Alpinfox Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 Trip: Milemarker 40.5, I-90, Garcia? - Rambley Ice Thing Date: 1/15/2007 Trip Report: Keith D. and I climbed a rambley WI2ish thing on the north side of I90 today and I'm wondering if anyone else has been up there or knows anything about it. It's visible from the highway, especially from the eastbound lanes at ~milemarker 40.5. It's about 80m tall. There is a ~20m tall overhanging rock wall to the right of the base of the route that has some big hanging icicles. If they touched down, it would be fun. At the very top of the route there is another ~20m tall broad vertical wall that had thin chandeliered and very wet ice touching down. If it was colder, it could be cool. Anyway. Anybody seen this thing or climbed it before? Sorry no pictures. Camera is broken. Here is a topo of the area. The center of the topo is pretty much where we topped out. Link to topozone topo Gear Notes: We didn't use a rope. 'Pons and tools. Approach Notes: Park at the area for the X38 Far Side climbs. Walk up I-90 across the bridge over the snoqualamie, hike about 0.4 mile down the side of the westbound lanes of the highway, cut into the woods and get on an abandoned road/fiber optic cable tree cut line. Hike another ~0.4 mile. Turn left (north) and shwack up a forested rib on the right side of a small creek until you get to a talus field just below the ice. Quote
Weekend_Climberz Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 Did that stuff on the East end of Exit 38, about the Black Ice area still look good? It was thin when I drove by on Sunday, but I was thinking another day or so, it might go. Quote
Alpinfox Posted January 17, 2007 Author Posted January 17, 2007 There were several large hanging icicles above the railroad grade in the vicinity of that drytooling area. I think these might be "CYA" in the Washington Ice guide? Not sure. The most interesting looking ice in the X38 area was located quite a bit up and right of the drytool area. It was around the corner to the right of what I think was "CYA" and was a broad slab that looked fully iced, but thin. My friend Keith said he climbed that a couple years ago. He said it was thin then and he got in pretty much no pro. This climb MIGHT be "Unnamed" in the Washington Ice book. "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow", a route that Ken4ord and I did a couple years ago, located about 0.5mi west of the Mt.Washington trailhead, looked rotten and falling down. Link to HTGT thread It's gotten much warmer in the last two days, so I'm sure a lot of stuff that was forming is now falling down or gone. Quote
Jens Posted January 17, 2007 Posted January 17, 2007 I just got back a little bit ago from an outing up the I-90 corridor. Wrecked semis all over the road. It was 22F when I left. I tried to solo CYA (M4,WI4)but got scared and backed off. It was thin but definitely leadable. So I just played on the lower sections of the wall. Coming out, I-90 was closed so I pulled off to the shoulder of the westbound lanes and did some climbing at a sweet bouldering/TR area. It is a little alcove right off the freeway 75 yards east of the westbound exit 38 off ramp (you've all seen it). It is about 20 yards east of the overhanging Richard Cilley crack. It would be a great teaching/ ice bouldering area. I knew the state troopers wouldn't hassle me as the highway was closed and they were all down tending all the semi accidents. Quote
Alpinfox Posted January 17, 2007 Author Posted January 17, 2007 ...Coming out, I-90 was closed so I pulled off to the shoulder of the westbound lanes and did some climbing at a sweet bouldering/TR area. It is a little alcove right off the freeway 75 yards east of the westbound exit 38 off ramp (you've all seen it). It is about 20 yards east of the overhanging Richard Cilley crack. It would be a great teaching/ ice bouldering area. I knew the state troopers wouldn't hassle me as the highway was closed and they were all down tending all the semi accidents. Yeah, Keith and I walked right past that area on Monday and were really tempted to boulder around on it, but we had seen several cops that day and figured we'd get hassled or ticketed. You have any pictures of CYA Jens? Quote
Jens Posted January 17, 2007 Posted January 17, 2007 No I didn't bring a camera. We're having a great ice season in Washington this year! Quote
sadwingsofdestiny Posted January 17, 2007 Posted January 17, 2007 Jens I dont know if we met yet. Im not working right now so I have tons of free time to get out before the heats back. belay slave or lead its all good. no computer at home only library. Dave 253 315 1860 Quote
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