Up-to-date information by Eli Helmuth on climbing route and trail conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park and throughout the Estes Valley of Colorado.  Avalanche forecasts and skiing conditions in the alpine region are also reviewed.  

Warning:  Route conditions change constantly, especially in the mountains.  Climbing is dangerous.  Be flexible in your climbing plans and always prepare for the worst.  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.  

February 15th, 2008     

                                                  Arrowhead Peak in the early morning light

The hurricane force winds that we had been experiencing all week in the high country stopped on Thursday afternoon (2/14) just as the snow started falling and yesterday was a warm and mostly calm day around the Continental Divide of Colorado in Rocky Mountain National Park.

After a week in the hospital with the family, it was good to stretch out the legs for a morning and I left the Glacier Gorge trailhead at 7am for a quick foray up the west face of Longs Peak.  My goal was to again ski the Trough couloir as well as to dig a few "test pits" to see what the last week of wind and new snow had done to the snowpack in the National Park.  I was back at the parking lot by 2pm after a good "breather" and with less time this week to write-up an in-depth analysis of my finds, the summary would be:  Very little signs of avalanche activity -  primarily some sluffing on steeper slopes and a few crowns evident on very steep and lee terrain above treeline.  Overall the avalanche conditions in the high country of RMNP are in the MODERATE range with areas of CONSIDERABLE.  The skiing conditions are excellent, the ice is still ripe and with some good weather, we are in a peak timeframe for alpine adventures in the high country of RMNP.

         The west gully ice route above the west shores of Black Lake in the Glacier Gorge of RMNP

It was a mostly cloudless and windless day on Friday in the high country and likely the best of the year thus far.   Trails are now well established up to Black Lake and likely some of the other further-out destinations in RMNP.  Hopefully we will get many more of those great weather days soon and so for this week's report, I will keep it simple with a photo montage of Longs Peaks and the peaks of the Glacier Gorge valley.

                                             The east face of McHenry's Peak in the upper Glacier Gorge

                                  The Spearhead and Chiefshead north faces catching a little early morning sunlight

                             Looking north towards the Mummy Range on the northern end of RMNP

A snow pit profile of the upper 1.5 meters of the snowpack below the regularly avalanching slopes to the right of the West Gully ice route in the Glacier Gorge.  The apron at the base of the ice route showed some recent signs of either sluffing or slab movement and this pit showed a relatively solid snowpack in this specific location.  The little avalanche activity observed was only in the new snow layers.

Climbing up the Trough Couloir on Longs Peak.  Crampons were not necessary in this boot-top deep snow and skiing conditions were perfect with powder on top of a hard slab.

My ski descent started at the junction of the Keyhole and Trough Couloir routes where they join for the last 1,000' to the summit.

   The west face of Longs Peak reflecting the noon sunlight. The Trough Couloir bisects this immense aspect.

If you are interested in a training program in any or all of the climbing and skiing arts, please feel free to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss the complete range of techniques practice and itineraries that might best meet your climbing or ski mountaineering goals. 

Best of luck with all of your backcountry plans this week!