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Ice
climbing and avalanche conditions for the more popular ice routes and
ski descents in Rocky Mountain National Park are updated regularly by Eli Helmuth; Estes Park resident, IFMGA licensed mountain guide, AIARE trained avalanche educator and owner of ClimbingLife Guides.
March 29 conditions
Warning:
Ice
and avalanche conditions change constantly and the information provided
here should not be the final say in making the best decisions in regard
to your risk management in the mountains.
ClimbingLife, LLC and its
contributors accept no liability for your decisions based on this
information. Ice and mixed climbing are very dangerous sports
and one
can easily die or be seriously injured engaging in these activities.
Proceed at your own risk, plan for the best outcome and be
prepared for the worst.
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October 28th, 2009
Ice
and Ski Report
Rocky
Mountain National Park
Although it's not early for alpine ice season in RMNP, the
current Halloween storm finishing up over the Front Range of Colorado
has brought significant moisture in the form of deep snow to the Denver
metro area with the southern end seeming to receive the deepest totals-
up to 2' in some locations.
Having
just returned from a three week trip to Peru where it was warmer
at 15k than it is currently at 5k here, the change in conditions has been a bit
of a shock to the system.
I've yet to get out into the backcountry for a foray since my return, but from
studying conditions here at the homestead (check out the
weather report here) and from catching-up with a number of local
climbers, it seems that the ice is far from being in ideal shape and
the snow conditions for skiing are likely more sketchy and avalanche
prone than is the ideal for cranking steep turns.
The
fact that there have been three significant avalanches involving
climbers and skiers in RMNP in the last three weeks is an indication of
POOR stability = HIGH avalanche danger and all backcountry users should
be aware that early season does not mean 'no worries'.
Anything more than 10" of snow on the ground can cause a
burial, let alone sweep one over a cliff or into a tree or rock,
causing trauma injury.
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The
Smear of Fear on Oct. 17th, 2009.
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Monahan.
Click
on outlined photos to enlarge.
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Looking up the
hanging curtain of Dr. Wazz, a 70' pitch of WI4+ on the east face of
Thatchtop Mountain. Photo courtesy of Zach Knight
from a 10/24/09 ascent.
The Bear Lake Snotel
Site at 9500' on the east side
of RMNP is currently showing approx. 12" of new snow since the current
storm started on Tuesday afternoon (10/27). As a result of
this new snow combined with a forecast of high winds for the
next 24hrs, Avalanche Danger on all steep >30 degree
slopes, and especially lee and cross-loaded slopes (east, north, and
south facing) will be most subject to this avalanche
potential.
With the combination of deep snow and high winds, the
current Avalanche Danger Rating for the high country of RMNP is
HIGH,
and backcountry users should practice extreme caution when venturing
anywhere near avalanche terrain, especially with slopes that lack support, have
convexities, and especially all those in the 35-40 degree angle range
as this is the highest probability terrain for avalanche activity.
Trails above 9500'
throughout RMNP will be covered with abundant loose snow and so
flotation, likely best in the form of lightweight snowshoes would be
ideal. With so little base below this new snow, ski's and
potentially knees could be wrecked trying to glide through this minimal
snowpack. They call it Rocky for a reason!
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(Left)
An abundant ice flow below the Loft between Longs Peak and
Mt. Meeker in RMNP.
(Right)
Part of the Columbine Falls ice above the Peacock Pool in the Longs
Peak Cirque.
Photo's courtesy of Jeremy
Monahan.
The upper left photo
of the Loft Ice route shows a decent amount of ice on Oct. 17th and the
trained avalanche eye should also be able to identify that the slopes
above this route are unsupported and knowing that these
slopes are in the mid-30 degree range in steepness, this is
currently one of the more likely areas to be caught in an avalanche
with the outcome likely being very bad due to the size and depth of
snow that will be covering these slopes at the moment.
The ice routes in the upper right photo have minimal avalanche danger
above and below them due to flat terrain above and smallish slopes
below, but the approach trail to the right of the photo is very
avalanche prone and often it can be the approach trails that contain
the most avalanche danger. These 35 degree south facing
slopes on the south face of Mt. Lady Washington where the trail crosses
are large enough to kill and are often cross or lee loaded in current
conditions.
Both of these areas are likely in the HIGH category for current
Avalanche Danger and potentially even EXTREME , especially the Loft Ice
area. Ice climbers are often the victims of avalanches and
you don't have to climb on the slope for it to release naturally
or for a propagating slab to release from far below, even while
traveling on lower angle terrain.
Staying alive in the high country requires a relatively high degree of
knowledge in Avalanche Danger potential along with the
factors that create this danger; combined with an over-riding goal of
long-term survival and a willingness to turn around if conditions
are not favorable.
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Some
key points from the CAIC website
for skiers and climbers to remember in the early season:
- People
are often misled when they see grass and brush sticking out
of the snow surface. You should start thinking about avalanches any
time you have snow resting on a steep slope. Remember, all you need is
a slab resting on a weak layer of snow. The ground can easily act as a
bed surface, even if it’s only a few inches below the snow
surface.
- Old
summer snow fields can act as the perfect bed surface too. Hard
frozen old snow with new snow on top are common culprits in early
season avalanche incidents.
- Early
in the snow season there is not much snow on the ground. This
means that rocks and stumps are near the snow surface. If you get
caught in an avalanche you might get tumbled through rocks, stumps, and
downed timber. These obstacles can do great bodily harm to backcountry
users traveling through them at high speeds. Knee pads, helmets and
full body armor may not be a solution to this problem. Even a very
small slide can cause great harm if the terrain is unfriendly.
Don’t
let an early-season injury ruin your winter!
- Wind
drifts will create thicker slabs. Strong winds can take a
three inch snowstorm and quickly build an 18” wind slab.
Areas with
shallow snow may be very close to deep drifted areas. It may be easy to
move from a very safe area to a very dangerous area without traveling
very far. The wind drifts will be denser than the new snow and thick
hard snow on light fluffy snow is a great setup for an avalanche.
- Once
the sun returns after a storm cycle and warm temperatures
cause the new snow to melt, look to see where the pockets of snow
remain. The snow that lingers in sheltered areas and shady slopes could
be the weak layer after the next snowfall. These areas could also
become recurring problem areas throughout the winter depending on how
the winter snowpack develops.
- Pockets
of instability can develop quickly above ice climbs.
Climbers should know the terrain above their route as rapid warming or
heavy wind loading can quickly work to build slab or loose snow
avalanches which can nudge a precariously perched climber into a bad
fall.
- Brush
up on your rescue skills. Beacon practice, reviewing
shoveling techniques, and first aid classes are good preparation for
the upcoming season.
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Ryan Bogus and Zach Knight heading up the never ending slopes
on the east face of Thatchtop Mountain in search of the elusive 'Dr. Wazz'
on Oct. 24th, 2009.
Looking up the approach pitches to the well formed 'Dr. Wazz' on the
east face of Thatchtop Mountain, RMNP. Photo courtesy of Zach
Knight.
Make sure that you're picking terrain that is user friendly- don't
proceed into the high country just 'because' or 'it doesn't
look that bad'. Without thorough avalanche training and proper utilization of this
knowledge, the ramifications of a mistake can be life ending
and even a serious injury could end a climbing or skiing career.
If you haven't already invested in Avalanche Training, make this a
priority - now. Realize that ski areas have different needs
and training methods than are typically useful or practical to the
backcountry user. This is one investment that could make the
biggest difference in your life span and enjoyment of the mountains.
Check-out the full range of skiing and avalanche
seminars being offered this winter by Eli Helmuth
here.
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A
close-up of the lower east face of Longs Peak, Colorado. The
ice routes 'Crazy Train' and 'Wrecking Ball' are staring to drop
towards the ground but they are far from being climbable, unless you
are a master of levitation or 5.12 unprotected slab climbing in
crampons.
Photo courtesy of Jeremy
Monahan.
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Faceting of the basal
part of the snowpack (the bottom 10-20cm) is one of the leading causes
of early season avalanches in Colorado. Snow that fell in September and
early October quickly transforms in a cold environment from warm
rounded grains into this very weak layer that the entire snowpack ends
up sitting on top of, acting as the failure layer in many accidents and deaths in our
Continental snowpack.
Once the snowpack gains
enough depth, usually greater than 1.5 meters, these potential failure
layers will be buried deep enough to be of much less concern as a
source of avalanches.
It is during our
current snowpack set-up, when the total snowpack on most slopes is in
the 40-60cm height range, that the backcountry enthusiast should be
most concerned about 'Depth Hoar'. This basal facet layer is a leading
cause of avalanche deaths in the early season until this weak layer is
very well buries beyond our ability to interact (impact) them.
Snowmobiles and cliff
jumping can change this equation through greater forces, but remember
that just because there are only a few feet of snow on the ground, the
risk is not minimal- in fact it might be the highest, at least in
relation to triggering these common failure layers resulting in a slab avalanche.
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Ryan Bogus cranking the
finish to the seldom climbed 'Dr. Wazz' in RMNP. Ryan
described the finish to this pitch as a transition from solid ice, to
sugar snow (facets), to willow limbs. Likely the top-out was
the crux of this 70' long pitch.
Photo courtesy of Zach Knight.
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Eli
onsighting a stellar pitch of 5.10 crack climbing above 15k
in the beautiful Ishinca Valley of Peru on 10/09/2009. Photo
courtesy of Lawrence Kovacs.
Eli will be returning to the Equatorial Regions of Ecuador in November
to lead a 10 day trip on the volcanoes, Cayambe and Cotopaxi.
Check-out photos from past Ecuador trips here.
Eli
Helmuth of ClimbingLife Guides offers ski tours and backcountry
Avalanche Seminars and Backcountry Skiing Clinics that focus on
practical skills for minimizing the
risks while maximizing the fun in and around avalanche
terrain whether you are on skis, board, snowshoes,
or crampons.
These
seminars will increase your skills and abilities in
making
better backcountry decisions while taking advantage of the great
mid-winter
skiing and
climbing that Colorado has to offer. Check-out our full
schedule of outings here
for the 2009/10 season.
Contact
us
at:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
for more information or to register for one of
our weekly ski/board outings, an avalanche seminar, a backcountry
ski
course, or a private backcountry tour with Eli Helmuth, Rocky Mountain
National
Park's most experienced
mountain and ski guide.
Eli
is a
certified rock, alpine, and ski mountaineering guide with
10-years of experience as an AMGA
guide trainer in rock and alpine guiding. Eli has been a
certified AMGA Guide since 1991 and has been teaching avalanche courses
in Colorado since 2001.
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Photos
below
are only representative of common conditions, they are not current.
Consult
the
CAIC website for
current Avalanche Danger forecasts here.
Routes
are
sorted by current forecast Avalanche Danger Level:
LOW
Avalanche Danger as of 10/29/09
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Hidden Falls
WI- 3+
OUT -Forming slowly.
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Loch Vale Ice
WI
2-5
M1-8
OUT
- please let it form.
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Jewel
Lake
WI
2-3
OUT
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LOW Avalanche Danger as of 10/29/09
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Jaws
WI
3-5
OUT
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Squid
WI 5
OUT
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Deep
Freeze
WI-
5
OUT
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CONSIDERABLE
Avalanche Danger as of 10/29/09 (human caused
probable)
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Columbine Falls
WI
3-4
IN
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Necrophilia
WI
5, M5
OUT
- was IN earlier in Oct.
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Black
Lake Slabs
WI2
OUT-
FORMING
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CONSIDERABLE
Avalanche Danger as of 10/29/09 (human caused
probable)
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The
Crypt
WI-4
FORMING
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Grace
Falls
WI
3-5
OUT |
NE
Gully
WI3
IN
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HIGH
Avalanche Danger as of 10/29/09
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Flying
Dutchman
WI-2
OUT
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All
Mixed Up
WI
-3, M2
OUT
- Forming
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West
Gully
WI
- 3
OUT-
Forming
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HIGH Avalanche Danger
as of 10/29/09
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Martha
WI - 2, M-1
OUT - was
IN
could
reform
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Hallett's
Chimney
WI-5,
M-4
OUT
- wait until spring
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Field's
Chimney
WI-5.
M4
OUT
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HIGH Avalanche Danger
as of 10/29/09
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Alexander's
Chimney
WI-4,
M4
IN
but thin
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Smear of Fear
WI-5,
M5
OUT
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New
Beginnings
WI-5,
M5
OUT
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HIGH Avalanche Danger
as of 10/29/09
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The
Window
WI-5,
M4
OUT
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Vanquished
WI-5,
M4
OUT
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Hot
Doggies
WI-5+
OUT
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HIGH Avalanche Danger
as of 10/29/09
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East
Face, Notchtop
WI-3+, M3
OUT
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North
American
Avalanche Danger Scale
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Danger Level
(& Color)
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Avalanche Probability and Avalanche Trigger
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Degree and Distribution of Avalanche Danger
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Recommended Action
in the
Backcountry
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| What
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Why
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Where
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What
to Do |
LOW
(GREEN)
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Natural avalanches very unlikely. Human triggered avalanches unlikely.
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Generally
stable snow. Isolated areas of instability. |
Travel
is generally safe. Normal caution is advised. |
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(YELLOW)
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Natural
avalanches unlikely. Human triggered avalanches possible.
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Unstable
slabs possible on steep terrain.
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Use
caution in steeper terrain and on certain aspects.
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CONSIDERABLE
(ORANGE)
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Natural
avalanches possible. Human triggered avalanches probable.
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Unstable
slabs probable on steep terrain. |
Be
increasingly cautious in steeper terrain. |
HIGH
(RED)
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Natural
and human triggered avalanches likely.
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Unstable
slabs likely on a variety of aspects and slope angles.
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Travel
in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Safest travel on windward
ridges and lower angle slopes without steeper terrain above.
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EXTREME
(BLACK)
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Widespread
natural or human triggered avalanches certain.
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Extremely
unstable slabs
certain on most aspects and slope angles. Large, destructive avalanches
possible. Large, destructive avalanches
possible.
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Travel
in
avalanche terrain
should be avoided and travel confined to low angle terrain well away
from avalanche path run-outs.
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