Snow on Granite Peak?

Regional discussion and conditions reports for the Northern Rockies. Please post partners requests and trip plans in the Northern Rockies Climbing Partners section.
no avatar
Stodtmeister

 
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2014 7:09 am
Thanked: 0 time in 0 post

Snow on Granite Peak?

by Stodtmeister » Thu Sep 04, 2014 7:28 am

Planning on heading up Granite Peak this weekend 9/6-9/7 with my sons and wondering if anyone had been up there since the storm the weekend of the 23rd that could let me know what the conditions were like now.

User Avatar
punchline

 
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:02 pm
Thanked: 20 times in 11 posts

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by punchline » Thu Sep 04, 2014 2:16 pm

We went up the SW Couloir/Ramp from Lady of the Lakes Trailhead on the 25th - 27th. Some lingering snow and ice but we didn't use crampons or microspikes. One section on the ramp had an icy waterfall but one of the guide services had left a fixed line. Ice axes were useful but if there hasn't been any precipitation since the 23rd, you are probably OK.
Attachments
197 - Copy.JPG
Heading up via Lady of the Lakes Trail
197 - Copy.JPG (504.54 KiB) Viewed 6840 times
355 - Copy.JPG
Granite Peak viewed from our campsite
355 - Copy.JPG (439.28 KiB) Viewed 6840 times
539 - Copy.JPG
Heading up the ramp
539 - Copy.JPG (259.83 KiB) Viewed 6840 times
552 - Copy.JPG
Approaching the summit
552 - Copy.JPG (437.5 KiB) Viewed 6840 times
633 - Copy.JPG
Icy waterfall in the morning w/fixed line
633 - Copy.JPG (394.09 KiB) Viewed 6840 times
679 - Copy.JPG
Heading down from the Sky Top Lakes basin. As long as the sun was out, this crossing was doable w/o crampons - otherwise it might have been a quick trip into the lake ...
679 - Copy.JPG (323.73 KiB) Viewed 6840 times
Last edited by punchline on Thu Sep 04, 2014 5:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The following user would like to thank punchline for this post
Stodtmeister

User Avatar
chugach mtn boy

 
Posts: 942
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:54 pm
Thanked: 224 times in 129 posts

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by chugach mtn boy » Thu Sep 04, 2014 3:40 pm

punchline wrote:One section on the ramp had an icy waterfall but one of the guide services had left a fixed line.


Wow. As recently as 2006 the SW couloir was virtually unknown and the S side of Granite was a deserted as the back side of the moon. Now we got guide services, fixed lines ... progress marches on, I guess!

User Avatar
Bobber

 
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:43 am
Thanked: 1 time in 1 post

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by Bobber » Thu Sep 04, 2014 5:00 pm

Way more snow than when I went up Aug 7.

User Avatar
punchline

 
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:02 pm
Thanked: 20 times in 11 posts

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by punchline » Thu Sep 04, 2014 5:16 pm

Yep - at least 3 parties in the Sky Top Lakes basin when we were there -probably a lot more went up there over the holiday weekend ...

no avatar
Stodtmeister

 
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2014 7:09 am
Thanked: 0 time in 0 post

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by Stodtmeister » Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:04 am

Awesome. We're just headed up the West Rosebud route. We tried it the weekend of the 23rd and got snowed off of Froze to Death. Eager to give it another try. If all goes well we'll my little one will be the new record holder for the youngest to summit.

no avatar
splattski

 
Posts: 429
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2003 8:04 am
Thanked: 67 times in 55 posts

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by splattski » Wed Dec 31, 2014 1:27 pm

Here's a video of what to expect on a (impressive!) winter climb of Granite Peak


no avatar
markv

 
Posts: 189
Joined: Sun May 30, 2004 5:16 am
Thanked: 3 times in 3 posts

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by markv » Mon Jun 08, 2015 7:00 pm

The season is approaching again! I know a lot can happen differently between now and August, but tell me if i'm looking at this correctly. The snowpack is now something similar to what it was last year in mid-July. So would a good guess be that by mid-August of this year, barring heavy summer snows, the route might be almost completely melted out?

I'm thinking this may the snow year to try this route.

User Avatar
Bobber

 
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:43 am
Thanked: 1 time in 1 post

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by Bobber » Sat Jun 13, 2015 2:57 am

You are probably right, Mark. I might go again if ya need a buddy.

no avatar
markv

 
Posts: 189
Joined: Sun May 30, 2004 5:16 am
Thanked: 3 times in 3 posts

Re: Snow on Granite Peak?

by markv » Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:26 am

Thanks Bobber. If we went, we'd be in an inflexible time window in mid-August. Looks like a good route for having someone along whose been there. Usually i love routefinding, but with limited time and a long trip to get there, this may be the right trip to not spend a lot of extra time finding my way. Let's be in touch.


Return to Northern Rockies (ID, MT, WY)

 


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests