Stuart West Ridge Conditions?

[MountaingirlBC]

Anyone been up there yet? It's been on the calender for this weekend for months but I'm worried that it might still be too early.

[MountaingirlBC]

*crickets*

[dbb]

should be fine climbing in boots. It's likely that the scrambling couloirs below long john tower will have some snow in them, but that shouldn't cause a problem. you might find snow still on the north-side traverse out of the west ridge notch too. the crux on the summit pyramid gets tons of sun and has been dry for a while. go for it!

[dinomyte]

I'm planning on hiking up one of those couloirs Saturday. See you on top around 11am?

[scottgg]

As of this past Saturday: the summit of Stuart still held significant snow on all aspects, and the east ridge held nearly continuous snow down to the Sherpa notch. I would imagine that the West Ridge will involve lots of snow, which is not bad, just different.

The schrund in the Sherpa Glacier now requires a jump or short rappel, and the Ice Cliff Glacier schrund is surmountable on both the right and left, though detatched in the center.

[spotly]

Large sections of the 2nd gully looked pretty loaded with snow last Saturday as well.

[goatboy]

Having never done this route, it seems like much of it would be preferable with a bit of consolidated snow cover....true???

[kurthicks]

As of this past Saturday: the summit of Stuart still held significant snow on all aspects, and the east ridge held nearly continuous snow down to the Sherpa notch. I would imagine that the West Ridge will involve lots of snow, which is not bad, just different.

The schrund in the Sherpa Glacier now requires a jump or short rappel, and the Ice Cliff Glacier schrund is surmountable on both the right and left, though detatched in the center.

 

as of yesterday, the sherpa still goes pretty easily and does not require a jump or rappel. we downclimbed easy snow over a bridge right in the middle of the schrund. the ice cliff schrund is only passable, and probably not for much longer, on the left side. the rock up there looks pretty dry...

 

lots of mosquitos out!

[chucK]

This might be too late, but I went up there and did the West Ridge today. Not any significant snow problems. I had an axe and soft boots. Most of the snow on the West Ridge is avoidable. There is one pretty steep unavoidable bit right after LJ Tower or the West horn. The North side bypass on the upper ridge remarkably is not snow-covered. There is lots of snow (unavoidable) on the CC descent.

[dinomyte]

Chuck:

 

I came off Stuart yesterday, and though I went up the steep snowfield on CC, coming down I downclimbed as much rock as possible to avoid strapping on the pons. I crossed a total of about 20 feet of snow. Of course, I had to bury my ice axe to the hilt each time so I didn't end up sliding down into the boulders. And, yes, it would have been much easier just to put on the pons!

 

But, much of the snow is avoidable in CC.

 

 

[chucK]

Yes, I guess I was a bit imprecise. I don't doubt one could avoid most of the snow. But on the descent I was searching out snow, rather than avoid, to glissade (much easier than downclimbing talus!).

 

Though the snow was quite soft, I probably wouldn't have wanted to do it without an axe.

[cluck]

it seems like much of it would be preferable with a bit of consolidated snow cover....true???

 

Well, yes and no. Think the reason most people do West Ridge of Stuart is to get a fun and easy if long day out scrambling on granite. I personally don't think I would prefer West Ridge of Stuart as a snow climb. Lots of other places to go for a slog. I will admit, however, that the Cascadian on the way down is unbearably long and miserable and would likely be improved with good snow conditions vs. when dry. All in all, this sounds like a good time to do the route. Can stay on rock on the way up and use snow for the way off. My two cents worth.