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.  

May 15th, 2008   

It's been another exciting week in the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park with almost two feet of new snow landing in the high country in the last 7 days and current avalanche conditions are in the CONSIDERABLE danger rating above treeline with pockets of HIGH danger on steep and lee aspects in the alpine zone.  Below treeline the avalanche danger is currently rated MODERATE.  This weekend's forecast for the warmest weather of the year (see Dan's current weather forecast)  will likely produce some of the biggest "shedding events" of the spring season which could include cornice collapses and widespread slab and point-release avalanches on all aspects above treeline.

                               The west face of Longs Peak glowing in the afternoon sun on May 12th, 2008.

There have been few respites from the snowy and windy weather this last week and the new snow has been sluffing constantly on steeper surfaces; even colder, north-facing ones have been sluffing big due to all of the new material and the lack of solid freezes at night.  While we were climbing on Hallett on Monday, just across the valley in the Dragontail Couloir, a very large sluff (D3) followed a group of three skiers just minutes after their ascent and descent of this avalanche prone slope.  This couloir has been getting a lot of traffic lately but the avalanche danger has been constant and with the oncoming heat wave, very early ascents and descents only should be planned if travel in this terrain is to be done.

                                 The infamous north buttress of Hallett Peak in the morning sun on May 12th.

Many mornings this last week have seen the formation of ice on all aspects in the above-treeline world.  There has been ice all over the north buttress of Hallett along with much of the south face of Flattop Mountain and in the Loch Vale Ice Area as well.  The new, high-density snow combined with warmer surface temp.'s have resulted in an ice wonderland in the alpine zone but that could all change quickly with this weekend's hot weather forecast.

The typically lee slopes just left (southwest) of the Dead Elk Couloir in the Tyndall Gorge of RMNP with the slope we released as a slab avalanche in yellow and the adjacent, ready to be released slope in red. 

Due to the storm on Monday night which deposited another 6 inches of new snow in the high country, I rescheduled my plans to guide the Hallett Chimney route for another week and instead, teamed-up with a buddy to do a little skiing in the vicinity of this same formation.  Our tentative plan was to skin up just left of the Dead Elk Couloir, gain the ridge in the valley center, do some bonding tests via ski cuts and column tests to check the upper snowpack, and potentially ski the steep line straight down to Emerald Lake.  Just before we reached the ridgecrest, a small slope that I was jumping-on released as tiny slab and this unexpectedly propagated around the corner and above us to a larger slab release.  The small cliff we were nestled under did help a little in minimizing our exposure to what became a good-sized sluff that made it most of  the way down to the lake.  We were tumbled a short distance (20-50m) and landed a bit bruised from being bounced around in the slide but were otherwise unscathed.  Hopefully our close call can be a reminder to everyone that serious slab potential still exists in the high country and although the weather may be warm and sunny, the snowpack will still be relatively unstable near the surface for some time to come.

The east-facing Ptarmigan Headwall of the Odessa Gorge where there is likely similar slab potential as in the nearby Tyndall Gorge.

When the weather has been conducive to alpine or Lumpy Ridge days this last week, they have been excellent and this last Sunday and Monday were splitter days in both locations.  On Monday, Jason Mines and I managed to make an engaging ascent of the north face of the east ridge of Hallett Peak, before another big storm hit the mountains that night.  We found a foot of new snow on top of a firm base and mostly solid rock along the length of this 240m route.

                      Some of the known mixed routes up the north face of the east ridge of Hallett Peak.

For Jason's first multi-pitch mixed route, I chose the left-most of these excellent mixed lines and we found four- 60m pitches of snow up to 60 degrees combined with rock in the M1 category.  There was a little ice in spots and a few days later, even more in this close to the trailhead location.

                                            Jason in the middle of our first pitch on the east ridge of Hallett

                                        Jason topping out on the snow arete on a perfect day in the high peaks

                                         On the final snow pitch to the summit of the east ridge of Hallett Peak

There has been very little traffic in the mountains of RMNP this last week due to constant storm conditions and most trails will not support foot-only travel easily.  Skis or snowshoes will make life more pleasant for alpine approaches until a sustained melt-freeze cycle and some heavy traffic helps pack-down all of this new snow.  Lakes and streams are melting-out quickly due to the warm snow and cloud cover and most should be avoided when possible.  Postholes are up to the knee in most places and we have been counting on flotation for the last couple of weeks to make progress in the peaks.

               The Dragontail Ridge with the very skiable couloirs flanking it on both sides on May 14th, 2008.

A close-up of the large sluffs that released on Monday the 12th due to the heat- these D3 sized sluffs came down around 11am in the morning due to a lack of nighttime freeze and early morning heat.

It seems for the moment, that it would be prudent to avoid any of these steeper and lee slopes in the mountains of RMNP as the new snow which formed into slabs from the wind are prime to release and require only a skier or climber's weight to break the fragile bonds that are holding these beasts in place.  All aspects of Longs Peak currently possess these conditions as do the Loft descent route and other magnificent alpine faces such as the east faces of Taylor Peak and the Notchtop Spire. 

                                                          Longs Peak in the morning sun on May 14th, 2008

Mellower ski mountaineering terrain, less avalanche prone alpine routes (think rocky ridges) and maybe the best bet:  alpine cragging at Lumpy Ridge or throughout the Estes Valley may be the key to happiness and survival until this about-to-be extreme shedding cycle does its thing. 

If you are interested in a training program in the climbing and skiing arts, please 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.   I will be coaching climbers and leading routes throughout Rocky Mountain National Park through the Colorado Mountain School this spring and summer until heading to Nepal in October to lead a CMS expedition up the classic peaks of Lobuche and Ama Dablam in the Khumbu Region of this enchanting Himalayan Kingdom.

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

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