Trip report by: Denis Du Bois
"I would recommend this trip to a friend."
The winter of 98-99 left so much snow on the north side of Excelsior Mountain that when I tried this trip on July 31, I hit snow in the first mile. In early season, it's best to bite the bullet and come up from Hwy 542, not from Canyon Creek Road via Damfino Lakes like I did.
Photo: My snow camp at the first pass, above Damfino Lakes.
Hitting snow at frozen Damfino Lakes and immediately losing the trail in the heavy snowpack, I angled uphill to the notch north of Excelsior Pass. No one had made this trip so far this year, so there was no track to follow; it was map-and-compass all the way. The views across the valley were fantastic.
I got a late start, counting on summer's late sunset to get me to Excelsior Ridge by dusk. The difficult and brushy cross-country travel was slow. I had averaged one mile per hour when I reached the notch. When I saw that the trail ahead, on the south slopes, was also buried under snow, I called it a day.
I really hadn't planned on camping on snow. The meadows at this spot were under 10' of snow, or more, with not a bare spot in sight. A perfect flat area gave me a tent site that would have sun at both sunset and sunrise, welcome warmth after a night on the snow.
Usually, I don't build campfires. They stink up my clothes and leave an unsightly mess. When the sun began to set and the cool breeze started down from the bare slopes, I started piling dead wood.
Then the moment that made it all worthwhile--sunset. Bright reds and yellows spanned the horizon below. It lasted an hour. Then I lit the fire and had dinner. It was a comfortable night, with a clear sky full of stars. An almost-full moon lit the snowfields; it was never really dark, all night.
I thought about day-hiking onward toward Excelsior, but chose to head out and come back another time.
Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. Any trail can become very dangerous in winter conditions. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions. Please read Terms of Use.