The 2010 Colorado Ice Conditions Thread

Sorry no pics... but Bridalveil is as fat and easy as it ever gets right now. Following path of least resistance from right to left of center and then straight up the center. Easily done in 2 pitches with a 70m. Probably WI4+ or very easy WI5.

10-Mile/Vail

10-Mile is seeing it's fair share of heavy avalanches, but the Shroud pooped-out, so the route is fairly safe for now. Parking is tight as CDOT has not plowed the road/lot up to the bike path gate. Skis recommended as the approach varies from 12-36". The debris pile is perfect for cruising up to the base.

Vail is in rockin' shape and although the Fang has been connected for sometime I have to admit it may be an accident waiting to happen (wish it would drop and reform at the roof lip). The pillar formed 4-5m below the roof lip and the mass of ice in that curtain from the pillar neck to the roof lip is scary heavy and fractured. It is totally leadable at WI5 but after the collapse last year, I've learned alot about how that ice forms and what is/is not reasonably safe. The Desi is a peg-board and Secret Prob is in the easiest condition ever. Check out the new mixed lines from M6-10, there has been alot of development in the last year with some stellar lines offering a challenge and helping spread out climbers.

All the ice is in excellent shape from the Firehouse to the 9th Hole, check out something new!

The Jaws Falls' teeth have been pulled

Sunday 30th

Jaws on 1-30-11.

Blast the warm weather... compare to a week earlier

Sunday 23rd
Jaws on 1-23-11.

Lots of water running though, bring back the cold!

Went to Vail yesterday with Paul. Did Frisco Kid. Seemed harder than M6+ (M7?) but maybe I just need to get into shape............Good quality for Vail.

There are red crayon TIC marks all along the route. I hope this does not become a common practice on dry-tooling routes.

Soloed Martha on Sat 29JAN11 just enough ice to make it enjoyable.

Climbed the North Chimney on Longs yesterday (Sun, Jan 30). Some of the snow was consolidated, some was not. Overall not too bad, but it took us longer than we were hoping.

Ross wrote:Soloed Martha on Sat 29JAN11 just enough ice to make it enjoyable.

Really? It looked terrible from Chasm Lake...

Also, does one need flotation to get to Bridalveil Falls?

Conditions update on the Colorado Mountain School blog: coloradomountainschool.blog…

Climbed in the Loch Vale Gorge, Sunday. We had the place to ourselves, and spent the entire time working various lines up "Crystal Meth". Not super fat, but there is a good leadable WI-4 line up into the ice cave behind the pillar and out left. The pillar is solid WI-5, and great fun. The curtain to the left is mostly not touching down, which provides some fun pumpy mixed starts in the small cave below.

Didn't hike over to it, but there looked to be little ice on Mixed Feelings, and Mo'Flo is pretty much buried.

Looking toward Mixed Feelings and Mo'Flo from below Crystal Meth.

Crystal Meth; Loch Vale Gorge.

jack roberts wrote:There are red crayon TIC marks all along the route. I hope this does not become a common practice on dry-tooling routes.

+1

Colin Simon wrote:Also, does one need flotation to get to Bridalveil Falls?

Assuming you're talking about Bridalveil in Telluride... No need for flotation; 95% of the approach is on a road with a snowcat track. Last 200ft has good boot track.

Stoneman on 1/30/11.
Finally got to do Stoneman last Sunday. Awesome, steep climb, but the ice was extremely brittle. Took my first leader fall on ice (tiny, inconsequential fall that barely weighted the screw next to me) on the first pitch, having avoided it since I first started in 1985. A large block of ice that my tool was in broke right out as I moved my feet high. The climb was definitely stout given the combination of steepness and large plates that kept breaking out.

Vail Update:
The Fang has finally succumbed to the extreme cold and has collapsed. Lets hope it forms up into a stellar, vert, safe pillar!

Any one know what the conditions are like up in Booth Creek at Vail? Cheers.

Edit: Thanks Jeremy! As Mia Tucholke reports: "Booth is in great conditions. We have been up there two weekends in a row. Both times we had to break trail as there was a good couple of feet of snow. Plan on 2-3 hours if you are in good shape and there is no trail. Our trail goes up the main trail further than normal and then cuts up the less steep slope. A lot of settling snow, so be aware of avi danger.

Not in: Clay's Pillar, Saddam Insane, Sick Puppy, Psycho Pillar, and the Thong.

In: Little Brother, Hair Today, More Junky, War Pig, the corner climb (#10) but not the top pillar, and most of the steroids.

Look on the Booth Creek Page, there was an update last week. Not sure if you saw that or not.

Drove by Rifle on the way home today. Stone Free, Ice Palace, Soul on Ice and Final Curtain are all in plus the other short flows between Soul on Ice and Final Curtain. Stone Free has a huge, cave rest about 1/3 of the way up, but both it and Ice Palace are in stouter condition than this time last year. Ice Palace is a single column vs. the wide sheet it was last year. All have a decent amount of ice at the top, however, and getting to the anchors doesn't appear to be quite as gripping as normal. The right side of Final Curtain looks quite nice with good ice and several good lines. Didn't get to climb as my partner had sliced his palm open a couple of hours earlier while throwing his pack into the truck. :^(

Oh, also, Cascade in Ouray was still in today and getting climbed. Gravity's is kind of in, but the top-outs and long slabby sections between the steeper bits are quite "interesting" with snow over rock slab and little to no reliable gear. Bear Creek Falls is there, but has a big fracture at the bottom and could be a little more filled in (a bit tough to tell because of all the snow on Saturday).

Drove by CCC today. Coors Lite looked "ok", still way hooked out. Mickeys is still SUPER thin, but healing. So if you TR the left side do the left side, take the time to tap and hook. It's going to take a while for it to fix itself and could use help!

For those of you who are interested.....................

The Fang in Vail has crumpled again. Booth Creek looks REALLY good!
Hidden Falls in Glenwood Springs looks real good.
The routes in the I-70 Corridor seemed thick and in great shape but the avalanche hazard is gotta be EXTREME! .............

Now for those of you who are REALLY interested there is Parachute.

I drove through there today and scooped-out the climbs and the place is going off!!! There are ten climbs that are completely formed. Three of these are multi pitch (2-3 pitches) long with a short approach. One would be a FA. AND the approach and climb are on Forest
Service land so no problems with the Naval Reserve or private property or anything. I'd do it myself but I have commitements so I'm throwing this bone out to ya'll.
It would be a solid WI4, maybe 5, 2-3 pitches, 30/40 minute approach and I'm sure it has never been climbed.....As you are heading towards the gate at the end of the road this is the last climb on your left and behind the gas plant................walk around the plant on Forest Service land and follow the drainage towards the foot of the climb. Nothing is fenced off and nothing is posted.

The classic climb know as Parachute Falls is in really good shape as is Charlie's Climb and a few others are also in good shape. There are several other FAs that could be done but the approach would be hours long and I'm not sure about the access. The other climbs with short approaches might be on Naval Reserve land. In any case if you leave within a couple hours of Parachute it is definitely worth a look.

I'm in Ouray now and there seems to be tons of ice here but soon may be buried under snow..........

Can anyone confirm that Black Lake Slabs are buried or not?

Just wondering about the snowpack in the Ouray area after this last dump. Looking to head up either Camp Bird, or Red Mntn. Pass or Ames or Eureka Saturday...open to options...just want to climb ice and not get buried! I see sun in the forecast between now and then. How're things looking? Thanks!

PM me if you have been up to the Marble Slabs in CO recently