May 29th Conditions Report for Rocky Mountain National Park

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.

Spring is staying relatively cold in the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park and just yesterday afternoon (May 29th), we received another dose of snow at the higher elevations- Longs Peak and Mt. Meeker seemed to have received the bulk of this snowy moisture.

I came across the Continental Divide on Trailridge Road yesterday after a great road trip (and marriage) in Joshua Tree National Park and although the snow is melting quickly enough up high, there is still plenty of coverage on north and east facing slopes and the skiing access via Trailridge is excellent at the moment and should stay that way for some time.

View of Long's Peak from Trailridge road on May 29th, 2007

Climbing and skiing access off of Trailridge Road is fantastic at the moment and routes such as the Y-Couloir on Mt. Ypsilon and skiing routes on the north face of Mt. Ida are in great shape and accessed from the Continental Divide, provide relatively easy approaches and descents from this "highest road".

Mt. Ida (12,885') with Arrowhead Lake below

Other north and east facing slopes are still holding plenty of snow for skiing and snow climbing routes and even the southeast facing "Notchtop Couloir" which is one of the classic Front Range ski descents, is in still great skiing shape.

The north face of Flattop showing the Ptarmagin Couloirs

Our climb of the east face of Taylor Peak a couple of weeks ago is an alpine classic and similar "mixed" snow and rock routes such as these will be in great condition at the moment with avalanche hazard being mainly heat related and confined to relatively small paths which should be little issue to the roped technical climber.

Pitch 4 out of 8 on the East Face of Taylor Peak

Longs Peak received a dose of fresh snow yesterday the 29th of May and temperatures have been dropping below freezing up there every day for the last few weeks so likely some more ice routes are starting to form-up as a result.  The very ephemeral mixed line "Vanquished" above the Skypond was in very wet conditions as of a week ago and the other day it was "in" as an ice line in the early morning hours but back to water again by afternoon.  A cold night and cooler day could be perfect for catching this one in rare "in-shape".

A view of the Vanquished Buttress on May 13th, 2007

The alpine south facing rock routes are in great shape and the Petit Grepon and Saber spires have seen multiple ascents in the last few weeks as there is no snow or significant moisture on these classic rock faces.  The snow has been firm enough in the mornngs for approaches without flotation, but snowshoes would be most recommended for the afternoon descents which could involve substantial postholing at the moment.

A sunrise view of the Petit Grepon and Saber on May 11th, 2007

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