[TR] Cascade Mountain (South Wasatch) - Grr Couloir 11/22/2010

[rock-ice]

Trip: Cascade Mountain (South Wasatch) - Grr Couloir

 

Date: 11/22/2010

 

Trip Report:

Snow couloirs, with a few exceptions, are the closest thing we have to alpine ice here in the Wasatch. I have been eye-ing the couloirs on Cascade for a while as a couple of them seemed from the topo to be fairly steep. The one we chose, Grr Couloir, was only around 35 degrees on average, providing a good workout, but not the steeper ice we were looking for. The search continues. . .

 

 

Note: This isn't my photo (borrowed from summitpost) and we were climbing in more winter like conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm freezing my but off in the 30-50mph gusts.

 

Mike says, "Where's the hard climbing?"

 

All complaining about routes aside, we were glad to get out and have mountains so close.

 

Gear Notes:

Helmet, crampons, ice axe.

 

Approach Notes:

Hike up rock canyon, through the campground and north up Squaw Peak Road (3.5 miles, 2100 feet to here). Then bushwhack for 15 minutes.

[John Frieh]

How are the ice routes looking? Anything forming for 1st week of December?

[rock-ice]

I'll let you know what I see if I drive up the canyon, but my guess is you could find stuff to climb. This is probably the first full week it has stayed under freezing ( noaa forecast). Bridal Viel is almost certainly still flowing. Some other lurkers here might have better beta, though.

 

Its been a weird fall. It'll get cold, then we'll have a day when its in the upper 40s in the valley. Maybe the result will be good for ice. . . I dunno.

[rock-ice]

Provo Canyon Ice Update

[John Frieh]

Provo Canyon Ice Update

I know what I'm doing each day before heading to the gym.

[layton]

pretty amazing stairway already got climbed to the top

[rock-ice]

At least the first pitch got quite a bit of traffic today too. . .

 

I put some photos up on the page I linked above, I would post them here but cc.com isn't letting me today.