telemarker Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) Trip: - Stuart Lake Ice Cragging Date: 1/7/2012 Trip Report: If you're looking for ice alternatives in WA and don't mind a beat down approach and deproach, go to the south end oid Stuart Lake. The ice is blue and thick as Kyle Flick and I found out Saturday. Lovely one swing sticks taking easy ice screws. Approach is a beaten in path to the colchuck lake junction. From there we skinned to the lake. Total mileage from Bridge creek campground is close to 10 miles. the flows pictured are 2 pitches long. We climbed the left and right most lines. Lots of other options up there. We just ran out of time. Obviously a lot of mileage and not enough climbing, this area would best be appreciated camping out up there. As well, looking at the first photo, there is significant avy hazard from the glacier above. Edited January 8, 2012 by telemarker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Hey, John, you should link this TR into the 2011/12 Washington Ice Conditions thread (in the Ice Climbing forum) so more folks can get a peak at what you and Kyle got on. Just a suggestion. I'd do it for ya, but it ain't my TR... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstreet Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Sweet backcountry ice! Nice work guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevino Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Nice John. Your second pictures looks almost identical to one I climbed about 4 years ago. Lots of ice up there for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I'm glad my superhighway to the junction helped ya! Looks like a fun place to wander into sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaidman Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I am glad someone is getting ice. I'm stuck in the gorge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telemarker Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Nice John. Your second pictures looks almost identical to one I climbed about 4 years ago. Lots of ice up there for sure. Yeah, we vaguely remembered a TR on this area a while ago. Was that yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telemarker Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm glad my superhighway to the junction helped ya! Looks like a fun place to wander into sometime. Very nice path. It was very good skinning. The down skinning was exceptional! I was prepared to head back up for a second lap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick_scott Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Looks rad - Thanks for the TR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevino Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Nice John. Your second pictures looks almost identical to one I climbed about 4 years ago. Lots of ice up there for sure. Yeah, we vaguely remembered a TR on this area a while ago. Was that yours? Probably, I posted it in the WA Ice thread a few years back. Turns out it was Feb of 2009... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telemarker Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Impressive! Things were sure filled in nicely in Feb. 2009. The ice on the right side of the cliffs in your second photo looked steep and fun Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marek Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Dude, nice find and good work! How was the road? Bike or ski's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telemarker Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Start skinning at Bridge Creek C.G., and continue for the next 10 miles. For the deproach, reverse directions. It took us 6 1/2 hours to reach the ice, and 3 1/2 hours to get back to the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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