jayhawk

I agree with Ty. Buddy and I went up to take a look today. I was on skis and did fine, he was on slowshoes and was wallowing. After 4 hrs, we had the route in sight, but we were miserable. We bailed and toproped some little we flow on the way down. It was some consolation, but not a great one.

Skied it on Sunday, along with everyone else and their mother. We left a little too early (7am), so skinning was difficult due to iciness and mostly booted up. Skiing was nice up high with good corn, okay in the middle with sticky variable, and pretty mushy down low. We were able to ski to within about 200 ft of the parking lot, but that is melting out fast!

Wow. Tough to keep this thread going after that um... enlightening contribution. My fave, if I can stand to wait till I'm back to Sea-town, if I get back at a reasonable hour (or too late so I have to wait till the next day), and if I really think I've earned it - is Lunchbox Laboratory.

Trip: Hyalite - Various Date: 2/13/2010 Trip Report: Just a conditions update on Hyalite... Since our ice season pretty much dried up after December, some buddies and I decided to head East to sample the bounty that Hyalite has to offer. Since avy conditions were high and I'm a new ice leader, we stuck to moderate trade routes in lower-danger locales. The ice is fatter than usual this year, so there's plenty of time to go get some! Day one: Genesis area Warming up on topropes at Genesis I: We then headed up via Lower Greensleeves to the Hangover, my first WI3 lead: Safely back at the bottom: On day 2 we headed to the Mummy Cooler area. Our plan was to lead Mummy Cooler 2 (WI3+) and then toprope the Scepter (WI5), but avy danger was too high. Check out YouTube footage of avy debris shooting over the Scepter with climbers at the bottom! The Scepter: MC2: So instead we warmed up on Crypt Orchid, and then I led this line that formed up this year to the right of the Matrix. The Matrix goes at M5, WI4. Check out how different this looks from the guidebook, if you have it...I climbed the right-hand line, which went around WI3, with a a fun mixed corner leading to the upper flows. The bottom pillar of the Matrix: The third day yielded continued high avy danger, so we chose to keep it mellow by toproping the Amphitheater Corner Climbs in the Mummy Cooler area. Thin Chance (WI5 this year): Finishing out on White Zombie, which is normally M5: Sorry this one's blurry, but gotta give my bro props for throwing the figre 4 to top out... Obviously there is so much ice there, we only scratched the surface. Oh well, we'll just have to go back next year... Gear Notes: Standard ice rack. Approach Notes: Trails are nicely beaten in, so no floatation required.

We did Lover's Lane last Sunday, of course leaving from Nada Falls. Can tell you that there is absolutely nothing there.

If only it were that easy... would've done that years ago. Oh, and there's the $$ factor.

Anyone have any experience with the SPOT-2? I'm tempted, just so I can reliably text my worry-wart wife and decrease the number of pre- and post-climb fights.