Conditions as of 5/28 - 5/30:
Took a nice 2-night outing in the Cottonwood Lakes basin. Trekked around the Cottonwood Lakes and South Fork Lakes as well.
Lots of snow above 11,400 feet, especially on the north slopes. Hardly any below that elevation. Horseshoe Meadow Road is open, with the last gate open. There were not many people at the Cottonwood Pass parking lot, but a moderate number at the New Army Pass parking lot.
The Old Army Pass (OAP) trail is currently inaccessible (snow/Ice) and will remain so until at least the end of June. There is a direct route to the top of OAP, but only for those who possess a considerable amount of mountaineering skills. I have climbed this approach a few times in the past. It's steep but doable. DO NOT TAKE THE TRAIL. See pictures below.
New Army Pass (NAP) currently has the typical cornice and can be bypassed if you know how to route find and possess a good amount of mountaineering skills. Please take a look at the pictures below.
This trip was primarily focused on backpacking and creating content for my channel, so I didn't have the time to reach the top of either pass.
Since these passes are the traditional way to reach Mt Langley, CRAMPONS AND AN ICE AXE MUST BE USED TO REACH THE TOP OF EITHER PASS. NO MICRO SPIKES. From there, Langley can be summited without the use of mountain climbing tools.
Safe travels!
OAP & NAP photos
