NEastern transplant looking for signs of ice

[cbcbd]

I'm moving to Seattle in June and just want to hear some reassuring words from out there that there is ice to be climbed. I know I'm spoiled in the NEast with 10 minute approaches to a plethora of fat ice climbing...

 

I'm also not opposed to driving up to 5hours for ice, since that is what I usually do now. I'm pretty sure next winter I'll hanging out here a lot too.

 

So, what's the good word?

 

[tvashtarkatena]

There is excellent ice and a long season in Canuckistan within 5 hours of Seattle, and less reliable ice in Washington closer than that. During cold snaps there is ice 45 minutes from downtown Seattle. 12 hours gets you to the best ice climbing in the world.

 

Sharpen your tools. You'll be just fine.

[cbcbd]

Sweet, I feel better now.

[Don_Serl]

simple: buy the guide (West Coast Ice). then watch this forum and westcoastice.com to stay in touch with what's in. mostly it's limited to 3 areas: the duffey lake road, the bridge river canyon, and marble canyon and vicinity.

there is virtually always an early freeze in late nov or early dec which gets everyone frantic, but that ALWAYS falls down again, and you can seldom climb in SW BC consistently till end december.

used to be that there were lots of good climbs within 2 hrs of vancouver, out around Hope-Yale, and up Whistler - Pemberton way, but the warmer winters compared to the mid 90s and earlier greatly limit how frequently this stuff is in. on the other hand, even in 'warm' winters (like this year and last) you can climb every weekend from New Years till mid March if you go the right places - kinda like in Scotland. you end up repeating some of the 'classics' of course, but I'm still doing 'old' routes for my first time every winter, more than 30 years after getting started into this game. and a few new routes still get plucked every year.

you'll find lots of people (and picked-out ice) at Marble Canyon and the Rambles, but aside from those areas, you'll seldom encounter others.

and the Rockies are only 10 or 12 hours away...

it ain't 'the best', but it's a hell of a good time (provided you don't mind desperately early drives). welcome.

cheers,

 

[ken4ord]

I'm moving to Seattle in June and just want to hear some reassuring words from out there that there is ice to be climbed. I know I'm spoiled in the NEast with 10 minute approaches to a plethora of fat ice climbing...

 

I'm also not opposed to driving up to 5hours for ice, since that is what I usually do now. I'm pretty sure next winter I'll hanging out here a lot too.

 

So, what's the good word?

 

 

Ha ha ha ha, I was an East Coast transplant too, and there is no good word like there is in NE.

 

That said though where the cascades shine is there is better snow for your favorite sliding activity when there isn't ice around. Also the alpine is where the Cascades really shine through, I wasn't there long enough to get some good alpine plum lines in, do some searches on this board and you see some cool looking stuff in the TR's. Lillowet is probably the best area that is reasonably close and consistant. Definitely had some fun times there. The Canadian Rockies are reasonable close (10hr or so) for ice vacations.

 

One thing for sure the ice season is much shorter in the Cascades and more finicky that NE.

[cbcbd]

all right, I guess I'll be hitting up this site and wci and bugging the hell of the locals here for a good introduction to some ice. I'm not worried about my favorite sliding activity and will make sure to start a laundry list of alpine climbs with some ice runnels to play in... looking forward to some good times.

 

I don't mind repeating classics - the beauty of ice, it's never the same twice.

[Alex]

Aside from Don's guide to stuff mostly N of the border, there's mine which is guide to stuff mostly S of the border. Washington ice isn't that great and the season isn't that long, but...it's there.

 

It's a little late in the season now, with the only stuff left south of the border being stuff like PanDome. But start kicking around here in first week of November again and you can meet some good folks and get some good local climbs in.

[Robert Howell]

I am in Eugene now but may be transplanting to Vancouver, B.C. this fall. How long is the ice season in and who is willing to go on some trips with me? I may be taking time off to climb full time...