Colorado Ice conditions

[Pencil_Pusher]

Hey all, here's what I found on my trip to CO:

I drove through Boulder Canyon, Golden Gates Canyon and Clear Creek Canyon on December 27th. There wasn't squat in the way of ice there. Boulder Falls wasn't in and the only ice I did see was just west of Tunnel 3 on Highway 6.

Thanks to whomever pointed out climbingboulder.com. Driving to the ski resort, I spotted killer falls on the south side of I-70 in Idaho Springs. Maybe 1 1/2 to 2 pitches and, I think some three flows. Then there's Silver Plume that I found out about through the website mentioned above. I saw climbers heading up it on my second day of skiing. It looks great and the website had conditions of 12/24 stating the same. There's also some ice just east of Silver Plume and also just south of the interstate, across from the Silver Plume flow. Snow was dumping down during the weekend although I don't think it was enough to feed anything in the canyons I drove through. The ice I spotted west of Tunnel 3 is only 20 feet high (Boulder Falls isn't much higher). Silver Plume is low-angled ice up to the falls area, climbingboulder rates it for beginning to intermediate.

And, after the Coors factory tour, I stopped by the Colorado Mountain Club in Golden and they didn't know squat about current ice conditions or any way to find out such. They must've acquired a helluva lot of money lately as their building is looking pretty darned spiffy nowadays with new construction and spanky-clean floors.

Observations of a looker.

[Dru]

heads up on CO ice: ( I hope no one here knew this guy)

Mountaineer Rod Willard dies in ice climbing accident January 9, 2002 International climber and paramedic Rod Willard was killed in an ice climbing accident near Vail, Colorado, on Saturday, January 5. He had been belaying his partner on the Little Thang (aka, Seventh Tentacle or Frigid Inseminator), a mixed climb behind the famous frozen waterfall The Fang, when a 40-pound block of ice broke free from about 50-feet above and struck him in the forehead. The forty-three-year-old Willard was treated by other climbers in the group, and then taken to Vail Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Willard and his partner were both experienced climbers and had climbed together for many years. He was wearing his helmet when the ice struck him.

An accomplished mountaineer, Willard completed the third ascent of the Lagunak Ridge on Ama Dablam (22,350 feet) in Nepal, put up a new route on the West Face of Mt. Huntington in Alaska and had come within 1,000 feet of summiting Everest. He had worked as a paramedic for more than 20 years, the past 10 at the Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. He contributed articles to Rock & Ice, Outside and other publications. Willard is survived by his wife of four months, Kerry Evans, stepson Kollin, mother Carol, of Denver, and sister Marla, of Iowa.

Several memorial funds are being set up in Willard’s name. Poudre Valley Ambulance Service will have a scholarship fund for those attending paramedic school, and the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) will start the Rod Willard Memorial Scholarship Fund to assist worthy members attending MRA training conferences (www.mra.org). In addition, Willard, who had returned to Everest in the 1990s with a Boy Scout troop to clean up the trash at basecamp, was a strong supporter of Colorado Friends of Tibet (3095 Lafayette Drive, Boulder, CO 80303).

[allthumbs]

That really sucks. I hate to hear that stuff, as I'm sure we all do. Freaky shit happens dosen't it.

[genepires]

I was just talking to a friend about how much climbing has improved our lives. When my time is up, I would really hate to have the sport I love take my life.

Never take life for granted.