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Utah Ice Conditions, 2013 - 2014

RonB · · Berthoud, CO · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 275
SwC wrote: Checked out White Nightmare this morning, pretty thin...
Sam, stop posting all the pics (not), you're killing me here; stuck in iceless VA. I can't even get in a quick trip up to New Hampshire; or to much kiteboarding. I'll be out at the Strawberry cabin on 7 Jan thru the 30th. I'll ping you when I get out. Maybe we can hit Joe's again; or, at least a couple afternoon outings; on the ice or the gym. Have you hooked up with big Bob B? Don't see him in here yet, and need to ring him up...
Eli Harry · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 75

Climbed bridal veil right yesterday... Bring your gore-tex, it was super wet. Be prepared to move 10-15 feet horizontally off your line to find screw placements... I was glad to put in 19cm screws for the first time ever. A lot of the ice is really soggy. Group was climbing white nightmare to the right of us... Seemed very wet also

Garret Nuzzo Jones · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 1,436
Eli Harry wrote:Climbed bridal veil right yesterday... Bring your gore-tex, it was super wet. Be prepared to move 10-15 feet horizontally off your line to find screw placements... I was glad to put in 19cm screws for the first time ever. A lot of the ice is really soggy. Group was climbing white nightmare to the right of us... Seemed very wet also
We climbed that route today. You definitely have to choose your spots carefully, but I don't think I moved quite that far off to find screw placements. In all fairness the flow is changing daily. Through a combo of luck and willingness I've managed to climb the second pitch of Bridal Veil Right three times in the past week. It's changed quite a bit and gotten steeper every time. Because of how much ice is forming it doesn't look beaten up at all!

White Nightmare is quite wet. Still gushing water on both sides. Getting climbed regularly anyway.
Garret Nuzzo Jones · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 1,436

Hopped on the first pitch of The Fang today. Upper pitch is still not formed all the way. First pitch was pretty awful quality ice. Chandeliered all the way across.

The Fang 12/15/13

Garret Nuzzo Jones · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 1,436

Climbed Provo Canyon yesterday. The Fang still looked bad, Millers looked wet too. Bridal Veil Left was in slightly better shape so we climbed that and Bridal Veil Right. Looks like someone put up some fresh tat on the larger flow on lookers left as you top the first curtain. If you wanna go that way.

BVL and BVR 12/17/13

Willard Canyon Falls was in good shape today. Has had a lot of traffic on it.

Willard Canyon Falls 12/18/13

Willard Canyon Falls 12/18/13

Upper section of Willard Canyon Falls 12/18/13

Nice and mellow. More approach time than climbing but it's pretty up there and gets you out of the inversion:

Willard Bay inversion

I hope some other folks will post up their pictures. This thread is gonna turn into my personal ice climbing blog if nobody else shares their discoveries.

Ben Brutsch · · Lindon, Ut · Joined May 2012 · Points: 5

Sorry no pictures but we got on top of the second pitch of stairway today. It required a little mixed to the far lookers left or a funky traverse going right mid pitch. We ran out of time but pitch three looked good to go. Pitch four might also be touching down but we couldn't tell for sure.

Eli Harry · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 75
chadnuesmeyer Nuesmeyer · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 150

Any word on back-off?

On Monday night we did the GW without having to swing a pick - it was all hooking.

Jonathon Spitzer · · North Bend, WA · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 300

Ok, Garret I want to help keep this going also.

Not technically and Ice route, but yesterday I guided Geurt's Ridge on Olympus. The alpine mixed route is in good winter alpine conditions and requires mountaineering crampons and 1 tech tool. Up high on the ridge there was some minor ice gullies at the 50-60degree incline.

You need a 35m-40m rope for the two rappels on the ridge. I brought a couple cams and 1 stubby screw.

There is a good write up description on this route at this link. mountainproject.com/v/geurt…

Fun way to spend time out of the Brown Cloud and get some good exercise in the mountains.

Geurt's Ridge 12/18

Parker Alec Cross · · Provo, UT · Joined May 2011 · Points: 30

Just wanted to make sure everyone got this memo:

AVALANCHE ADVISORY: PROVO AREA MOUNTAINS

Issued by Drew Hardesty for December 19, 2013 - 7:20am
BOTTOM LINE
The danger is pushing HIGH danger in the mid and upper elevation steep slopes. Natural avalanches are likely, human triggered slides are certain. Avalanches may be triggered at a distance with any slides triggered on west through north through east facing slopes having the potential to STEP DOWN 1-2' deep or more, creating larger, more dangerous avalanches. Steep lower elevation shady terrain should be avoided due to wet loose avalanche potential.

This could potentially impact the ice climbs in Provo Canyon so I just wanted to make sure it got room to breathe.

Here's the link: utahavalanchecenter.org/adv…

RonB · · Berthoud, CO · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 275

No! Don't stop posting Garret...I'm stuck out here in iceless Virginia and can't get out there till January, and your pics are my inspiration. I don't care if you are the only one posting (or climbing ice), it's a great treat to see what the ice is doing. Keep up the good work (all). Happy holidays!

John Bird · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2012 · Points: 5
Kitchen Traverse with Pantry Door Variation
James I'm helping you out so this doesn't become your personal ice climbing blog (though keep posting!)
The Kitchen Traverse with Pantry Door Variation was in the best conditions I've seen in a decade. The primary objective hazard (Risk of a seriously angry spouse) was at an all time low. Door fronts vibrated a bit under the strain of crampon points but all else was solid.

It was short lived. By the next afternoon the route had disappeared.
Klimbien · · St.George Orem Denver Vegas · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 455

Southern Utah has been forming up good.

Ice Climbing

Warbonnet · · Utah, India and Cambodia · Joined Nov 2013 · Points: 630

Looks nice. S. Utah is a big place. Mind sharing where this is?

Klimbien · · St.George Orem Denver Vegas · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 455

Photos from today (12/20/13) @ 1400, temp was 32 degrees, Location: Camp Creek

alltrails.com/trail/us/utah…

Camp Creek.

The top section looked thin and a lot of water was flowing underneath - rain/snow all day

Camp Creek

chadnuesmeyer Nuesmeyer · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 150
  • ** Pre-Post caveat - Squash Head is in a slide gully climb with caution as slide conditions are high (and accumulation is building).

Went and did Squash Head this morning before the snow started really moving. It was WET, super wet. That is why I don't have a photo - I was worried about my phone surviving.

I was in full gore-tex and still got soaked. Give that it was so wet and very hard to protect (multiple placements started spurting water) I would put it on the upper end of its rating scale.

Ran out of time to check it out but, does anybody have any beta on whether back-off is in or not? How about Millers?
John Cameron · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 275
12/21/13

This was how Kitty litter/ Itch and scratch looked on Saturday. It was pretty slushy and the mixed stuff to the right had rotted away since those cold inversion days.
Garret Nuzzo Jones · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 1,436

Chad, backoff has formed up but it was pretty wet. Give it until the new year and i bet it wilk be much improved.

Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711

GWI yesterday...snowed harder than predicted...

GWI 22 December 2013

Conditions were ok. Surprisingly high flow in the creek, still. There's numerous spots where the ice is fairly thin with rushing water near the surface (or through holes). Not a surprise as its still early season and the temp's have been kinda warm. Take care tip toeing around the thin bits.

Fair bit of snow yesterday. Avy hazard high. With warm temps and a pile of graupel, and, wind transport, be super careful being below large bowls and/or terrain traps.

Josh Allred · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 161

Any suggestions this week with Avi conditions being so high? Provo? GWI? Maple (Doubt there is anything)?

Any word what the ice is looking like at Joes?

Thanks.

Edit: I guess I should clarify. Any SAFE suggestions this week with Avy conditions being so high?

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern Utah & Idaho
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