timmy_t Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Climb: Eldorado Peak-Eldorado Glacier/East Ridge Date of Climb: 2/27/2005 Trip Report: My brother and I climbed/skiied Eldorado this Sunday, 2/27. Cascade River Road is mostly snow-free until maybe 15 miles in, and there is continuous snow from mile 17 to the (closed) gate at 19.3 miles. It's an easy drive even on the snow (we had a minivan), but there are icy spots due to melt/freeze action. If you know where the trail starts then it's easy to find (obviously). The creek crossing is not bad. The lowest 400 vertical feet of the approach is pretty worked over (downed trees, brush, etc.), but is easy to follow, with ZERO snow. The lower boulder field is snowfree and marked well with flags and cairns. Once you go through the trail in the slide alder to the upper boulder field, the going gets a bit more annoying. The lower third is snowfree, but once you encounter snow there's lots of postholing to look forward to, unless you're in the early morning. You definitely have to carry skis almost all the way up to the big snow basin at 5500 feet. We camped here and left the next morning around sunrise. Even though the snow was frozen there was no problem setting a skin track, and other than the 150 foot descent just past the snow basin we stayed on our skis all the way to within 200 feet of the summit. There are no crevasses open anywhere on the Eldorado Glacier. There was one small crack open on the East Ridge at about 450 feet below the summit, but it is easily skirted. The bergschrund is filled in too, but it's probably wise to keep away! The final narrow, exposed snow arete is heavily corniced, but it is easy to stay just to the right on the way up. Infinite views of infinite peaks with way too little snow on them. Locked in to our skis around 8600 feet, and for our 10am descent the snow was sugary sweet all the way to the basin camp at 5500 feet. Packed up, skiied down through the trees for another 400 feet, then gave up and postholed down through the talus fields and trudged back to the car. I would say late June conditions up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCash Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Cool, sounds fun. Any pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billygoat Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Nice job. Good beta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steddy Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 mmmmm.... makin' it sound sweet and easy... (minus the postholing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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