Matt Lemke Posted December 27, 2013 Posted December 27, 2013 (edited) Trip: Beartooths - California Ice WI 4 Date: 12/17/2013 Trip Report: After a family visit back home in Renton, Jacob and I drove out to Red Lodge, Montana for some ice climbing in the Beartooth Front. We warmed up on Hellroaring and Woodbine falls which were fat and nice. On our third day we drove up the East Rosebud Road making it to within 1/4 mile of the TH and hiked to the "Hump" which is the short section of trail blasted out of a 40 foot high rock cliff 1 mile from the TH at the south side of E Rosebud Lake. 0.5 mile further we got to the small creek crossing and made the grueling 1,500 foot hike up loose talus, good snow and many short WI2 ice steps to the base of the California Ice Main flow. This approach took 3 hours or so. Jacob led both WI4 pitches on somewhat sketchy and changing ice conditions. The ice was very featured with some small bulges making the difficulty somewhat harder. We had a sucky hanging belay halfway up (not necessary) and made it to the top of the main flow and a nice ledge. With waning daylight, we rapped off two pitons on the rock wall at climbers left, not finishing the WI3 third pitch. The hike out sucked. Photos below. See this page below I made on SP for more beta: California Ice Wi 4 Sunrise over E Rosebud Lake [img:center]http://images.summitpost.org/medium/880296.JPG[/img] Looking up E Rosebud Canyon [img:center]http://images.summitpost.org/medium/880291.JPG[/img] Looking up the WI4 main flow [img:center]http://images.summitpost.org/medium/880293.JPG[/img] Hiking up nice snow on the approach [img:center]http://images.summitpost.org/medium/880295.JPG[/img] View across the valley from base of route [img:center]http://images.summitpost.org/medium/880289.JPG[/img] Recommended route...spectacular alpine moderate ice climb in the Beartooths Gear Notes: 10 screws all sizes, double 60m ropes Approach Notes: 1.5 miles of trail (snow covered...ez to follow), 1,500 feet hiking up talus/snow/WI2 steps, we did in our stiff boots w/out too much trouble. Edited December 27, 2013 by Matt Lemke Quote
Matt Lemke Posted December 28, 2013 Author Posted December 28, 2013 Yes I did hear from a Red Lodge native friend of mine that Sand Dune was fat. It apparently doesn't come in real fat too often. Quote
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