wavewheel8

A friend and I have been thinking about doing some alpine climbing in the Icicle/Enchantments area this weekend. Two climbs that we're considering are the West Ridge of Prusik Peak and the North Face route on The Mole. Does anyone have any info on what snow conditions are likely to be on the approach to either of these climbs? I'm assuming that if we did The Mole we would car-camp by Icicle Creek and do an early-morning hike up the Hook Creek drainage to get to the climb. If we did Prusik Peak, I think the plan would be to hike in the afternoon before and camp at Lake Viviane. If anyone who's been to either of these areas would like to give a report on the snow conditions, I'd really appreciate it.

A friend and I are thinking about climbing Baring Mountain (via the Class II NW ridge route) on Monday. I've read some reports from previous years saying that there can be a reasonably formidable "snow wall" early in the season at the top of the chute between the North and South peaks. Has anyone been up there this season, or at a similar point in previous seasons? If so, want to share what you found? Also, given that the route involves climbing an avalanche chute, I figure that it's worth thinking about avalanche risk. Has the snowpack been isothermal for long enough that the chance for big wet slides has been minimized, or do we still need to be worried? Thank in advance for any help!