Hi - Planning a trip June 21-23 and wondering if the trail from Bowen-Baker trailhead in RMNP to Parika Lake, over Bowen Pass, and down Bowen Gulch is likely to be passable. Rangers thought not, but they hadn't had recent reports when I talked to them today. (I did find a Snotel monitor not too far away, but around 1000 feet lower. Still, it's showing very rapid melting and probably no snow in a day or so. I have no idea if that's a reliable way to look at conditions, though. Any thoughts? Has anyone been there lately?
Mike

I've watched areas in the Tetons, Winds, and Bighorns really pick up steam in the snowmelt dept. Sections of the Bighorns and Tetons are seeing 3-6" of melt per day. 10K is bare in many parts of the winds. I'm sure many of the 11K passes will be clear in a week in CO. Plenty of hot weather down there lately. If not bare, very easily passable. Snow isn't necessarily bad.....not sure why many seem skittish of it.

Saw them from Trail Ridge 2 weeks ago yesterday and there didn't appear to be a square foot of ground that wasn't snow covered. Given that you're going in another week alot of snow will have melted but I would suspect that snow, especially in the passes and higher terrain will be an issue.