"Lackawanna"

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/30/2024, By: PeakMiller
Info: Hiked up the first portion until snow and then booted most of the route. I skinned a bit of the middle section, but that didn't last too long. Overall, this route was great. Very direct with solid snow left and lots turns to be had.

Lots of shots of the surrounding area. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/18/2024, By: Chicago Transplant
Info: Ski is still in from the summit, snow runs out around 11,200', maybe 11,000' at best. The lower dry slope is not bad if you stay left hiking up, even found some game trails. I actually booted up the south ridge (winter route) instead of the gully but it's probably better to boot the gully. I postholed a lot the final 500' of ridge.

Gully skied well, despite a light snow shower moving in right when I clicked in on the summit. The narrows at the bottom have some debris on skiers right, stay left for better snow low. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/18/2024, By: andlours
Info: Snow starts right around 11,100, so a bit of hiking is required. I probably wouldve left my skins at home if I were to do this one again. Ski crampons were much less efficient than booting with normal crampons. With intermittent clouds, the corn skiing was phenomenal on the way down at ~10AM. Skiing down low was a little rough with the melt and an uneven snow surface, but the skiing up high made it worth it. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/4/2024, By: backcountrybrodes
Info: Me and Cooper had a superb weather day out there on the peak. T-shirt, long-sleeve base layer, and puffy were sufficient for the day. Stuff was icy in the morning but softened up at around 11am. Crampons are a good idea if youre going up early I booted the whole way and Cooper did a combo of skinning and booting bc it was so steep.

Skiing really nice right now, lots of corn to go around! We started our descent at around 12:30pm, prime snow conditions would have probably been at 11:30 or 12.

Gully is filled in to about 500ft below treeline. Go get it while the snow is there!! 

Route: SW Gully to East Face
Posted On: 4/21/2024, By: Veory
Info: The East face, West face, and SW gulleys were all skied today by different parties.

Ascent up SW sucked in the morning, too icy for good skinning, but punched through without skies. Set a bootpack, feel free to go use it haha.

East face snow was fantastic. Did trigger a wet slab on the interface between the recent storm and the harder snow beneath. Pic attached.

If you were the snowboarder on the West face, I got a single picture of you from the summit, and that sounded crusty as hell good job lol.

Also huge thanks to the guy who drove me back to my car from La Plata trailhead

Such a beautiful day! 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 4/13/2024, By: asnellstrom
Info: Oh buddy, its a go for today. Crampons for the top section. Axe used for a large glissade on the way down. Envious of the people with skis! Bottom portion through the willows is a post hole, crawl on all fours nightmare. Conditions were perfect today hopefully they hold for the rest of the weekend. 

Route: Lackawanna NW Ridge w/UN13660
Posted On: 8/6/2023, By: truekyle
Info: The first bit of the hike can be tricky to follow. There are several social trails in the trees. Don't miss your "treeline turn off". It makes for in interesting climb up slippery and steep grass. The middle section going up the grassy hill to ridge line is awful either way. Once on the ridge the route becomes enjoyable! 

Route: Lackawanna NW Ridge w/UN13660
Posted On: 7/8/2023, By: higgy
Info: Snow is not a problem, but part of the trail right before "hard right turn at the distinct gully" is partially washed out. A slip would take you down hill a ways. Another confusing thing was just before that, there appeared to be an intentional block in the trail to indicate a switchback. I took that trail and it wasn't bad, but it was lower than the real trail and when it came time to head uphill, I didn't see a good way up. I went up a steep gully full of willows. It worked, but not recommended. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 6/26/2023, By: Makbrad
Info: Conditions from June 14 - likely in worse shape since then:

Most of the bottom section is melted out and water flowing in a couple disconnected sections. The upper route was loaded with snow still, but several sections disconnected below the apron. Looked like the last 300ish feet was dry to the summit, but we didn't go take a look. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 6/5/2023, By: Tim A
Info: Definitely out for skiing, but still very much in as a snow climb. Snow starts in the choke and continues with a few breaks all the way to the summit ridge, and from there about 6-8 inches of fresh powder all the way to the summit. Snow was perfect neve today from around 7-830 even after a poor freeze and heavy overcast night. Once sun- hit it softens quickly as one expects this time of year. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/26/2023, By: Ssgustafson
Info: Beautiful morning in the SW couloir today! Started at 4:50AM, summitted 740AM and back to the truck at 920AM. Snow began at 11k' and was crunchy and solid all the way up and down, although the lower elevations would be mush later in the day (see pics). I only postholed maybe twice. Snow-melt is running on the west side of the couloir at lower elevations, but was easily avoidable. Glissaded in segments from the summit to about 11,600' making for a quick descent. No signs of fractures in the snow or slides. AND....I discovered near the bottom that I lost a pole and a snowshoe somewhere above while glissading. Would appreciate a message if anyone finds them. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/19/2023, By: 9patrickmurphy
Info: Highway is open to Graham Gulch. There is a pullout just past the gully that we parked at. No snow until 11,000ft, east bushwhack to that point.

Snow climbing was okay, a good amount of postholing due to a weak freeze, but continuous snow to just below the summit. Great ski in the upper bowl then got a bit sloppy in the tighter gully. We did it in just over 3 hours up, just under 1 hour down (on skis). 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/10/2023, By: B_2
Info: Bottom 1/4 mi through the aspens and willows is dry. Ski: I skinned most of it with ski-pons for about 1000 kick turns before traversing over to western ridgeline for last 3-400 vert. My friends chose to boot it. There is good coverage on the entire route for skiing, skied off summit with a band of exposed rocks to navigate about 50 vert from summit. We were lucky to have a few fresh inches of pow to push around on this wintery day as the base is as bulletproof as they come when it is frozen! Traction is 100% necessary no matter the mode of travel.

The goal was to traverse to UN13,660 but weather was too moody and we thought we heard thunder so turned back. The ridgeline over is currently snow-covered and skin-able until the east summit ridge which looked quite corniced and wind loaded. West side may be better/safer for an ascent at this time. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/9/2023, By: cloudkicker
Info: The freeze thaw cycle and cooler temps on Saturday treated this route nicely and made it one of my favorite snow climbs thus far. Nice hard pack on the way up- snow starts 400-500ft above the road. Beware on a warm day because there was the sound of a running stream beneath the apron- start early and consider skirting left or right to enter the gully a little higher.

Through the climb, crampons bit in 3-4 inches each step giving us a confidence boost while climbing. Two small cornices hover on the southwest ridge above the route (climbers left). We exited to the left at 13,100 rather than staying in the drainage the whole way, so that we could avoid the cornices. They arent very big but it wouldnt be fun to be caught under them nonetheless. Our route to gain the southwest ridge was probably more steep than the direct finish (we guessed >40 degrees vs 35-38) but it was the right move for us.

We came down the ridge on climbers right and met back up with the gully at around 12,500, in time for the perfect corn snow and a pleasant glissade all the way down. In theory if one didnt want to climb the uppermost part of the couloir they could take this ridge up and down, trading the snow climb for loose talus and Sawatch scree. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 4/23/2023, By: kyrawhitworth
Info: After the recent snow, the couloir is not exactly in. Powder the entire way up to the point we were so tired of snowshoes we decided to cut right early and head up the rocks to the ridge vs keeping snowshoes on. Crampons stayed in the pack. Excellent glissades down however which made the day fun in the end. Im sure things will re-settle and itll be much better conditions soon.