Ouray Ice Park

Wondering if the springlike temps have ruined the conditions in Ouray???

Looks to me like the temperatures in Ouray have been between the mid-20s up to the low 40s during the day, to me that seems like perfect conditions for good quality ice, but I haven't been able to make it out to Ouray yet so what do I know.

They haven't been making much ice lately, thanks to the warm temps, so many routes are getting really kicked out. But there's still plenty of ice, mostly hero ice at that, though the weekends are as crowded as ever. Also, the mixed routes are in nicely! ;-)

One note: the heavier-than-usual water flows have taken out a lot of ice at the bottom, which makes belaying a bit of a challenge in some cases. You may need to lower in on some routes that are typically belayed from below.

Do you think ice conditions will hold stable where they are now, or continue to deteriorate (given that the weather patterns look pretty consistent for the next week in the 20s at night and 40s during the day).

I am headed out there next week, zero issues with awkward belays or dripping climbs, but it would be a shame if a bunch of stuff got too thin to climb.

On a similar note, is the backcountry ice (such as Eureka/Silverton) taking a similar beating to the park ice?

It looked like mid 50s during the day, not 20s to 40s. The reason for the initial post.

Kyle Tarry wrote:Do you think ice conditions will hold stable where they are now, or continue to deteriorate (given that the weather patterns look pretty consistent for the next week in the 20s at night and 40s during the day). I am headed out there next week, zero issues with awkward belays or dripping climbs, but it would be a shame if a bunch of stuff got too thin to climb. On a similar note, is the backcountry ice (such as Eureka/Silverton) taking a similar beating to the park ice?

The National Weather Service site I like is calling for lows in the 20's at night and highs in the 40's during the day, except for today/tonight, which will be warmer. In any case, most of the ice doesn't get much sun (obviously), and since most sections of the Park still have a ton of ice, I seriously doubt you have to worry about not being able to find plenty of thick, climbable ice, especially above the upper bridge.

With below-freezing temps at night, hopefully they will be able to start making more ice, though I don't know what their temperature thresholds are for turning on the irrigation system.

Yes, the backcounty ice is retreating, as well, but same comments apply. My rec: get an early start, go check it out, and retreat if too wet. There were plenty of climbers along Camp Bird Rd on Sunday, including a couple of parties on The Ribbon.

Thanks for the beta! Might be a blessing in disguise, if the weather consolidates the backcountry snow for more alpine work.

Looking forward to my trip.

BC snow seems to be a mixed bag. On the one hand, not much seems to be sliding. On the other, snowshoeing up Cataract Gulch near Lake City on 2/17 was awful, with breakable crust over knee-deep powder below treeline.

The ice park people won't tell the truth, they want customers...i.e. money. The temps have been in the high fifties for three weeks, they haven't made ice in close to three weeks. The place looks sick. They are now talking about closing early, again.
Just at the park today, if this weather keeps up, which is the forecast, it won't last long.

SinRopa wrote: The park is free though...

I am guessing if the Ice Park posted a doom and gloom report it would really hurt local businesses. The ice while not life changing is fun.

I just got back from 5 days in Ouray and we really enjoyed our time there.

We spent the first two days in the park. The next day on Camp Bird before the sun hit the climbs. Then we went off to Eureka to do Second Gully and back to Camp Bird for out last short day.

We had a good time despite the warm weather.