Experience with a late winter/early spring approach to Bear Creek Spire?

How far up the road can you typically get with a vehicle before you hit a gate/snow/etc? We're thinking the very end of march, just want to know what we're getting into on the approach.

Thanks.

You'll get stopped at the Sno-Park for the next couple of months. Just an extra 5 miles to the trip. And I'd say post-hole madness over boulders once you pass Gem Lake.

Thanks Deb, how close to Rock Creek Lake is the Sno Park? Google isn't my friend right now. I figured there will be suffering in the boulders.

Edit: NM, figured it out. It's about halfway between the lake and Tom's Place, it would seem. 10 miles RT addition.

I recollect, 1/4 m from Toms to the snowpark, around 7m from there to RCLodge and another mile to RC Lake. Load some sleds and pull them on in, much easier.

I thought the snow park is at the small parking lot you come to 1/4 mile in, where you can get picked up by snow cat to go to rock creek lodge, rock creek resort and pie in the sky is across from Rock Creek Lake. Been to both several times.

Ah, the talus fields below Bear Creek Spire, covered in faint snow... f*cking mind numbing. Still, gorgeous area!

Have fun and just go and DO IT

Incredible photos, Daria! Was that recently? Snow looks too heavy for that to have been this season...

Chief - you take great pictures man, that looks really nice. I'm assuming you're fly fishing in there?

Spring of '11, Aran.

aran wrote:Incredible photos, Daria! Was that recently? Snow looks too heavy for that to have been this season...

This was in April 2011. We did the NE Ridge.

Breathe, babby Burchey, breathe...

God, I love BABBY

Adam, we didn't make it near as far up there as I thought we might. Something to do with fun and sledding...

But this past week's storm only brought a few inches of snow, most of which was redistributed in winds on Saturday. Read: crust over unconsolidated crap, so I would think snow shoes are going to be helpful for getting through the basin to the base of the climb. A few more weeks might help some, but I was postholing up to my thigh around 9500ft (Wait, when am I NOT postholing... hurmmm...)

North arete looked fairly clean from a distance. Forgive me if I wish for a shit-ton of snow in the next few weeks. Mama Moosie wants a decent spring season...

Good luck, AB!

-L