Has anyone been up this way lately? How are the snow conditions? I was thinking about doing the east couloir this weekend.

Thanks in advance.

Did you ever make to Matterhorn? If so, how were the conditions? Thinking of doing a snowboard trip up there over Memorial Day.

bump

Has anybody been up there recently? Just trying to get conditions, snow level, etc. Thinking of heading up over Memorial Day.

sorry for the late reply; snow cond'ns on the horse creek approach to matterhorn from twin lakes are pretty good; i took slow shoes but didn't wear them. there's still quite a bit of cover in general though; a few spots thigh deep for a few hundred feet, but generally it's not bad (just get moving early) - the EastCouloir still has quite a bit of deep low-angled snow; axe and crampons req'd but barely necessary. several skiers doing matterhorn canyon and surrounds w/e of 15th

Was wondering if anyone went up Matterhorn over the holiday weekend.

If so, how were the conditions?

Thanks.

4 of us were up there Friday through Sunday. Pictures will sum it up pretty well.

Dragged up snowshoes and crampons, didn't need them for the couloirs. Crampons only might have been needed if you left before sun up (I think). We took off around 5:30 am sunday for matterhorn summit. Weather was gorgeous, probably 20s-30s at night with very little wind.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/optimuscli ... 052769121/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/optimuscli ... 177057068/

Great pix, seanh. And thanks for the info.

What's your take on the slide potential? Looked like there was some evidence in the pix.

Any challenges presented by the glacier? Did you guys rope up?

Thanks.

Didn't rope up at all.

Disclaimer: I am the furthest thing from an avalanche expert. Was traveling with someone who teaches avy skills, so I suspect that if anything was sketchy he would have spoken up. We did all have beacons/probes/shovels.

That said, the snow seemed pretty stable. Given recent circumstances in the area, if you are like me and have no formal knowledge of such things, be careful if no one in your party knows whats up.

Oh, one other piece of beta: we were able to break through to the lake up there, so didn't have to melt snow! That was nice. The hole should still be there.

Extremely helpful. Thanks.

One more quickie: Which route?

TIA...

First day we tried the doodad via polemonium col. Got shotdown when the 3rd/4th class at the bitter end was covered in fresh snow, and seemed way sketchier than what we were looking for. (I think a lot of it was slabby, i.e. not something you want slippery snow on). Took the standard east couloir route up matterhorn.

On Saturday, it didn't take an expert to know conditions were suspect. All sorts of slides, even down low were the snow became consistent. Any evidence of crowning or natural slides screams the probability of human-caused slides.

Anyway, avy conditions were quite high when I headed up there from Mono Village. Left a little after 8 a.m., but the sun had baked all that fresh snow so quickly. About 8-10 inches of fresh up high, above 10,000 feet and there were slides everywhere. Snow was quite firm and snowshoes weren't required until I got a little higher. While I could have used them, the snow was mushy and slow going regardless and the stability wouldn't have improved had I brought snowshoes, which can be cumbersome depending on the quality of the snow.

I got near the base of the couloirs a little before 1 p.m. and decided to turn around and snowboard from there. West couloir had a wet slide come down about 500 feet in length. I was solo and it didn't seem worth it to continue with all the slides. I am sure the snow has consolidated since then because it had snowed Wednesday and Thursday, then warmed up big time on Saturday, but going early is the best recipe for getting caught in a spring slide. Even a small wet one can do damage.

Car to summit to car is possible on Matterhorn in one day, but Saturday turned out not to be a good day for that.

Thanks, all.

Very enlightening...

jbetoo wrote:going early is the best recipe for getting caught in a spring slide. Even a small wet one can do damage.

Doesn't leaving early and getting off the mountain early decrease, not increase, the chance of getting caught in a spring slide? I thought these wet snow/slab avalanches occurred as a result of warming temperatures... The later in the day, the longer these slopes have been warming..

thexcat wrote:Doesn't leaving early and getting off the mountain early decrease, not increase, the chance of getting caught in a spring slide? I thought these wet snow/slab avalanches occurred as a result of warming temperatures... The later in the day, the longer these slopes have been warming..

Yes, wet avalanches result from a snowpack weakened by direct sun, high temperatures, or rain. Climbing during the coldest part of the day (midnight to morning) is the standard way of mitigating the sun/heat risk.