Ice Cliff glacier/Mt Stuart/question

[minddoc]

I’m in town for a year working in Ellensburg (Sierra alpine ice climber ). I headed up to the Ice Cliff Glacier route today at about 3am from the lot, got to the base of Stuart about 7:30am (Wow WA bush whacking! Not like Cal.! Seemed like we made good time even with getting lost and spending a lot of time wondering if we were in the right spot). After finding my way around it seemed to be getting a little late when we finally arrived at the Glacier. We climbed up a bit, saw a large rock come winging down, it was about 10:30. We called it off; it seemed to late, as it was getting warm. Now I am thinking we could have done it, as the return trip was fast, 3.5 hours or so. But not knowing the route, much about climbing in WA and poor visibility we called it good. The route looks do able for my ability but it could be a bit more then I want.

 

 

So for those of you who are vet Washington Climbers I have a few questions.

 

How difficult is it to turn back after the top of the cliff or on the couloir proper?

 

Is the couloir all ice this time of year?

 

Is there much glacier travel above the ice wall?

 

The lower glacier was all ice but looked fairly easy to navigate, I think??

 

Thanks for the info

 

[DirtyHarry]

Sounds like a pretty standard outing in the Cascades. Though I'd have to say there's hardly much bushwacking on that approach.

[ivan]

to turn back after the first cliff you'd have to build a rap station - topping out and descending the sherpa glacier is preferable

 

not all ice yet - plenty of snow left between the upper and lower icy parts

 

a fair bit of glacier between the lower wall and upper coulior, but nothing unusual for the nw - look for cracks

 

welcome to the coolest state in the lower 48

[minddoc]

Sounds like a pretty standard outing in the Cascades. Though I'd have to say there's hardly much bushwacking on that approach.

 

Crap , so that mean I was way off course or need to adapt to my new enverment soon . thanks for the info

[kevino]

Sounds like my trip to stuart a couple weeks back.

 

Where are you living in the burg? If you need a climbing partner let me know.

[minddoc]

DNM coffee...

We should meet up. I will be leaving here Sept. 1st, but my new climbing partner from here is looking for someone long term. Lets talk

 

Sounds like my trip to stuart a couple weeks back.

 

Where are you living in the burg? If you need a climbing partner let me know.

[Off_White]

I moved here from CA back in 1979, and it took me awhile to realize you just don't get the kind of alpine couloir action that you do in the Sierras. As a rule, snow gullies here do not transform into blue ice over the summer, they disappear instead. You won't find much in the way of the wander-anywhere-you-want off trail travel you get in the Sierras (particularly the eastern parts) either. Still, the Cascades can offer a huge amount of adventure and solitude. Have fun.

[DirtyHarry]

Sounds like a pretty standard outing in the Cascades. Though I'd have to say there's hardly much bushwacking on that approach.

 

Crap , so that mean I was way off course or need to adapt to my new enverment soon . thanks for the info

 

I should have said, relative to other approaches around, there's hardly much 'shwacking.

[goatboy]

I moved here from CA back in 1979, and it took me awhile to realize you just don't get the kind of alpine couloir action that you do in the Sierras. As a rule, snow gullies here do not transform into blue ice over the summer, they disappear instead. You won't find much in the way of the wander-anywhere-you-want off trail travel you get in the Sierras (particularly the eastern parts) either. Still, the Cascades can offer a huge amount of adventure and solitude. Have fun.

 

Hey Off,

 

I am guessing that the difference in the couloirs has to do with altitude??? The Sierras tend to be much higher, I think, so rather than melt, the snow consolidates in to ice down there, whereas here in the relatively low elevations of the Cascades, the snow simply melts completely away? Does that sound about right?

 

I always see photos of things like the V Notch Couloir and drool, wishing there was stuff like that around here....

[Off_White]

Yeah, my guess is that the altitude allows for a summertime melt freeze cycle that we just can't get here. Lower altitude does have some plusses though when you've just left home at sea level for a trip.

 

There's a thread now in the California forum about some of those yummy Sierra gullies. Time was September was the month to do those things, but I think there's been enough climate change that my sense of timing is archaic.

[minddoc]

In the last few years the best climbing for me has been the end of Aug. before the, real stuff on the steep sections (blue ice) comes through end of sept. Oct. In the last two years some places have not melted out (I think?) because of the good snow levels. This year my Friend from Cal. told me he has already been on some ice because of the low snow levels this year.

 

What makes me somewhat confused is that climbs like the Wedge and other climbs in canada come in, in sept. At least that is my experience. I am still trying to figure this out. i.e. What is good when.

Maybe, its like some people say "its all good" but I don't like that statement most of the time.

 

Yeah, my guess is that the altitude allows for a summertime melt freeze cycle that we just can't get here. Lower altitude does have some plusses though when you've just left home at sea level for a trip.

 

There's a thread now in the California forum about some of those yummy Sierra gullies. Time was September was the month to do those things, but I think there's been enough climate change that my sense of timing is archaic.