"Lackawanna"

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: sarahmariekirk
Info: Summited Lackawanna today (4/23) via the Southwest Gully with Matt, Kyra and Ryan. We saw someone go up this route recently on 4/18 but with the recent snowfall, I would say this couloir is not exactly in yet. We were in snowshoes the entire time because the snow was not consolidated enough to switch to crampons, and the steeper slopes we would sink in to our knees in some spots. I would give this route another week or two to firm up before hitting it. The warm temperatures today made for a great glissade nearly the entire descent. Also thank you to the awesome dude who found my second ice axe on the upper slopes and returned it to me at the trailhead! You are a real one! 

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. 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 4/18/2023, By: spoony
Info: Road is open past La Plata Trailhead, so I parked right at the base of the gulley. Snow does go to the road, but the vegetation makes it almost impossible to ski. The twigs abate a few hundred yards up the hill and snow in the gulley was consolidated and firm when I started at around 7:30 am. I walked up in my ski boots for quite a ways then put on crampons. Brought my ice ax, but just used my ski poles the whole way up. Once you leave the gully, there is a nasty breakable crust over top of 5-10 inches of unconsolidated snow sitting atop a firm base. The crust made for slower stepping, but it was manageable. You can stay on snow until the summit but you have to wander a little bit once you reach the ridge. Unfortunately for me, the clouds and wind came in early today and the snow never softened so the skiing was absolutely awful. The breakable crust skied like breakable crust and the scrape-y firm snow in the gully was almost as bad. It only softened in the last five turns right above the road. Nevertheless, this route is in if you need a good workout close to the pavement. 

Route: Lackawanna NW Ridge w/UN13660
Posted On: 10/17/2022, By: jmhauck
Info: Stayed dry in trail runners. Little bit of packed snow here and there. 

Route: Lackawanna NW Ridge w/UN13660
Posted On: 10/1/2022, By: jbealer
Info: Way more snow then expected, wish i had my winter boots, gators and heavier mitts. Wore spikes on the way down. But we made it. Then got caught in some thunder snow around 2pm still above the trees. Expecting more snow later today 

Route: Lackawanna NW Ridge w/UN13660
Posted On: 6/21/2022, By: zootloopz
Info: If you like 8 different colors of wildflowers on your hike then Lackawanna is in right now. Summer conditions on ridge from Casco as well as NW ridge route. 87th centennial! W/ vertical_volume 

Route: Southwest Gully
Posted On: 5/5/2022, By: Istoodupthere
Info: Ice axe and crampons mandatory. Had a decent freeze the night before but snow conditions were getting wet and unconsolidated in the late morning. Lots of sun hits the snow early above 12,000'. No avalanche scares. Mostly breaking through an inch of crust down into a couple inches of softer snow. A couple post holes in the steep areas were a bit startling. I tried to stay on the right side as much as possible to stay in the more shaded areas and avoiding the deeper snow in the middle. Going down, the snow was getting slick so had to go slowly on the steepest part. Was able to glissade from about 12k to 11.5k. Above that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop myself with the wettish steep snow. Also didn't want to smash my coccyx with the rapidly receding snow. Not sure how much snow it received Tuesday night. I wouldn't do this route again until next year unless there was a very hard freeze in the next few days. No sign of any other person doing this route recently. 

Route: Lackawanna NW Ridge w/UN13660
Posted On: 7/16/2021, By: mijoflynn
Info: Spring snowmelt is done, so North Fork Lake Creek has come way down since the last CR on Lackawanna; crossing was a breeze. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to follow the trail; the route description makes it sound really sketchy, but it was perfectly clear all the way to treeline. Beyond treeline, actually -- the trail continues to traverse south across the west face of UN 13,660 after it clears the trees, so if you don't like the gully that Middlebrook went up, you can follow the trail until you find one you like better (I ascended one gully further south, and descended one gully further south than that). No snow anywhere. Quick and easy centennial hike -- 3:00 hours up, 1:45 back. Saw one other person as I was descending Lackawanna. Great views, as there are from any peak in that area, but the view straight up the North Fork Lake Creek valley is especially nice.