Fifty Plus (50+) - Snow Hitting Colorado Mountains

The first "significant" snow post-summer (well, almost post-summer) in Colorado!

"As the cool air drops temperatures close to the freezing mark, our higher mountains (above 10,500 feet) could get dusted with August snow through Saturday! The snow will be along and east of the continental divide, including locations like Rocky Mountain National Park, Berthoud Pass, Mount Evans and Trail Ridge Road. The warm ground will keep the snow from accumulating...but the icy conditions could certainly create summer road hazards."

Hey, tsl - Come back and ride Mt Evans in the snow!

I don't want to think about snow in August:eek:

Hey, tsl - Come back and ride Mt Evans in the snow!

Thanks, but I'll pass. Climbing it is no problem. The descent was another matter. Have you seen the condition of that pavement lately?

I have friends who rode Trail Ridge on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, my studded snow tires are resting comfortably in the basement.

Thanks, but I'll pass. Climbing it is no problem. The descent was another matter. Have you seen the condition of that pavement lately?

I have friends who rode Trail Ridge on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, my studded snow tires are resting comfortably in the basement.

Speaking of the descent and the road condition - from the regional forum:

"This past Saturday, August 9, 2008, my wife and I rode to the summit of Mt. Evans from Echo Lake. We started our descent from the summit at about 11:30. About 6 miles down and at about 11:45 or so, she hit a massive pothole and went down really, really hard. Although I was in front of her at the time and did not see the actual fall, she recalled being thrown over the handlebars. She landed right on her face and her two upper front teeth were knocked back (not out) and were angled toward her throat. Her upper lip was badly cut up, and her nose and chin were also scraped, and there was about a 1/2 inch deep gash under her chin.

Coincidentally, there were two cyclists almost directly across the street that witnessed the crash.

A nice couple in a grey SUV with a bike rack and first-aid kit gave us a ride to our car. I then drove my wife to Swedish, where she underwent surgery at about midnight to fix her broken jaw and put approximately 50 stitch her face.

Because my efforts were concentrated on first aid and getting my wife to the hospital, I never got the names of any of the people in the SUV or the cyclists who witnessed the crash. Although finding the people in the SUV is a longshot, I wonder if either of the two cyclists who witnessed the crash are on this board or if anybody on this board knows who they are. If so, please send me a message as I’d like to speak with either of them.

Thanks in advance. "

What the heck happened to global warming?

What the heck happened to global warming?

It's completely normal to get a dusting of snow on the high peaks, above 11,000 ft in August in Colorado. What's been missing for the last few years is the occasional summer snowstorm that leaves an inch or two of snow sticking to the ground at elevations of 8,000 - 9,000 feet. Don't kid yourself, global warming is here.

It must be there......................it certainly isn't here.....:D

It's been in the 50's at night and there are mushrooms growing in what should be a brown august lawn.

Does anyone know how to start rice growing?

Man are you lucky.:D

I was hit with a dusting of snow in mid July in Colorado but that was near 12,500 feet on Imogene Pass.

Here in the Puget Sound region we are having Summer this week. Well actually for 4 days we will have Summer. Its supposed to be 90 + today and tomorrow then cooler on Sunday and next week in the 70's. Darndest summer I have ever seen here. I'm just anticipating a really weird winter.

Ski Magazine timed it right - I just got my "new equipment guide" edition...

:winter2::winter2::winter2:

Sounds like fun! But you have to remember, I lie a lot.

Trail Ridge road is currently closed due to ice and snow. But, it doesn't take much to close Trail Ridge as it will soon be closed for the entire winter, separating Rocky Mountain National Park into two distinct entities - east and west.

About 6 miles down and at about 11:45 or so, she hit a massive pothole and went down really, really hard.

Darned marmots!

I was amazed to see that they burrow right under road, and very shallow. Then the burrows cave-in from traffic. And you know, for $10 a car and $3 a bike, they could at least do some patching.

The cracks in the road were rough too. I swore my bike was gong to shed parts on that descent. Or that I'd lose fillings.

Just took some time to look through my pics to see if I had anything showing the road condition. I was looking more for scenery than pavement. Here's a few representative shots from the climb:

http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/summit-lake.jpg
On July 30, there was still snow above Summit Lake, which, BTW, is a few miles and at least 1,500 feet from the summit.

http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/watch-1st-step.jpg
You'll want to watch that first step...

http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/watch-1st-step-2.jpg
There's a reason why I hugged the double-yellow and rode the brakes all the way down.

http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/up-and-up.jpg
A fairly straight stretch of the climb. I remember descending through this section. Some kids in a Jeep wanted to pass, and wanted me to move over so they could. I kept the lane, thank you.

http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/switchback.jpg
A switchback near the summit. there's a lot of real estate (and air, come to think of it) between the edge of the road and that mountain, yonder.

http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/nearby-peaks.jpg
From the summit, some nearby peaks to the west (I think).

http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/view-down-summit-lake.jpg
And finally, from the summit, the view down on Summit Lake.

Who? Me?
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/696605/2477659/30068609.jpg[/IMG]

Who? Me?
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/696605/2477659/30068609.jpg[/IMG]

Yeah! You!

The cold has hit here. Today's high was only 87 degrees. Where's my jacket?

I'm ready for winter. Or fall, or spring. Anything but hot and humid -- though I really should not complain since our humidity here isn't anything compared to other parts of the country.

Nice photos. Really nice.

But snow in August? I'm sorry, are you nuts?

Then, here, on the coast, we have our own brand of winter in August.
I haven't the sunshine since I don't know when (Thanks, Johnny)
Or, come to think of it, much of anything else. Just that slow, gray fuzz.

Ah, but come September and October? Glorius! :D

Six inches of fresh snow reported on Trail Ridge Road (closed)

Here in the Puget Sound region we are having Summer this week. Well actually for 4 days we will have Summer. Its supposed to be 90 + today and tomorrow then cooler on Sunday and next week in the 70's. Darndest summer I have ever seen here. I'm just anticipating a really weird winter.

I remember the last summer I lived in Steilacoom back in the early 1980s. We had about two straight weeks of high 90s -100. As I recall we slept on the floor it was so miserably hot/humid. No AC. I miss the hell out of the Northwest, but not when the weather got like that. Feh!

Nice photos. Really nice.

Thanks, SKT!

This AM - 8-17-2008 in Summit County. Snow line about 10,000 Ft.

Been here for a couple of weeks and still waiting for a sunny - dry day.

TSL, those are great photos.


BTW, my son and I ran into snow on a hike in the Cascades yesterday (left over from *last* winter, though)....
http://i34.tinypic.com/2ajvwc0.jpg

This is our better idea of going up and down that road ----

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/pjungels/mt%20evans/mtevans.jpg

The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon were last weekend. Saturday was the ascent and the summit of the peak was completely socked in with light rain at the base. That's never a good sign. The news reported that 87 runners were treated for hypothermia and there was 6" of snow at the summit.