Quandary Peak

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 3/17/2012, By: DanielL
Info: My hiking partner and I climbed Quandary Peak's East Ridge today and there was clear road access to the McCullough Gulch Rd/Blue Lakes Rd junction which is about 1/4 mile from the summer trailhead. On the mountain, there is a great packed trail all the way to the summit. There isn't a lot of snow higher up on the mountain, certainly a lot less than previous years. We brought snowshoes but didn't use them because there is a great trail through the snow. Some of the trail is clear of snow, if you happen to stumble across it, but we didn't really follow it. Also, when coming down, we got lost shortly after entering the trees as there was a spot with three or more trails going in different directions; in this spot, the correct trail is to the left, and it traverses right beneath the East Ridge proper. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 3/17/2012, By: helmich2
Info: The snow on this route of Quandary is passable without snowshoes, but by the time my wife and I descended later in the afternoon we post-holed in several places below treeline. I would recommend gaiters and microspikes until conditions change if you‘re hiking. 

Route: South Gully aka Cristo Couloir
Posted On: 3/15/2012, By: BillMiddlebrook
Info: A couple of pics of Cristo Couloir today, from near Hoosier Pass 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 3/13/2012, By: Rock__freek
Info: Parked at the winter trailhead for McCullough gultch. Plenty of parking. Trail is packed, but still deep. Postholing will occur, snowshoes needed. I broke trail towards the east ridge following a set of skin tracks from the turnaround on McCullough Gultch road, I was followed by my partner, and a gentleman with two dogs.The going was very tough. Chest high snow with a thin layer of hard stuff on top. Floats were mandatory, but I still sunk through 3 dozen times or so. Once out of the trees, the snowpack was more solid. Ditch your snow shoes and pack at 12,000. Crampons may be helpful in some spots, but I didn‘t use any. Plenty of rocky terrain exposed to avoid slippery snow spots. The glissade from about 12,700 or so was amazing, but you can only got that way if you came up from McCullough:) Get out there before the next snow, and your welcome;) 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 3/4/2012, By: AWright
Info: Parking is open 1/4 mile below actual trailhead. Good trench up to treeline, then multiple packed paths up the ridge. Today was very windy with gusts around 50mph. Microspikes or other traction device highly recommended for descent - packed snow made it difficult to keep footing while coming back down. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 2/15/2012, By: j-dub
Info: Just confirming mtnmike's report-- wore snowshoes all the way up/down, were especially useful in climbing to 12,100' just after the winter route splits to the right from the last trail sign. Spotchy fresh pow and bare rocks all the way up the ridge. Variously very windy and snowing. Visibility in/out. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 2/11/2012, By: mtnmike
Info: About a foot of new snow on Quandary! Trail below treeline has been (once again) well trenched out, but those pesky winds will have probably obliterated everything above treeline by the time you read this! Stick to the ridgeline and you shouldn‘t have any troubles. Definitely recommend floatation! 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 2/6/2012, By: Wyoming Bob
Info: "Groomed" trail from parking spot to summit, no axe, no crampons, no snow shoes were needed Sunday a.m., light traction on upper most 500 feet would have been convenient. Encountered no substantive ridge avi issues, bowl is a whole different story, so said the big slide dead center. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 1/28/2012, By: mtnmike
Info: All due respect to the previous poster, I did not encounter high avalanche conditions or the aforementioned crowning on Quandary today. The slope just below treeline was windblown but consolidated. I dug a pit for evaluation and there was some slabbing but not what I would consider critical. I was the first person up Quandary today (well, up to 13,000‘ where the wind picked me off my feet) and was able to easily climb this section towards the left, keeping nearer to the trees. The trail below treeline will have been trenched-out by today‘s crowd (passed at least 20 people on the way down) and is now pretty close to the standard summer route. Be sure to turn RIGHT at the site of the big igloo, and not follow the faint trench straight (this might lead to some of the previous posters‘ difficulties and is WAY off the established trail route). Snowshoes are recommended up to 13,000. Even above treeline. I cached my snowshoes at 12,000‘ and wish I hadn‘t. Conditions to 13,000‘ are variable between hardpack and soft powder. Climb safe people! 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 1/26/2012, By: happymtnclimber
Info: I am by no means an expert, but I have enough avalanche experience and knowledge to know that the slope directly below treelike on the traditional Quandary Peak route has HIGH AVALANCHE DANGER. We saw huge (12+ ft) crown lines above and below where we were ascending and descending. My party met another person on the way down and there three of us very carefully navigated for an extra two hours in order to avoid the areas of highest danger. One of the scarier experiences of my life, as was shared by the man we met. Right now Quandary is not just an easy 14er, and I have a feeling that slope may slide soon. Proceed with extreme caution, I personally will think a lot more about avalanches before ascending a slope that I‘m not sure I can get down. I feel very lucky that we all made it out safely, but I know that it is indeed luck and I could have easily been buried alive just hours ago. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 1/26/2012, By: Mtn Izz
Info: Our group of 3 went up just yesterday Jan 25th and had quite a different experience than the most recent report. We were able to avoid any waist deep snow on our ascent and made our summit successfully. Snow shoes are highly recommended and we were able to stash them once we got out of treeline. Our group was able to avoid any dangerous terrain that would be a deterrent for anyone... this was my first winter climb and I was keeping close track of any trip reports and updates with weather. Hopefully this helps for anyone planning to climb this peak. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 1/24/2012, By: Medic-5150
Info: Just got back from here. The trail is followable to treeline and mostly packed. We broke the trail for another mile further. I would recommend snow shoes. Just below tree line we got in waste deep powder. While struggling to get out the snow "popped" twice and started sliding...We turned around and headed home along with another group we encouraged to turn around. One guy went ahead of us and said the ridge has very little snow on it but getting to the ridge is mostly waste deep powder. The road is clear to where the plows are piling snow.Be careful of avalanches out there! 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 1/14/2012, By: mtnmike
Info: A testimony to the light winter...the trailhead is *still* drivable by any vehicle! Trail was well-defined and bootpacked below treeline. Above treeline it varies between hardpack, ice and even some patches of dry ground. Snowshoes probably not necessary until more snow falls, but traction (microspikes or yaktrax) are definitely useful. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 1/10/2012, By: jpfeif001
Info: The trail is snow packed and easy to follow. In the trees the snow is deep off trail, above treeline there wasn‘t much snow. However, there is a lot of ice on the trail, micro spikes are a plus. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 1/3/2012, By: katejen
Info: Windy cold day on Quandary, but given it‘s the 3rd of Jan, it was a fantastic hike. No snow shoes needed, really good packed snow all the way up. Used yak trax and those were essential for the steep parts up after the false summit. Didn‘t use poles and was fine. Get out there before it snows again!