Snow Climb – Cathedral Lake

Please join me if you like to play in the snow or just enjoy hiking and camping. My primary goal is training to get back in alpine shape. I mixed it in with leading a moderate couloir snow climb to the saddle, where you can hook right to gain the Cathedral Peak summit, or simply do a u-turn for a descent back to camp. (I’ve summited Cathedral Peak 4x. U-turn works for me.) This is one of my favorite CO locations/activities.

Two Paths we can go on:

(1) Blitzkreig Trip a straight-up hike, couloir snow climb. See below.

(2) Backpack in & camp a night at the lake - expands the options to he lake is the  doing a snow climb.

OR: Hike a mellow 13’er: Leahy Peak. 

OR: Combine the Leahy climb with a ridge walk to Electric Pass, Colorado’s highest foot path. 

OR: Hang by the lake and drift on a beautiful day.

(2) Trip Configuration Options [Let me know which one works for you when asking for permission to join the trip. I’d make a call based on the majority.]

1. Couloir Blitzkreig - Drive to Aspen Friday after work. Catnap a few hours. Start midnight, hike to lake, climb couloir, maybe summit, maybe not, hike back to car. Home Saturday evening. (Time estimates based on 2023 trip data. 3 hours to reach the lake area, 5-6 hours to summit, 4 hours back to lake, 2.5 hours to TH: 2:30-3:30pm. Drive home, 3.5 hours.)  Time influencers: couloir conditions and individual fitness level.
2. Chill Backpack With Options, Incl. Snow Climb - Leave Denver Friday and car camp at the TH. OR meet early Saturday morning, 04:30, at Woolly Mammoth P&R. Drive to the TH. Hike in, camp by noon.  Sunday afternoon, leave for the TH at an agreed upon time.

If we do the Blitzkrieg option, ignore the campsite information.

Campsite Conditions Beta - a guess at this moment, but I’m looking for updates.  My experience - 3 spring climbs, end of May, snow on the ground and snowshoes were helpful, maybe worth the carry.? However, with the dismal snow season, could be way different.  My best guess is snow/snowshoes may work, but optional. There should be enough snow free campsites.  I’ll update this throughout the remainder of the week.

Campsite Location -Shortly after crossing Pine Creek, the Cathedral Lake campsite area is to the left of the trail, about a third of a mile from the lake. 

No Permits Required. Please do sign in/out register near the trailhead. FS creates usage and impact data from this information.

Cathedral Peak Data [source: summit post.org) 

13,952’ 

#62/100

Range Elk

TH Elevation: 9,980’

2,8 miles to the campsite and lake area

Campsite & Lake elevation 12,000’

Directions to TH:

Head to Aspen via I70 >82; or Independence Pass-> drive through Aspen.

Just north of town is the round-about for 82, Maroon and Castle Creek Roads. 

Take Castle Creek Road about 12 miles in. Look right for a Cathedral Lake TH sign.  Follow the turn-off about a half mile into the parking area. Make sure you sign-in. Look for register, a short way past the trailhead. Car camping at the TH is allowed. 

Hiking to The Lake - Cathedral Lake TH #1984 [Aspen-Sopris Ranger District]

The Cathedral Lake Trail is 2.8 miles long. It begins at County Road 15h and ends at Sec 11 at Cathedral Lake. The trail climbs for 3/4 of a mile through an aspen forest before it enters the Maroon-Snowmass Wilderness, then begins a steeper ascent, following Pine Creek cascading through the canyon just off the trail. It levels briefly at the top of the canyon then begins another ascent through spruce forests and rockslides; and ends at a series of short, very steep switchbacks. The lake is 15 minutes from the top of the switchbacks. The trail will fork several times. Take the left forks, the right ones go to Electric Pass. The trail crosses Pine Creek on a new bridge. The lake lies just beyond the meadow on the other side of the creek. [source:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/recreation/cathedral-lake-trailhead-1984#:~:text=The%20Cathedral%20Lake%20Trail%20is,climbs%20for%203%2F4%20of%20a]

Weather Forecast

As of Tuesday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday look to be sweet days. Clear skies, 40s. Night low temps are trending freezing since at least Tuesday and will continue through the weekend. That makes good news about our snow climb conditions. I’ll keep an eye on the night temps. A final call will be made on-site.

Weather 7 Day Forecast 

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-106.854&lat=39.03

SNOTEL - Castle Peak

https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/reportGenerator/view/customSingleStationReport/daily/1326:co:SNTL/-7,0/WTEQ::value,SNWD::value,PREC::value,TOBS::value,TMAX::value,TMIN::value,TAVG::value

Avalanche Forecast

https://avalanche.state.co.us/lat=39.03576718162588&lng=-106.85908942077936

Low Danger at all elevation bands and aspects for our area. No specific avalanche problems. However, you can encounter potential sluffs, small loose wet avalanches in specific terrain, such as couloirs. Hence, the importance of our up and down strategy before warming starts effecting the couloir conditions.  Good to be out of the couloir by 09:30. Plenty of time if just doing the couloir. If summiting Cathedral Peak, cutting it close.  Our objective hazard is rockfall…which can trigger an avalanche. 

Based on my experience with three spring snow climbs and the current weather and avalanche forecasts, we are a go for a great snow climb for those who want it.

TBD