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help I'm lost!


cranestyle

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I'm looking to get out for some snow/ice fun in the Portland area. I'm under the impression that there isn't much ice climbing in the area. Am I wrong? If not, what do climbers do out here in the winter? And please don't say hang out at the gym, because I crave fresh air not a sweat sauna. I'm a newbie climber, so cut me a little slack for sounding naive. I miss the climbing I did this summer and need a fix, help me cascade climbers...

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Ice is more on the limitted side around here. After a prolonged cold spell the gorge has options. Several spots up on hood can also be made to work. But, based on shear numbers alone, ice climbing simply isn't as commonly done compared to long slogs up snow cover masses are. Don't get me wrong (before I piss off all the ice climbers) there IS some ice, but it's just not as accesible as cascade humps.... THAT'S what many climbers do around here in the winter.

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There's been lots of posts on the ice that runs off of Cooper Spur; I was up there Sunday, and it's in full shape. Brittle, though; damn cold up there. I made sure my tools were REALLY sharp, and they were still shattering ice.

 

At any rate, it's here to be found (I've heard that there's some over in the Wallowas, and some down in Central Oregon, but it's hard to find anyone that want's to talk about it); of course, it's lots of fun to grab a partner, and drive to SLC or Canada, and go somewhere that you don't have to hunt for it; for me, it's kinda nice to take a road trip every once in a while, anyway. My .02 cents worth.

 

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this isn't my most recent version, but here you go.

 

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Wallowas

 

Hurricane Creek Drainage

 

Note: All climbs mentioned here have huge avalanche danger

 

Falls Creek Falls

Elevation: 5,000’

Grade: WI3-5? M 4/5?

Length: ~50 ft

Approach: about 3/8ths of a mile from the Hurricane Creek trailhead. Follow the sign on a tree that says “Fall Creek Falls.” Couldn’t be more obvious. Alternately, continue on the main trail until you reach the creek and walk up the drainage. Time ~ 10 minutes

 

Unnamed Falls

Elevation: About 5,200’

Length: ~35’

Approach: Across the canyon from Falls Creek and up the hill.

 

Slick Rock Canyon Falls

Elevation: 5,760’

Grade: WI2 for the first steps, above unknown

Length: 2 small steps (15’ each) with what looked like a longer pitch above

Approach: about 3 miles from Hurricane Creek trailhead, about 150m from 2nd switchback) Time ~ 1-1.5 hours

 

Wallowa Lake Climbs

BC Creek Falls

Elevation: About 5,600’

Grade: WI2-3

Length: ?

Approach: From the Wallowa Lake TH, take the West Fork Wallowa River trail. At the Chief Joseph Mtn. Junction (0.3 miles), turn right. Follow the trail for 1.2 miles to the falls. Time ~ 30 minutes

 

Boy Scout Falls

Elevation: ?

Grade: ?

Length:?

Approach: ?

 

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Central & Eastern Oregon

 

Three Fingered Jack

SE Couloir

Grade: 45-65 degrees (from Oregon High)

Length: 800’

Season: Jan-March. Usually, by the time the trailhead melts out, the route is out of shape.

Approach: From the Jack Lake TH, follow the trail to Canyon Creek Meadow. TFJ is obvious.

 

Middle Sister

Ice Hose / NE Face Direct

Grade: WI 4+

Length: 2 pitches. The rest of the route was 55-60 deg neve to the top.

Approach: just to the left of the NE Face route as shown in Oregon High.

 

Paulina Falls

Elevation: 6,200’

Grade: WI4-5 ?

Length: 100’

Approach: From US 97, drive 6 miles north of La Pine and turn east onto Paulina Lake Rd. Drive 10 miles to the unmarked parking lot. Hike along an old jeep road at the end of the lot. After 0.4 miles, turn left (west) and hike for another .6 miles.

 

 

Strawberry Lakes

The Strawberry Range has excellent ice opportunities. They are spring fed and form every year.

Season: ice begins forming in late October at the high elevations and is usually filled in by Christmas. Snow melt throughout the season can form twice the number of climbs but is usually ephemeral at best, thus hard to predict

 

Strawberry Falls

Grade: half a dozen routes up to ninety feet mostly pure some mixed. (wood finishes on a few!)

Length: 90’

Approach: about 3 miles over pretty moderate terrain. The big issue would be getting your car to the trail head

 

Little Provo

Grade: WI4-5

Length: 1 long pitch

Approach: the west of the lower lake

 

Honey Pot

Elevation: ?

Grade: ?

Length: ?

Approach: East of the upper lake amongst the island of trees

 

The After Image

FA: Feb. 1996, who?

Elevation: ?

Grade: V, WI5+

Length: 120m

Approach: drive as far as the county plows, usually to the timber just below McNaughton spring. The After Image is obvious above and south of strawberry lake.

 

Note: “This grade v wi5+ is a serious alpine endeavor. It consists of 120 meters of steep ice in the middle of a 420 meter alpine north face. The overall grade depends on timing. Later in the season when the cave pillar touches down, it’s a bitch to approach, often bad depth hoar. Early season it can be a cruise to get to it but, the overhanging climbing pumps the technical grade.” Camp at the trail head campground or find a bivvy at house rock adjacent little strawberry lake. The crux pillar on “after image” usually does not touch down until the upper sixty meters fills out. This route is best done late in the season.

 

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PDX Area and Gorge Climbs:

 

Ainsworth State Park

Grade: WI 4-5 ?

Length: 700’

Approach: take I-84 east from Portland to Exit 28 (Bridal Veil), and follow highway 125 for about six miles past Multnomah Falls and Ainsworth State Park entrance.

 

Crown Jewel

Elevation: ?

Grade: ?

Length: ?

Approach: ?

 

Sheppard's Dell

Elevation: ?

Grade: ?

Length: ?

Approach: ?

 

Mt. Hood

Eliot Glacier Moraine

Season: October-May

Approach: From the Tilly Jane Campground, hike up the Timberline Trail for a mile.

 

Holly Falls

Elevation: ?

Grade: ?

Length: ?

Approach: ?

 

Illumination Rock

“March Madness”

Grade: ?

Length: ?

Approach: Walk uphill from Timberline Lodge.

 

Ski Bowl

Grade: ?

Length: ?

Approach: to the right of the main ski run at Ski bowl

 

Pete’s Pile

Elevation: ~3500’

Grade: WI4+ and up. Most are TR able with bolts at top.

Length: Mostly 1 pitch, some 2 pitch

Season: They will form when the Gorge does, and stick around a little longer.

Approach: a steep 10 minute hike from pull off on Hwy35 to main crag. They are visible from the road.

Note: Find a copy of "Portland Rock Climbs" by Tim Olsen

 

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