North Star Mountain

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 4/21/2026, By: brian4328937
Info: Still a good amount of snow on the ridge. Not enough to need traction just enough to be a little annoying after awhile. You can avoid a good amount of it if you really want, it’s just going to take longer. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 2/8/2026, By: sarahmariekirk
Info: Similar condis to yesterday — hardly any snow. Spikes helped but can get by without them. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 2/7/2026, By: happyallyy
Info: Successful summit on 2/7/26. Fall-like conditions out there- the road is partially snow covered, and gaining the saddle there’s one snow patch to cross. Once above it, we were able to locate the summer trail. We used spikes and poles, no flotation needed. Get out there before the next storm! 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 12/21/2025, By: ProfetaP
Info: Skinned up North Star (as far as I could) and started booting around 12k along the ridge. Around 12.8k, I was able to throw the skis on and ski down to around 12k (the notch), where there is a collapsed little shed, In this 800', I had to take the skis off for a minute, but was able to keep them on the rest of the time and had some great turns (East facing - under 30 degrees). At the top of Hoosier Quick Shot, I dug a pit, and it was 60cm (I couldn't believe it - definitely a wind drift spot). Quick shot is thinner on the East side, so I stuck more SE between it and the approach up. I hit this line around 12, and it was far too warm - you'd break right through, and it was grabby. Either way, got some solitude and great turns - We just need some snow, it looks like July out there. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 11/15/2025, By: Dignus
Info: Summer(!) conditions. Hardly a patch of snow. If you take the faint trails through the mining equipment up to the first false peak watch out for shafts and rusty nails. Goats are also active in this area.
https://youtube.com/shorts/FQD0V0J7Wls?feature=share
https://youtu.be/x9NxT0BnXrM 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 11/6/2025, By: bigfoot1
Info: A small bit of completely avoidable snow and ice on the road in the first quarter mile, completely bare after that. Summer conditions. Wind wasn't as bad as forecasted, maybe 2 gusts the entire time I was on the ridge that couldn't have been more than 40mph.

FOUND: orange nalgene water bottle that says wilderness athlete on it. Water inside was frozen solid. Found along the ridge. Let me know if it's yours and I will get it back to you! Took it with me instead of leaving it at the hoosier pass trailhead because I thought it would just get blown away by the wind. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 9/27/2025, By: sehessler92
Info: Started at 1:15 pm and made it back to the car by 5:10. The ascent was a bit warm, but it cooled off nicely for the descent. The route is well cairned up to the ridge. Snow patches are still around but easy to avoid, and shallow enough to walk through if you prefer. Spotted a family of mountain goats just below the summit. I brought my dog along and ended up putting booties on her about halfway up since the sharp rocks were starting to cause hot spots on her paws. Had the entire route to ourselves all afternoon! 8.5 miles and 2300’ of elevation gain. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 7/4/2025, By: cloudust
Info: Parked at Hoosier Pass. There is one significant snow field on CR 2 that is easily skirted on foot. (This is around 11,800' as mentioned in the peak conditions report from 6/21/2025.) There were tire tracks through it, so someone did at least try. Upon starting the ridge traverse, there is one snowfield. It can be avoided; however, do so gently & cautiously, as the angle is steep and the rock slides easily. I was caught in a grapple, precipitation situation on the ridgeline that left everything very wet & slick. If hiking in the next couple of days, simply know the traverse requires extra caution to account for slippery rock. Mama Nature 100% showed off. The views were amazing, and I was actually above a rainbow! 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 6/21/2025, By: nedryarson
Info: Parked at the main Hoosier Pass lot, could have driven up to around 11,800 where a few vehicles (Wrangler, Forester, Tacoma) had parked before a big snowfield blocks the road. Beyond that, for reference when the snowfield melts, just one significant obstacle - a deep rutted and eroded section. May want a higher clearance SUV or truck there.

Didn't go ridge direct but instead took the mining road trail to where it ends at some cool mining structures. Lost the trail here for a bit but picked it up above the mine to the ridge. It turns right from the road trail about a hundred yards before it ends. Skirted a couple small snow sections but never considered putting on spikes. Took about 5hr total. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 2/2/2025, By: cloudkicker
Info: Snowshoes not needed. The road from Hoosier Pass is very well booted and packed down. On the shoulder on and near the summer trail it’s a mix of sastrugi and wind scoured class 1+ talus/tundra.

On the ridge, we wore crampons between the first summit and the true summit but quickly discovered they were total overkill. Spikes would be just fine. On the way back from the true summit we went without any traction (boots only) and didn’t have any problems.

Just one small cornice to navigate shortly after gaining the ridge and it’s really not big enough to be a major concern. We went up and to the right of it. No other cornices present that were called out in previous winter trip reports.

There was some annoying calf deep post holing on the summit ridge where the snow went from being hard packed to dry sugar/soft packed. Snowshoes still not worth it though IMO. Better to have increased range of motion in spikes on the summit ridge.

7hr 30min car to car but a lot of that was the tedious postholing in our crampons when they were not needed, so it took us maybe 45min longer than necessary on the ridge. Also lots of breaks.

Summit register is intact and in great shape, plastic peanut butter jar with a memo pad (only 3-5 pages of entries) and a mechanical pencil. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 12/14/2024, By: madmattd
Info: Enough snow below treeline that we used snowshoes for ~1mi on ascent, but didn't bother on descent and only postholed a couple times. From the 12.1k saddle to the Eastern summit there's some bare rock, some wind-packed snow sections, sections of thin snow cover, many sections of foot-deep snow of various density, and sections that are at least hip-deep. In other words, the typical early-winter tedious conditions with no correct gear choice - we booted and/or spiked and that was probably best overall though the snowshoes would have been handy in places.

The ridge from the Eastern summit (the one marked on many maps, but NOT the true summit by ~200' of elevation!) to the true summit is currently passable with care - there's a lot of wind-packed lips (almost semi-cornices) to the South, with a fairly dry North side. We walked basically on the dividing line while ensuring any snow we stepped on was supported and not going to let go. It took time, a bit over an hour each way, but went fine. As noted by many others, that ridge is deceptively long - the true summit hides until you're halfway across and realize you've got a ways to go yet!

The wind today was rough though manageable - a good chunk of the ascent to the Eastern summit (and descent of the same) was sustained solidly in the upper 20s mph with some mid-40s gusts. Interestingly most of the ridge traverse was comparatively tame and we hung out on the summit for 10-15 min in what was maybe 5mph breezes.

Some evidence of an old-ish slide on the SouthEast side of the mid-ridge summit. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 9/1/2024, By: cdgibbons
Info: Summer conditions, obviously. Lesser summits, greater views. New register as of 1/23. Lots of people somewhere on the mountain (bluebird Saturday of Labor Day weekend) but as far as I could tell, no one else summitted. Note that the topo map names "North Star Mountain" as the east subpeak, not the summit. The route on the shoulder is well cairned and easy to follow. It's also possible to stay on the road all the way to the highest visible mine, climb 20 feet of dirt directly above the mine, and pick up a good trail to the same ridge saddle. 

Route: Southeast Shoulder
Posted On: 7/5/2024, By: mijoflynn
Info: Mostly summer conditions, with just a few minor patches of snow remaining: on the road south of the Hoosier Pass hill (pic 1); at the base of the southeast shoulder (pic 2); just below "East North Star" as you start the ridge (pic 3); and halfway between "East North Star" and "The Butterknife" (pic 4). All are avoidable if desired; I went over them without any difficulty. There's no snow past "The Butterknife" (pic 5).

FYI: Wheeler, on the other hand, does not appear to be in summer conditions: Wheeler Lake is still partially frozen, the upper lake is still totally frozen, and there's lots of snow in the upper basin yet (pic 6).

That's my 200th different peak in CO! 

Route: Polaris Couloir
Posted On: 6/7/2024, By: adamhp93
Info: Road was still blocked about a mile from the summer gate, but almost completely dry; should open any day now. The trail itself was also dry until reaching the western end of the upper lake.
Snow through the valley was surprisingly sturdy, with no snowshoes needed at 7am. They were nice to have on the way out, though.

We actually ascended a couloir about 400m east of Polaris and then descended Polaris. Snow was higher quality and sturdier in Polaris, but both were decidedly soft. Definitely worth getting in and out early if youre thinking of doing this one. I did trigger a minute slide at about 13,000 that continued for quite a ways. My climbing partner was on skis, but I downclimbed the whole thing, and I was sinking to mid-calf easily by the time we exited Polaris at 11:15. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 5/23/2024, By: GreatGlissader
Info: Snow almost the entire way from TH to summit. Some dry spots on top of that little hill to go over to get to the road junction at 12,100ft. East ridge to real summit was all snow and a lot more enjoyable than when it's rocky.