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Up to date information on the alpine route, backcountry skiing, and trail conditions for Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Snow conditions and avalanche danger are forecast by Eli Helmuth, an AMGA certified rock, alpine, and ski mountaineering guide and the new owner of ClimbingLife Guides, a year-round guide service based in Estes Park offering worldwide trips and local seminars in the climbing and skiing arts.
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Warning: Route conditions change constantly, especially in the mountains. Climbing and backcountry skiing are dangerous. Be flexible in your plans, prepare for the worse case scenario, and be experienced enough for what you are doing. Seek qualified instruction and use proper equipment. We accept no liability for your decisions in the peaks.
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December 16th, 2008
Although temperatures have been hitting record lows in the Front Range of Colorado, with Denver Int. Airport recording -18F the other morning, the temperature inversions which affect the east side of the Front Range mountains have kept lows at 10k in RMNP above 0F in the last week. This runs counter to the lapse rate model which would under "perfect" atmospheric conditions, put temp.'s at Bear Lk. (9.5k)' at -32F when in fact it was 3F the same day as the DIA low. Now that's a difference that counts!
As a result of the inversion and a noticeable lack of wind which is often the case while snow is falling in the high country, conditions have been reasonable to good in the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park this last week for climbing and hiking activities.
Due to the last 3 days of moderate to heavy snowfall in the high country, the avalanche danger has risen to HIGH with an AVALANCHE DANGER WARNING in effect for the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park. This WARNING is in effect until at least 48 hrs after this current storm lets up which, could be until next week.
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The Twin Owls shining in the high-altitude sun on Dec. 15th.
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A view from the Loch Vale of the east end of the Cathedral Massif on December 8th after the first wave of snow which deposited a foot of powder here the previous day. In this elevation range pictured, the snowpack depth from new and wind deposited snow has added up to an 70 cm in the last week. This new snow, much of which has formed into slabs sitting on weaker layers, has increased the avi danger over the last 10 days from MODERATE to CONSIDERABLE to the current rating of HIGH.
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A big bull 'chillin in the hood' - Pole Hill
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On the south face of Flattop on Sunday (12/14) we found sensitive slabs in many locations and over a foot of new snow from the recent 24hrs. composed the primary soft slab layer that was shearing clean and easy.
Settlement and surface cracks are showing increased sensitivity and we were triggering multiple easy failures on low angle slopes 10-20 degrees. Some of these collapsing layers were clearly down to half the depth of the 1 meter snowpack on this hillside above Emerald Lake, just east of the Dragontail Couloirs (pictured below). Steve Klein and I found some great water ice conditions for two pitches in the couloir furthest right of the Dragontails where water ice was also covering much of the ground in this couloir and so while the cramponing was excellent, this ice will make a poor bonding layer to whatever snow lands on top.
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Prior to this last week's storm activity, the snowpack specific to Rocky Mountain National Park on the east side of the Divide between Longs Peak and Mt. Ypsilon was relatively shallow and moderately stable, especially compared to the local region. Recently, a pattern of extreme winds above treeline had swept bare most surfaces up high and only in the few lee areas, mostly in the treeline transition zone (9k-10.5k) , where much of the windblown snow hits ground, was there up to 1.5m (5 ft.) of snowpack.
There is still wind involved in these current storms and likely there will be the typical post-storm wind. As can be seen in the photo at right, even in this deep pocket just a few hundred yards east of the Dragontail Couloir on Flattop Mtn., the snowpack is shallow and the snow is very week as even with the foot of new snow underfoot, we were bouncing off of even smaller rocks on the ground.
The hilllside below and behind Steve (photo right) are the base aprons of the Dragontail and Dead Elk Couloirs which you can see are not yet fully covered with snow, let alone enough to avoid hitting the ground. Most of RMNP looks this way currently with a little better coverage below treeline in spots but you will be ruining your bases and edges and potentially knees in what is currently one of the more shallow snowpacks in the state. |
Steve Klein breaking trail on the south face of Flattop Mountain on Dec. 14th, 2008.
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Finley H. training for his first climb.
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Steeper slopes (25+) on all aspects at treeline and above treeline should be treated suspect. Terrain traps such as the ramp on Mt. Meeker, Broadway, Keyhole, and North Face of Longs Peak would best be avoided unless you're packing a parachute and super dope flying skills.
All of the glacial slopes near the Continental Divide steeper than 30 degrees will have CONSIDERABLE to HIGH avalanche danger for likely many more months, so these are the areas that should be avoided at the moment. Tight pieces of terrain (small south-facing couloirs) above treeline and tighter treed slopes below treeline will be some of the safer but still avalanche exposed areas.
Once the snow falls into place in Rocky Mountain National Park and the slopes above treeline are more fully covered, cautious skiers will want to seek out terrain that has lower angles and terrain configurations that minimize avalanche potential.
The prime spot in RMNP for safer skiing slopes is the Hidden Valley Snowpark with thousands of vertical and acres of open glades to hopefully stay out of avalanche trouble while enjoying some great sliding..
Have fun, explore new places and let's make sure we all make it home during this holiday season!
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In the above pit, which we positioned in a safer spot on a slope that we regarded as having CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger, we found that the wind-formed slabs of pencil density snow in this location were thick and strong enough to keep the depth hoar layer on the ground from failing during compression tests. However with a little extra force beyond the normal "30" taps on the shovel, we did see failure at the ground as well as the 40 cm height which was producing a more than 85cm thick slab. This would likely be a strong part of the snowpack, but just below our pit where the slope angle increases to 36 degrees and there could be shallower spots or loose areas around rocks, the probability of triggering this slab would increase and we weren't willing to bet the farm in a period where numerous slab avalanches have released on this well formed (and weak) depth hoar layer.
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To learn more about the backcountry snowpack and how to avoid being caught in an avalanche while still enjoying some great skiing or climbing, then consider joining one of our Avalanche Seminars or Private Courses to hone your backcountry abilities. Eli will be teaching each of these courses throughout the winter in Rocky Mountain National Park and in a small group with very individualized instruction and coaching you can best maximize your learning with hands-on experience. Please give us a call at 970-744-4898 or contact Eli at
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to help decide which avalanche seminar option is best for you or your group.
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Think twice or maybe three times before committing to any steep snow covered slope whether going up or down. Even benign seeming areas such as the Loch Vale Ice Area can have HIGH avalanche danger when the slopes above and below "Mo Flo than Go" are loaded with new snow.
These 'sensitive' conditions are likely to still be present at the moment as I was a a bit nervous up there last weekend (12/13) as there was slab reactivity in the upper snowpack that would indicate a low stability rating and there was enough snow on those slopes to knock one down the hill and combined with the terrain traps (sharp rocks and big trees), a slide would have potentially bad consequences. More snow will only increase this potential and ice climbers are often the victims of avalanches due to the avi exposure of many routes including the West Gully Ice, Dreamweaver and the Flying Dutchman.
Check-out Bryan Peterson's blog here for more photos of current ice conditions at the Loch and some great stories, trip reports, etc.. And don't worry, we left most of the ice intact that day as it's already getting hooked out enough on the few cubic feet of ice available at this dry spot that you can almost go without swinging.
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Trail conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park are currently packed snow only on the most popular hikes to destinations such as Dreams or Mills Lake or the Hidden Falls.
Beyond these more heavily visited areas, expect to encounter deep drifts and much unconsolidated snow which means that even with skis or snowshoes you will likely be hitting ground and rocks in many places while having snow up to your knees. Without flotation, you might as well tie your feet together for how difficult travel could be depending on the destination.
The south-facing slopes continue to grow the most ice so routes like the Crypt, Squid, and Jaws are already in shape or well on their way. Jewel Lake and some other small flows in that area are part of the seeps around Thatchtop that make it the most likely place to find ice in RMNP.
Unfortunately All Mixed Up keeps on withering away and Topher Donahue informed me the other day that although Deep Freeze is dry in the crux, that when he climbed it with Tommy Caldwell last week the lack of ice made finding good rock gear much easier.
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Steve sticking some picks at the Loch Vale Ice Area on 12/13.
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Joanne and I are very excited about the start of our new guide service- ClimbingLife Guides which opens the doors in January of 2009. We are based in Estes Park and we'll be offering outings and seminars in Rocky Mountain National Park, Eldorado Canyon and around the world in the climbing and backcountry skiing arts. Eli will be leading all of our trips while Joanne manages the business.
We hope that many of you will choose to use our services when looking to further your understanding of the avalanche phenomenon as Eli has the experience as an educator and practitioner to maximize your learning experience. Our seminars in backcountry skiing include in-depth assesments of avalanche conditions and practice of safer travel techniques, route finding, and avalanche rescue skills.
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Or maybe you'd like to join Eli for a great day out in Rocky Mountain National Park while sliding through some of the best powder that the Front Range has to offer. Our first booking dates start on January 8th and we'll look forward to sharing many great adventures in the mountains and canyons with you all in the years to come.
Best Wishes for a safe and wonderful Holiday Season!
Eli and Joanne Helmuth
ClimbingLife Guides
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| North American avalanche Danger Scale |
Danger Level
(& Color) |
Avalanche Probability and Avalanche Trigger |
Degree and Distribution of Avalanche Danger |
Recommended Action
in the Backcountry
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| ...WHAT... |
...WHY... |
...WHERE... |
...WHAT TO DO... |
LOW(GREEN) |
Natural avalanches very unlikely. Human triggered avalanches unlikely |
Generally stable snow. Isolated areas of instability. |
Travel is generally safe. Normal caution is advised. |
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MODERATE
(YELLOW) |
Natural avalanches unlikely. Human triggered avalanches possible. |
Unstable slabs possible on steep terrain. |
Use caution in steeper terrain and on certain aspects. |
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CONSIDERABLE
(ORANGE) |
Natural avalanches possible. Human triggered avalanches probable. |
Unstable slabs probable on steep terrain. |
Be increasingly cautious in steeper terrain. |
HIGH(RED) |
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely. |
Unstable slabs likely on a variety of aspects and slope angles. |
Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Safest travel on windward ridges and lower angle slopes without steeper terrain above. |
EXTREME(BLACK) |
Widespread natural or human triggered avalanches certain.
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Extremely unstable slabs certain on most aspects and slope angles. Large, destructive avalanches possible. |
Travel in avalanche terrain should be avoided and travel confined to low angle terrain well away from avalanche path run-outs.
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