WA Ice Conditions 2020-21

[rat]

On 1/8/2021 at 10:22 AM, AquaFresh said:

Anyone have knowledge of ice conditions around Strobach Mtn?

the closest comparable wx site (~6000' elev.) is the green lake snotel on this site: https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mso/fwxmaps/ksew.php

[Doug_Hutchinson]

Wow, the ice conditions have been great lately...in Wyoming.

In WA, conditions are taking the slow-is-smooth approach, it has just been a little too warm for too long. There is some ice out there if you are willing go hunting. Yesterday @Michael Telstadclimbed a new route on Chair Peak. The Upper West Side

There is a lot of anticipation building for an upcoming cold snap to happen this weekend and beyond before the snow machine turns back on, so start sharpening yer tools...

[Carbonj]

Curious usually this is the set up for good alpine ice, but not seeing it, rain event, ,lowering freezing level, what you finding?

 

[Doug_Hutchinson]

Definitely good in the alpine now, really good. Mik and I climbed the NF of N Index yesterday and found excellent, firm conditions - hard to imagine it in much better shape. Despite its pedestrian grade, the NF is a mega route, even in a cruiser conditions, it is about 8x harder than Chair despite being "only" 5300' tall. Some pics:

The hidden ledge traverse:

 

Upper north bowl with tons of real ice everywhere:

Mik leading the upper N Ridge:

Final pitch:

[JasonG]

Index in Winter IS most certainly MEGA!  Well done @Doug_Hutchinson and Mik!!

[DPS]

What, no stand alone trip report? C'mon Jack, you're letting us arm chair alpinists down.

Index in winter is definitely quite a tick and quite difficult to catch in good conditions. Makes me wish I had stayed for this winter season. 

[Doug_Hutchinson]

5 hours ago, DPS said:

What, no stand alone trip report? C'mon Jack, you're letting us arm chair alpinists down.

C'mon DPS, I started and have been basically almost single-handedly fluffing this thread for months, isn't that enough??

My publisher has been working with Kyle M on a TR ghostwriting deal, but even with his writing skillz, it will probably be challenging because I haven't had shit for time to recount any of the details, so be prepared to stay let down. And/or someone else go climb that awesome Nordwand and write it up!

[mrice1225]

Guye Peak south gully had great alpine ice on Saturday. Most of the gully was hard snow and ice, and there were around 4-5 short mixed steps (~M3) which generally had solid ice above/on them, making for some super fun climbing, including a layback move on ice sticks with high feet on rock edges. A lot of the trees had tat on them already, some with rap rings. Knifeblade pins were useful.

[DPS]

On 1/24/2021 at 8:02 PM, Doug_Hutchinson said:

I haven't had shit for time to recount any of the details, so be prepared to stay let down.

That's what Monday mornings are for. 

[Doug_Hutchinson]

I've recruited some crushers who are much better writers than I for a Nordwand lap so hopefully you'll have that TR soon.

[Doug_Hutchinson]

How about some ice conditions from somewhere other than Snoqualmonix? @Michael Telstad and I drove up to the Methow and found not much ice, reportedly the mid Jan warmup/rain killed a lot but it is healing and reforming (other than one day on Goats Beard, I haven't chased any ice up there so take anything I say as BS).

Yesterday, we climbed the only decent looking ice we saw = the Standard. I would describe the ice as in the later adolescent phase, definitely fun and worth doing. The Standard P1:

 

 P2: 

Based on a quick glance, I would assume that the Czech Gully is in typical, mixed conditions, but again, I would assume I don't know what I am talking about.  

The previous day we climbed the first 6 pitches of Mark Allen's dry tour-de-force Mazama Queen. If you don't like ice getting your tools wet, this is the route for you. Michael starting P3: 

Goats Beard will not be getting an ice ascent this season:

Bonus condition report - on the drive home we detoured up the Entiat. Nothing worth shooting for there yet, and the private property/access issues in that valley make me have mixed opinions about climbing there ever again. 

The left side of Tyee Falls is probably climbable but much leaner than when I climbed it in years past:

Preston Falls is nothing but flowing water, and the Fang has a long way to go to touch down:

And that, my friends, is what rainy Weds mornings are for...

Edited January 27, 2021 by Doug_Hutchinson

[ggres335]

... I don't understand why there are only 6 people following this thread. ...its like people know WA doesn't have the best ice.

Icicle Creek is trying, I guess. Some ice building on lower R&D butt. and 1.7 mile mark from where they stop plowing at Bridge Creek. Nothing protectable yet but maybe after another thaw/freeze cycle.

Hubba Hubba looks... "Scottish." Thin and probably unprotectable after about 30 feet but it was tough to judge from below. The left gully seems easy enough and may go with only an ice stick or two, with mixed snow and rock floundering. Right flow looks too thin for me. Don't know if the hike is worth it. Chicken Gully or some random mixed stuff off icicle road may be better for another week or two.

This snow dump is going to make the avy conditions on approach worse. Its really cobbly from all the season's slide debris. kinda miserable moving up the slopes in MSR ascents. I don't think skis would be an option, and crampons would have you post holing and turning your ankle the whole trip. Even thinking it was stable proved to be wrong when there was a pretty big slide as I was descending yesterday 01/26. Maybe about 100 yards from me, Yikes. That being said, some pics below for who wants to get after it. Stay safe if you're going for it soon.

 

Gully Left of Hubba Hubba

 

Hubba Hubba

Chute far left of HH

[Doug_Hutchinson]

Climbed a probable FA yesterday on the western NW face of Snoqualmie with Christian Junkar and Tom Berine. This is the route we started up under very thin conditions on Dec 3rd (shown in the third post of this thread and a vid link later on page 1). Although it seems unlikely that something that is hiding in plain sight has not been climbed before, I've asked around and no one I know knows of any previous complete sends. Jim Nelson reported he got up a pitch or two and bailed. On our second attempt in late Dec, Christian and I got two pitches up but couldn't turn out of the huge chockstone cave because there was no ice at that time. We found a two piece rap anchor below this crux, and tat on top of the first pitch. I've skied by it dozens of times but only by seeing it under early season conditions did it catch my eye.

Yesterday, there was just enough ice and the accumulated snow (the whole thing is a spenddrift chute) shortened the mixed crux enough that we were able turn the roof. I am still expecting to hear that Swenson's little cousin sent it in 1978, but until that time, we are calling it the Snostril and feel it is a very worthy addition to the longer mixed routes between the Slot and Snot. Our line is only 5  pitches but has a distinct and aesthetically cool crux exiting the Snostril's nostril, and as a bonus, we added a final alternative pitch - Post Nasal Drip, which is a decent one pitch climb by itself. The main line and Post Nasal both go at WI4, M5 currently although the Snostril's crux will be become easier as more snow and ice accumulate.

Overview pic, John Scurlock image used by permission:

  

I am aware this image makes it look more like a ski descent than an ice line, but it is a worthy climb.

Tom climbing out of the Snostril's nostril (AKA a huge chockstone cave with a view):

Christian on the Post Nasal Drip alt finish:

Go ahead and call BS on the FA, we can take it. But I do plan on getting around to a TR on this one because it is cool climb to do when you wanna sleep in a little.  

As threatened here is super-longwinded Snostril TR (I get paid by the word). 

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Doug_Hutchinson

[Marko]

Way to snag more of that sweet Snoqualmie mixed!

[Vernman23]

Went into Strobach yesterday. Nothing really to note...warm wet delam ice. Pictures make things look better than they are. 

[Doug_Hutchinson]

For those suffering through another boring Zoom meeting, I finally found the 36 hours I needed to pen the Snostril TR

[Doug_Hutchinson]

Since the CC.com cert has expired again, here goes another update for the two people that may risk lurking this page. This cold snap will help form some ice, maybe we'll actually hear about things getting climbed outside of Snoqcompton (redact! redact!). A third hand source reported that Banks is still not in, not enough snow was on the ground to melt before the temps plummeted. 

The Rap Wall action has been so hot lately, I am surprised that the ice there has survived. The first shot was fired by Kurt Ross last week who nabbed the second ascent of my homie's Roger Strong's ahead-of-its-time M11 test piece Ghost Dog, almost 20 years after the FA. Congrats!

Yesterday, the Rap Wall sickness got way sicker. At the same time, Wayne Wallace redpointed his new, bolted M8+ test piece Bring da Ruckus, Tom Beirne was launching into the unknown on a ground-up, gear only, wild ice chimney - the 36th Chamber. We graded this fragile, overhanging line M5+, WI6 R. This was a two hour, intense lead on poorly bonded, thin ice - a proud freaking lead. Christian Junkar and Tom cleanly followed Ruckus, and me and Christian followed the 36th Chamber. This are two of the best mixed pitches anywhere. 

Rap wall overview, L to R, 36th Chamber (red), Ruckus (purple), Ghost Dog (yellow, approx location):

  

 Wayne low on Ruckus:

And

Ruckus is a little overhung:

The 36th Chamber before getting de-daggered:

Tom entering the 36th Chamber:

Very three dimensional:

It was a very good day:

So much #waice awesomeness!

Edited February 15, 2021 by Doug_Hutchinson

[Carbonj]

So cool! And ice involved with most sticks?

[montypiton]

Monitoring Hubba-Hubba, the Funnel appears to have  fattened to climbable with this last cold spell.  Concerned about the avalanche hazard, I carried the old snow-study kit up the hill on Friday, 2/12.  Wasted effort - not enough snow cover on approach to dig a pit.  A visible trough in the feeder gully suggests it had run at least once, but no way to tell what may be left up there, so if you decide to risk it, maybe go for Hubba-Hubba left, the least exposed line.  Hubba-Hubba right also looks climbable, but it's more exposed to the Funnel's avalanche hazard.   From below the Funnel, I could see enough ice across the canyon on the Rat Ketchup line that it looks an attractive alternative.   Heading up  Sunday, and will report on which of the two venues we elect to climb.   With the new snow, Rat Ketchup is looking more likely.  Stay tuned.

s

[dondo]

9 hours ago, montypiton said:

Monitoring Hubba-Hubba, the Funnel appears to have  fattened to climbable with this last cold spell.  Concerned about the avalanche hazard, I carried the old snow-study kit up the hill on Friday, 2/12.  Wasted effort - not enough snow cover on approach to dig a pit.  A visible trough in the feeder gully suggests it had run at least once, but no way to tell what may be left up there, so if you decide to risk it, maybe go for Hubba-Hubba left, the least exposed line.  Hubba-Hubba right also looks climbable, but it's more exposed to the Funnel's avalanche hazard.   From below the Funnel, I could see enough ice across the canyon on the Rat Ketchup line that it looks an attractive alternative.   Heading up  Sunday, and will report on which of the two venues we elect to climb.   With the new snow, Rat Ketchup is looking more likely.  Stay tuned.

s

Went up today 2/13. Plenty of snow cover to get to the base but w a couple new folks we ran out our timeline and didn’t get on the fresh ice. Enjoy tomorrow!

[montypiton]

I guess I gave up on this season too early!?!?  Noodling around the Assicle canyon today, found enough to finally initiate Haireball's ass-clammin' coverage, so here it is, before my boots are even dry - apologize for lack of photos; I'm a digital dinosaur...

Hubba-hubba:   choked with four days worth of snow, the Funnel looks skiable!?!?  It was raining as I was glassing it, so I'd expect it to run BIG sometime this week

Eightmile Buttress - left edge flow is in.  this is a safer alternative to Hubba-hubba -- no hangfire above it.  two pitches of WI3.  Park at Eightmile campground, walk up the road a couple hundred yards, and follow my slowshoe tracks to where you can plainly see the flow

Assicle Buttrest:  no ass but lotsa avalanche debris - enough to warrant some plow work

Dog Dome: the Dog Nasty Dike chimney is in - this is a great clam because it's a bolt-protected summer clam, so if you're fortunate enough to find the bolts, you're one happy camper.  After losing an extension ladder to a high-water event several years back, I no longer establish a ladder bridge there.  I don't want to be the guy responsible for someone attempting to cross a damaged, ready-to-fail construction.  If someone wishes  to re-establish the bridge, there is a bolt (placed by yours truly about 15 years ago) on the mid-river boulder upon which your two extension ladder sections will sit, so that those ends can be anchored, and not just slammed into the snow hoping...  without the bridge, most will consider the Dog Dome ass unacceptably inaccessible

Rainbow Gully:  at last!  I really was afraid that it was too late for this to come in, but  as of today I count at least four clammable lans, and a fifth if you want to try the horror show in the far left corner.  It looks doable, but not leadable for me in its current condition.  Bring stubbies and rock pro if you hope to protect anything.

Assicling:  there's a fun little "ass-bouldering" park immediately across the road from the Eightmile campground parking area, and more of the same along the Assicle Buttrest road cut.

Get it while its here -- as I said, it was raining when I was out exploring...

-Haireball

[dondo]

9 minutes ago, montypiton said:

I guess I gave up on this season too early!?!?  Noodling around the Assicle canyon today, found enough to finally initiate Haireball's ass-clammin' coverage, so here it is, before my boots are even dry - apologize for lack of photos; I'm a digital dinosaur...

Hubba-hubba:   choked with four days worth of snow, the Funnel looks skiable!?!?  It was raining as I was glassing it, so I'd expect it to run BIG sometime this week

Eightmile Buttress - left edge flow is in.  this is a safer alternative to Hubba-hubba -- no hangfire above it.  two pitches of WI3.  Park at Eightmile campground, walk up the road a couple hundred yards, and follow my slowshoe tracks to where you can plainly see the flow

Assicle Buttrest:  no ass but lotsa avalanche debris - enough to warrant some plow work

Dog Dome: the Dog Nasty Dike chimney is in - this is a great clam because it's a bolt-protected summer clam, so if you're fortunate enough to find the bolts, you're one happy camper.  After losing an extension ladder to a high-water event several years back, I no longer establish a ladder bridge there.  I don't want to be the guy responsible for someone attempting to cross a damaged, ready-to-fail construction.  If someone wishes  to re-establish the bridge, there is a bolt (placed by yours truly about 15 years ago) on the mid-river boulder upon which your two extension ladder sections will sit, so that those ends can be anchored, and not just slammed into the snow hoping...  without the bridge, most will consider the Dog Dome ass unacceptably inaccessible

Rainbow Gully:  at last!  I really was afraid that it was too late for this to come in, but  as of today I count at least four clammable lans, and a fifth if you want to try the horror show in the far left corner.  It looks doable, but not leadable for me in its current condition.  Bring stubbies and rock pro if you hope to protect anything.

Assicling:  there's a fun little "ass-bouldering" park immediately across the road from the Eightmile campground parking area, and more of the same along the Assicle Buttrest road cut.

Get it while its here -- as I said, it was raining when I was out exploring...

-Haireball

I climbed at rainbow Sunday am and that left horror show was spitting chunks but the lines just right went ok w stubbies though I couldn't find rock gear on the lower reaches. Cheers for the beta!

[montypiton]

Haireball  ass-clammin update:  drove up highway 2 today now that its open again.  surprises:  Drury now has a complete line, although at 37' farenheit, I remain suspicious.  The Pencil looks to be complete!?!? - but again, I'm suspicious; could be vertical slurpee,  Comic Book Hero looks to be coming along, but still unconnected.  You younger mixed studmuffins might feel less intimidated than I.  The Drip is not yet close to touching down.

Didn't get a look up the Assicle today, got interrupted by a mountain rescue mission at Stevens Pass.  Condolences to the family - the mission was a body retrieval...  Stay tuned, I'll take a look at the Funnel tomorrow.

-Haireball

[Doug_Hutchinson]

Haireball, you came so close to keeping all the ice conditions in the same place, and then that senior moment. Someone delete that Leavenworth thread...

Both the skiing and climbing has been great over the last two weeks of awesome PNW winteryness, so here goes my attempt to recap recent waice conditions. 

The first legit cold snap of the winter hit from around Feb 10 to 17. The temps were decently cold enough to get lowland ice forming, but what was somewhat unique is the cold was accompanied by non-stop precip so tons of snow fell during this cycle. Avy conditions went through the roof so most of the ice that got climbed was the lowland variety (I assume).  But this snap happened late enough in the season, that the higher sun will tear things down quickly. 

Based on daily drive-bys to Crystal, Skookum Falls looked climbable from maybe Feb 12 to 15 this year. Here is @moyboy 's Skookum TR from Feb 15th. The mighty and mysterious Snoquera did not form completely during this cold snap. 

By around Feb 17th, it became kind of game on at Banks. The lack of much snow on the ground limited which seeps were seeping when the cold arrived.  Many of the usual climber suspects were out there over the last few days, but it was nice and empty as usual too. Tom and I had a successful quick hit visit on Feb 18-19, and like most Banks trips, things were the same and different than previous visits. For the first time I have seen, Children of the Sun was surprisingly in, not just a thin smear wilting in the sun; so that was our first climb. The golfing is not good now because of the recent snow, non-white golf balls recommended:

Children was pretty wild and more three dimensional than it appeared from ground. Pic of Tom about 1/3 up - I built a belay about 2/3 up because I was not sure I could get to the telephone pole anchor (visible in pic above) at the top of the climb from the base, but it IS less than 60M from the base:

 

The mega pillar on Clockwork Orange's P2 was still not touching, will someone please haul an extension ladder up there for future ascents:

After such better-than-normal conditions to the south, I was excited to see the big boys on the Million Dollar Mile, but it was more hit or miss. The Cable's P1 was not touching:

For the connoisseurs, check out P2 on Thursday (above) - probably climbable, but here is how it looked it looked the next morning:

Based on the weather forecast, I assume P2's fate will befall most of Banks by Monday. Moving north, H202 was very in and very fun:

With a name like H202, it was wet of course, but I have never climbed a dry Banks pitch:

 

Moving north, Salt and Pepper - who wants to describe the beta for the approach, mixed pitch? This climb looks so cool:

The spectacular Zenith not close to touching:

The Pee Wee's Playground lines have never caught my eye before, but they looked all mostly climbable, depending on your tolerance for brush bashing topouts. We climbed this fun line, which I am calling Pee Wee 4:

Shitting Razors does not deserve a picture, the ice was not there enough to even call it shitty.

Maybe the most noteworthy formations and ascents during this cycle where two big lines up and right of the Punchbowl, I have never seen these form before and don't think they have names. To avoid and/or add to future confusion, I propose Twin Towers Left and Right for these climbs, with TTR being the right-most line pictured (the one that has it's own twin flows - confusing, huh). The pillar just right of the Punchbowl was not touching down and not climbed, I assume, and I've named it the Devils Deathcicle, AKA Trotsky's Terror (all Banks lines need at least two names). 

On the way home, we climbed the classic Champagne which was much less fat compared to my two previous ascents in years prior, and there was a surprisingly thick jungle to bushwack/ice climb through to top out (which either grew really fast or is usually much more buried), but I still love this climb, one of the best in WA because of it's Cody-like ambiance. As seen from the walk off:

Starting up P2. This pic shows a close up the condition of most of the Banks ice we climbed (going, going, soon gone...): 

How long will Banks be in? Let's just say if you are not there now, I would hesitate heading out after the weekend without some very current beta. 

Some shorter climbs came in and were climbed near the Railyard crag rock area. Based on old tat I have seen stranded on the west facing wall, I have often wondered about how often these, or climbs around Merritt falls, or even some of the south facing gullies on Nason Ridge come in. The Hidden Lake ice on the north side of Nason was in a few weeks ago and is probably still good, but again, the avy conditions remain sketch so no one should be up there now. Haireball, please add these areas to your future ass-clamming missions. 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Doug_Hutchinson

[Kyle M]

Whitepine Ice delivers! Josh's route "Doctor's Orders" was truly a gem, definitely worth checking out. He put up the routes on mountain project: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/120310945/whitepine-ice-mixed. He fully realizes there might be established names for these often-climbed routes, but he just figured he would give them some names for the MP page. And here are some more photos from my blog: https://climberkyle.com/2021/02/20/whitepine-ice/

Not sure if these pillars will survive the rain the next day or so, but if they do, I bet they'll be solid next weekend with more cold temps.