[cdt-l] ice axes and crampons

James McCreight jlmccreight at gmail.com
Mon Mar 12 21:35:27 CDT 2007


it was fine for me in the first week of june, 2003. you should check the
snow levels in different years. I think the san juans are about average (see
below) though I dont really know.
When I went nobo, I took an axe but not crampons and that worked fine. I
only felt like i needed the axe twice.
You can always just go to the telluride bluegrass festival for a few days if
it's bad. a lot can change in a few days during that time of year as well.

for what it's worth, here is a copy of the latest niwot ridge snow report.
(much lower snow pack than san juan)

***************************************************
Niwot Ridge LTER Snow Report for February 28th, 2007

Greetings! The snowpack at Niwot Ridge (C1) for the end of February
remains above average. State wide, The Front Range snowpack is above
average, and the snowpack in the western half of the state is less
than average. Across the West, Washington and New Mexico remain the
only states with above average SWE.

Hand measurements made on February 28th, 2007 show 14.375 inches of
Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) for 139% of the 1982-2007 average hand
measurements, and a snow depth of 50.75 inches. This is the 4th
highest end of February SWE measurement in this record. SNOTEL is
reporting 13.4 inches of SWE for 137% of average.

The South Platte River Basin is at 111% of average SWE, and 111% of
average total accumulated precipitation. State wide the Arkansas River
Basin has the highest percent of average SWE; the San Miguel, Dolores,
Animas and San Juan River Basins have the lowest percent of average
SWE (115%, 76% respectively). The South Platte River Basin has the
highest percent of average total accumulated precipitation; the Yampa
and White River Basins also has the lowest percent of average total
accumulated precipitation (111%, 89%).

Across the West, the end of February looks very similar to the end of
January. Washington remains the only state with above average Percent
SWE and above average Percent Accumulated Precipitation (116% SWE,
113% Accum Precip). New Mexico is the only other state with above
average percent SWE (108%). Nevada and The California Great Basin
sites still have the lowest percent of average SWE (64%, 65%). Arizona
has the lowest percent of accumulated precipitation followed by the
California Great Basin sites (63%, 71%). The Snowpack Index (SI) is
greater than one in Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, the Arkansas
River Basin, and the Lower Colorado River Basin, and less than one
through out the rest of the Western US.

Until next month

Sno Tel Data  Niwot Ridge, C-1
Snow Water Content (inches)
Values are for the end of given month
except as noted for May and June

Season  Dec     Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May             Jun
81/82   4.75    10.5    11.75   15.5    14.9    12      (17th)
82/83   3.63            4.75    12.75   17      11.75   (30th)
83/84   12.6    13.25   15      18.9    20.75
84/85   3.75    6.25    8.5     10.25    8.75
85/86   6.5     7.5     14      15.38   17.5
86/87   6.25    8.75    11.25   12.75   11.75
87/88   6.5     9.1     12.4    15.75   14.5
88/89   5.5     7.6     11      10.25   5.6
89/90   6.5     9.25     10.75   16.1    16.5
90/91   3       5       7.1     9.38    10
91/92   6.65    6.75    8.5     12.25   10.25
92/93   5.75    6.75    10.75   14      15.875
93/94   7.125   9.063   12.25   13.25   13.25   2.5     (18th)
94/95   2.625   3.925   7       10.125  16.75   17      (22nd)  12.375
(13th)    19.75(30th)
95/96   7.5     12      17.5    20.375  18.75   6.125   (15th)
96/97   8.75    12.625  15.125  14.625  20.375   18      (15th)
97/98   7.0625  10      10.125  12.875  17.25   12.875  (15th)
98/99   3.25    6.625   8.375   9.125   14.125  14.25   (15th)
99/2000 3.5     7.5     10.625  12.375  7.625
00/2001 4.375   5.375    7.125   10      9.125
01/2002 2.625   4.25    6.19    7.563   0
02/2003 4       5.25    8.5     16.75   14.375  11.44   (15th)
03/2004 2.75    4.813   7.75    7.875   10.125  3.69    (14th)
04/2005 4.875   7.7     9.5     11.625  12.875  12.25   (15th)
05/2006 5.625   8.375   9.5     13.25   6.75    0.875   (15th)
06/2007 9.25    11.5    14.375

Average 5.57    7.99    10.37   12.92   12.99

**************************************************





On 3/12/07, rudy matt <ledatic at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> i've read all i can read,  i've poured over the recently arrived CDT
> handbook(thanks, Yogi, great resource!), and i am looking for final thoughts
> and opinions about the need for axe and crampons in southern CO....am
> expecting to arrive in CO sometime in 2nd week of June....
>
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