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Are any 12k feet passes possible yet?


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Home Forums Campfire Trip Planning Are any 12k feet passes possible yet?

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  • #3467969
    Hanz B
    BPL Member

    @tundra-thrasher-ouch-man-2

    so I know it’s been a terribly heavy snow year. I thought I’d start a post to collect some brief guidance for Colorado. I’m thinking of lost creek wilderness or snowmass but open to other places. Has anyone already been out there and found the passes to be safe yet?

    Thanks

    #3468014
    Lester Moore
    BPL Member

    @satori

    Locale: Olympic Peninsula, WA

    Possible, certainly. Safe, maybe, depending on your skill level and experience in snowshoeing or skiing, snow climbing, self arrest, traveling in avalanche terrain and winter camping on snow. Even in a normal snowfall year, most 12,000′ passes in CO (and the valleys leading up to them) will have deep snowpack and can have near winter weather above 12,000′. It’s also a challenging time to travel in the mountains as the snow lower down is very soft, deep and heavy, especially in the afternoons.

    #3468016
    Hanz B
    BPL Member

    @tundra-thrasher-ouch-man-2

    That’s a very good answer. Thanks. I haven’t seen anything at elevation posted in trip reports yet on the CO websites other than mountaineers reports, so I’m thinking along the same lines of saftey right now, and will continue to watch for June reports.

    #3468022
    Lester Moore
    BPL Member

    @satori

    Locale: Olympic Peninsula, WA

    June is typically when lower elevations in the CO mountains open up for the backpacking season, but you’ll still have intermittent to full snow cover in the high valleys (above 10,000′ or so) leading up to the passes, and mostly snow on the passes. But the weather will typically be warmer up high, the snow will be more compacted and consolidated and there will be less chance of new snow (easy snow travel if you have the skills and equipment).

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