Observation Rock conditions?

[Dustin_B]

Any one been up there recently? What'd ya find, huh?? Snow or ice? I've never been, so if asking for conditions on this "route" is a little gumby, then spray away.

[Coopah]

Going soon? if so then you will find out what the conditions are

Edited August 14, 2003 by Coopah

[Kupaki]

You can get up right now with little snow exposure and a short hike on dirt or for more of a funner/difficult way up, you could go up the north ice face of the rock. The ice/snow should be really bulletproof. but some friends and I top roped it last year and it was fun.

[PONCHO&LEFTY]

If you want to just hike up the thing you have nothing to worry about. There is no crevasse danger and any icy snow can be avoided pretty easily. The scramble up the back side is very simple-really just a trail in the not-so-bad scree. Bring a camera.

[Dru]

 

[Dustin_B]

Kupaki said:

you could go up the north ice face of the rock. The ice/snow should be really bulletproof.

 

Yeah, that is the way we intend to go up. I'm wondering if anyone has verified the "bulletproof" ice or if there is still lots of snow covering the ice. I'd guess there is not that much snow cover with all the warm weather and low snow year. Should have explained that in my original post.

[Dustin_B]

Coopah said:

Going soon? if so then you will find out what the conditions are

 

Oh yeah, good point. thanks.

[vegetablebelay]

This post is over on the Mountaineers site:

 

Observation Rock

« on: 08/12/03 at 3:30pm » | Reply with quote | Modify

 

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.....I'd say you have 1 pitch of slushy snow, could do running belays, some may require pickets, but nothing spectacular, and then varying lengths of ice above, ranging from left to right -- at far right very little ice, the middle is the best line right now. I found on that line that the slushy snow was underlain by waterice higher up, and required only clearing off (easily slid away) for good screw placement. Over on the left there was bluish ice, but not of very good surface quality; rotten on top.....

[scot'teryx]

AKA "Gaper Ice"

 

Wait till late season when it gets dirty and bulletproof!

That's the best time to go!

 

[Dustin_B]

Climbed O-Rock Saturday for my first "ice climb". We didn't move particularly fast that day, and we were actually quite slow on the route due to our "newbie-ness", so it took us 13.5 hours car-to-car. We had great weather, clear and cold (frost on the ground from 5,000 feet up), most of the day.

 

I guess this climb is normally about 3 to 4 full pitches but we swapped leads more than necessary and ended up with about 5 shorter pitches. The first ~70% of the climb was just firm snow, which took pickets well but probably wouldn't hold a fall on a screw (although several were placed). It then turned to water ice further up. The further right you veer, the longer you could stay on firm snow before it changes to the water ice. You could probably get on water ice much lower if you stayed on the left side but it was dirty. The water ice up top was fairly hard for the most part. At the base it was pretty low angle (~45 degrees) and got progressively steeper until the about last 50 feet or so where it pushed 60 degrees on relatively hard ice.

 

The descent sucks because of all the loose scree/boulders. I think the descent was more dangerous than the climb. We started a few little rock slides and sent down some pretty large rocks. Every rock smaller than car-size moves. I can't imagine a person climbing this mountain on anything other than the north face this time of year. Would a person do that? Why?

 

Twas a good time. No one else there while we where there but we did see one guy coming down after us from the climbers path.

 

[Dustin_B]

dammit, dammit, I'll try one more time.

[Coopah]

Nice job dude!

[PONCHO&LEFTY]

Would a person do that? Why?

 

When you are visiting your parents in Puyallup and you want to go for a hike and take photos. Up the snow fields and around up the South side of the thing reduces the bad scree thing.

[AllYouCanEat]

 

Headwall! Looks pretty flat to me.

[Dustin_B]

AllYouCanEat said:

 

Headwall! Looks pretty flat to me.

 

Its funny you said that because when we got to the top I actually told my buddy that although I got sketched at one point climbing up (it was my first "ice climb"), I would feel comfortable skiing down it when it is covered with powder. Go figure.

 

I'll give you $5 to go ski it in its current condition.

[slothrop]

[pope]

Nice work, gentlemen. And don't get too worked up if some dork replies by saying he descended it on boards. It's a fact that you can ski anything to which powder will stick.

[slothrop]

Nice job, guys, especially considering how ugly that face looks in your photo.

[AllYouCanEat]

$5 bucks, eh? Would you cover the hospital bill? Good job on your first ice climb. I thought the skier's perspective was entertaining (ice climbing, the pic disorts the angle to make the climb look flat). Oh, I like the chest beating thing. I'll have to get me one of those to put on my mirror. Does CASCADE CLIMBERS sell those at all? Pope? Slothrop?

[Cobra]

I want my gorilla chestbeater sticker too.

[pope]

AllYouCanEat said:

Oh, I like the chest beating thing. I'll have to get me one of those to put on my mirror. Does CASCADE CLIMBERS sell those at all? Pope? Slothrop?

 

I'll sell you just about anything you want to buy (with cash).

[AllYouCanEat]

pope said:

AllYouCanEat said:

Oh, I like the chest beating thing. I'll have to get me one of those to put on my mirror. Does CASCADE CLIMBERS sell those at all? Pope? Slothrop?

 

I'll sell you just about anything you want to buy (with cash).

 

Since I work at a bank, I have plenty of cash. Of course you'll have to come and get it.

[Sphinx]

[Mtguide]

Are we talking about the Ob. Rock next to Echo Rock on the NW flank of Rainier,Flett Glacier (snowfield actually)on one side,Russell Glacier on the other?Park at Mowich Lk.,take the Spray Park trail up past Hessong rock and Mt.Pleasant? 13.5 hrs car to car? Really?! If so, unless things have really changed up there due to catastrophic geological/glaciological cataclysm, I am stumped as to how it could take you 13.5 hrs.In August of 1967,Jim Langdon and I climbed Echo and Observation within the first 2 hours of what wound up being a little less than a 21-22 hr. day,in which we went on to do Hessong,Pleasant,Fay, the Mother Mts.,Castle,Gove and Tolmie.My recollection is of a beautiful day,easy approach up the trail,out onto the Flett and up to the saddle between Echo and Ob.,on easy,low angle snow,and easy class 4 climbs of about a rope length or so on each.We took no pickets or screws;maybe a couple slings and pitons,but never used them.Unless you're measuring pitches in terms of distance climbed between belay stances,I'm hard put to find 3 to 4 pitches of climbing on Observation.Current USGS 7.5 min. topo shows about 280' of el. on the steep E.side of Ob. Rock,and I certainly don't recall there being any ice on it.Not at that time time of year.We used to consider a rope length(150' back then) a "pitch".I can see if you're using short pitches,the distance between belays,then maybe there are 3 or 4 pitches.Three of 90',four of 70'.But where's the ice?Do you have photos?All I honestly remember is a volcanic plug of rubble,no ice face to speak of.Admittedly,my 30+ year memory may have some gaps;we did just the easy S-SW side.And I know that so much has been done everywhere in the last 30 yrs. that maybe you're talking about a route we wouldn't have even considered.Not with the gear,technology and techniques of the time.So I'm not intending to put anyone down here,or question your achievement,but I'm really curious to know what there is on little ol' Ob. Rock that could take 13 hrs.please let me know;maybe I'll have to take a run back up there and see what we missed.

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"Everybody has a photographic memory,but some aren't using any film."

[scot'teryx]

Yes, it's a low level alpine ice climb.

 

You'd have to be a real moron to go up there and "summit" ORock just by climbing up the choss, that's a total waste of time unless your a peak bagger that loves scree and shit.

 

Maybe you should read the entire thread, unless your eyes can't see that well anymore old timer........