Oregon ICE???

[Oreshooter]

I am new to this forum. But I have been rock climbing for about 25 years. Now I am thinking of doing some Ice Climbing. Does anyone do any Ice climbing in Oregon? Is there anywhere in Oregon to Ice Climb? Any input would be Great thanks.

[billcoe]

I am new to this forum. But I have been rock climbing for about 25 years. Now I am thinking of doing some Ice Climbing. Does anyone do any Ice climbing in Oregon? Is there anywhere in Oregon to Ice Climb? Any input would be Great thanks.

 

Welcome!~!! Nice first post. I came through the gorge Saturday. It was 102 degrees Fahrenheit. I did not see any ice there at all, even cocktail ice in my soda, although Tim Olsen's new book erroneously shows that there is ice climbing there. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1077849/Re_New_Oregon_Guidebook#Post1077849

 

That's all I know.

 

Edit: actually, you can head up to the Elliot glacier on Hood right now and get some nice ice in on the glacier crevasse walls. Sweet stuff for glacier ice when it's 100 degrees down here. Good all summer. It's not too bad of a hike above Cloud Cap Chalet on the NE side of Mt Hood. Real pretty. Highly recommended and crazy to be on ice when it's 100 degrees everywhere.

Edited August 8, 2012 by billcoe

[Oreshooter]

Thanks Bill, I figure it best to do some Research and look for Gear when it is HOT! I just saw Olsen's book might have some Oregon Ice in it. I will have to check it out. Yeah my first post, I just found this forum while looking for info on Oregon Ice. Looks cool I will have to keep up with you all and see whats up in the NW.

[Plaidman]

I have some adventures logged on my blog at OregonLive.com

Here are the links:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/climbing/2009/12/starvation_creek_falls_-_ice_c.html

 

http://blog.oregonlive.com/climbing/2009/12/columbia_river_gorge_ice_climb.html

 

We have been skunked the last 2 years in the Gorge. This year is going to be it I am sure. If you are around look me up. I not great at the game but I sure go love me some Gorge ice. Rick my ice climbing partner has done some of the cravasses up on Hood. Lots of work for not much of a bang. It is nothing like waterfall ice. HERO ICE is the best and Gorge ice can be a bit sketchy. We always have a great time though.

 

[billcoe]

Tim has @ 20 pages of Gorge ice listed in the new book....when it forms. LOL. This site is a great find for a local ice climber. The area has some great ice climbers who are always talking current conditions, and it also offers some opportunities to crank on it even when the local ice is missing (most of the time:-) John Frieh and Marcus put on a dry tool fest annually at the Portland Rock Gym (aka PRG -can't say it's on this year cause I don't know), and people do some dry tooling locally on the East side of the cliffs at Rocky Butte (bad form to tool on the existing rock climbs! Look left of Silver Bullet bluff and you'll see tool marks) for exercise.

 

This ice climbing forum would probably be a great place to find a partner to go do some laps on the lower Elliot glacier icefall next weekend. Lots of people just top rope the ice there.

 

Sometimes you'll see people on this site just jump up and run to wherever the ice is forming, check the trip reports and you'll see this thing happening. Pretty incredible what guys are getting done in a weekend these days.

 

Have fun!

[ColinB]

Tim Olsen's new book has a great section on ice in the Gorge but it's far from an easy venue to learn the sport. If you want reliable ice you can top rope, the best bet is to drive out to the Canadian Rockies or Hyalite Canyon near Bozeman. There's plenty of terrain that you can learn the basics on out there and its not too painful of a drive for a 3-4 day weekend.

 

The most reliable ice from Portland is Strobach Mountain east of White Pass (in WA) but there's only a few routes under WI4 and nothing is easy to toprope. Out east in Oregon there's a lot of ice, most of which has been climbed by vert. Look up some of his photos of the site here if you want to get stoked for Oregon ice.

[dirtysouth]

Paulina Falls in the Newberry Crater near LaPine usually freezes up for a while every year. There's some other stuff on the east side of the Cascades in Central Oregon around 5000 ft and up that freezes as well but is really tough to get to.

[Plaidman]

If the Gorge doesn't freeze this winter I am going to be pissed. Or maybe I'll just have to make a road trip to Cody WY. But the damn thing better freeze or there will be hell to pay. How is going to pay? I guess I will need to speak to the management.

[dirtysouth]

[wayne]

It is already cold in Siberia. That is usually a good indicator.

http://www.wunderground.com/global/Region/AS/Temperature.html

[Tstab]

Any one know if there will be a portland ice fest this year?

[sdizzle25]

In mid winter cold snaps you can find piddly climbs on north facing rock bands, usually in the foothills occupied by commercial logging. approaches are adventurous (aka long and bushwhacky), but in my limited experience there is ice out there, primarily for character building instead of climbing.

 

[CaleHoopes]

Tstab, I can't find anything on the 2011 festival, but I found a post about the 2010 fest. In 2010 it was held at the Portland Rock Gym... you should ping them and see if there's a fest this year. I almost headed down there in 2010 to check it out...

 

http://www.portlandrockgym.com/

 

And here's the poster:

 

http://aaronmulkey.blogspot.com/2010/09/portland-ice-festival.html

Edited August 29, 2012 by CaleHoopes

[John Frieh]

Yes we are doing one this year. Colin Haley is doing the slideshow. Details to follow

[Plaidman]

Yes we are doing one this year. Colin Haley is doing the slideshow. Details to follow

 

Yippy and RIGHT ON!!!! I'll be there for sure.

[TRoth]

Mr. Plaid man, ever get the rabbit ears without me? I'd say that the slog up the cascade slopes will give yopu some nice Ice. I enjoy explotring ice caverns and leading out of them. There is an amazing formation at the top of White River Canyon on Hood. we found this little valley with the "blue caverns" and "Superman's layer" kind of fun stuff

[Plaidman]

Never did get the FRIGGIN Rabbit. Would like to get out and explore more with ya. I have a couple of ideas.

[Joseph Hill]

A small group of us were thinking of heading up to Elliot glacier this weekend to try out the crevasse ice climbing. The NWAC isn't issuing any Av warnings yet this year, but I figured I'd still hit up the boards to see if anyone whose traveled up there this time of year had any concerns.

 

We're pretty careful, but I wouldn't mind getting other's opinions about objective dangers up there this time of year.

 

Best,

 

Joseph

[christophbenells]

i was at eliot glacier two weeks ago, and on white river glacier last week climbing.

 

https://nextadventure.net/community/blog/ice-climbing-mt-hoods-glaciers

 

id reccomend white river, much easier to get to.

 

 

[christophbenells]

There is an amazing formation at the top of White River Canyon on Hood. we found this little valley with the "blue caverns" and "Superman's layer" kind of fun stuff

 

right around this area on white river we found a glacial tunnel that ran farther than we dared to go...

 

[Joseph Hill]

Hey thanks for the beta and the photos! OMG… it looks like you had a fun day. I'll try to take some shots myself and will return and report…hehe.

 

Cheers,

 

Joseph