Mt. Yale Trip Report 03/01/2016

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Mt. Yale - 14,200 feet
Date Posted	03/01/2016
Date Climbed	02/27/2016
Author	Somewhat of a Prick
Additional Members	falcon568

Winter Slog Up Mt. Yale
Chad and I were feeling a tad lazy for not getting out yet this winter so we decided to slog up a Sawatch 14er and grab a snowflake. We camped at the trailhead and had boots on the ground at around 4:45am, headed up the Southwest Slopes route. Shot from the parking lot at night There was a nicely packed trench through most of the lower trail below treeline. We did not need spikes or snowshoes for this section, we only postholed a couple of times. We were making good time, we caught sunrise near the edge of treeline. Near the edge of treeline is where the snow turned to crap. It was several inches of crust on top of several feet of pure sugar. We put on snowshoes but it was still slow going. We'd punch through the crust and wallow in the sugar underneath it. We tried to stick to rocks as much as possible, but there were large sections of this awful snow that we had to grind out. Due to this bad snow, we decided to take an alternate Class 3 route to the summit ridge in order to avoid the massive slope of it. Route to the top here: Maybe it was just because we are bigger guys that we had problems with the snow conditions, who knows. Once on the summit ridge, we were greeted with the winds: Summit shots: On the descent we made the mistake to head all the way down to the saddle of the ridge instead of following the way we came. This was a mistake, the snow was bad... which is why we avoided it in the first place. Not sure what we were thinking there, haha. It took us almost as much time to get to treeline as it did to get to the summit from treeline. It was definitely a relief to be back down on a packed stable trail and be rid of the snowshoes for the day. I'm not sure about our final time, but it wasn't pretty. Probably averaged a tad faster than a mile an hour. We got the summit though, so it was a successful day.

Winter Slog Up Mt. Yale

Chad and I were feeling a tad lazy for not getting out yet this winter so we decided to slog up a Sawatch 14er and grab a snowflake. We camped at the trailhead and had boots on the ground at around 4:45am, headed up the Southwest Slopes route.

Shot from the parking lot at night
Mt%20Yale%20Large_zpsl1r5cgmd.jpg

There was a nicely packed trench through most of the lower trail below treeline. We did not need spikes or snowshoes for this section, we only postholed a couple of times. We were making good time, we caught sunrise near the edge of treeline.
Mt%20Yale-2%20Large_zpspjnnzf8g.jpg

Near the edge of treeline is where the snow turned to crap. It was several inches of crust on top of several feet of pure sugar. We put on snowshoes but it was still slow going. We'd punch through the crust and wallow in the sugar underneath it. We tried to stick to rocks as much as possible, but there were large sections of this awful snow that we had to grind out. Due to this bad snow, we decided to take an alternate Class 3 route to the summit ridge in order to avoid the massive slope of it. Route to the top here:

x%20Large_zpstwli50g2.jpg

Maybe it was just because we are bigger guys that we had problems with the snow conditions, who knows. Once on the summit ridge, we were greeted with the winds:

Summit shots:

mt%20yale-3%201%20Large_zpsxo6ollsk.jpg

On the descent we made the mistake to head all the way down to the saddle of the ridge instead of following the way we came. This was a mistake, the snow was bad... which is why we avoided it in the first place. Not sure what we were thinking there, haha. It took us almost as much time to get to treeline as it did to get to the summit from treeline. It was definitely a relief to be back down on a packed stable trail and be rid of the snowshoes for the day.

I'm not sure about our final time, but it wasn't pretty. Probably averaged a tad faster than a mile an hour. We got the summit though, so it was a successful day.

Comments or Questions

BostonBD	Beautiful 3/2/2016 4:26pm Brought back horrific memories, I made that same mistake in March of 2014 on descent! Fantastic day in the mountains, capped off with amazing photos.
Somewhat of a Prick	Thanks 3/2/2016 6:29pm So you understand the suffering! haha
blazintoes	Been wondering 3/3/2016 10:36am where you've been because I've missed your starry sky pictures. Wow!
Somewhat of a Prick	Starry sky... 3/3/2016 11:36am I actually screwed this one up, I didn't have my focus set to infinity :( Thanks though :D Grats on Pyramid, great trip report

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