5/31/2025 Route: From Beaver Creek Posted On: 6/1/2025, By: VeraUndertow Info: Started from Ford Hall Parking at 2:45 AM, about an hour later than I wanted and hiked in trail runners to Beaver Lake where I hit more consistent snow. I switched to booting at 10k and skinned the rest of the way to the upper turquoise lake chute, then booted up 1000 ft to the top of the chute. I was able to skin from the top of the chute to where the ridge narrows before Jackson summit. Climbed some class 3 in my ski boots, then skinned over the ridge of Jackson to 13,443. I was able to ski down a patch of snow most of the way to saddle then booted up to the 13443 summit and got there around 10:30 AM. I dropped down the cornice edge and skied warmer snow than I was hoping to ski but still reasonably supportable, then climbed back up to the saddle and booted up to Jackson on dry rocks. Dropped Jackson around 11:45 am and skied some decent heavy corn for as many turns as I could bear to reclimb before turning around and regaining the ridge just before the narrow section of the ridge. From there I was able to ski back past upper Turquoise lake before switching to skins and slogging out. Totals were 21 miles and 7k vert in 13:40 total time. The way out was a sufferfest of postholing on skis, but really cool to ski "that snowy face" I always look at this time of year. |
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7/8/2023 Route: From Beaver Creek Posted On: 7/8/2023, By: blazintoes Info: Rode my bike up to the wilderness boundary on Turquoise Lake trail. Hiked from there to Turquoise Lake. A few downed tree and marsh areas along the way. Went up a steep dry sandy gully on the west side of the lake. Snow patches on the long way to the shoulder are avoidable. From the shoulder to the summit ridge the final tower scramble was more challenging than expected. Theres one snow patch near the summit because a summit ski is possible. 21 mile day, 6300 vert and 9 hours. |
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10/8/2022 Route: From Beaver Creek Posted On: 10/8/2022, By: hr011242 Info: No snow until you gain the ridge (which means like 16+ miles of dry hiking!), and then from there on out the snow remains fairly continuous. It wasn't bad, it just made travel a little more tedious over the consistently rocky terrain. I brought traction and never took it out of my pack - I found that I was mostly rock-hopping snowy talus or engaging in some (usually) only ankle-deep post holing. I wore trail runners and would do it again, only next time I wouldn't forget an extra pair of socks. Your feet WILL get wet right now. I was in denial, haha. 9 hrs and 45 mins RT with the snow. |
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7/10/2022 Route: beaver creek Posted On: 7/10/2022, By: Trotter Info: Summer conditions. Parked overnight at the Hall parking garage with no issues. We camped at lower turquoise lake, several good spots. Ascent gully is easy to find above upper lake, and not too terrible. Mosquitos are out and hungry. |
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9/25/2021 Route: from Beaver Creek Parking Garage Posted On: 9/25/2021, By: ScottLovesRMNP Info: This is a long trek (close to 20 miles round trip) and has lots of elevation gain, but with the exception of a steep gully climb for a few hundred feet above Upper Turquoise Lake, most of the elevation gain is gradual. I liked the route. Aspen trees are nearing their peak in the area. Trail is in great shape all the way to Upper Turquoise Lake. Area seems peaceful and not crowded once you get about 1-2 miles up from the resort. |
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10/14/2020 Route: From Cross Creek Posted On: 10/14/2020, By: WildWanderer Info: Small amounts of snow below treeline. Above treeline there's sugary snow in the gullies. Most of it's avoidable. The unavoidable snow is not very deep. No traction needed. The ridge is dry. The wind was insane both above and below treeline: look for freshly fallen trees on the trail. While 'route finding' below treeline I saw two separate sets of bear tracks in snow. They had different gaits and one set was much larger than the other, but both were from adult bears. I saw these tracks in two very different areas, so be on the lookout. |
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9/18/2020 Route: Beaver Creek/Turquoise Lakes Posted On: 9/19/2020, By: JasonKline Info: Summer conditions. The small amount of snow from the early September storm was easily avoidable. |
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9/5/2020 Route: Cross creek Posted On: 9/6/2020, By: 9patrickmurphy Info: Holy h*ck what a bushwack. Crazy steep route, really demanding day. Gorgeous views. I won't say much more than the previous trip reports (I studied bergsteigen's the closest) have said, but I'll reiterate that it's a rugged route, with lots of terrible underbrush to stab your legs and tons of dead branches to snap under every step. And that's just getting to treeline! We did this as a three-day trip (hike in, summit day, hike out), which I would recommend. It was especially hot this weekend which took a lot out of me, but this would be a hell of a single-day push. We got a later start on the pack in due to traffic and camped about 6 miles from the trailhead at an idyllic campsite with great views of Holy Cross. If you're planning on camping just past the bridge as some have suggested, it's brand-spanking new as of 09/04/2020! Saw lots of forest service guys hiking out with huge saws and llamas carrying gear. Really nice and secluded camping farther up the trail, but plenty of crowds of day hikers further down. When we got back to the car, the forest service issued a warning and had signs around saying not to park on the side of the road, but I'm not sure how that'll go since there are only about 12 parking spots without parking on the road... Not sure if they'll actually enforce it or if it's a labor day thing. Great time in the mountains. Wouldn't recommend going out of your way for this one as it was just such an exhausting day, but if you're looking for a backpacking trip somewhat close by with a 13er available, this is a great option. |
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7/22/2014 Route: Beaver Lake Posted On: 7/22/2014, By: dave alex Info: Great route. No snow and rock was solid on ridge. |
