I'm heading up to Chicago basin for some climbing and skiing over memorial weekend. Have some non-classic objectives in mind, although may also attempt some of the classics like Eolus's East Couloir. I'd enjoy some company, so if interested in teaming up, just pm or email me. See my plans on my profile.

My gf and I are heading up there that weekend. Will be going up fri and returning mon. Gonna climb and ski the 14ers. She's never done them but I have. The East Couloir on Eolus is short, but fun. I think we are gonna try and get up Peak 18 also. What days are you going?

iceisnice wrote: Will be going up fri and returning mon. What days are you going?

Same days. Train in Fri, Train out maybe mon/tues. That's nice to know you'll be up there. Perhaps we can hang, unless you're one of those insane ski mountaineer racers that would do it in a day for training... ;-I Give a email sometime.

Ha! I did do them all in a day last yr. Definitely will not be doing that this time. Probably do Sunlight and Windom in a day, Eolus another day, and Peak 18 the morning we have to catch the train. Will be interesting to see what conditions are gonna be like. Was looking like we were gonna have an early spring back in late march/early april, but not we been getting tons of snow and low temps with cloud cover....so the snowpack isn't melting out that fast yet. Last yr we had a huge snowpack and I went up there the weekend before memorial day weekend and was able to hike almost the entire way to the lower basin with no snow on the trial. The lower basin was dry. Should be the same this yr.

iceisnice wrote:Ha! I did do them all in a day last yr. Definitely will not be doing that this time. Probably do Sunlight and Windom in a day, Eolus another day, and Peak 18 the morning we have to catch the train. Will be interesting to see what conditions are gonna be like. Was looking like we were gonna have an early spring back in late march/early april, but not we been getting tons of snow and low temps with cloud cover....so the snowpack isn't melting out that fast yet. Last yr we had a huge snowpack and I went up there the weekend before memorial day weekend and was able to hike almost the entire way to the lower basin with no snow on the trial. The lower basin was dry. Should be the same this yr.

Sounds excellent sir. It is interesting that the higher snowpack is hanging on with these storms the last few weeks. We skied Molas ice the day of the race, then did Mcmillian and Prospect the next day in heavy powder. Got some stuff to slide fairly easily on that spring layer beneath the newstuff... fairly easily. Guess we'll have to wait and see how the conditions pan out over the next few weeks. Kinda weird to have spring snow stuck in between winter accumulation and these upper layers of new snow. Not to mention that the lower layers were still sugary on several aspects below that spring layer.

I'm interested in scoping a line on North Eolus', i'll email a link... other than that its all fluff, so I look forward to meeting and skiing with you guys. Meantime take care. Perhaps we may meet up in Durango @ the train then.

D

Lionel wrote:Sort of related, is it safe to say that the Wilson-El Diente traverse will not be snow free by mid June? I'm betting it will not be ready & in summer conditions.

Highly doubt it....