Gorge Ice Preamble Tread

[MtnHigh]

Cold temps are coming. The long discussions on phantom Gorge ice awaites.

 

low-hi temp Fri - Sat ------ Sun ---- Mon ---- Tue

PDX....... 35-45 25-40:tup:20-30:tup:15-30:tup:15-30:tup:

Cas Locks 35-45 20-35:tup:15-30:tup:15-25:tup:15-25:tup:

Hood Rvr. 34-44 22-35:tup:18-31:tup:16-26:tup:15-24:tup:

 

 

[wayne]

Dreaaaaam, dream, dream, dream, dream, Dreaaaaaaam

No really though it would be great not to have to go to Canada for the fixns. I could have a very merry xmas!

 

Decent water table

 

Plenty of cold air up North

 

Short days

 

The event may only be 5-6 days

Right now , all they know is that little blue tail is headed down the Columbia river gorge in Canada. The great enemy is the Pacific O. I will see if I can figure what that might do

If the high tracks like the dotted line says, and it stalls off the coast, then I will sharpen the tools!

[John Frieh]

...A BIG CHANGE IN THE WEATHER COMING UP AT THE END OF THE WEEK...

 

A STRONG COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON WILL

USHER IN THE COLDEST AIR MASS SO FAR THIS SEASON...THEN A SECOND

COLD FRONT...WITH ARCTIC ORIGINS...IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD EVEN

COLDER AIR IN FROM THE NORTH LATE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.

 

AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS TEMPERATURES MAY RIVAL THE COLD SNAP OF

JANUARY 2004...WITH LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY DOWN

TO 15 TO 20 BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY NIGHTS...AND HIGHS STRUGGLING TO

REACH NEAR FREEZING SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. EVEN COLDER

TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY AND

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE...WITH LOWS AS LOW AS 10 TO 25...AND DAYTIME

HIGHS JUST 15 TO 25.

 

THE COLD AIR MASS WILL ALSO BRING A CHANCE FOR LOW ELEVATION SNOW

SHOWERS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS...WHICH IS

THE LEVEL AT WHICH STICKING SNOW BECOMES POSSIBLE...MAY DROP AS

LOW AS 1000 FEET AS EARLY AS FRIDAY NIGHT...AND SHOULD BE DOWN TO

THE VALLEY FLOORS BY LATE SUNDAY IN WHATEVER SHOWERS ARE AROUND.

THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SIGNIFICANT SNOW ONCE THE MAIN SHOT OF

ARCTIC AIR REACHES OUR AREA IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME AS IT IS

DEPENDENT ON WHETHER ANY ORGANIZED SYSTEMS WILL SPREAD OVER THE

AREA...BUT THE POSSIBILITY DOES EXIST.

[eldiente]

What's the old rule of thumb? Put a 10 gallon bucked of water outside and when it freezes solid it is time to go climbing.

[John Frieh]

New rules:

 

No ice in bucket: bring rock gear

Some ice: stubbies + rock gear

All ice: 10s/13s/16s + rock gear

 

Would be great if people post what they see/dont see/climb/etc each night

[eldiente]

The rock gear works better for me anyway as I don't know how to place screws.

[powderhound]

Does this mean that you Oregonians won't be crowding my parking lot this weekend?

[John Frieh]

I think DonnV is still out there climbing

[ivan]

so who's taking me ice climbing - the 2 screws i own might not be sufficient

[Farrgo]

Actually, that might be more than enough!

[Cobra_Commander]

The reliable metric is a jack-knifed semi just past exit 17 and perpendicular trimet bus downtown. Once that is in place it is go.

[hkrhnk11]

Another good sign would be locals putting chains on with an inch of snow on the ground, or bottled water and generators flying off the shelf in anticipation of the "storm of the century"

[JRCO]

I work in the Gorge. I drive Troutdale to The Dalles on a daily basis. I will keep my eyes open and post reports...of course after I have climbed any ice that has formed. I can break away from work at any time to jump on ice if any one is interested. I have plenty of ice gear.

[powderhound]

I think DonnV is still out there climbing

 

Don that come out for Thanksgiving a couple years back?

[John Frieh]

Yup!

[MtnHigh]

Chad and I did a recon trip into the Gorge today (Monday). Everything is very thin. It still needs another day or two for the low elevation flows to set up.

 

I drove around PDX mid day yesterday when the storm was kickin' it pretty good just observe the chaos. Tow trucks everywhere moving about like hawks picking out their prey. Eased my way over Sylvan hill on 26, weaving through the spun out carnage, ODOT trucks and jacked semis. Downtown was a ghost town. Plenty of free parking.

 

 

[ivan]

crown jewel today

[G-spotter]

looks like you need to hurry up and get on it before it freezes!