Non-St. Mary's August Colorado options?

I'm heading for Colorado ~Aug 1 - 13ish. For novelty's sake, I'd love to get some August turns in down there, rather than up here in Washington. Well, actually, I'd like to get both. It looks to me as though the St. Mary's Glacier will still have snow then, but I'm hunting around for other lines to consider - preferably near Woodland Park/the Sawatch/Sangres/San Juans. Heck, I might even be dumb enough to carry skis into Chicago Basin (I'm heading there anyway), if there's a chance that there'll be some fun skiing (though I seriously doubt there will be).

It looks like the North side of Pikes Peak is still holding a few snow patches - I'm not sure I'm into the Railroad or the Y at the moment (I'm a pansy), but there are a few patches outside the bottomless pit as well ... thoughts?

I've skied Mt Neva in late August, good fun but long approach. I've heard good coverage up on rollins pass road (challenger glacier, forest lakes, etc) - never mind the guy who died there last weekend (slid into rocks head first) - should be skiing there with easy access.

Skiing in Colorado in August this year will be "normal" - hard, dirty snow that begs the question: why? And deserves the response - why not?

Good luck.

Skiing in Colorado in August this year will be "normal" - hard, dirty snow that begs the question: why? And deserves the response - why not?

Or the response - Because it's skiing in August! Thanks for the information - is the late season snowpack really restricted to that general area? Our climbing destinations for the year are going to focus on the Sangres and the San Juans, so I won't be up in the Boulder/Denver neck of the woods unless I make a side trip.

Thanks!

I don't hear about folks skiing in the San Juans or Sangre de Cristos during summer. Mostly, there are a bunch of Boulderites and hangers-on skiing the front range (although if anyone would know about other areas it would be Tomski). The skiing sounds desperate by our standards.

More information probably available by posting a general query on Telemarktips.com.

Hope that helps.

Mark

The summer snow isn't restricted to the north, typically, I think it's just a question of road access (real roads that you can drive a subaru down, not the 4X4 roads that you could drive a jeep to the summit of Elbert) and quality of turns. This past winter was not very kind to the SW mountains (not as good as the north at least), or so my colorado friends tell me, so I think the snow is all but gone. the central mountains didn't fair as well either. True patch skiing exists all over the state, and if you were from NE you'd be skiing it...but if you're from the PNW - hell, you can ski 3k on the volcanoes in August, why bother with a 200 foot patch of snow 3 miles up a dirt road? (again, New Englanders are exempt from this as I've seen (and done) some pretty weird shiite to get turns).

Summer skiing (July, august) in Colorado is tough. Typically long approaches for short, steep turns. Skiing is pretty damn good through July 1st all over the state, then it goes downhill really fast (pardon the expression).

BUTTTT!!! It can and does snow in Boulder in September which you cannot say about Seattle! So technically I only have 1 1/2 months to first turns...

being a new englander, i hear what you are saying about the patches MW8, what do they say? "the longer the trail the sweeter the beer" or something like that.
Fair glacier on the west side of Apache mtn, can be combined with Navajo snowfeild for the "Indian peaks Supertour" which might still in shape in agust (accessed from Brainard lake), also Arapahoe glacier accessed from south arapahoe peak, tyndall, ptarmagin glaciers accessed from flattop mtn, (bear lake), the lambslide on longs still might be good,, you have to ski them pretty late in the day though. These are probally the best bets. have fun!