5/30/2020 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 5/31/2020, By: Jonathan Deffenbaugh Info: Great climb up the Grand Couloir! Unfortunately the apron's completely melted out so prepare for some rock hopping. However there's still around 1,800' of snow climbing with good kick stepping conditions until near the summit, surprisingly there was some post holing involved. Good glissade runs on the way out, enjoy! |
|
5/22/2020 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 5/22/2020, By: WildWanderer Info: Last report still valid. Just adding pictures. I made this a snow climb, but it's possible to summit on the scree without traction or by taking the ridge. |
|
5/17/2020 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 5/18/2020, By: Kiefer Info: Absolutely no need for flotation. FSR 230 is completely dry. The bottom of the apron for the Grand is completely dry. Only the west side (climbers right) of the Grand is filled in with snow. The east side and ridge is also dry as a bone. The west ridge is dry. The couloir will only last maybe another 10-14 days. Taylor is even dryer than Aetna. |
|
5/16/2020 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 5/16/2020, By: 9patrickmurphy Info: Climbed via the ridge from Taylor, skied the Grand Couloir for descent. The couloir's in good shape today, I'm not sure what it'll look like next week though. Very narrow entrance at the top, was able to side-step down and not remove skis until 11,000. Corny and fun! Really suncupped at the bottom though. I didn't find much beta about the Taylor/Aetna ridge so I'll give my two cents: annoying but generally solid talus on the Taylor side, easing to grassy slopes to the saddle. Then it was a nasty 50% grade for maybe 150 feet that was all covered in snow (very glad to have my axe), then it was relatively easy snow/loose talus to the summit of Aetna. I've dealt with worse ridges, but this one wasn't my fave (carrying skis and ski boots on my back the whole way didn't make me love it any more). Overall definitely worth getting both these peaks in one day, especially if the descent can be so much fun! A good amount of snow in Hoffman Park basin if you're looking to just hit Taylor, too. Photo 1 - a nice sunrise Photo 2 - the Grand from above Photo 3 - the Grand from above, looking at the entrance point from the summit Photo 4 - the Grand from below. Plenty of snow, but perhaps not for long... |
|
7/9/2019 Route: Taylor/Aetna Posted On: 7/9/2019, By: madadraw1 Info: Started from old marble quarry on CR 228. All snow avoidable to Taylor summit. A couple stretches of consolidated snow on ridge connecting Taylor & Aetna. Able to glissade down some of this on descent of Aetna. Glissaded down 700-1000 ft from Taylor summit. Again, this snow was avoidable on way up. Note, need at least a cross over vehicle to get up to the marble quarry. |
|
6/16/2019 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 6/16/2019, By: Tim A Info: Aetna is past its prime for skiing. Made it 1.5 miles up the road to the Boss Lake TH in an Outback, and the mile from there to the avy runout features off and on snow patches. Runout below the Grand is dry and made for a tedious crossing of the talus field. Consistent snow starts around 11,200 but it's a thin band for several hundred feet through some trees. Firm for cramponing this morning at 5am. Upper third became really punchy by 6:30 so I followed a bootpack climbers right side of the couloir to the summit. A fresh two inches of snow on the upper mountain. Pic 4 is the traverse to Taylor. Looks mostly dry once the powder burns off today. |
|
6/14/2019 Route: From Taylor Mountain A Posted On: 6/14/2019, By: WildWanderer Info: I didn't summit today due to high winds, but early morning conditions (otherwise) looked perfect to make this a loop either way, from Aetna or Taylor. Here are some photos from Taylor Mountain A and the ridge of Mt Aetna for those of you looking to do the loop. |
|
6/9/2019 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 6/11/2019, By: Giant hills Info: Road was drivable to about 1.5mile of apron. Avalanche debris blocked road looked like they're working on getting cleared. Walkable patchy snow until about half mile of apron then continuous skinable snow. Couloir had a nice freeze and was in good shape. was in great condition for riding around 930. Snow is starting to become patchy on lower portions but upper portion still has a lot in there. |
|
5/30/2019 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 5/30/2019, By: desertdog Info: About half way up the approach road still has plenty snow. The main part of the couloir still has snow. We booted it till the steep section then used crampons and ice axes. Never needed snowshoes. Get there early for this one. We were lazy and hit about the bottom of the couloir about 630am and by the time we were at the steep section we were sinking down quite a bit. |
|
5/4/2019 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 5/5/2019, By: eskermo Info: Probably 12 or so folks on this route yesterday. Continuous skinnable snow starts at 0.3 miles and is only interrupted by an avalanche debris field you'll need to step over ~1 mile from the trailhead. The ski is in from from not far from the summit. There was a pretty big avalanche a couple days prior (?) that ran almost half the length of the line, but there was decent snow on either side of the path to follow. There were some pretty big cornices on the ridgeline on climbers left. The snow on the top half sucked for skiing - we didn't want to wait for it to warm up. The bottom half was pretty great corn riding though. The road out is rideable but there's some serious poling involved. Thank you to whoever put the boot pack in up high prior to Saturday! |
|
4/19/2019 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 4/19/2019, By: bmcqueen Info: Went up the Grand today. Conditions were ideal. Headed across to Taylor after that. |
|
3/26/2019 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 3/27/2019, By: phatteus Info: This is a side view of the Grand Couloir from the top of Pancha Pass 16 miles away. Zoom in to see the massive cornices overhanging the couloir. |
|
6/9/2018 Route: Ridge from Taylor Mtn Posted On: 6/16/2018, By: majtytom Info: just one snowfield in the saddle, which is easily bypassed, and other snowfields on the ridge pose no issue. Essentially summer conditions. Going down from Aetna to FS230 was tough (steep and scree/gravel) and I would not recommend going up this way ever as it must be a struggle for sure (cca 3K feet in 1 mile). |
|
5/12/2018 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 5/13/2018, By: JosephG Info: The "Grand" is pretty sad, more like the "petite." Melted out until about 12,900', but that at least means the fun part of the climb remained snowy. Snow was firm in the early a.m., with an evident freeze line around 13,300' or so (although the snow from 12,900'-13,300' was well bonded and not going anywhere). No cornices to speak of. The east-ish face of Aetna has more snow, including a continuous (and obviously skied) snow line from the summit down to the Hoffman Park basin area. Bushwhack from Taylor back to CR 230 featured some fun rotten snow in the trees, but nothing extreme. |
|
5/5/2018 Route: Grand Couloir Posted On: 5/6/2018, By: Trotter Info: Road is covered with snow starting about 1 mile in, well packed by snowmobiles, didn't need snowshoes all day. Couloir snow is down to about 10-20 feet wide on one side below ~12,000 feet, and widens out considerably above that. Plenty of rocks sticking through. Only one large cornice, and its way off to the side. I think the couloir only has 1 or 2 weeks left if no new snow. |
