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, prepared for the worst and experienced enough for what you are doing. Seek qualified instruction and use proper equipment.  We accept no liability for your decisions in the peaks.  

June 4th, 2008   

The snow is melting super quick on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park at the moment and unless tonight's storm gives us another good coating of the fresh white, we will be having to carry the boards a bit further to find skiable slopes.

                         The north and west faces of Longs Peak in the morning light on June 3rd, 2008

Compared to the snow coverage just last week, it looks like the period of cloudy nights and warm days combined to melt away more of the snowpack than usual for this time of year and where just last week we skied up Flattop Mountain, down the Corral Couloir and back to the car without taking the ski's off, this week there were many dry patches on a similar tour to the top of Hallett Peak and at this rate, the alpine rock routes and trail systems will be dry in many areas of the park.

                Eric Sparks protecting his ski bases with climbing skins on an ascent of Flattop Mtn. on June 3rd

Ascents this last week of the Notch Couloir on Longs Peak, the Dreamweaver Couloir on Mount Meeker, and Martha on Mount Lady Washington found pretty ideal conditions in all three spots which is very unusual for this time of year as Martha is usually melted out for good by mid-April. 

Martha was actually the most ice covered that I've seen it in over more than 20 ascents in a 9 year period ranging from December to late May, and although it was mostly inaccessible this winter due to the hurricane tempest which covered the high peaks for, it had a peak season this spring which is likely coming to an end very soon if not already. 

                                          The south face of Mount Lady Washington on May 30th, 2008

                                                   A close-up of the Martha Couloir on Mount Lady W.

Dreamweaver was in cruiser shape on our May 29th ascent where we found perfect "pigeon-hole" step kicking on the lower slopes, thin but solid ice through the few short cruxes and mostly neve snow in between and all the way to the summit.  A little bit of softening in the Loft traverse descent was welcome for slightly easier footing and by the time we reached the slopes below the east side of the Loft, the snow was soft enough for an easy glissade back to the Chasm Meadows.

                                       The east face of Longs Peak in the early morning on May 30th, 2008

After a few hours of sleep and a couple of cervezas in Estes, we returned to the Longs Peak Cirque on May 30th for more punishment on the snow covered slopes of the east face where we climbed the Lambslide Couloir to reach Broadway, and then up the Notch Couloir to the summit of Longs.  Despite the two previous clear and cold nights, the  Lambslide was a bit soft at 6:30am and again, pigeon-hole step kicking made for an easy climb up to Broadway.  The soft and mostly cold and faceted snow on Broadway felt more like a winter snowpack on this long traverse, and so careful step kicking, as much protection as possible in the cracks, and trail-breaking the whole way brought us to the base of the Notch Couloir.

The magnificent Ship's Prow shining in a glorious sunrise on May 30th.  Tommy Caldwell and Topher Donahue established three independent, new free climbs up this face in the last few seasons.  All were done ground-up on trad gear and clocked in at solid 5.13 for each of these three pitch routes that are likely still unrepeated and will probably stay so for some time?  The bolted arete Sarchasm (14a) climbs the lower right edge.

The Notch Couloir contained all soft snow with easy step-kicking and solid rock anchors on the couloir walls.  Ice screws or pickets were unnecessary and useless in this weak substance but it was solid enough for climbing (and skiing) and we made quick progress up to the Notch where we chose to drop down to the upper Clark's Arrow route and then over to the completely snow covered Keyhole Route to reach the summit by noon. 

There was a fresh snowboard track down the Keplinger's Couloir which drops off of the Homestretch all the way down into the Wild Basin drainage and it looked like a lot of rocks (and edges) were bashed in this currently boney descent. 

         Looking back across the Broadway "ledges" where steep snow made for an invigorating traverse.

Trail Conditions are quickly drying up below treeline on the way into Longs Peak and above treeline there is even less snow which made for a relatively easy approach that could almost be done in sneakers to Chasm Pass.  The one crux in the trail system there was where it reaches treeline and the winter trail that follows the streambed at the last bridge is melting out, but the summer trail was not marked and so it looked like many people were getting lost in the woods by not making the northward traverse to reconnect with the trail and instead were heading down into crotch-deep loose snow in the forest there for a likely epic descent.  The snowfield traverse into Chasm Lake was firm but with deep footsteps, relatively secure.

                        Another view from Lambslide of the Broadway ledges and the east face of Longs Peak.

We found some decent snow conditions on one of my favorite RMNP ski descents of the south face of Hallett Peak on June 3rd, but the upper snowfield was a mess due to a massive cornice collapse which looked to have happened very recently.  This widespread collapse which we observed here and in a few nearby cirques was a strong indicator of how the cloudy nights and warm days have been weakening and awakening  these beasts that could really put a "crimp" in your plans (and life).    Areas like the Y-Couloir on Ypsilon that has one of these beasts sitting directly above it and in the Corral Couloir on Flattop.  It might be best to avoid these locations and similar spots where cornices could sweep down an entire route, making for a really bad day for those below.

The very large and fresh debris resulting from a partial cornice collapse on Hallett which continued past this bench and took out the entire slope below- we traversed skiers' right here to connect with the Chaos Canyon and stayed on the south side of the Canyon where the snow was deepest all the way to Lake Haiyaha.   Since we forgot the bouldering pads, we continued up and over the east ridge of Hallett and skied some still nice snow down to Dream Lake to return to our starting point at Bear Lake.

Avalanche danger above treeline on the east side of RMNP is overall LOW but quickly going to MODERATE by noon and so very early starts are mandatory and getting off the snow by 2pm would be preferable and safer in most locations.

Cornice collapses and heat caused snow sluffs bringing down rocks with them are some of the greater hazards in the high country at this time and due diligence should be taken when dealing with these somewhat unpredictable and deadly beasts.

Eric Sparks dropping into the upper bowl on Hallett while giving the cornice a wide berth on this warm morning.

Lumpy Ridge is in prime form these days and although it's been very busy, there is so much rock and so many great routes that it seems most folks are spread out pretty well and there is lots of room for everyone.  We will likely be skiing into July, especially on the east side of the Never Summer Range of Peaks which sit on the far west side of RMNP and hold the greatest concentration of classic ski mountaineering lines in this part of the state.

I will be in Estes for the summer training guides and guests alike in alpine and rock climbing techniques as well as leading ascents of some of my favorite routes in the high country including the North Buttress of Hallett, the Petit Grepon and Saber, the Spearhead and Chiefshead, and on one of the greatest alpine rock walls in North America:  The Diamond.  Please feel free to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to arrange a private training session in any of the climbing arts or to do a special ascent at Lumpy Ridge or in  the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Eli guides exclusively through the Colorado Mountain School Concession in Rocky Mountain National Park

Safe travels and great adventures to you all!

-Eli