theclimber
May 13, 2003, 2:58 PM
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Registered: Sep 22, 2002
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Current Route Conditions from CMS Head Guide, Eli Helmuth May 12, 2003
Another spring storm this last weekend brought a total of 18 inches of dense
snow to Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park(RMNP) and the High
Country. This last month has brought us a number of spring storms, starting
with the record mid-March storm which deposited more than 80 inches of snow
in RMNP. Unlike last year, there will be a spring-summer alpine season,
possibly a great one. The snows coming in are dense and wet, and have set-up
quickly with a few days of sun. Presently, they offer great skiing, but not
great alpine climbing. The alpine climbing window is perhaps 1-2 weeks away,
depending on when a significant period of stable weather arrives. CAIC has
stopped its seasonal avalanche updates-- don't be fooled into thinking all
avalanche danger has receded. The primary dangers now are slab conditions
during storms and on still unconsolidated (mostly northern aspect) slopes
and wet slides later in the day on more southerly aspects. A quick check--
if you can squeeze water from a snowball in your glove, get off steep
slopes. The storm we experienced on March 18-20 was a record single storm
snowfall, not seen since 1918. Rocky Mountain National Park received up to
80 incches of high density snow from this event-- more than total
accumulation in 2001-2002. Two days prior to the March storm, Dougal
Macdonald (former Rock and Ice publisher) and John Bicknell (Co-Director of
CMS) found perfect conditions on Keiners on the east face of Longs--
consolidated slopes on Lambs Slide, reasonable consolidation on the 60
degree snow traverse across Broadway (the winter-spring crux of the route),
and fun mixed climbing in the Chimneys. Nothing else was in shape yet on the
East Face. As I reported in March, the Trough on Longs is a more reliable
spring choice due to the usually excellent climbing conditions, lower
avalanche danger and great views towards the west for the entire day. My
synopsis: "South and west facing snow and ice routes like the Trough and
Dragontail Couloir on Flattop will come into condition sooner in RMNP this
time of year and in late-May and June, the north facing routes such as Dream
Weaver on Meeker and east facing routes such as Kieners on Longs will be in
the best shape for climbing. At the moment, the snow on east and north
facing slopes is less consolidated which makes them more avalanche prone and
less fun to climb as the result of deep snow wallowing- which can be a
helpful skill for certain routes in South America or Alaska! I recommend
waiting until conditions are truly good, for the east and north facing
routes." My best guess now-- May 25, for truly good climbing conditions--
the skiing conditions are great now althoh avalanche conditions are
currently significant above treeline on or below slopes of 30 degrees or
greater. Many ice routes in RMNP require travelling through avalanche prone
areas for access or descent, and leeward slopes ( southeast to northeast
aspects ) should especially be treated with suspicion. Snow storms in the
park usually involves strong winds (or are followed by high winds), and lee
slopes (such as below and above the route "All Mixed Up") can receive 3 or 4
times the amount of snow which any given storm deposits. Wind slabs develop
very quickly here and avi conditions can go from low to high in a matter of
hours during a storm or from high winds. All snow covered slopes should be
treated with suspicion as the wind can blow in all directions- including
uphill! The slope above All Mixed Up avalanched two weeks ago and the debri
(torn-down trees) are clearly visible from Mills Lake. Many other large
slides have released on large slopes on all aspects in the last month.
"Enjoy and be safe!" At the moment, the ice in many alpine areas is
beginning to reform and spring ice conditions which result from snowmelt
(warm days and cool nights) are beginning to form in many locations. Stay
tuned as the spring season begins! It is best to stay off of lower elevation
ice routes in the late afternoon or when temperatures are above freezing as
warmer temp.'s can cause collapses of pillars and sheets and protection may
not hold in wet ice. Specific Route Conditions: We are waiting for the
spring alpine ice climbs to come in at high elevations. Almost all of the
lower elevation ice is gone; what remains is rotten, and any ice protection
would be highly suspect. The Loch climbs are largely out, rotten remnants.
Hidden Falls is IN but very marginal.. Necrophelia- No Longer IN Deep Freeze
- Not in, may reform. West Gulley - Black Lake - Still in. Black Lake Slabs-
Still in. Many routes rt. of W. Gulley- Still in. Reflections and Scotty-
IN McHenry's Rt. Gulley- Not In, coming soon? All Mixed Up- Truly mixed,
more mixed than ice. Grace Falls - Some ice but largely buried in snow.
North Face Notchtop-- buried in snow. Guides Wall- IN Big (high avi risk)
Jaws - Never happened this year. These are more the areas and routes to
look for spring alpine ice and neve. Be patient but coming soon.
Meeker--Dark Star, Dreamweaver, etc Alexanders East Face- Longs
Powell-Taylor Thatchtop--Vanquished and others McHenry's-Arrowhead
Pagoda-Chiefshead Halletts Chimney
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