[TR] Snow Creek Wall - Iconoclast-Mary Jane Dihedral-Outer Space 4/9/2016

[telemarker]

Trip: Snow Creek Wall - Iconoclast-Mary Jane Dihedral-Outer Space

 

Date: 4/9/2016

 

Trip Report:

Yet another Spring has sprung in Leavenworth. Funny how that keeps happening. The outdoor scene is alive and thriving. Paddles, pads, skis, tools and crampons, or Rock shoes and rack. Take your pick, or choose multiples for the weekend, it's all available.

 

Steph Abegg and I chose the rock shoes and rack for a few routes on Snow Creek Wall. We started out intending a warm-up lap on Outer Space, but were a little too late as there was already a small back up on it. So we bee-lined it to Iconoclast.

 

The crisp air but warm sun made for perfect rubber to granite harmony as we dispatched with the route.

 

The fun begins on Psychopath:

 

 

Steph following Psychopath:

 

 

Steph making the long toe reach back into the crack.

 

 

Past the difficulties:

 

 

The "Soft 5.11" Yellow Wall pitch:

 

 

 

We were pleased as we clambered onto Library Ledge that we were now first in line for the last pitch of Outer Space.

 

The last hand crack bit to Library Ledge. Very fun climbing and position:

 

 

 

Our second objective was going to be Orbit, but alas, when we hiked down and back to the base, we were behind another party just finishing the first pitch. No worries! That left us with no one on Mary Jane Dihedral. No surprise there.

 

This brings me to my secret motivation for writing this TR (apart from being an unapologetic narcissist). I wish more people would climb the MJD, to clean it up just a bit more as It's still a bit dirty. It has some very engaging and fun climbing and is a worthy objective on its own! We climbed through the cruxes efficiently and were again on top of SCW in good time.

 

Here's a photo Steph took of me last year when we climbed it. This is the second of the slab traverse cruxes on the 3rd MJD pitch:

 

 

My toes were feeling the Bern by now. We scampered down yet again. Had lunch. Rested. Assessed the crowd situation on Outer Space, and decided to go for it.

 

We moved steadily up the RPM roof of Outer Space, and then the next pitch. We got to the chicken head pitch which Steph led, only to get behind the last four people on the route.

 

I was tired and hangry by this point, 6pm having missed the geezer early bird special at the local buffet. To move things along, Steph and I simul climbed the last two pitches of OS, a fun bookend to a stellar spring day in Der!

 

Steph photo of me on RPM roof:

 

Top and done:

 

 

 

I was pretty much incapacitated by the time we got back to our cars. The indefatigable Steph, I'm sure, got in a 10 mile run to put a glaze on the day.

 

 

The ticks weren't that bad...

Edited April 17, 2016 by telemarker

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Looks like your average spring day out with two more trips up the wall! Wish I was there this time.

[dberdinka]

A COUPLE HOURS WITH A WIRE BRUSH WOULD DO MORE GOOD THAN THE PASSAGE OF A 1,000 CLIMBERS.