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I have a few questions about this beautiful peak:
-has anyone been close to the area in the last couple weeks and knows about the snow conditions (I heard snowfall last week)? I've seen some of the recent trip reports (e.g. Langley on this site) and it looks to be <1-2 feet snow even above 12000'? i also don't want to be climbing on water ice

-i'll be going solo and trying to get more practice on steeper snow, having done u notch on N Pal and cox col (though on cox col i exited to rock on climber's right about 50' from the top). i felt pretty secure on u notch, while the last 50' of cox col were much steeper than i was ready to solo at the time. i know that the answer to this next question will be subjective, but how does feather peak's couloir compare? maybe i'll just have to go and see for myself

-does anyone have photos of the ~70' class 4 segment at top of couloir. aside from bob burd's excellent trip reports and secor's book, there aren't many photos. i've soloed the 15 ft class 4 at top of cathedral peak, which was pretty scary. just wondering how the class 4 on feather compares and whether one can bail at the top of the couloir onto maybe 3rd class? SW face if necessary

Thanks!

Your description isn't all that clear. The couloir on Feather's north side is called Feather Couloir by Secor, and the North Couloir by Moynier/Fiddler. That is a most serious route far harder than the U-Notch or Cox Col, rated as class 4-5 by the latter pair and likely closer to the truth.
If you're referring to the Royce/Feather Col (which is the route I took), that is easier than the other two, imo.

I did it some years ago, in September when was dirty ice. I used two tools, but I never remember it feeling vertical or desperate.

It’s been a long time, but my memory and written records show that I climbed Feather on 9-6-93 and 9-25-94. One of those climbs (I forget which one) was on the north couloir. I was in the habit of carrying a slope gauge and an altimeter in the 90’s. I recorded the couloir as 35-50 degrees (steepest at the top) and 700 feet high.

I measured the U-Notch as mostly 45 degrees with bulges up to 55 degrees and an elevation gain of 900 feet. The bergschrund can add a lot to the difficulty of the U-Notch.

Snow and ice conditions make a huge difference, but under similar conditions, Feather is easier.

I would be astonished if anyone had been up that far this season; I've climbed it in September 2006 and was glad to have two tools and a rope. We tried it sept or oct of 2014 and it was completely dry and dead, just dirty gravel. Right now it will be filled with steep and deep snow for sure. If it's a neve climb you're after wait until June or July imo. You can bypass the class 4 by dropping down the west side a bit

There is one generalization you can make about this route: the snow conditions were different for everyone who ever attempted it and the conditions will be difficult to predict on the day you attempt it. Hmmm, I think that's 2 generalizations. Anyway, when I climbed it, which was in early July about 12 years ago, the snow conditions happened to be near perfect. Just the luck of the draw. I also remember the rock on the sidewalls of the chute was rotten, so I predominantly stuck to the snow. I will agree with you, it is a beautiful peak.

I climbed it with my girlfriend on May 25, 2002. I remember it being fun and easy. Conditions vary, obviously, which is probably why you're asking.

Here are the two sentences about it in my notes: "The Feather Pk. Couloir was soft, easy, a little sticky, but had some water ice under really soft snow at the top which forced me to put on my crampons for the last 20'. The descent was kind of sucky: dirty, down sloping slabs, funky boulder moves."

For what it's worth.

Thanks all for the replies and seano for the photos. For the steeper couloir on the north side, I was planning to head out in the next couple weeks, but it sounds like late June or July holds the highest probability for styrofoam.

Bobpickering, those measurements were taken on the couloir on the north side, not the Royce/Feather Couloir? (Sorry for the naming confusion, I'm interested in the couloir on the north side)

mfang wrote:Bobpickering, those measurements were taken on the couloir on the north side, not the Royce/Feather Couloir? (Sorry for the naming confusion, I'm interested in the couloir on the north side)

Yes, that was the north couloir.

I’ve always kept a log of the peaks I’ve climbed, but it has very little route information. The log shows class 4 climbs on Feather in ’93 and ’94, but no route descriptions. I keep a separate list of the snow and ice routes I’ve done. This list has statistics on the routes, but not the date(s) I climbed them. I started this list because the ratings and estimated steepness of snow and ice climbs so inconsistent. The list shows “Feather Pk., N Couloir” as 35-50 degrees and 700 feet high.

Here are some photos from guys who skied it in early May about 12 years ago. They described it as about 45 degrees but I think it's got to be less than that most of the way. Maybe they just meant the last part.

http://www.thebackcountry.net/bb/viewtopic.php?t=298

Some photos of a climb in September 2010 when it had iced up near the top:

http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Feather-Pea ... 0772n.html

It may not work especially well to estimate the conditions based on years past. The Sierra climate has changed recently, drier especially, but also warmer. Best bet is to go and see for yourself. It's not that far.