where are the remaining good ice gulleys in sierra

[genepires]

Hey y'all sierra experts. I remember a TR last year of a ice gulley that had mostly dissappeared. Mendel?

 

I am hoping to make a august trip to the sierras and was wondering if there are any good ice gulleys to be found then. How about split mtn east gulley? N pal? Any others that have survived the hot summers? (wi3, 40 to 60 degree stuff)

 

thanks in advance,

gene pires

 

 

[chris]

Gene,

There is still ass-kicking ice to be had in the Sierra. This year I'm betting U-Notch, V-Notch, and Mendel will be out.

 

The North Couloir on North Peak can be done in a long day (I've only climbed it in September, but with the snow this year?)

 

Check out the Left and Right Couloirs on Thompson (I'm forgetting their actual names), and the North Couloir on Mt Gilbert. You can base camp right in between these two peaks and climb all three in long trip. 60m rap anchors are established on the left side of the Left Couloir on Thompson, and on the East Ridge of Gilbert. PM me and I can send you better details about how to approach, where to camp, and where the rap stations are.

 

Chris

[Mark_Husbands]

Predictions (perhaps bogus ones): I think the season for the wide, fat couloirs (U Notch, V Notch) will be early this year. My experience is that these are reliable but sometimes you go early you get all neve, no ice, then things melt too fast and the tops get loose and dirty before the good runnels form. Split (hardly ever forms to my knowledge...I have asked around a bit) and Left Mendel probably bare (at least the cruxes). Right Mendel...could be..(climbed this last year in great conditions around Oct 28). This year i predict earlier and thinner but maybe with ice stretching down a bit lower. Could be that there is so little snow this year that there is nothing to feed the gully from above. I never seem to hit the Left Mendel when the conditions allow your humble weekend warrior to get over the starting rock, but the Right is a favorite. The Thompson and Gilbert gullies are probably in the reliable but early category, but at least one of those ones on Thompson ( I can't figure the names out) always seems to end thin or on rock so I would assume it would peter out even earlier this year. North Peak gullies are reliable but a little shorter and lower angle (45-50). However, I will always pitch the option of soloing the main North Peak gully and then continuing over the North Ridge of Conness (and walking down the East Ridge to the car) as one of the greatest day outings around (for your humble weekend warrior).

 

I have never been to Feather Peak, or on the Checkered Demon.

[Alpaholic]

Ditto to the above. However, I think MH is on the right track with "things are just going to be early this year." Usu, the ice firms up nicely in late Aug-Sep. This year, the thinner couloirs esp ones like the upper parts of the Mendel couloirs are probably going to have long rocky finishes by then. I have plans to head over to Mendel right first weekend of July. I'm pretty much still expecting neve but who knows, it's getting hot early this year. Feather is the alternative...I suppose a rock route is another alternative. I'm hoping it will take a few more years of global warming for the V and U notches (which are both great, classic climbs) to be melted out at any point during the year. They are pretty wide and deep. But then again, I did the U in may (all neve) and the V in Sep (mostly neve with about 200' of WI) of a year which had a TON of snow so maybe they do melt out in low snow years...Sorry, guess my only real contribution to this thread is the following (hoping the pic will work):

 

Just an fyi, the Knudtson, Smrz and Harrington (left to right) couloirs on Thompson:

 

 

Just keep your options open. There's so much good stuff on the east side that if you come prepared to change plans based on conditions, or even *gasp* do a rock route you will not be disappointed.

 

That North Peak Couloir to North Ridge Conness link-up was something I dreamt up last fall and would be a SWEET long day...very sweet. If you (anyone) want to head in to do that sometime, PM me.

 

cheers

 

Edit: Lamark has a couloir too!

Edited May 25, 2007 by Alpaholic

[rhyang]

I bet Feather will be good, and perhaps in early this year. It's a haul to get to though. Darwin North Face might not be bad consolation (40-45 deg) if Mendel looks crappy, and you could scope it out from Lamarck Col.

[genepires]

thanks for the well thought advise guys. Sounds like there might not be much left by august. Was hoping for a ice route to be included with my plethora of alpine rock lines to do. Maybe I will just save the space and weight of the ice gear. If anyone remembers this post in july and finds some good ice conditions, maybe you will let us washingtonians in on it?

 

thanks again

gene pires

[chris]

I'll be looking around during June and August - I'll keep you in mind.

Chris

 

Edit: I forgot to mention - theres now a staple-back guidebook for Eastern Sierra ice (winter and alpine), written by SP Parker - you can get a copy at Wilson's in Bishop.

Edited May 28, 2007 by chris

[Off_White]

Here's Mt Goethe, easy enough to hit on a trip through Mendel country.

 

[Off_White]

As noted, Mt Darwin, Mendel's neighbor, is a fun outing in it's own right.

 

 

 

 

Here's Mendel from Lamarck Col:

 

 

and from right below

 

 

I think you could make a fun multi-day loop: From North Lake, head up to Lamarck Lakes and do the couloir on Lamarck, head over Lamarck Col and do Mendel and Darwin, head out over Alpine Col and do Goethe (there's actually a couple of gullies here), then descend to Paiute Pass and back down to your car at North Lake.

[Mark_Husbands]

that is one of the great sierra loops--on foot or skis.

[syudla]

Spilt east couloir is not a summer type ice route. It generally forms in early winter with an early snowfall and melt freeze cycle. More predictions FWIW:

Left Mendel will probably not come in this year on the crux bulges. Mendel right will be in early and thin or rock in the top several hundred ft.

U and V should have ice by August

Gilbert will be thin but climbable in the middle by August.

Thompson in early.

Humphreys, early melt out.

Bottom line...early season.

Maybe.

Edited June 18, 2007 by syudla

[kevin]

A lot of these routes that typically get good ice in sept do so at least in part due to the routine, sub-freezing overnight temps. Many nights through july/august never freeze even at the high elevations. So that said, I would question the assumption that the ice will just form earlier. Its possible that this will happen on the deep, north facing gullies but its also possible that they will just simply melt.

[wayne]

Hey Off-White, Those pictures look like they were taken way before SUV's took over.

[Off_White]

1978 is still less than 30 years ago. Funny, I just now put another coat of oil on the 70cm wood hafted axe I used on that trip.