Up-to-date information by Eli Helmuth on climbing route and trail conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park and throughout the Estes Valley.  Avalanche forecasts and skiing conditions in the alpine region are also reviewed.  Feb. 1 AVALANCHE WARNING

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 1st, 2008     

AVALANCHE WARNING:  Feb. 1st at 8pm

Snowfall on the east side of RMNP above 10,000' has exceeded a foot of new material in the last 24hrs. which has formed a highly reactive soft slab in locations above treeline that is propogating easily where angles exceed 30 degrees.  The Dragontail Couloirs avalanched numerous times on Friday the 1st, with debri making it more than 40' across Emerald Lake in these D2,R4 point release (sluff) avalanches that were naturally triggered and may continue if the wind or new snow loads these couloirs in the coming days.  Other similarly steep terrain could have potential soft slab or sluffing danger.  The smooth, wind-buffed old snow surface is making an excellent failure layer in this now sensitive snowpack which is given a HIGH Avalanche Danger rating on all aspects above and at treeline elevations. 

High's in the single digits at 10,000' for the last three days has kept the lower elevation ice routes in place and so classics such as Hidden Falls, Jaws, and The Squid are all in great climbing shape at the moment.  New snow totals in the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park are difficult to gauge as strong winds most of the last week, with gusts in the 80's and with a steady 30-40 mph tempest from the west, have scraped the ridgecrests dry in places and deposited what was likely modest amounts into deep drifts in certain locations.   Some areas have more than a meter of new snow and many other locations are still showing bare ground.

                    A stormy Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park on Jan. 31st, 2008

Our highly variable snowpack due to this wind transport creates an avalanche danger that is a wide range as the most wind-blasted slopes can be bare ground in spots or such firm slabs as to warrant a LOW danger rating.  On lee slopes (southeast to northeast) and cross-loaded terrain (north and south) at treeline where accumulations have been up to a meter in the last week, the avalanche danger is at a CONSIDERABLE rating which means human caused avalanches are probable.

 Very little snow on the norh face of Mount Meeker and The Loft (saddle between Longs and Meeker) on Jan. 25th

Ski cutting on steeper terrain (45 degree) done in RMNP last weekend was successful in releasing soft slab avalanches composed of new snow that was deposited in a somewhat cohesive slab approx. 40cm (16") deep.  Overall, the snowpack here on the east side of RMNP has not been very reactive this winter despite being mostly very weak on all aspects at treeline and below due to the very cold weather regime that we have been under for the last month.  Despite this weak snowpack of mostly faceted grains, there is little to no strong layering in this mid and lower elevation snowpack and so there has been almost no slab releases on depth hoar or in the mid-snowpack on the east side of RMNP. 

                   Rob Copolillo ski-cutting some soft slabs in the Otis Redding Couloir on Jan. 26th, 2008

At higher elevations where there is a snowpack remaining, there are mostly very hard slabs on windward surfaces or shallow, weak facets on lee aspects.  Areas like the Loft and the North Face of Longs look to be mostly snow-free today and climbers have reached the summit of Longs Peak via the North Face and Trough Couloir routes in the last month, which both have MODERATE avalanche danger at the moment.  The skiing has really come into great shape this last week, primarily in and around the Tyndall, Chaos, and Loch Vale drainages where both above treeline and treeline skiing conditions have been pretty ideal and so skiing season is officially "IN"  for the east side of RMNP for the 2008 season.  I spent most of the last week sliding around on the boards in these areas and in ideal locations there has been some of the best deep powder skiing in recent memory.  That could all be different after the hurricane winds of the last 48 hrs. and once the winds subside this weekend, we will venture back in to survey the likely changes in the alpine landscape in this windiest of mountain ranges. 

           Chris Reidener getting pumped for a descent from the Dead Elk Couloir on Jan. 27th, 2008

      Chris carving the untracked powder at the base of the Dead Elk Couloir in the Tyndall Gorge of RMNP

Trails are firm when you are on them but due to daily and often, hourly wind drifting, below treeline trails can be covered with 6-10 inches of soft snow and if you can stay on the track, flotation is not necessary for closer locations such as the Loch Vale Ice Area or Hidden Falls.  Other more off-trail locations such as All Mixed Up, which currently has MODERATE avalanche danger, may require snowshoes for the lower parts of the approach where drifting can be severe and in these spots, up to a meter of (recycled) snow has been deposited in the last week. 

                    Otis Peak, the Sharkstooth and Taylor Peak being consumed by the wind on Jan. 31st, 2008

The last part of the approach trail to Chasm Lake below Longs Peak is more snow covered than usual this year due to lee drifting and the avalanche danger here is rated CONSIDERABLE due to the slab avalanche danger that exists in this specific location.  Other, similar drifted-in and steep terrain should be considered suspect on all aspects above treeline or near treeline, especially on bigger slopes and where terrain traps exist such as in river drainages or above cliffs. 

Recent slab avalanche activity (natural relase) from steep, convex, and lee slopes above a cliff -  perfect avalanche terrain.

Slopes that are unsupported from below by cliffs or above by cornices or cliffs are more likely to release as a slab and so the beautiful slopes of the Tyndall, Ptarmagin, Taylor, and Lambslide ice sheets should be considered suspect this time of year if there are signs of lee pillows or loading.  Many of these slopes have already naturally avalanched at least once this season and signs of debri might be faint but visible when in close proximity to the deposit zones on these slopes.  Unless the snow is bullet hard (pencil density) from the surface down to at least a meter, these types of slopes would ideally be avoided until the snowpack strengthens eventually in the late spring.

      The east face of Mt. Ypsilon, on the northeast side of RMNP, in full-on winter conditions on Jan. 31st, 2008

Why fly all the way to Patagonia and sit around when you can get more extreme climbing done on the cheap in RMNP in the winter climbing on the Diamond or doing a new route on a south-facing spire?   It's all here and much less crowded then Cerro Torre.  The west face of the Sharkstooth is big, unclimbed terrain - why not do it in winter?  Cragging is for the weak and infirm or those just learning the ropes.  The mountains are the ultimate testing ground and the environment which inspires us to find our full capabilities.  I hope to see you out there!

If you are interested in planning a training program in any of the climbing or 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!

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