2016/17 Ice Conditions

[origin_ing]

Climbed Hubba Hubba Sunday 1/15. It was very fat and brittle.

 

 

 

[kurthicks]

just came back from Snoqualmie Pass.

 

Basically everything is still in: Kiddie Cliff, Bryant Buttress, Rap Fall, Chockstone Falls, etc. No word on Franklin Falls.

 

There is about a foot of new snow over a very stout rain crust, making travel relatively easy.

[montypiton]

two laps on the Drip yesterday - in WI5 condition this year, meaning you can weasel up the left hand column without having to pull an overhang. ice is chandeliered enough that it won't hold screws without major excavation. we found it challenging enough on top rope.

[bellows]

Frankouray Falls at Snoqualmie Pass is still holding strong:

 

Not as fat as the previous weekend, but it certainly survived the warm wet weather from last week.

 

It's such a convenient area to get to from Seattle. I'd be up for a dawn patrol this week if anyone wants to get a few laps in early and be back at work by noon.

[jakedouglas]

Bryant Buttress was still in pretty fat today. Thanks to whoever installed the bolted anchor at the top. Makes it much faster for a group to get in and out and not hold up the show messing with trees.

 

Kiddie Cliff and Chockstone also looked fat. There was definitely ice on Source Lake Line but I've never been up close so hard to tell how in it was.

 

Alpental Falls stuff looked like it was still there, too.

[Tydog]

Any updates on Frenchman Coulee ice? I'm heading to Yakima this coming weekend and have never been out there ice climbing.

[Seraphim]

Bryant Buttress was still in pretty fat today. Thanks to whoever installed the bolted anchor at the top. Makes it much faster for a group to get in and out and not hold up the show messing with trees.

 

Kiddie Cliff and Chockstone also looked fat. There was definitely ice on Source Lake Line but I've never been up close so hard to tell how in it was.

 

Alpental Falls stuff looked like it was still there, too.

 

Is it easier to access franklin falls from the ski resort area? Or is better to just on the normal road to the trailhead?

 

Never been there in winter.

[kurthicks]

Is it easier to access franklin falls from the ski resort area? Or is better to just on the normal road to the trailhead?

 

Park at Summit West, cross under the overpass, and ski down the closed Sunset Highway. 10 minutes easy downhill!

[keenwesh]

Sounds like maybe in on source lake line? Anyone seen Flow Reversal?

 

Haven't been up in that area for years, how are the slopes above the routes? Can't remember if they slide or not.

[JasonG]

Check out Tim Matsui's IG page for current Flow Reversal pic.

[bellows]

Tydog, if you're looking for ice near Yakima the drip across from Umptanum Falls is fat right now. I took a few laps on it this morning. It's short but the approach is easy:

[montypiton]

Tydog-

climbed Fugs on 2/5. Fat as I've ever seen it. Only time I've ever climbed it when I was able to top out without climbing through open flowing water.

Frenchmans Falls did not look complete.

-Haireball

[davidfailla]

Anyone getting out this weekend???

[telemarker]

From two weekends ago. Emerald Falls, Banks Lake. Photo by Bill Wicheta.

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2017 by telemarker

[bellows]

Devils is open for business. Death-cicles are gone as of yesterday:

[DanO]

Anyone know if White Pine Creak is still in? It is between Leavenworth and Stevens pass

 

Thanks

 

Dan

[DanO]

Whitepine creek or whitepine drool, is still in, it is slowly going away due to melting. I climbed it this last Saturday. I guess it should last a few weeks longer, while melting and ice going away to rock and snow. I hit a few soft spots..

 

The most easy way to climb is to start over to the right take most easy path up to tree to right, sling the tree then climb up and left taking the most easy way, can repel a tree far left not at the top of the climb or climb to the top of the ice fall someplace. around 3+ the most easy way, solid 4 other ways up.

 

Dan

Edited February 23, 2017 by DanO

[thatcher]

Anyone gotten a peep at Chair Peak this week? Planning to head up Saturday, but unsure about how in it will be seeing that the temps aren't super cold at the pass.

[bellows]

Three of us made it to Strobach for the first time on Saturday. Good times. We ended up lapping FOTL pitch 1 and gawking at lots of much harder climbs.

 

First on the Left:

 

The more moderate Sudden Change of Plans and Sad Ce'bu that we had hoped to get on looked thin/out. Dropline looked fat though:

 

Hate Pony, Adrenalepherine, and Ponderosa Pillar looking intimidating:

 

Unholy Baptism gnar:

 

Temps are looking to remain cold for at least another week, go get some!

[montypiton]

yes Virginia, we still have ice in the Icicle drainage:

 

tried Pearly Gates on Thursday, but it was delaminating badly, snd sure enough was gone two days later.

 

but Millenium wall was in prime shape on Saturday, filled in to offer an abundance of lines on delightful plastic ice.

 

and reports indicate that Back-to-the-Future wall and Fourmile Falls (mile-and-a-half beyond Millenium/Snow-Creek-Wall) also remain in good shape. note that Fourmile Falls, like the Funnel at Hubba Hubba, is an active avalanche path...

 

-Haireball

[Alex]

Thanks for the report! Strobach trip looks good! About the same as it ever was. Per my experience, Sad Ce'bu and Sudden Change look to be "very typical" and I think had you got on them, you would have found them probably a little more moderate than what they looked like from below. But once you've gone in there, future trips will be smoother ..!

 

The LWorth stuff, I might jump on next couple days. March 6th is generally quite pushing it for climbing ice outside of the alpine zones in Washington, so this season is lasting a bit longer than usual!

[keenwesh]

I made it in to strobach this last weekend. Was blown away by how stacked it is! Everything left of the gully was getting pretty sun leached, but to the right was good to go. Those pitches are stellar, long and virgin, don't think many people get in there. This is the standard for level of in-ness? It's just not popular because you need a sled? Anyone know if/when the left hand cliff starts getting hit by the sun? mid january?

[Alex]

keen, yes.

 

This is the standard level of in-ness. Some years its like this by late December.

It's not that popular because there really aren't that many ice climbers in WA (certainly seems like less than there was 15 years ago) and the approach is for real.

Left of Sep Gully gets hit by sun around mid-Feb. It doesn't take much sun to bleach out the ice and bring those pitches down, since most of them are very steep and don't have a lot of support from below, like Unholy, etc. The stuff on the right side of the cliff, right of Dropline, lasts longer. The stuff over by Dome Peak, like Watchtower, usually lasts til mid-March.

 

Temps and daylight rapidly rise by late March early April, and while you can spring ski, outside of the Rockies you can't really spring ice climb.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Alex

[spionin]

It's not that popular because there really aren't that many ice climbers in WA (certainly seems like less than there was 15 years ago)

 

...and those who find time to climb make the drive to Banff

[Dre]

thought i was done with ice for the season, but with monties lattes report of Leavenworth, think I'll check out Millenium/Snow-Creek-Wall this Sunday, and report back.

 

Avy condition looks to remain high through the weekend for all of WA so avoiding avy prone climbs.

 

Any other suggestion where i could finding WI3+/4 in Leavenworth this weekend?