2014/2015 Washington State Ice Conditions

[Alex]

Its cold out there, but not that much colder at the passes than in town, during the day. But cool, its only mid-November!

 

Anyone have any firsthand reports or pics of stuff coming in in advance of the weekend? Thx!

[dberdinka]

I was about to post the same general question. Wet October, 6-12 inches of snow and now cold temps in the hills and town. I'm thinking Alpine water ice must be off the hook in places like J-berg, Big Four etc. Pics anyone?

 

[G-spotter]

Page John Scurlock and get him in the air.

[mhux]

Went up to colchuck yesterday, dragontail has a nice start to the season and there's some low angle flows around the lake that look fat. Everything that seeps in the icicle has ice forming, getting fatter day by day. Still pretty thin but off to a good start! the stuff above the bridge creek campground (is that hubba hubba?) is looking promising given a week or two (and probably more precip). Drury is on its way, obviously forming well though a chunk is missing near the top (sun baked or never froze?) Snow level is basically colchuck (so 5400'?) and there's minimal on the ground even there, everything below that should be frosty and dry. If you like sketchy thin ice and or mixed climbing, you might take a gander...lots of stuff up mountaineers creek that would be sick 5ish pitch lines with a brutal bushwhack, almost formed up. Go see for yourself!

(edit: will add pictures once uploaded to computer)

Edited November 14, 2014 by mhux

[origin_ing]

What's the state of colchuck NBC ?

 

[mhux]

Here's colchuck and dragontail from monday from 4th of july trail, looking a bit bony for the NBC but dragontail is filling in nicely. More pics to come

 

[christophbenells]

i hear colfax peak is in good condition...

 

[mountainsloth]

Fat (for WA standards) water ice up the Rachel Lake trail off the climbers trail to Hi-box peak.

 

Its about half way up the canyon on the south side.

 

It looked to be about 100 ft tall with an extra half pitch above.

 

The lower portion looks pretty vertical and featureless.

 

Not sure if it has ever been climbed, but someone go and climb it before we lose the cold!

[Captain panther]

plenty of stuff in stehekin, i was just climbing it two days ago. rainbow falls isnt in shape yet...

[YocumRidge]

Anyone been to Strobach?

[Voytek]

Ainsworth Left Sunday morning. Thin and detached but first 3 pitches go.

 

[mhux]

Just went for a peek up the icicle, the ice is trying but needs more precip. Forgot my camera otherwise I'd spray picture beta too!

Hubba whatever (the main flow) by bridge creek is probably the fattest line in the canyon (that I saw), definitely not huge yet though and the first pitch has some big chunks missing and needs to form more.

Lower 8mi buttress has ice coming in but looks a bit like verglas over slab, sort of the general theme...

Some gully by the sword looked fattish up high but looks to get a lot of sun and the real ice looks real short

Rambly stuff on the south side of the canyon by hook/rat creek looks good, if you like hiking and rambly lines

Careno is pretty patchy, but there's a wet looking pillar in a corner that might go at M5 or so? (Don't know if that's a climb so maybe don't scratch it up?)

If you're dying for ice no matter what you could probably make something work but good luck. Also pm me if I have violated any local ethics/ hush-hush whatever, but if you have eyes and drive (really slowly) up the icicle this is what you'll get.

[Eric K]

i hear colfax peak is in good condition...

Can anyone comment more on this?

[obwan]

I'm with Alex - it is just not cold enough yet for the westside, although some places are coming in a bit sketchy though. Go east young grasshopper.

I was just up at Rainier and Narada Falls at 4800ft is forming, but not real solid.

Next week I may head up to the northside falls at the Carbon River entrance.

 

[christophbenells]

i hear colfax peak is in good condition...

Can anyone comment more on this?

 

[Ryan Hoover]

Colfax is in. Screw placements weren't the most inspiring, anchors involved some creativity. Would have felt better with two pickets, bring some KB's and LA's. No other forms of rock gear. Bailing would be tough.

 

We were hoping to climb the polish route, but given the anchor status on the CH, we decided against it. The pillar looked to be fully touching down.

 

Conditions 11/16 are similar to conditions in pic. Snowshoes and avy gear not needed. Roads open to the trail head.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Ryan Hoover

[rat]

marko and i climbed a couple 2-3 pitch wi 2-3/3+ routes at the end of the money creek road yesterday. north facing...no sun. the rightmost route, up the creek just prior to the damon mine, was nicest and only 10 minutes from the pickup. bushwacking took us leftward to an even easier rambling route. bring 2 ropes or expect some relatively thorny bushwacking on the descents.

 

potential exists for more easy routes here. there are also some shorter but harder looking pillars quite a ways up the south facing drainages of money creek that were deteriorating.

 

goat basin was also holding ice but we didn't suss out which route was which.

 

added a few of marko's photos. probably gone and/or buried for this season but those looking for easy routes close to the car might put it on the back burner for next year.

 

overview

pitch 2

bring 2 ropes to avoid this

Edited November 22, 2014 by rat

[YakCLimber78]

Went up to the Little (S)Naches to take a look...... Horsetail is about 50%, Dropline is thin (but climbable with a HUGE set of marbles), Hand Full of Luvin' is in on the right side, and Union Creek falls will be in on the right side if the temps stay low.

I haven't made the drive to Strobach (or up White for that matter) but that may be an afternoon adventure this week.

[calamityinsanity]

climbed 5 full(70m) pitches to wi3+ on the heliotrope ridge trail. first waterfall you cross, lovely thick ice that took 15cm screws most of the way. finished at the treeline

below the glacier there are probably 20 wi3's rambling all over the place.

[bellows]

Snoqualmie Pass had climable ice this weekend.

 

Practice Gully was a fun five pitch romp up easy ice with a few interesting steps:

 

Alpental Falls was slightly more challenging with a good finish to the first pitch. It gets a lot of midday sun but temps were cold enough to keep it solid:

 

Great early start to the season!

[Alex]

Thanks for all the reports! we warm up again with Rain on Thurs, but this is a fun pre-Thanksgiving diversion for sure!

[fredrogers]

Lots in at WA Pass- including several of the Cutthroat slide paths. Here's Rainy lake ice from this weekend. Why snowmobile 30 miles when you can walk 30 mins from the car. Go get it.

[Eric K]

Colfax is in. Screw placements weren't the most inspiring, anchors involved some creativity. Would have felt better with two pickets, bring some KB's and LA's. No other forms of rock gear. Bailing would be tough.

 

We were hoping to climb the polish route, but given the anchor status on the CH, we decided against it. The pillar looked to be fully touching down.

 

Conditions 11/16 are similar to conditions in pic. Snowshoes and avy gear not needed. Roads open to the trail head.

 

Yes! climbed the CH today. We wanted to get on the polish route but the upper pillar is not connected (very close) so the climb would have been a little hard for us off the coach. Otherwise its all the fattest I have ever seen it.

[hansoloalaska]

Made it up to silverton yesterday. Didn't have a partner so I bouldered around and climbed maybe half the first pitch. Tons of lines up there but it's not really quite in. Lots of hollow ice and water flowing behind. Probably could get screws in the whole way, but marginal.

[Ryan Hoover]

Anyone sniff around Snoqualmie's N Face yet?