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[TR] Strobach- Sad Ce'bu and Sudden Change of Plan 1/27/2004


Alex

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Climb: Strobach-Sad Ce'bu and Sudden Change of Plan

 

Date of Climb: 1/27/2004

 

Trip Report:

This was a little more unusual. Oregon Public Broadcasting contacted Jason to do a public TV special on ice climbing/adventure many months ago. At the time, we settled on Strobach as a location for an adventurous ice climbing and snowmobiling day out, since we figured if any place had a chance of having a climbable route and colder conditions in late Jan, it would be there.

 

We all met in Naches at 7am and got underway. It was warm. With the filming, interviewing, and general logistical challenges of moving lots of camera equipment, 3 TV guys and 4 climbers up the mountain, we only got climbing at around noon (despite the approach being only 20 min with the sled).

 

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Camera crew and climbers mingling at the end of the 609 road.

 

When we first got to the area, things were looking pretty lean. Here are two of the routes left of Seperation Gully. I briefly thought about trying the route on the left, but threw out that idea when I got closer and the ice looked real chandeliered. So far the conditions were not looking that great for quality TV programming!

 

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We moved over to Sudden Change and Sad Ce'bu, which in years past Jason, Gene, and I have been able to climb even when the rest of the area was out. Those looked good enough and with Dropline menacing as a backdrop, we set up to climb for the cameras. Jason got to take a "helmet cam" up the route with him, while Gene and I took a DV camcorder up Sad Ce'bu and the film crew shot from the ground.

 

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Sudden Change, Sad Ce'bu, and Dropline in hard conditions.

 

The climbing was steep and technical, with sometimes delecate but adequate pro. Everyone had fun!

 

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Gene Pires leads the second pitch of Sad Ce'bu.

 

Conditions: Travel conditions very good in the boulder fields. It took us only 20-30 min from clearcut at end of 609 to base of the climbs on snowshoes. The entire area is a bit water-starved. Need more snow and more cold to feed and grow the routes. The first route left of Seperation is in but thin. Sad Cebu and Sudden Change are in. The rest of the routes in the Motherlode area are not "in", but many are trying hard.

 

Gear Notes:

good ice and pro, but bring some stubbies!

 

Approach Notes:

sno mo trails are well-used.

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I have my own sled (the 1979 Arctic Cat Panther in the foreground). I have to say reverse, push button start, and headlights are really nice features in a snowmobile though!

 

I asked about the air date for this feature. Don't hold your breath, sometime in Fall 2004 maybe.

 

I would like to also mention that Nick, Ed and Todd were troopers. They hauled alot of weight and did alot of work, and made a really good impression with their professionalism, enthusiasm, and homework. I have no doubt that what they produce will be really excellent!

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Sleds will take you from the plowed road (FR 1200) up the snomo groomed (gravel) roads to the end of FR 609. You may be able to get a bit further from the end of FR 609 on sleds, but very soon you will be in thick trees and you'd be better served by being on flotation devices instead of a machine.

 

I got the impression from Alex's post that it was only 20-30 minutes on snowshoes from the end of the 609 road to the base of the climbs. That's about as fast as anyone can do it, except mebbe Dan -. rolleyes.gif

 

Since you don't have a sled to get you from FR 1200 to the end of FR 609, you'd best add about 2 to 3 hours (mebbe more, I don't know how fast you travel uphill-it's about 3 miles or more) for that portion of the approach. Go in on skis/skins if ya got 'em, as the ride down will go much faster than with snowshoes.

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A snowmobile is handy for the uphill approach. If you go the long windy logging roads, the ski approach is something on the order of 3+ hours up (but only 25 min down)! So don't go in that way if you dont have a snomobile. (You could always tempt fate and try to hitch a tow from passing sledders) If you are skiing in, the Preston/Nevers approach to Split Rock Camp is probably the straightest line in. Bring a USGS quad, a compass, and bust it out. Its not bad, just trees and occaisional underbrush.

 

Tues the travel conditions were great through the trees and through the boulderfields. The snow was very firm and consolidated, and there were no holes to punch through and not much new snow to posthole through. That coupled with the fact that I've been in there a few times makes getting to the base of the routes pretty easy. There is orange flagging from the corner of the clearcut where 609 ends to the boulderfield, but its no more than a 10 minute through-the-trees 'shwack.

 

If it is snowing up there now, I would say it will be slower travel once again.

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...If it is snowing up there now, I would say it will be slower travel once again.

 

The going's gonna be tough. Better go skiing instead. From the WSDOT Mountain Pass webpage...

 

"TODAY .. HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW. NEW SNOW ACCUMULATIONS 12 TO 18 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 4000 FEET NORTH AND 5000 FEET SOUTH. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 30S. WEST WIND IN THE PASSES 10 TO 20 MPH BECOMING EAST.

 

TONIGHT .. BECOMING WINDY. HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 12 TO 18 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 4000 FEET NORTH AND 5000 FEET SOUTH...FALLING TO 2000 FEET AFTER MIDNIGHT. LIGHT WIND IN THE PASSES BECOMING WEST 20 TO 30 MPH.

 

FRIDAY .. BREEZY. SNOW SHOWERS. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 3 TO 6 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 2000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 20S. WEST WIND IN THE PASSES 15 TO 25 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT .. SNOW SHOWERS. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 3 TO 6 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 1000 FEET. WEST WIND IN THE PASSES 10 TO 15 MPH.

 

SATURDAY .. SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 1000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 20S. SOUTHWEST WIND IN THE PASSES AROUND 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON.

 

SATURDAY NIGHT .. SNOW LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 1000 FEET.

SUNDAY .. CLOUDY. SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 1000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 20S.

 

SUNDAY NIGHT .. MOSTLY CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 1000 FEET.

 

MONDAY .. SNOW LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 1000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 20S.

 

MONDAY NIGHT .. MOSTLY CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 2500 FEET.

 

TUESDAY .. MOSTLY CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 3000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 20S.

 

TUESDAY NIGHT .. MOSTLY CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 2500 FEET.

 

WEDNESDAY .. MOSTLY CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 2500 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 20S."

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Thanks for the info guys.

When I finally get a chance to head in there I'll be skinning and am glad to hear the P/N approach isn't that bad - the new snow shouldn't be a problem as I'm starting up a new remodel job next week and can't get out on a longer trip for a while. Guess I'll have to go skiing.

 

Interesting suggestion though Alex, about getting pulled by a sled. Anyone actually tried it? I've wondered what it would be like?

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It's not so bad on smooth or groomed roads, but the roads where the 'bilers really rip it up get these wave trains that are terrible for skiing... that is, unless you're into miles of horizontal ski jumps.

 

It's nicer too if you put your pack in a sled. Still though, it ends up being pretty hard on the knees...

HW 20:

tow_approach.jpg

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...Interesting suggestion though Alex, about getting pulled by a sled. Anyone actually tried it? I've wondered what it would be like?

 

Read the account related by Randall Green in his guidebook, "Idaho Rock", about how John Rosskelley and Chris Kopcinski approached Chimney Rock (in the Idaho panhandle) many years ago one winter. Veritably, a fahq'n hoot! yelrotflmao.gifyelrotflmao.gifyelrotflmao.gifyelrotflmao.gifyelrotflmao.gif

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sastrugi and i made a late saturday decision to try for Sad Ce'bu (we had never been). with my vehicle strewn with gear we headed out of pdx a mere 2 hrs late. after some very slow driving due to dense fog and snowpacked roads, we reached tieton river road and a dumping snowstorm. we slept next to the rig off of the road and awoke the next day a mere 1 hr late. we chose the preston/nevers approach on alex's suggestion above. it wasn't a bad ski on the road at all once the sleds' smoke subsided. but when we reached the "light bushwack", i decided to make it more challenging with a couple of poor orienteering decisions. as mentioned in the ice guide, subsequent trips WILL BE more straightforward. to make a long story short, we decided to abandon the approach when realized we would not have time to climb and make it out by our deadline. it was a sunny day, and the snow was melting fast. looking at the snowpack on the slopes above the cliffs, and not knowing the location of the climb, we were also little concerned with avy danger. once back to the rig, a snowmobiler we had spoken with in the morning mentioned that he would have given us a ride if'n we had asked. doh! at any rate, there is a lot of snow that will feed the melt/freeze cycle should the temps stay low at night.

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  • 8 months later...

Yes. Sorry, I don't know any WA times or channels. frown.gif I had assumed it would make it to cable in some areas in WA, but I don't have cable personally so don't know how the broadcast works outside of Oregon.

 

Jason and I are supposed to get VHS tapes of the show, maybe we can do a showing at a Pub Club or at the Lillooet Ice Festival or something, if people are interested.

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  • 6 years later...

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