Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 2021-06-12, By: quandary34 Info: The Little Horn + Fluted + Horn Peak loop has almost fully transitioned to summer conditions with minimal snow as of 6/9/2021. A few unpleasant, unavoidable snow crossings during the bushwhack up Little Horn's northeast ridge, but otherwise, all snow is easily avoidable and quickly melting. I was able to do the whole loop in trail runners without ever using my microspikes or axe. The loop itself comes out to about 12 miles with 5400 feet of gain, and there are a few easy Class 3 sections scattered throughout: near the top of Little Horn as described in the route on 14ers and on the southwest ridge of Horn (although this one could potentially be avoided with better route-finding). Great loop that I would recommend for anyone looking for a big day in the Sangres! |
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Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 2020-12-07, By: angry Info: Trench in place all the way to ridge. Did not use traction or flotation. Bluebird day and zero wind, felt better than summer. |
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Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 2020-11-28, By: bmcqueen Info: There was a decent amount of unconsolidated sugar snow from about 10k to when I finally hit treeline on the ridge about 11,500. I put the snowshoes on and they were moderately helpful. Up high, I was mostly on windblown rock. |
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Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 2020-10-11, By: Grover Info: Dry as of this posting. Add me to the group of those reporting this route (summiting Little Horn first, if going for the trifecta) is a great scramble. Route finding in the trees going up the ridge is not bad at all. Plenty of game trails to keep you moving along. Rock is solid when you start needing to use your hands and feet. |
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Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 2020-09-20, By: bunny256 Info: Did the loop from Horn. Route is 99% dry, the snow that's there is all avoidable and/or inconsequential. |
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Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 2020-05-02, By: supranihilest Info: Almost summer conditions - almost. From the trailhead dry conditions abound, then somewhere around 10,500' or so the snow starts and it's deep and awful. Waist deep postholing is the name of the game until treeline (at least without snowshoes like we opted to do), whereupon there's almost no snow at all. The final scrambles to the summit are a joy and are totally dry on solid rock. Exposure is high in spots but not insane. If Little Horn is your only objective return down the northeast ridge. If continuing to Fluted and Horn the remaining route is dry until you're back below treeline again, where the snow returns. |
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Route: via Fluted Pk Posted On: 2019-07-06, By: nathansmithpiano Info: Beautiful weather, totally dry, full summer on the Horns and Fluted. Hiked Venable, Spring, and Comanche, same, all from N Crestone TH. Only downside: mosquitos meant BUSINESS until about 11,500 or whenever a breeze came through. |
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Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 2016-07-11, By: JasonKline Info: Summer conditions. Any snow was easily avoidable. |
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Route: Northeast Ridge Posted On: 2012-12-19, By: Marmot72 Info: Passage to TH was easy; only a small amount of snow. The Rainbow Trail was bare in many spots and had only a couple inches of snow most of the way. We took the trail to Horn Creek for a mile; it varied from 3-6 inches of snow. We left it as the trail enters the basin and struck up the SE slopes to hit the ridge. Snow got deeper in some parts under the trees; as we got to the ridge crest, the wind had loaded snow in some pretty deep drifts-we postholed well above the knee in certain spots. Once past these difficulties, though, the ridge became mostly dry, as the 40 mph wind was trying to sweep everything (including us) off of it. |
