[TR] Index - Bridal Veils.....FALLS!!! 12/19/2008

[Hendershot]

Trip: Index - Bridal Veils.....FALLS!!!

 

Date: 12/19/2008

 

Trip Report:

I figured a week of these subfreezing temps would yeild a rarely formed, but accessible route off of Hwy 2. Others thought the same. When my partner & I pulled into the lot there was a team of 3 already moving. We caught up with them at the base of the falls. We figured they would already be up the first pitch, but they we climbing trees cause it was more stable than the rotten ice. They warned us of falling blocks so we stayed well out of the fall line.

 

There was a steady flow dividing two sections. The right hand side looked like a shower and directly left of the flow, obviously had a lot of water flowing underneath. After farting around and trying to get over our disappointment, we figured we could try the far left ramp that the other team started on but retreated. Our goal was a tree for an anchor, then a directional to TR.

 

As we were racking up, we heard the sickening WHUMP. Looked up, saw nothing. Hmm maybe it was snow falling off a tree. Then my partner noticed the water was flowing much faster. CRACK! The entire section (about a pitch) collapsed right in front of us. We dived behind trees as the debris landed 15ft away from us.

 

No before pics, maybe the other party will post here. These are just after.

The slab left of the steady flow was plastered before, gone now.

 

Even if we continued our intended route prior to this collapse, we would have been out of range, still this was too freaky and we bailed. Cold snaps can be just as dangerous as warm spells.

 

Gear Notes:

Good judgement will save your ass over gear anyday.

 

Approach Notes:

Parking was easy. Snowshoes are cush but not necessary.

Edited December 22, 2008 by Hendershot

[sobo]

Loved the last pic. With that helmet, it looks like he's got four eyes.

[Ade]

Like a veritable bag of hammers.

[marc_leclerc]

Liquid Ice!!!

[Alpinfox]

Trogdor, Colt45, and I climbed this route just left of the flow this afternoon.

 

Good thing we didn't know about this collapsing bizniz.

 

The upper section didn't have much protectable ice. Pretty solid snice climbing if you don't mind running it out.

 

 

We also climbed the lower, eastern most tier (right above the main Serene Lk trail). Has that been climbed before? We saw no tat on the obvious tree above it.

 

Here is a pic of it:

 

[alps]

Here is the "before" picture:

 

I am glad to hear that nobody got hurt.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

photos:

lower main tier of BV falls

 

lower eastern tier. climbable today at wi3 with sporty pro and topout

 

lower easter tier. climbable tomorrow at wi4ish???????

 

Pax leading main tier. WI3, sporty pro. Best ice to belay is up and left at small out cropping. Other belays (ours) are slightly more suspect.

 

 

lots of small ice damn bursts on main flow.

[wayne]

The Jhampster and I did the upper and the right side of the lower-main tier today. There were a couple of other parties up there doing the same.

[Tod]

Good to meet you (wayne1112) and Jhampster yesterday.

 

Overall, the climbing was much better than I expected.

 

Our group climbed the upper falls, well left of the main flow. Pretty fun, but very low angle and lots of snow. Not really that exciting, but was a good spot to play around. It looks like there is some good higher angle ice with good pro to the right of the falls (that seems well attached, unlike anything near the water).

 

We ended up hiking down near the lower falls where there is some ice right on the main trail after passing the lower falls (same area that Trogdor, Colt45, and Alpinefox were in). We ended up doing the pillar on the far left pictured in Trogdor's pic.

 

It doesn't look like much of a pillar in Trogdor's pic, but it's the thickest ice shown in the bottom left of the pic.

 

We went backtracked to the lower main falls where the best ice of Bridal Veil seems to be. Lot's to choose from. We ended up climbing the same line that wayne1112 and Jhampster just did which was really a blast. About 50-60 meters of low angle ice then a great series of steps (about 25 meters) of steeper ice. Very fun.

 

Here's Trogdor's pic again, showing the upper 25 meters of the climb the we (and wayne1112 and Jhampster) did.

 

[All pics are from TrogdortheBurninator's post above]

 

 

 

[jshamster]

Great day out!

Nice to meet you guys too.

 

That lower right hand line was super fun.

 

Cheers.

Jimbo

[ken4ord]

Dasmn I can't that shit is freezing up to climb, I sure as hell hope it stay cold for my visit in March. Sounds like there is going to be an ice climbing season in Washington.