At the bottom ski left to avoid Highway 40 and to get to Current Creek. Find a narrow entrance that you can follow to the top of Rock Garden.

History Berthoud Pass, CO. Photo: scott1346. [39.798, -105.7771]. The runs all end at the Current Creek Trailhead. The trailhead is at Berthoud Pass which is on mile marker 243 on Highway 40. Access this area from Mainline and past the Plunge. Degree of difficulty: Difficult to Strenuous, mostly due to the elevation. The trailhead is across the highway. 36 - Lift Gully – The old ski lift line at Berthoud Pass, and host to many rock drops. The skin track turns southwest through the trees to CDT West and then up to the weather station near the summit of the West Side. Approx. The Empire exit off I-70 is exit 233 for those driving from the south. I don't care if it ends well, it just has to end."

The majority of the descents exit back to the pass. [39.796, -105.7961]. A large cornice occupies the center of the top of The Bench and most riders descend to the skier’s right side of this cornice, and to the skier’s left of the North chutes.

This leads to a creek bed that passes the Ditch and leads to the skin track from Current Creek Trailhead. 49 - Vigilante – Vigilante is skier’s left of the trees at the start of Rock Garden, and the run trends left towards Current Creek. Many skiers leave a shuttle at Current Creek or hitchhike back to the summit. [39.8026, -105.7772] There is a parking pull out on the right after the Ditch. [39.8026, -105.7867]. You can climb to the top and decide where to drop in from there. The summit of Mount Russell is a slightly higher rise is about a third of a mile to the west. The ski operations opened under the new Garst management on November 12, 1977. At the edge of the forest there is an old wooden post. There is a pull out on the east side of the road. 55 - Wiebel’s Wobble – This run is the backside of Hourglass Cliffs and trends left on the edge of the trees and cliff. From the Berthoud Pass parking lot, cross Highway 40 to the base of Great Divide. The route dives straight down the fall line into the cirque. The summit of Berthoud Pass is the epicenter of backcountry skiing on this part of the Front Range. From the summit trend skier’s right around The Roll to the chutes and drops. Cornices surround the top of the cirque, and small cliffs dot parts of the face.

6 – No Name – This proud route is the crown jewel of the south side of Berthoud Pass. 52 - Flume – Flume is a classic Berthoud Pass Run. Berthoud Pass Ditch (11,245’) The 90s routes end at the old road leading to the Current Creek trailhead on Highway 40 [39.8102, -105.7785,]. Skiers and snowboarders can also access this terrain from the top of Berthoud Pass’s West Side. The 80s are comprised of large cliffs with limited chutes in between. There are multiple small bowls and open slopes leading into the trees, and the skier’s right side of the bench has great low angle terrain.

Continuing down Meadows run drops you into the 90s area and Sam and Nelson’s. The latitude and longitude coordinates of Berthoud Pass are 39.7983203, -105.7777849 and the approximate elevation is 11,325 feet (3,452 meters) above sea level.

At the top of the pass, there's a sign indicating the elevation of 11,307 feet, and with the Continental Divide as the ever-extending backdrop, there are endless photo opportunities.

Driving north from the pass, the entrance is on the left at 0.3 miles from the top of the pass. This trailhead is used for mid-winter skiing on No Name Bench and Pumphouse Basin and for car shuttles for the No Name exit. Coordinates: 39.7983203°N, -105.7777849°W 38 - Nitro Chute – There are several chutes on the skier’s left side of the West Side Cliffs.

From the top of the West Side approach you can see into the lower angle upper slopes. Berthoud Pass Information. Average temperatures for October: Low: 20.9˚ F, High: 42.4˚ F The exit through Pumphouse Basin has several flat sections. The West Side Cliffs run between Rush Chute and Nitro Chute. 7 - No Name Cirque – This bowl is between Mount Russell and No Name. Some skiers and riders climb up to the top of Hidden Knoll after a Mount Russell descent to add more vertical. 51 - Outlaw – Outlaw is an open face leading to an isolated chute past The 90s. From the summit ski east to where the slope disappears past a convex hump. The creek bed at the bottom leads to Nelson’s and Sam's. Snowmobile Access: Snowmobiles are not allowed at Berthoud Pass.

The No Name and No Name Bench routes exit into Pumphouse Basin. There are two common ways to enter the 80s and 90s area. Elevation: 11,325 feet (3,452 meters) Access the Plunge from Mainline.

Named for Edward L. Berthoud, the chief surveyor of the Colorado Central Railroad during the 1870s. It is not frequently skied due to being on the windward side of the mountain. Aim for this post. Once home to Berthoud Pass Ski Area from 1937-2001; Average snowfall for October is 28.0 inches. Feature Type: Gap. 35 - The Plunge – The skier’s right side of Lift Gully. 47 – The 80s – Head skier’s right to the 80s when you exit the Ditch at Rock Garden. "When I'm completely exhausted on a climb, and the sun has already gone down: All's well that ends. Bathrooms: There is one at the Berthoud pass trailhead parking lot and, but keep supplies handy it is heavily used, just in the time it took us to get ready to hike at least 10 cars pulled in off of Berthoud Pass just to use it. Another way to access the 90s area is to climb up the West Side and use The Meadows to access the Flume and 90s area. After the wood post trend right and curve into Flume. Park at the now closed Berthoud Pass Ski Resort parking lot.

The exit of the 80s more challenging to navigate and requires a hard left turn to gain the road leading to the Current Creek trailhead. The middle section is steep with some small cliffs scattered throughout, and these slopes get a lot of sun.

--Scott Patterson, Images The elevation at this trailhead is approximately 11,185’. The Launch Pad trees are to skier’s left. 10 – North Chutes – These chutes drop northeast from the false summit of Mount Russell and into a wide-open basin. There are several additional hazards to be aware of in this area.

Despite having a lot of skier traffic, avalanche hazard remains in this area, especially on the terrain between The Roll and The Plunge. No Name’s namesake route is a direct plumb line shot down the snowy face, and Mount Russell has the North Chutes. It summits at 11,307 feet in elevation. See the description in the Trailhead section below on how to access the Berthoud Pass Ditch. No Name Cirque is lined with a cornice so tread carefully here. ). You may see tracks on the chutes and faces in mid-winter. Most backcountry skiers use the main skin track on the West Side to access Mount Russell and No Name. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. Berthoud Pass is displayed on the Berthoud Pass USGS quad topo map. The Berthoud Pass Ditch can have debris under the snow, thin coverage and rocks just below the Ditch, and large holes. You are the responsible party. After a large snow storm the pull out may not be plowed. 14, 15 - Pumphouse Basin – Placer Basin and Trappers Glades collectively make up “Pumphouse Basin”. The West Side is a popular area, and has quick access to a high point that enables you to drop into many zones including Pumphouse Basin, Current Creek, the 90s, or down the West Side and back to the Pass. From the top of the West Side, in combination with The Meadows, this run can be over 1,000’ vertical. Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. Fees: None Berthoud Pass arguably has the best backcountry skiing and snowboarding east of the Continental Divide and near Interstate 70. Curve right from the wooden post, and follow a gully to the Ditch and into the distinct chute below.


(1), Climber's Log Entries This area is easily visible when driving north on Highway 40, and it is reasonable to used a car shuttle or hitchhike to access these steep routes. From The Ditch and exit route follows the skin track past Peter Rabbit Hut to Current Creek and then to the Current Creek trailhead. 58 – Coconut Ridge – These cliffs can be accessed from Nelson’s and Sam's or from the Ditch.

33 - Mainline – Mainline descends from the summit and is used to access all of the West Side Cliff runs.

There are several chutes, large cliffs, and a frozen waterfall located on Russell Face. No Name and Mount Russell are visible in the upper left side of the photo. 31 - Wyskis Wonder – A fun glade run. This is the West Side of the old Berthoud Pass Ski area. Ski down Mainline to the point where the run becomes convex and take a left. Berthoud Pass West Side from the East. There is a long traverse starting at the Meadows that leads past the West Side Cliffs and back to the Pass. [39.7966, -105.7851]. 53 - Top Secret – When skiing Flume, Top Secret is a small stash on the left past the Ditch. If you have visited Berthoud Pass before, please tell us about it with a comment below. Use the road to traverse to the other routes. These two peaks hold several of the Pass’s most obvious steep lines. From this high point, descend west through the krumholtz trees to the saddle at the base of Mount Russell. 11 – Current Creek Bench – The Bench is a large slope to the northwest of the North Chutes. 37 - Rush Chute – A series of cliffs and chutes that frequently maroon skiers who get in over their heads. Front Range Ski Mountaineering is released free of charge as a software in the hope that it will be useful, but without any warranty; without even the implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Berthoud Pass is in the Gaps category for Clear Creek County in the state of Colorado.
The upper glades of Pumphouse Basin, called Placer Basin and Trapper Glades are accessed via the West Side skin track, and this south facing terrain can be a fabulous ski in mid-winter after a significant snow storm and before the sun develops a surface crust on the snow. © 2006-2020 SummitPost.org. The No Name 12,424’ point is very clear on high visibility days. Pumphouse Basin is a great place to ski lower-angle terrain in the mid-winter. There is one primary skin track that serves all of the runs on the West Side.

Clicking on map above will open interactive Google map website.

There are two primary up tracks, one used to access Mount Russell and No Name, and the other for Pumphouse Basin.

The 90s and Flume are so popular that you may find moguls on the slopes! The Mount Russell routes exit into Current Creek.