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12/31 I want to go and hike/ scramble Engineer Mt. It's about 12,968' and you'll hike 5 miles rt with 2400' AEG. I'll overnight in Silverton in a hotel (55 pp or 65 for 2 p) and then 1/1 backpack up to Columbine Lake just below 12,700' and overnight there. Probably try to summit Lookout Mt 1/2. Weather and parking on US 550 dependent. Anyone interested?

How much snow is up there? I'd love to see that place in winter, but this isn't the year. Have fun!

Engineer is just across the valley from Purgatory (aka Durango Mtn Resort), about 4-5 miles away. DMR is reporting 39" at midway if that helps.

I'm hoping the snow is actually pretty good. It was lousy in the La Platas, and no real storms have come through since.

Well, I head out tomorrow. I plan to do Engineer tomorrow afternoon. If the snow is inadequate to summit, I can still go part way. I can always come back for that. Even if the snow isn't great for the next day, it should still be fun spending the night up high. Unless things look really great on the road, I changed my mid to Mineral Basin accessed off of the road that runs from Red Mt Pass to Telluride. Shouldn't be windy, and the stars should be good. Maybe a storm will roll through later next week, but right now, I want to enjoy the high pressure, thin early snow or not. I plan to get one of the easy looking walk-up 13ers just west of the basin. Depending on how I feel, I might do more peaks this winter, or do some basin overnights. Overnights make the trips easier, since I don't have to budget many hours of the day for a drive. I mention that if people want to start testing their winter gear.

The next low looks weak and is currently forecast to be in southern AZ or northern Mexico, so I'm currently planning to go back to CO over the weekend, if anyone is planning on that as well.