Top-roping on the lower Nisqually?

[TheBootfitter]

A few friends and I are planning to head out for some top-roped ice climbing this weekend. We were considering the Coleman on Baker, but would like to minimize travel and approach time and hit the Nisqually from Paradise instead.

 

Anyone been there recently? Are we likely to find decent ice conditions for setting up a couple top-ropes and climbing a few hours in the morning?

 

Thanks for any insight you can offer!

[Jens]

The lower stuff has melted out due to global warming. If you are willing to slog over debris piles and up high enough, you'll find some decent stuff to TR still though. In it's prime, the Nisqually seemed to have more pumpy lines than the Coleman stuff.

[treknclime]

Lots of rubble on the Nisqually...you'll need to walk the moraine to just about its highest point...then diagonal up...as if going up to the Wilson. There will likely be some things up in there to climb, but it may take some time and effort to get there. If it's foggy...be sure to take a compass bering...so you don't get lost is all the ups and downs in the rubble...and think about a GPS for the return, if the weather looks like it could be cloudy.

[TheBootfitter]

Thanks for the responses! After further consideration, we're opting to head to the Coleman on Baker.

 

(It sounds like good ice is more easily accessible and three in our group do not have their Rainier climbing passes, so it would cost an extra $30/head to go there.)

[TheBootfitter]

FYI -- We hiked up to about 6K on the climbers' trail to the Coleman. It started snowing and the snow turned into rain in the middle of the night. The wind was gusting upward of 20-30 mph. With only limited time available before a couple of us had to catch a flight that evening, we returned to the car without climbing any ice.

 

The trail was in good condition. A bit icy on the way up, but it had melted by the rain throughout the night.