YocumRidge

Both Rainbow Left and Right and Careno Left are climbable and leadable as of 01/09/10. Telemarker on the Careno Left: Spionin on the Rainbow Left: Tanstaafl on the Rainbow Right: Myself on the Rainbow Right:

Plotz, "I am just a gumby who is trying not to look stupid"!

Yeah, V, that certainly added more to the alpine appeal! Too bad you and Doug were turned away by the highway closures a week before we went there .

Trip: Kalifornikan ice - Lee Vining Canyon - variations on a theme Date: 12/25/2010 Trip Report: Last week Pete (MtnHigh) and I made pilgrimage to a sacred place in Sierra Nevada – the Lee Vining canyon. A vibrant metropolis with nightlife and such for desperate californikans seeking water ice, which is also conveniently accessible from PDX by only a 12 hr drive. So, we drive south, well… MtnHigh does, thanks to the speeding-friendly WA state for my DL still being suspended. To recuperate en route, we stop in Carson City to pay a visit to one of those fine establishments Nevada is famous for. Too bad none of those ice climbs are in . Not a good sign. We continue further to our final destination some 3 hrs away. Mono Lake Basin: Eastern Sierra: Lee Vining Canyon: APPROACH. We wake up to bluebird skies, 70 mph wind gusts, occasional snow dumps at night and high 10s which was pretty much the scene we encountered over the three days in the canyon. Over the month of December, Sierras got 12 feet of fresh snow and consistent low temps. Fortunately for us, the access road to the TH for the canyon was plowed. Unfortunately for us, the postholing in the canyon sucked as expected and the first day we were the only idiots heading up there. To summarise, the approach was a combination of this: Rigging the crossing over two creeks: Steep postholing to the base of climbs: Here is MtnHigh getting his ass up the blonde sierras granite he is so passionate about: ROUTES. While running out of breath in spindrifts at 10K feet, everything we do is as in a slow motion movie. Day 1. We start at the Chouinard falls wall to get warmed up on some easy stuff. Right flows (currently at WI3-) - the easiest we could find: The bottom part was solid and took screws well while the top was hollow that I run out and only tag a tree up top. I wish I had a rock pro on me. MtnHigh follows and is not happy with the pitch. We descend through the avy-prone terrain down and move to the middle part of the Chouinard falls. Next I lead the Classic Curve (WI3), a 2 pitch link-up with a small roof. Fun moves. One of the best lines on the Chouinard falls in the current conditions. The roof can be buried in fatter ice according to the locals. MtnHigh follows, we descend and repeat. MtnHigh’s lead on the Classic Curve: Day 2. With colder temps and more miserable spindrifts, we stick to the Chouinard falls again and get on the left side climbs: I start a lead on the Piolet (WI3+). It feels harder than a day before for my oxygen-deprived brain to make smart routefinding choices and to stay in balance. Almost at the top I end up in some weird crack system with hollow ice where one of my tools blows and I fall on the other. After shaking and crying, I downclimb to where MtnHigh was able to lower my sorry ass. He re-leads the pitch on the pre-placed gear and takes the left variation to the top. A much wiser choice. MtnHigh higher up on the Piolet: MtnHigh next jumps on the right variation of the Far Left 140’ WI4-. A hard lead on the hollow ice, almost unprotectable in the current conditions. Only 3 screws were placed. MtnHigh leads the Far Left: Day 3. Winds subsided so we decide to hit the Main Falls wall with 2-3 pitch lines ranging from WI4- to WI4+ and with a much better ice at that: Having recovered from the epical Chouinard falls, I lead a first pitch on the phattest ice I could find on the entire Main wall – Center Left Flow. MtnHigh comes up: and leads the Spiral Staircase. If you are into thrills of mixed climbing, then do the interesting 50’ granite ramp start like we did. Sometimes filled in with thin ice, it took the stubbies: MtnHigh higher up on the Spiral Staircase: On our way back we have a look at the seriously badassed multi-pitch Bard-Harrington wall but it normally comes in fat conditions only around February (Photoshop CS is however in - the thin streak at the top pitch, far right side): More mixed lines on the north side of the LVC: Next day it rains in the canyon, ice is shedding and another storm system is supposed to come in the evening so we bail and head back home. But the winter bouldering opportunities will always stay there: Gear Notes: A Rack Approach Notes: VW TDI

Nice, Melissa! Does anyone want to head out there tomorrow morning? Let me know. 503-901-3837.

I own a climbers version 4 season double wall 2R Stephenson Warmlite (which is shorter than standard) and I love it. At 2.4 lb, it packs to a size of bivy sack. Designated as a 2 person, it actually has plenty of floor space and is comfy enough for 3 people plus some gear on a multi-day trip. Cooking in the tent is awesome. It is not as tall as a BD Firstlight but who cares if you are gonna sleep in it anyway. I used to have some condensation (mostly on the single wall inserts) but once you figure out how to position the tent relative to wind loading, this is not a problem anymore. A great tent otherwise! At camp Hazard 11200', Rainier, July 2010:

As usual - V, an awesome trip and report! Thanks for the stoke of some healthy albeit brutal ice and painless approaches.

Steve, the Schoolroom did not look strikingly different from the rest. Does it have midpoint anchors? I did not know that. Might take some time to dig them out though, but give it a couple of days and lead it instead The hoof was white and windy!

Today 12/31/2010 Pete (MtnHigh) and I went on ice recon to the Pete's Pile. Here is our summary: [video:vimeo]18337953 Right side of Pete's Pile: Soloable and unprotectable (yet) ice under 30': Mixed lines: Left side: We soloed a bunch of WI3-WI5 stuff that we had to downclimb thanks to the tricky topouts. MntHigh likes traverses: While I prefer the free standing pillars with scary finish: Obligatory shot:

Ryan put together a cool vid of the climb so I thought I post it albeit kind of late: [video:vimeo]18293144

Although a different sport, but close enough...

Ha-ha, that was fun, Phil!

Baker splendor:

How about that:

Youth? but I wish.

Very Sweet, D&V! Congrats! to that. Nice job, Doug, on a follow-up to this classified ad : So, now when is your honeymoon vacation to the norwegian ice fjords going to happen? Remember I was signed up for it: driving you guys around, shovel the snow and climb ice in between?

It's a catchy one, Bill ! I hear Putin can also ski ...

Did not you guys figure it out yet? SummitChaser has reincarnated. SC: nice video of ice climbing @Lillooet !

Yeah, Phil, I got sick of DTing so had to get on something scary!

Thanks for the stoke - JF! That right side looks wicked but somewhat healthier than what we have been on.

You bet, but John was bored though.

Trip: Darrington Ice - Three Fingers east face - lower cirque Date: 12/5/2010 Trip Report: Last weekend my friend John (aka Badass Plotz / aka Telemarker) and I ventured to the Three Fingers in Darrington. Being inspired by this picture taken by Marko almost the same time last year, we plan to search for some scary ice in the lower cirque on the east side of 3 Fingers. As expected, FS road 2040 is washed out and barricaded by logs, so we leave the rig as close as we can get to the TH and hike out. After 3.5 miles, we got to the Squire Pass creek and drop down to the river valley where we encounter debilitating postholing and numerous creeks to deal with. Crossing the creek followed by a few more: Being smart, we did not bring misery shoes and left our skis in the car. Good luck with that! The long assed sufferfest persists and we keep falling through the giant postholes. With my uncanny and supernatural sense of direction, we successfully end up in the wrong drainage (which is my recurrent theme for the last few months) and that adds a couple of bushwhacking hours to our “Disneyland” style approach. Oh well, by 3 p.m. we reach the basin and get to admire the beauty of the 3 Fingers range. Things on the east side of 3 Fingers are looking sweet, with many couloirs nicely filled in and available for skiing, especially if one survives in the avies coming down the gullies every 5 minutes and can teleport themselves to the base to avoid the schwack. Anyway, we miserably camp in 10s F temps and hit the cirque next morning, desperately trying to find some climbable ice. Not much is in, except a few sketchy flows on the NW aspect of the cirque and most of them don’t touch down. After a few persuasions, Plotz who is concerned by considerable avy danger, reluctantly agrees to head over there and give it a shot. I get to lead the first pitch - the best pitch - that goes at WI3: It starts with some sheisty ice that is gradually thinning out to unprotectable delaminating stuff as you go higher up. Not much of a confidence booster while looking for solid ice gets more time consuming: Plotz comes up and jumps on the next pitch that is mostly thin, hollow and steeper (at about WI4/R), exiting at the snowfield: Thin pillar 15’above the belay can’t bear our abuse any longer and gives up. John falls crushing through the curtain and landing with his crampons 5” from my face. Crushed belay: I am still living in oblivion as to how he was able to get up and re-lead the entire pitch. Plotz re-leading P2: I follow the blood soaked trail to the belay where we rap down to the base. Gear Notes: 10 Screws (used), rock pro (used), pins (not used) Approach Notes: Chainsaw

Why to bolt a retaining wall that goes at 5.0 and as a traverse at that?