There was a fresh dusting of snow above 13,000', which was easy to handle and not an issue since we wore boots over trail runners. The trails were in good conditions and no issues. Saw some climbers on Handies. 
4
7/4/2021
Route: West Face via American Basin
Posted On: 7/4/2021, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Departed Handies Trail around 12,300. West Face has snow but can be mostly avoided to saddle on somewhat unpleasant scree on the right side if one wished. Snow free to summit of Jones from there. Used spikes, axe, trail runners. 
4 1
10/20/2020
Route: Burns Gulch Loop
Posted On: 10/20/2020, By: tjf242424
Info: Summer conditions for the entire loop over Niagara-Jones-American. I made it to the 4wd upper TH in Burns Gulch in a Chevy Tahoe. A Subaru or similar can probably do it. 
10/10/2020
Route: american basin
Posted On: 10/11/2020, By: Trotter
Info: Needs a summit register 
8/30/2020
Route: From Niagara Peak
Posted On: 8/30/2020, By: supranihilest
Info: From Niagara descend back down to the Jones/Niagara saddle. Take the use trail up and across the west side of the ridge. It's all Class 2 and moderate angle, though sometimes loose. 
6/25/2020
Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 6/27/2020, By: brauda02
Info: Ascended Jones and Niagara vía their saddle from Snare on the ascent then descended into Grouch Gulch as part of my Durango to Longs hike. Saddle is holding some snow but can be mostly avoided. Both ridges are dry. Jones is easy from saddle. 
6/21/2020
Route: Northeast ridge
Posted On: 6/22/2020, By: Alrightmax
Info: Both North and South saddles have enough snow that you should bring an ice axe, but the peak itself is mostly clear. We exited via the Niagara/Jones saddle, and that is still holding quite a bit. We got a nice glissade in, and another in the basin below. 
9/21/2019
Route: Jones Group Ridge
Posted On: 9/23/2019, By: Randy1983
Info: Did the Jones Group last weekend. Did UNP13,466 on accident and connected its ridge to American Peak. That ridge was pretty fun but a bit spicy. Probably class 3-4 with areas of very high exposure depending on your exposure tolerance and route finding. From American it was just a standard late summer trek across the scree and talus over to Jones Mountain, Niagara Peak and Crown Mountain. There were a few areas of light scrambling, but easily manageable. Another awesome day solo in the San Juan's. I'm guessing UNP13,466 isn't considered a countable summit? I don't see it listed in the 13er check list, nor is it in Roach's book as a viable route for the group. If anyone has any more info on this point/summit I'd love to find out more on it and the ridge. Thanks :) 
9/2/2019
Route: from American Basin
Posted On: 9/3/2019, By: 9patrickmurphy
Info: The scree slope getting up to American's ridge/saddle still has a good amount of snow, really icy in the morning. Really wish I had brought crampons, as the rocks surrounding it are loose and about as bad as the icy snow. Route from American's saddle is a little hard to find at first, just go straight up the ridge crest, slightly right. There aren't any cairns. Hardest part is the initial gain of Jones' ridge. Loose, hardly any trail or cairns, follow it up until you find a trail start to traverse off to the left. This stays below the ridge crest, is a littlehard to follow, but trust it until you hit a saddle, then it's solid trail up the final pitch to the summit. Really good trail from Jones to Niagara. You can skirt underneath of Jones' summit on the return so as to save yourself some annoying gain. Pretty loose, but at this point you should be used to it. See my condition report for American for how I finished the day. 
8/21/2019
Route: Snare Gulch
Posted On: 8/21/2019, By: dwoodward13
Info: Hiked Jones via Snare Gulch from the Cataract Gulch TH. All avy debris cleared from the 4wd road. The Snare Steps are mostly clear, although very annoying for hiking with a variable rock surface. Think Rock of Ages, but not many people to form a trail. Followed the mining roads to a small lake at 12.8 just southwest of PT 13,342. Gained the Jones-Niagara ridge just northeast of the saddle via a mostly grassy rib off the lake. Some loose scree near the top but not bad. Rest of the way to the summit is dry and a use trail is visible. Descended via the low saddle which was fine as well. Segments of use trails here and there to get back to the lower mining roads. 
7/18/2019
Route: From American Peak
Posted On: 7/21/2019, By: HikerGuy
Info: No gear needed from American to Jones, almost entirely dry. See conditions report for American Peak ascent. Descended Northeast Face on American after tagging Niagara and reascending Jones. Axe not needed for descent, only used on ascent of American. 
9/18/2018
Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 9/18/2018, By: madadraw1
Info: Can get Rav4 up to river crossing, higher than report from SummitPost would seem to indicate. Then 4x4 ideal. Summer conditions. On this route, hiked up basin to Jones-Niagara saddle. When you start to climb the saddle, stick to the left... I followed a social trail up on hikers right which was quite loose. Trail on hikers left was obvious on my decent and much more pleasant. To get this right, just go due West when close to starting the ascent to the saddle and you'll run into it. THANKS to only other hiker on the mountain today for all your help! And on your birthday, nonetheless. Hope it was a good day!