The 2010 Colorado Ice Conditions Thread

While we're asking about ice, anyone walked up to Loch Vale? Any ice/mixed worth playing on yet?

Chris,

Last week Mixed Feelings was down far enough to climb. Just bring more than the usual amount of thin rock gear. The last pitch on Deep Freeze was climbable. You would have to climb the rock on the left for about 20 feet and then you could get on the ice. I didn't see anything else in that area and that was one week ago. Probably the best concentration of ice right now is in the Glacier Gorge area or on Notchtop.

For anyone interested, there is enough ice down in the South Mineral area, down by Silverton to justify driving down there. Four climbs are IN. Nothing yet that I know of around Ouray or Telluride. Corpse-F##ker is IN down by Crested Butte.

Hey jack, when you say corpse f$%cker is "IN" do you mean there is enough ice on it to get to the top or is is pretty fat?

Just curious because three years ago we got hammered here with snow and in May I went up to go rock climbing and saw corpse fu$cker for the first time and it was all the way touching the ground. I have been waiting for another crazy snow year in hopes that it would be that fat again but no such luck so far these past few years.

Chris Plesko wrote:While we're asking about ice, anyone walked up to Loch Vale? Any ice/mixed worth playing on yet?

As far as the main crag it's forming, but we need to let it continue that way. It's at that point where climbing on it now will ruin it for everyone.

Went to climb N. Face of Notchtop yesterday, but were sketched out by avalanche potential from wind loading. Also, wind was howling down the face creating what looked like miserable conditions.

Instead we climbed some ice at the bottom of the valley just north of the face (I don't know the official name of the area). There were several low angle pitches, and some steeper pitches forming that were not quite protectable yet. Even though it was a pretty cold day, there was still quite a bit of water running on an under a lot of the ice.

Same story on Notchtop today as yesterday. Lots of wind, some new snow and we never even saw the face from the lake. Luckily there is a nice trail back there now. zero for two for me so far this year.

Chris, glad you guys made it back safely...I was the dude going solo. It was weird on the drive out seeing sun and peaks, yet from Glacier Gorge to Forest Canyon was a giant plume of cloud.

Mitch Musci wrote:Chris, glad you guys made it back safely...I was the dude going solo. It was weird on the drive out seeing sun and peaks, yet from Glacier Gorge to Forest Canyon was a giant plume of cloud.

Nice to meet you Mitch. Yea it just didn't seem to be the day for that route. Toooo much wind loading. We ran into a bunch more people heading back that direction when we were almost to Bear Lake but the weather out of the trees and in the trees was quite different!

Report from the San Juans...

Sherman Climb - in but last pitch is soaking, still minimal snow but bears watching. Could drive all the way to the climb as of Fri.
South Mineral - DNF in, CG. couloir in, Snowblind not enough ice to pass the crux roof (looking from the road with good binoculars).

Eureka - Stairway forming and very wet, P3 pillar doesn't look well connected yet; 1st Gully has a thin start; 2nd Gully good to go; Goldrush has some ice but very wet and nothing down low; Whorehouse is well on it's way but really wet and chandeliered. There's some other stuff further up the road that might be worthwhile.

Will post pics soon.

Did the Ribbon yesterday- Typical early season, thin down low, rock gear and stubbies recomended.

Today we went over and did Whore house and DNF in Mineral Creek. 1st pitch on Whorehouse was very exciting, should be better in a week or so... DNF was fat and fun!

1st pitch of Whore House.

Ribbon, 2nd pitch.

Any conditions on Hidden Falls in RMNP? Thinking about hiking up there on Monday.

Seth

Climbed the West Gully at Black Lake and Stone Man today. Both in good shape at about WI3 and WI4+/5- respectively. Yellow Tear also looked climbable at a stout WI5+.

Went up Hessi Chimney 2 days ago. Just rock...

Lincoln Falls - 11/13/10.

Climbed lincoln today - water was running free under all the ice despite the cold, but the main flow had plenty to play around on

erikwellborn wrote:Did the Ribbon yesterday- Typical early season, thin down low, rock gear and stubbies recomended. Today we went over and did Whore house and DNF in Mineral Creek. 1st pitch on Whorehouse was very exciting, should be better in a week or so... DNF was fat and fun!

How was Bird Brain Blvd.?

Aaron M wrote: How was Bird Brain Blvd.?

It's in with thin ice on the middle pitches. There was a party on it both days this weekend.

A couple of people have asked about pics for DNF in Mineral creek, so here they are. Both pics are of the two crux pitches, maybe grade 4?

DNF- pillar pitch.

Upper curtain pitch.

Kevin Coopman wrote:Hey, I was in Prince William Sound this summer and saw some great potential ice climbs. I am totaling thinking about doing a mission to them .... has anyone climbed these before? I would totally love to sea kayak to them with gear and climb them. Kevin

Hey kevin, go climb Keystone Canyon in Valdez before you go kyak to any remote flows! there's nothing better.

Info or photos not posted by others (thanks to all)...

Pano of Birdbrain from today. E-mail if you want a full-size image for zooming.

Sherman Climb - top pitch was extremely wet.

DNF.
worth noting that the first crux on DNF (photo posted by Erik W) is, I agree, solid (Cody/Canadian) WI4, but dry, chandeliered and chopped out. Not much decent pro, so basically solo, but one with good hooks. A local guide who climbed the route agreed with this assessment.
Stairway.

Highway to Hell/66/666.

Whorehouse - Eric can comment further, but much spicier than it looks.

Also the up-valley climb(s) in Eureka that I mentioned as possible are Burns Gulch and the other climbs in the "Three Stooges" area in Roberts' guide (didn't have it with me at the time). As of yesterday, you could still drive to them in a "regular" AWD vehicle (with snow tires).
Campground.

Sundance - was falling apart while we watched, but a couple of cold, cloudy days and it could be good.

and lastly... the Ice Park.