South Side / Avalanche Gulch / West Face / Summit

Cory and I launched into the weekend with hopes to observe and assess the majority of the south side climbing routes. We spent Friday night at Helen, and climbed Avalanche Gulch the following morning. On our descent we were able to get eyes on Casaval Ridge, the West Face, the Whitney Glacier, and the upper mountain. Here are some condition updates:

Lower Avalanche Gulch (Bunny Flat to Horse Camp):  This area is largely snow free. The summer trail to Horse Camp is fully dry and easy to follow. Please remember, this is the expected path for climbers headed into Avalanche Gulch. The spring at Horse Camp still has water. Skiers: walking shoes are highly recommended for this portion of the mountain.

Middle Avalanche Gulch (Horse Camp to Helen Lake): As of today (6/22), snow remains patchy till the top of Spring Hill (~8,500 feet). The snow line is changing on a daily basis with the warm temperatures. Once on continuous snow, expect sun cupped, uneven snow surfaces till Helen Lake. 50/50 and Helen Lake are melting out quick, with more and more dry sites exposed daily. 

Upper Avalanche Gulch (Helen Lake to Red Banks): Uneven, sun cupped surfaces continue. A boot pack is set all the way to the Red Banks. Rock fall is becoming more common through this area. A glissade track has been established from above the Red Banks, all the way back down to Helen. Do not glissade if surfaces are too firm and make sure to take your crampomns off and controll your speed. The chutes are still in decent climbing shape, but melting quickly.

Short Hill: A strip of rock has become exposed, but most climbers are staying on snow. As this area melts, climbers should be cognizant of initiating rock fall. Any rock pushed from Short Hill will fall onto climbers below. Walk cautiously through here. A glissade track is in. 

Misery Hill: Mostly dry, with the switchbacks exposed. The very top still holds snow. 

Summit Pinnacle: The lower portion is dry, with the upper portion being snow and rime ice. 

Upper Whitney Glacier: The glacier still holds a ton of snow, covering most of the large cracks. With a rope, this zone can still be climbed safely.

West Face / Hidden Valley: The West Face still has excellent snow coverage. However, the snow texture is pretty rough, containing a strange combination of deep runnels and even deeper sun cups. Skiing is a challenge through here. Snow extends from the top of the West Face all the way to the Hidden Valley camp. There are many dry camp sites to choose from in Hidden Valley. The trail from Horse Camp to Hidden Valley is largely free of snow. 

Casval Ridge: The lower route is dry until around 9,000 feet. Snow begins after passing the lower camp site and moving along the west side of the ridge. The loose, unconsolidated scree is making travel slow and dangerous. The catwalk is appears mostly dry, though we didnt get direct eyes on it. At this point in the season, Casaval Ridge is probably not the ideal route choice. The dry, and rocky conditions can make this climb precarious and risky. 

Overall Ski Conditions: Skiing on this side of the mountain is expert level to say the least. Even as a strong skier, the current conditions make it very easy to catch your ski on a sun cup or uneven surface feature. Every year, the mountain reaches a point where you wonder if carrying skis is even worth it. I'd say we past that point. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. 

Snow surfaces are sun cupped, runnelled, and uneven on majority of the south side climbing routes. These conditions have made skinning or walking more tedious than usual.