[TR] Elkhorn Ice- East Face of Rock Creek Butte- Rarely Formed and Talk+Action= A Good Route 11/17/2005

[Billy]

Climb: Elkhorn Ice- East Face of Rock Creek Butte-Rarely Formed and Talk+Action= A Good Route

 

Date of Climb: 11/17/2005

 

Trip Report:

Last friday Vert and I had a blast going into the Elkhorns and climbed some good and some thin ice. We climbed the route on the right of the main face which had some cool exit moves on rock protected by pins.

 

]http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/505/459East_Face_of_Rock_Creek_Butte-med.jpg[/img]

 

We also did the big pillar in the center, which according to Vert rarely forms that good. When the back of fell out, we bailed and left a screw and and a v-thread.

 

The climbing is really good out there, and there is huge potential for routes that go all the way up.

 

On the way over, I checked out Strawberry, and most of After Image is formed, but not yet touching down. I was able to drive to the gate in my low rider Saturn Wagon. I would suspect that there is a bunch of stuff to do.

 

Gear Notes:

screw, pins shoulda had nuts and a few small cams

 

Approach Notes:

Long, we should have brought the sled, but that was Vert's deparment

[Billy]

Oops here is a link to the picture of the area:

 

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/505/459East_Face_of_Rock_Creek_Butte-med.jpg

[iain]

super jealous

 

sounds/looks engaging

 

and I spent the weekend learning to land switch on tele gear

[shapp]

Did you hike up the Lake Creek trail towards twin lakes? If so, I was under the impression that that is a non-motorized route, can you legally take a snow machine up there?

[JayB]

super jealous

 

sounds/looks engaging

 

and I spent the weekend learning to land switch on tele gear

 

Seriously?

[iain]

by "tele gear" I'm talking Jaks/T1's/H-heads, which push the limit of what can be called tele gear. Just don't crash cause you ain't coming out of that setup.

 

Billybillybilly let me fix your first image for you:

 

oooww richard

[JayB]

Wow. Impressive.

 

Nice looking line - Congrats and sorry for the thread drift.

[marcus]

Good on ya, guys! What was the appoach time on Twin Lakes trail?

[gosolo]

Good Yob! That looks really cool. So you did come up the Twin Lakes Trail? Thanks for sharing.

[mwills]

anyone offer input as to if this ice is still in? sounds like it may have been on it's way out. if you'd rather not advertise feel free to PM

[vert]

the ice is probably still there but could be suffering a little because of the inversion. to access it, you need to go west from baker city on pochohontas road until you reach the pine creek road turn off. follow this to the left at the mail boxes onto the dirt road. put it in four wheel drive and baja in there. there are few really good turn arounds and the snow is considerably deep already in this shady canyon. we walked from the baisley creek crossing. its a ways in there on skis. allow three hours. skiing out can only be described as triple black diamond trail skiing in the conditions we found. i recommend planning an overnighter with a three or four person group to really enjoy the area and climb everything. snow is forecast for the weekend so maybe skiing will improve but dont count on it! it usually sucks. mh-