[christensent]

Went up to the trailhead on Saturday night. Milepost 19 looks like this:

MP19

There is a few inches of snow at the trailhead, but none in the woods until 4000ft at the boulder field. There was quite a temperature inversion keeping the trailhead cold. Woke up at 2am and started up around 3. The log crossing is not a problem at the start of the trail. The lower quarter mile of trail is difficult to find and in very poor condition, the rest is not too bad albeit steep with no switchbacks. The boulder field is absolutely awful right now. It has 1-2ft of spotty snow that you fall through every step you take. We ended up using snowshoes for much of it, but it was simply terrible.

The Eldorado boulder field at 4000ft

The snow picks up by 4500-5000ft and we made good time to the crossover point at 6200ft where you go over the ridge and enter the glacier. Sunrise at this point, very good views!

Eldorado Peak, 2700ft to go

After dropping off the ridge and entering a west-facing slope, the snow immediately felt awful. Dug a snow pit and had a CT1 Q1 shear on a 40cm slab. With clear skies and temperatures forecasted to approach 50F, there was not a chance we'd want to come back over that in the afternoon so we left. This weak layer was not observed on east-facing slopes. A ways down it got hot hot hot as the sun came higher. True shorts and t-shirt weather. The top 6" of snow turned to slush and snowshoes didn't bite. A miserable 2 hours going down the boulder field through a combination of falls, snowshoe rock hopping, and careful glissades between boulders. This was the most miserable descent I have ever experienced. You couldn't pay me to do the Eldorado boulder field in these conditions.

[nordique]

Very smart of you to turn around when you did!

[puzzlr]

Interesting to see it in the "pre" winter season. More interesting to see than to be there, from what you say.

[iron]

thanks for the pit info. that'll influence next weekend's more ambitious trip.

[Gimpilator]

Thanks for this report. Great info. I once climbed Eldorado in the winter with crappy snow conditions and it made for one of the most show and miserable descents of my life. So i know what your talking about.

[Blowdown]

Point it out to Hulksmash and he'll clear out that road in no time!