Enchantments conditions

[mhux]

Anyone have recent beta on how conditions in the Enchantments are? Looks like weather is stabilizing (for now!), hoping to get something done in the area..thanks

[Dannible]

Did some skiing up near there the other day. The snow pack is more or less normal for this time of year, which is odd because at Stevens Pass it is much more than normal. From a distance it seemed like the ice routes are not in, though the popular couliors do not need ice to be climbed. Floatation is required, and there were predictable wet slides on sunny slopes.

[montypiton]

skied up Stuart Lake trail to Argonaut last week, & found some of the most challenging snow conditions I've dealt with in 50 years of skiing. breakable suncrust to about 4500', then windslab of varying firmness and depth higher up. our ski-track set up hard enough, and the crust was ugly enough, that I took off skis and walked the section from the Colchuck trail intersection down to the bridge on the trip out. there was no track up the Colchuck trail as of April 6. If I were going into the Enchantments very soon, I'd elect snowshoes over skis. climbing? I'd expect to wallow above about 5000'.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

I was up with Monty and I agree, conditions were kind of crappy for either skiing or climbing. Didn't see much ice anywhere and stuff was either crusty or wallowy. Hopefully it'll set up better but it's not there yet.

[mattp]

Not the dreaded "isothermal" (mushout)!

[montypiton]

not quite isothermal yet, but certainly trending that direction...

[kevino]

What were the exact dates you guys were up there?

 

Before/during this last warm cycle? Wondering if the warm days over the weekend helped consolidate things a big as it starts to cool back down today/tonight...

 

thanks

[kurthicks]

is the road still gated? how much of it is melted out?

[Kyle_Flick]

Kurt, the road is still gated and will likely remain gated for several more weeks. Last Sat. there were only patches of bare road within the 1st mile, otherwise it was all snow covered.

[kurthicks]

and conditions pretty much suck from the sound of it. maybe I should look elsewhere.

[Kyle_Flick]

The snow is great! You should join us Sat. for a ski/easy climb above 8-mile Lake.

[kurthicks]

i'd love to, but I've gotta work. let me know what you find up there, good skiing or otherwise!

[wdietsch]

Curious as to any new updates on the snow pack.

 

I realize it is still late April and a spring "dump" could come at anytime .. however I'm wondering what the snow pack looks like @ Colchuck and Asgard compared to an "average" year?

[scottk]

Coverage was great and snow was nice proto-corn on both Asgard and Colchuck glacier last weekend. The ski down from Colchuck lake was a bitch due to low coverage, but probably normal for this time of year. Road should be open soon.

[mhux]

Sorry to breathe life into this old thread but can anyone tell me what conditions are like now/will be this weekend? NOAA says chance of rain, I was planning backbone ridge but don't want to drive 6 hours to get rained out

[alpine et]

I was up at Colchuck at the col and Aasguard pass over this past weekend (June 9-10). There was evidence of some recent wet slide activity on Colchuck, but felt pretty solid going up that in the morning - don't think anything moved on it all day. Went up Aasguard in the afternoon and it was getting sloppy by 2-3, but still skiied well and especially if you follow the decently well placed bootpath, travel was easy.

 

I'm headed back there this weekend and have been watching weather...NOAA has been going back and forth between partly sunny and 20% chance rain. To me that means GREEN LIGHT.... although our rock climbing is more of an after thought to our thru hike, so rain isn't such a game changer...

 

 

[alpine et]

Anyone head in via Snowlakes side recently? I've never gone this early - any issue getting over that spilldam?? After having been up Colchuck we're just going to approach via Snowlakes to be lazy, and hoping to leave ice axe and crampons at the car... anyone been up snowlakes and up to prussik recently?

[cam yarder]

was up there 2 weeks ago. no need for crampons or axes and no issue getting over the dam

[wdietsch]

other that the crew that hit the South Route on Colchuck this weekend, any updates from the Snow Lake or Colchuck Lake/Aasgard Pass approaches?

 

thanks

[RaisedByPikas]

As of yesterday you can find plenty of snow free campsites at Colchuck lake. Aasguard pass looked to be 75% snow covered with most of the exposed rocks near the bottom and on the rising traverse over to Aasgard pass.

Edited June 18, 2012 by RaisedByPikas

[KaskadskyjKozak]

other that the crew that hit the South Route on Colchuck this weekend, any updates from the Snow Lake or Colchuck Lake/Aasgard Pass approaches?

 

thanks

 

Continuous snow from Colchuck Lake to Colchuck col. The trail around the lake has lingering snow, and a good deal of the trail portion (climber's left) of Aasgard is under snow. From the summit of Colchuck Peak, the Upper Enchantments look to be 90+% under snow.

 

[ajpederson]

 

Aasgard and Colchuck Glacier on Saturday. The snow was pretty wet and soft in spots, don't think it froze Friday night. We got turned around by a big bergschrund at the base of the North East Buttress Couloir route on Colchuck.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Picture taken at about 2pm on Sunday - what a difference a day makes in weather, eh?

[dhrmabum]

Jeez, I was there on Sun. as well. Spectacular. My first time there, but not my last. I had intended to climb it, but. . partied a little late the night before, so slept in a bit late, etc. Ended up being satisfied with hanging out at the lake, eating and lounging with two french beauties. . .

Heavenly indeed.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Jeez, I was there on Sun. as well. Spectacular. My first time there, but not my last. I had intended to climb it, but. . partied a little late the night before, so slept in a bit late, etc. Ended up being satisfied with hanging out at the lake, eating and lounging with two french beauties. . .

Heavenly indeed.

 

Hmmm, I think we may have run into you three on the way out. Unless there were more than 2 cute ladies with foreign accents lounging at the lake (why do I climb and not backpack???)