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Snodgrass Mountain Ski Tour

Crested Butte

Snodgrass Mountain offers a mellow ski tour with great views and a few tree stashes.

Ski Touring Moderate

Distance
7.8 km
Ascent
484 m
Descent
484 m
Duration
3-4 hrs
Low Point
2.9 km
High Point
3.4 km
Gradient
25˚
Snodgrass Mountain Ski Tour Map

Snodgrass is a nice place to take a hike in the woods. There are a few short powder stashes in the trees where you can find some good turns. Along the skin track, you will pass by a few openings in the trees that have some spectacular views of Mount Crested Butte. This is a good place to go when avalanche danger is high, you’re new to the backcountry, or you’re just looking for a mellow tour. From the trailhead, you'll head up a well-established groomed trail through an exposed meadow, it can get a little breezy in this section. Once you get to the first stand of trees you will be rewarded with a skin track that leads through a beautiful aspen grove. Continue a few hundred feet further and you will be at the base of the first powder stash. Follow our line off the road to take a more direct route through the trees and use this opportunity to assess the snow conditions. A great view of Mount Crested Butte awaits at the top of this tree section. Lap this area or continue across a flat section to an open meadow. Just above the open meadow, you have two options. You can take the road up and follow our line or you can look for a skin track up through the trees that roughly follows the down track on this route. Continue up either route to the summit where the road ends. The summit is nothing spectacular because it’s below tree line and there are not really any views.
After your transition, start down the road and look for a small skin track to the left. Follow this until you get past the flat area and you will find the second small tree stash. Some spots in this area can get close to 30 degrees so be careful and make good decisions.

Difficulty

Moderate

Slopes become slightly steeper at around 25-30 degrees.

Low Exposure (E1)

1 out of 4

Exposure is limited to that of the slope itself. Getting hurt is still likely if the slope is steep and/or the snow is hard.

Remoteness

2 out of 4

Away from help but easily accessed.

Best time to visit

between December and April

Features

  • Tree Skiing

Equipment required

  • Skins

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area