Jump to content

2019/2020 OR/WA Ice Conditions


ggres335

Recommended Posts

I suspect the skiing is better than the climbing right now.  The attempts/exploratory hikes I made before this huge storm system moved through revealed very little ice, so this new snow will need to consolidate, bond, melt, freeze which will take some time and clear days and nights

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/2/2020 at 10:18 AM, bedellympian said:

Strawberries in Oregon have some ice. A little thin/sunbaked on 2/1 compared to previous visits. Some good stuff on the shadier aspects.

IMG-8777.JPG

IMG-8779.JPG

IMG-8784.JPG

IMG-8789.JPG

IMG-8795.JPG

This looks interesting. Is this a fairly known area for ice?

More specifically I'm interested if you are willing to share more details on getting there as I am not familiar with the area. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The rain then freeze cycle last week made for some good alpine ice conditions at the pass. NW Butt on Chair was in cruiser condition yesterday. Would likely be hard to protect per usual. The upcoming snow fall will likely make it wallowy again. Hard to tell if routes on Snoqualmie are in or not. Someone should go check out NY gulley.

IMG_6822.thumb.JPG.0c35cfa2a862c2546017c6c22c803acf.JPG

IMG_6824.thumb.JPG.b0c0d8bb9944e78461d580af1e079451.JPG

IMG_6825.thumb.JPG.35cbac4ddd3dedd5f5f7ed094a9a4c92.JPGIMG_6841.thumb.JPG.1841e324a81a88b9dfa9e6c2c8b160b2.JPG

Had to chop out the cornice.

  • Thanks 1
  • Rawk on! 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

@Steve Roberts A partner and I were up there on Sunday the 8th. Conditions seemed pretty good. Snow from the day and night before was a bit loose on the top of the snowpack but offered good purchase with some solid kicks. The ice climbed well but there are areas of deterioration. More parties ahead than expected, so the path was maybe too obvious. At any rate, it went!IMG_20200308_080028456.thumb.jpg.52408a33225c64ea099439973fe94916.jpgIMG_20200308_135145919.thumb.jpg.7fe96a8625c13be791d300028c6511d5.jpgIMG_20200308_154746789.thumb.jpg.c1b889115dde00f4fd3a31c6611ff13e.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Conditions were as good as it gets on Sunday.  After many, many times eying the East Face for the last 25+ winters it was finally iced enough to climb.  Protect? Probably not.  80 meters of steepish ice ran into a steep snowfield which I traversed to gain the NE Buttress. The ice step was fat and about 10' high.  The gendarme at the top of the NE Buttress was nicely iced and looked like a much more interesting variation. I wonder if it would be possible to climb to the top of this feature and rappel onto the NF to climb the last ice pitch below the summit pyramid. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I doubt much seasonal ice is left. Reid Glacier Headwall on Hood, Liberty Ridge, Ptarmigan Ridge on Rainier, NR, Coleman Glacier HW on Baker, North Face, Price Glacier on Shuksan, Ice Cliff Glacier on Stuart are the kind of climbs that would be in shape. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...