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.  

May 21st, 2008   

The record high temperatures that were forecast for the beginning of the week did not materialize in the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park and with a steady wind up high, the snowpack has seen a slower metamorphosis into the stronger  and more uniform slab that we hope for this time of year.  As a result,  the shedding cycle has been less violent this week but not without some large avalanches releasing on the most likely suspects:  Steep and lee slopes that are mostly unsupported and which see some sun.  These have been spots such as the east face of Notchtop, the Tyndall Glacier, in the Lambslide and Notch Couloirs on Longs Peak and on the upper half of the route Kieners.

                              The east face of Longs Peak in the morning sun on May 18th, 2008.

The Lambslide Couloir where we observed numerous loose-snow avalanches that were puling large rocks with them down the lower east face of Longs Peak during our time up there on May 18th.

Trail conditions this week on the way into Chasm Lake on Longs were firm enough to go without snowshoes, but a cloudy night or two could tweak the fragile equation which is keeping the current snowpack strong enough to support bodyweight.  The long wave radiation loss with just-freezing temperatures gave the upper snowpack a bit of strength in just a few days; a combination of the high-altitude atmosphere here and the relatively wet snow which is a good conductor of heat-loss.   We have been getting cloudy nights again though and the forecast is for more cloudy weather which could result in very poor snow conditions and a potentially higher avalanche danger by this weekend.

    The Longs Peak trail at 11,800' as it traverses the east face of Mount Lady Washington to the Boulderfield.

   The final part of the Chasm Meadows trail as it traverses the steep slopes on the southeast face of Mount Lady

Chasm Lake was well frozen when we traversed it during our approach and descent from the classic alpine route Martha, which lies on the south face of Mount Lady Washington just above the lake's north shore.  The ice on this route has blossomed even more since my visit the previous week in what is a rare ice-growing location at the moment in Rocky Mountain National Park.  There will be more updated photos for Martha and other ice routes in the Longs/Meeker Cirque in this seasons final Ice Conditions Report.

                   Mike mid-way up Martha on a stellar morning of ice and mixed climbing.  May 18th, 2008.

The forecast shedding cycle was happening this week, but at a much slower rate than predicted due to lower than forecast temperatures and a steady wind which helped keep the snowpack colder through convective-cooling action.  We did encounter some falling ice both on the route Martha and on the trail out due to thermal heating of the rocks on which this ice had been sitting, but there appeared to be more ice forming than was falling off, even on the south-facing aspects at these altitudes. 

               The super classic alpine route Dreamweaver, waiting and ready for action on May 18th, 2008.

There is still a lot of loose snow waiting to slide down the colder and more sun-protected hillsides and the snowpack will still have potential for cold slab danger as a result of the wind-transported snow from last week's storms.  The Ptarmigan Headwall, Tyndall Glacier, and east face of Taylor Peak are some examples of locations which likely still possess some of these less stable slopes which still have potential for large, propagating avalanches with slabs more than a foot thick.

The east aspect of the Loft which is the saddle between Longs Peak and Mount Meeker.  Areas marked in red are common avalanche slopes in this avalanche-prone valley of RMNP.

Surprisingly, there were a few parties heading up to the Loft this last weekend, despite the current avalanche danger that covers much of this most commonly used descent and ascent route for climbers on the otherwise precipitous Mount Meeker.   The upper slopes above the cliff band are the most worrisome due to their unsupported shape and the terrain traps which exist below them.  A rope and anchors can negate some of this risk on the exposed Loft Traverse and great care should be taken in this area due to the very real risks which exist here.

Wind speeds this last week from the Niwot Ridge Meteorological Station, located at 11,500' just south of RMNP.

The wind did a decent job of scouring the windward slopes which have been mostly west-facing this last week and combined with a warm enough sun, there is ice forming on many surfaces, especially on bare rock where the patches of snow are melting to water during the mid-day heat.  Trails are getting more packed down and icy but off-trail travel, especially in the lower elevations (9,000' to 11,000') where the nightly freeze will be minimal or non-existent with cloudy nights.

                               The Corral Couloir on the south face of Flattop Mountain on May 16th, 2008.

Despite the dicey snowpack of last week which fooled a few parties with dangerous slab conditions on east and north-facing slopes of Flattop Mountain, we found excellent skiing conditions for our ascent and descent of Flattop on Friday the 16th of last week.  Uphill skiing conditions were stellar for the entire ascent and with no wind, we were lucky to have one less struggle to reach the Continental Divide where the Corral Couloir makes its plunge into the Tyndall Gorge.  Two feet of new snow were sitting on top of an old crust, but the bonding tests and ski cuts seemed to indicate good bonding characteristics and so we took the plunge and it was likely the best skiing conditions I've found in here over dozens of descents.

                         Mike Reis carving a mix of powder and slush in the Tyndall Gorge on May 16th, 2008.

We are just getting into the prime ski mountaineering season here in Rocky Mountain National Park as the corn snow is just starting to form and the slab dangers are nearing their domination of the snowpack.  I am looking forward to many more ski ascents in the weeks to come, including the south face of Hallett Peak, the Dragontail Couloir, the Notchtop Couloir and hopefully parts of the Ptarmigan Headwall and other, more far-flung locales within the borders of Colorado's most skier and climber friendly national park.

The current avalanche danger rating for the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park, at elevations between 10-14k will be LOW on west aspects becoming MODERATE in the mid-afternoon.  On all other aspects, the avalanche danger will be MODERATE in the night and early morning with danger likely rising to CONSIDERABLE in the early morning or mid-day.  Cloudy nights, strong sun, and/or a lack of wind will all contribute to a higher avalanche danger and backcountry travelers should be continually reassessing this risk.

If you are interested in planning a training program in the climbing or 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 with 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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