2011 Utah Ice Conditions thread

Beta on Santaquin conditions? Anyone? Bueller?...Bueller?

Lost glove several days ago, OR Alabi glove, somewhere between Bridal Veil Falls approach trail (area where you usually put on crampons)and the parking lot...has anyone seen it? good karma and much thanks for the return there of....

I would also like a conditions update on Santaquin and Joes. Thanks!

Sunny-D wrote:I will definitely look closely before I go over there.

Checked my notes. We walked across the frozen river about a mile to a mile and a half back down to the west, crossed the pass, and, hugged the cliff to approach that Spring Canyon route. I got 110' tall. We rapped off a pile of bushes...

Simmons Canyon route is 90'.

I got the Dead Deer-cicle as being anywhere from a paltry steep but fun 50 foot curtain, or, up to three pitches. It can be pretty easy to miss in the trees. Amazing someone saw this thing. I got it at mile 4.1 from the junction. We crossed the river and I think someone fell in on the way back to the car...take care.

Might as well dish...at .8 miles from the main road junction towards Timber Canyon, we climbed the route that kinda pours out of a hole in the wall. 75' of WI3ish. V thread anchor.

Bunch of other stuff in there on good years, but, so fickle.

I got Excalibur at the bottom of Jensen Canyon, which is .7 miles up Timber Canyon on the road.

Yee haa.

bay wrote:RonB- The access to "Unnamed" is across private property...Brian- your right. "Dead Deer Falls" was the name...route was stained red from a freshly mangled dear...unbeknownst, he returned the following weekend with Matt H for the FA poach-job...Sunny-D the "homeowner" has some photos tagged on google earth...

Bay and Brian, thanks for all the beta and history on my backyard ice. It looked fatter than it may appear in the pics. I need another week or two out here to get all I want to do done, and that wouldn't be enough. Put up molding and my 1st route on the cabin climbing wall today, vice climbing ice or skiing. I'm packing out Monday but I'm back end of March. There was good ice then last year, hope it's so again in 2012. Need to get one of you to take me out in my back yard for a day and show me around.

Stairwell route

11 ft wall to 15 ft roof. Awaits FA!

Mr. Moose approves...

bump for help finding lost glove

Ive got the whole week free to climb starting Monday (Jan 16). Im considering several destinations, Joes, Sanataquin and routes off of Hwy 6. Has anyone been to these areas recently that could share any conditions update. It would be much appreciated. Option #2 check out the routes in Strawberry Canyon posted above, I just would like an little more info on the location. Option # 3 just head to Ouray. Thanks, John

alpinerocket wrote:Ive got the whole week free to climb ...Option #2 check out the routes in Strawberry Canyon posted above, I just would like an little more info on the location...

Go to google maps and type in “Strawberry Pinnacles, Duchesne, Utah”. This is your starting point; the intersection of Red River Rd and Strawberry River Rd. See other posts for mile locations along Strawberry River Rd. and west at “Y” for Timber Canyon Rd. Please, all, try not to pee any private landowners off, I have aspirations to climb these too. Any access beta is appreciated. Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Ron

Conditions were good to today at Last Chance Falls in Logan Canyon

Last Chance Falls

With the Nat'l Weather Service forecasting 21-40" inches at Alta by Saturday, many of the local ice climbs will be in the crosshairs for slides. Two ice climbers even made the avy report today: Avy report

Have fun, be safe - keep doing the snow dance.

Conditions were good up at Joe's Valley this past weekend--the first two pitches of CCC are in fat (the current on the right side of the first pitch is a little thin, but still good), but the third was slushy and cauliflowered. Deadbolt was also in, with plenty of (wet) ice. Gunlock also looked to be in.

The Fang Provo

CCC Falls pitch 1. Joes

Deadbolt. Joes

Pricicle

I climbed all of these this past week. Had a great time and the ice was fat. Joes was in spectacular shape and didnt see another climber. We had the whole place to ourselves!

I am headed to Utah from Georgia this week for 8 days of ice climbing. I am familiar with the routes in Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons but see that the avalanche danger is going to be high from all the recent rain and snow. Are there any other areas or summits, outside of the avalanche prone areas that will be in and good to climb?

Any directions or help would be greatly appreciated!

The entire wasatch in on high alert, bad snow pack.
Best to let things settle a bit...

Anyone know the avalanche conditions around Last Chance Falls in Logan? Danger on the hike in? Slides possible on the climb itself? Thanks, Nikki

My feeling has been that stair way to heaven is outside of the slide path. Not so with the Bridal Veil climbs and other Provo Canyon routes of course. Feel free to correct me on this. In fact I'll look at it on google earth to verify.

Ok I just looked and the route seems protected by the ridge. It could maybe send down loose sluffs during a storm but there doesn't seem to be any where up there for a slab to form. The is why the old tram building up to survived the "big one" of 95-96.

The trick is getting to the base without venturing east into the BIG slide path.

Mike Washburn wrote:My feeling has been that stair way to heaven is outside of the slide path.

I think you're about 99% right. I seem to recall though that when Rick Wyatt did the first solo ascent of Stairway he had a slide of some sort come down on him, but he was fortunate to be under one of the overhangs around the 5th or 6th pitch up. It might have been mostly spindrift from an active storm. Someone correct me if I've got that wrong.

Any other ice or mixed that is relatively safe? Looking for a partner for Thursday or Friday.

Anybody know what the Donorcicle, CCC and Marys Lake look like right now?

Also does anyone know if there are any other routes to TR at Joes?

Thanks a bunch!

Climbed all three pitches of CCC yesterday(January 27th)--the bottom pitch was a little soft, but it gradually got better. The 3rd pitch was in good condition; everyone in our party was able to safely lead (or solo!) it with plenty of opportunities for screw placements beneath the somewhat chandeleired exterior.

Also did Deadbolt all the way up. The crux curtain was wet and super chandeleired--nobody felt like leading it, so we snuck around and toproped it. In general, the ice was wet, but perfectly climbable. All the snow melt-off is just making things a little slick. Masterlock looked in and fat.

No idea how the donorcicle is--spear of fear was standing, but looked incredibly sun-baked and cauliflowered.