"Thunder Pyramid"

Route: White Gully to Lightning Pyramid
Posted On: 7/13/2025, By: infinitealpine
Info: Route finding up to Thunder was fairly intuitive. Finding a spot to cross the creek by rock hopping was easy enough. After that, it's gully after gully after gully. After making it to the basin, we picked out a route that went lookers left below a white cliff band on a ledge with vegetation. This lead us to the white gully where I stuck to the right. There is snow in the upper portion but it's avoidable as the standard route swings right. We took a more direct approach that went just below the summit where we swung north for a short scramble to the summit. Nothing that exceeded class 4. More info on the traverse and descent on Lightning Pyramid condition update. 

Route: White Gully + Pyramid Traverse
Posted On: 7/7/2025, By: FlipFlap55
Info: Thunder Pyramid is good to go, routefinding was straightforward with solid talus below the white gully. I disagree with the previous report and found that the snowbridge over S Maroon Creek is still in, you just have to walk an extra minute up the creek to cross. The upper half of the white gully has a snowfield ~1000ft vert that can be climbed with crampons or avoided on adjacent talus. The traverse over to Pyramid was intuitive but very loose. There were two short sections of class 5 climbing to get over cliff bands heading to Pyramid, I'd highly recommend going Thunder to Pyramid for easier routefinding and to avoid downclimbing the crux sections. The Pyramid standard route is in summer conditions with no snow on route. 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 7/5/2025, By: merrion13
Info: Summited Thunder today via the standard West Face route up the White Gully. Creek is still running high, the snow bridge upstream didn't really go so we ended up removing shoes and dealing with the walk across. Not a bad idea to bring something for walking across the creek bed for the next week or two. Any remaining snow on the route was easily avoided, including in the gully. The rock after leaving the white gully was terrible; very loose and a mix of very steep scree or microwave-sized rocks which were moving at every touch. We found this route more tedious/tempermental than the standard route up the 14er Pyramid Peak next door. 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 6/20/2025, By: timewarp01
Info: Creek is running high, you can cross it on a snow bridge a few hundred feet upstream of the trail crossing if you want. A few small snow fields in the gullies that access Len Shoemaker basin, they were easy enough to kick steps into without crampons. The White Gulley is still holding about 1200’ of snow, and it was very hard in the morning apart from a few thin rotten sections. The couloir to the saddle with Lightning looked pretty awful, lots of loose rocks melted out at the top of the funnel. Bell Cord also looks to still be in as I passed it. 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 6/18/2025, By: gcook33
Info: Hot week leading up to a relatively cloudy night and day. No snow until the snow bridge at 3.7mi. After that there are 3 intermittent snow fields if you follow some of the tracks and trip reports route. Snow was good for those 3 small snowfields without traction. After those snowfields, tundra walk up to about 12.5k then you can put on crampons for a good 1200 vert feet. Snow was awesome and solid at 7am, and we took our time on the summit so descending at 11am and snow was amazing still with minor plunge steps. Couple post holes but otherwise incredible conditions. Above 13.7k is all dry. This is a mentally and physically exhausting day if you wear mountaineering boots the whole way. 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 6/9/2025, By: Jonathan Deffenbaugh
Info: Snow bridge still good. First two couloirs were good snow conditions on the way up and down, descended facing in. Main gully in perfect conditions, trench was still in. Summit ridge was solid, easy to follow no snow. Descended via the rock rib adjacent with the main gully, was like climbing down on dinner plates in some sections, glissaded the lower section of the main gully. Standard equipment used: ice axe, helmet, crampons, little postholing at the end, but snowshoes not really necessary. Pretty much same conditions as earlier described. 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 6/1/2025, By: durkan
Info: 2:30am start, summit 9:30-10:00, car at 14:30. For whatever route we chose: no snow bridge. Used log jam to cross on descent, wet boot crossing for ascent. High 30s overnight forecasted at 11.5k and high 20s at 14.0k on Mountain Forecast. Sone rain the evening before at lower elevations with negligible overnight cloud coverage. Had unsupportive snow at and below treeline with the exception of trails. Overall good after that even on the descent, but there were pockets of postholing to the knee or more at times. Transitioned into crampons twice both ways. For me, it'd be tough to justify snow travel in a week at these temps. Gorgeous day overall! 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 5/27/2025, By: scott_steele
Info: The snow bridge over West Maroon Creek is still in. Snow throughout the gullies was firm and supportive. The ledge connecting the gullies to the couloir is clear. The White Couloir remains in excellent climbing condition nearly all the way to the ridge. Above the couloir, in the loose talus and scree beneath the ridge, some reports prefer the greener rock. Our group spread out: some went that way, while others stuck to the red scree. Personally, I found the loose red scree more manageable than the rollier green ankle-busters. The ridge traverse to the summit is dry. With views of all the high peaks of the Elks, the views were spectacular. Reminder about rock fall risk, especially in confined spaces, as the sun comes out and things start to melt. While descending the lowest gully, we had a bowling ball sized rock wiz by the higher members of the group who were able to warn the rest of us to move. 

Route: Standard - West Face
Posted On: 10/12/2024, By: PikaSteve
Info: Still dry conditions. The West Face stays in the shade until 10:45am, but all snow is melted from the route. Willows are no longer obstacles, and swampy areas are dried out. See 5ClimbingCooneys recent trip report for helpful route information. The route weaves through cliff bands on a mix of grassy slopes and fairly stable talus gullies and slopes from 10,600 to 13,400. Below 13,400, the left side of the white gully was surprisingly solid. From 13,400 to the ridge, after crossing to the right side of the white gully, I unfortunately climbed mostly on red rocks instead of going further right to recommended white rocks. When you are on the red rocks, expect a higher chance of tippy Jenga blocks. The final route from ridge to summit is fun but airy. Only a few aspen leaves are hanging on above Maroon Lake, and only a few willow leaves are hanging on above Crater Lake. A few flowers are making a second summer appearance. Beautiful views more than made up for ugly steepness and talus. 

Route: Standard
Posted On: 10/7/2024, By: cloudkicker
Info: I followed Matt Paynes GPX and trip report for a successful ascent and descent of Thunder Pyramid. No snow on the route but there are remnants on northern aspects of Len Shoemaker and Lightning Pyramid. Fall colors are past peak up high but lots of color still left, especially lower down on the road and towards Aspen. Somebody crafted a new summit register earlier this summer out of a single use 20oz water bottle, I have my doubts as to whether it will hold up in time but for now there is a working register with paper and pencil on the summit. 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 6/5/2024, By: Jhorne6
Info: Snow cover on the west face of Thunder is great as previous report suggested. However, the overnight freeze was borderline due to overcast skies. I was questioning the conditions once I started the lower part of the route, but it got better the higher I climbed so I kept going. I summited at 9:45 and began skiing from the top of the snowfield at 10:15. Snow conditions were horrendous when I got back down to the valley floor at 11:00. I would warrant a solid overnight freeze if going for this one. The snow should still be there for a couple more weeks, but temps are looking pretty warm in the forecast. 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 6/2/2024, By: tjf242424
Info: We had a pretty solid freeze the night before and the snow quality was good for cramponing bottom to top. We took a straighter approach to Len Shoemaker Basin than most reports by following the line of the creek that drains the basin. We passed a waterfall down low on the left but the creek is otherwise buried under snow and follows an obvious gully to the upper basin. The snow on the route is continuous all the way to the summit ridge aside from the short traverse on ledges to gain the main gully. Mostly dry or inconsequential snow on the ridge to the summit. We camped in Len Shoemaker Basin after the climb on some hummocky tundra (plenty of snow, but no running water nearby). Thunder is close to ideal conditions right now, but a good overnight freeze is critical. I also got up Len Shoemaker Peak (13,642) the next morning before hiking out (see separate report). The freeze wasnt nearly as good, but still manageable and firm enough for our descent back to the West Maroon Trail. We summited Thunder at 9:30am and were back to Len Shoemaker basin by 12:00pm. Another party was a bit later and made out ok. The West Maroon Trail is sloppy in places, but easy to follow to our cutoff route to Len Shoemaker Basin. 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 10/1/2023, By: EthanBeltramo
Info: Trail was still summer conditions (Saturday 9/30) though that may change soon. Peak fall colors in the bells 

Route: West Face
Posted On: 6/24/2023, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Snow is still in for basically the entire west face (up to about 13,800) a short ways after leaving the trail and crossing the creek (currently a well formed snow bridge). Crampons and Axe a must, we opted for a rope for everything above the waterfall. 

Route: West face
Posted On: 6/12/2023, By: trailboss88
Info: The couloir on the west face is in prime condition for a snow climb. From the trail turnoff, we made it to the summit in four hours and down in two. Snow began to soften quickly once sun hit it at 10am. Still patchy snow on approach trail past Crater Lake. Another climber who summited with us descended on skis but said it wasn't worth bringing them.