Ice conditions in southern WI

I'll be out in Madison in two weeks and thought I might bring my tools along if there was some ice in.
How is Wyalusing and/or Gov Dodge State Park currently, or this time of year in general?
Any other thoughts are welcome too. I would love to visit the ice pit, but probably won't have time this trip.

Much thanks.

I was at Lone Rock yesterday and the usual stuff is in. East pillar was thin and plastic with little ice on the river below (top belay). The west pillars were fat and solid, and a little brittle, with good ice below for the belay.

Three weeks ago at Wyalusing the Main Flow along the tracks was in as was Quarry Monster. The other routes in the quarry were just starting to form.

Pics here: climbingcentral.com/forums/…

No news on Dodge.

Bring your tools!

Wyualsing Report

Quary monster is in.
Main route along the tracks was in.

The other 2-3 routes in the quary were forming nicely they should be getting close to being in... Maybe another week or so.

FtCDave wrote:I'll be out in Madison in two weeks and thought I might bring my tools along if there was some ice in. I would love to visit the ice pit, but probably won't have time this trip. Much thanks.

Too bad.....the place is in amazing shape..... oops I think I hurt my shoulder patting myself on the back......

Thanks for the input...Sounds like I should bring the tools!

I would love to get up to the pit on another trip when I have more time. I may actually be moving to Madison for work eventually, in which case I'll probably get up there a lot!

Cheers

Steven's Falls was in yesterday at Gov Dodge. We didn't get a chance to see anywhere else in the park.

Stephens Falls is definitely in with a couple of distinct lines. Lone Rock (on the east side of the Wisconsin River) has about 2 solid columns in formation with another on it's way.

Has anyone had access issues lately at wyalusing? We got a very polite visit from a county sheriff who said that the RR company didn't want us climbing there. We informed him that althogh we walked in on the tracks, we were climbing on state park property. I've been climbing there for 10 years and never had any issues with the RR people. In fact one employee drove by in a truck on the tracks and greeted us very nicely. Just a heads up!

Anybody been to Lone Rock since it's been warm and now freezing? I'm thinking of going Sunday...

Yikes. I haven't heard anybody else report about being approached by the law about climbing the ice off the RR tracks at Wyalusing. I am not surprised though that this has happened. It seems the frequency of train traffic has increased (my guess totally- I am not sure of this... just based on my own observations)and perhaps the train drivers are feeling a bit uneasy seeing climbers at this spot and especially climbers walking along the tracks while walking in or out. It happened to our group a while back where several trains went by on our leaving... I would suggest from now on try to effectively minimize being seen walking along the tracks on the approach or when leaving. Run over and hide way off the tracks when you hear a train coming. The ice itself is on WI STP land like you say EB so I am not very worried about that end of it.

I agree about the train traffic. We were there two days ago and I definately don't remember that many trains coming by 5 years ago when I lived here last. I decided from now on its either Dennis' place or other areas. There was easily a train every 15 min!

I haven't been there, but are those CN (canadian Northern) trains? If so , they could be part of the massive increased train traffic build up that is now heading down to the outer 'burbs of Chicago area. Quiet residential areas that built up with magabucks homes near almost-closed tracks now find they have many trains and crossing blockage at all times of the day due to a sale made to get those trains down to some unused track here, thus routing them out of downtown areas. People are super pissed down here about it, taking legal action to get it stopped. Maybe if they win, the ice climbers win too!!

I was at Cox Hollow in Governor Dodge on Sunday. It appears unusually lean this year, and there is really only one good line on the left side, which is pretty climbed out; I had fun anyway. I will try to give that flow a page within the next couple of days.