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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 23, 2011 - 06:56pm PT
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During the winter of 2010-2011, I made two trips to Cody with different partners to climb ice. The South Fork has perhaps the highest quantity of ice climbs in North America outside of Canada. It is an area of astonishing beauty, abundant wildlife and strenuous approaches. The solitude one can find here is a blessing for a climber traveling from the Front Range of Colorado.
Right before Christmas, I went to Cody with my friend Dave. If you want to get up something with ice on it, Dave is the guy you want to hitch your wagon to. He's been to the Rupal Face, K2, and climbs all of each winter. By Christmas every year, Dave has already had the kind of season that would be a dream season for me. He has told me that his nightmares consist of dreams that "the ice is melting".
The first climb that we did was a hard,rarely formed climb called Icefest.
Dave did a great lead on a sustained, very steep pitch. Typical of his style, he punched it through the steep sections and spaced his screws about twice the distance that I would.
In Cody it is pretty difficult to do more than one route in a day due to the long approaches. The next day we went in to do the Moratorium.
Dave cruised the calf-burning first pitch,
and I did a decent lead of the crux steep, thin second pitch.
After that is was time to get back to Boulder for Christmas. Including the driving from Cody each day to the South Fork, we drove about 20 hours to get in two superb days of climbing. Worth it?? Absotively, posilutely!
Which brings me to the question of why? I've been dabbling in ice climbing for more than 25 years, and have gone through phases when I thought it was about the most stupid thing possible. I've always thought of myself as a rockclimber, having spent months of my life in the Valley, and when I moved to Boulder 23 years ago I was done with ice climbing. There is almost always a time during each climb when I am freezing my butt off, and the risk involved sometimes approaches my limit for reasonable risk. Runouts off of dicey screws, avalanchy slopes and falling ice are definitely part of the experience.
Having grown up in Kentucky, where real winter is a rare visitor, I fell in love with that time of year when my family moved to Minnesota for five years during the 1970's. I have memories of playing hockey outside with my friends at the public hockey rink and loving it even though I could not skate as well as the kids who started when they were 3 years old. I remember thinking I had found heaven learning to ski at the local bump called Buck Hill that had all of about 200 vertical feet of lift-served skiing. I remember shoveling the driveway when my brother and sister stayed inside, and just loving the full-moon reflecting off of the snow in the atmospheric almost-day. I believe that I have grown to love winter climbing simply because it involves playing in the snow . . not unlike those five years during my childhood. It seems as if my own children may someday have fond memories of playing in the snow. Hope they find a wiser way of spending their time in their adulthood than ice climbing. .
The next trip to Cody was over MLK weekend. I was invited by these punters. All of these guys share my love of winter climbing. These are the kind of guys that put meat in their chili and don't apologize for it. Bob made a great pot of elk chili during one of the nights, which goes a lot further the next day out than tofu.
This time, instead of staying in Cody which involves an hour drive each day between town and the South Fork, which truly sucks when the road is icy and you're trying to quaff post-climb beers, we rented the bunkhouse at the Flying H Ranch in the upper Valley. The caretakers of the Flying H were extremely gracious and quite curious about ice climbing. They had seen climbers occassionally on the routes around the valley, but did not seem to know how it all works. They also told us that they almost never walk anywhere in the valley without a gun, as the entire area is prime grizzly habitat. We usually take comfort in the fact that grizzlies hibernate during winter, but during this trip the temps. were in the mid-40's, and we were probably not the first climbers to wonder if warmer temps. bring hungry grizzlies out of hibernation. The caretakers of the Flying H seemed to think that it could. yiyiyiyiyiyi . .
The first climb of the trip was one of the most amazing pitches of ice I've seen. I don't know how many times I've said that about a pitch in Cody.
On the hike to Sendero we found this little tidbit, that did not reassure us in regards to large, flesh-eating animals that live in the valley.
Our friends who climbed the day before told us that Sendero was pretty thin, resulting in both Wally and George giving me the lead before we saw the climb. For me, this was fortuituous. Thanks guys!
This climb was truly a crystal highway, and I was drawn upward with a light touch and with my new leashless Vipers. As I found out this year, leashless is the shiznitt. The hands tend to stay warmer, and the freedom of movement opens up possibilities unattainable with leashed tools.
I swear, near the top of the climb I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
After doing Sendero, we hiked back to the vehicle, and hoofed it over across the valley to Stringer. This is probably the most accessible climb in the South Fork. Wally did a great job leading a pick friendly pitch that protected with screws in slush.
After beers, elk chili, and a night of rest at the bunkhouse we walked the next day up valley to do Flyin' and Spyin'. Another benefit of staying at the Flying H was that we could drive to the end of the ranch property and access climbs like these two,
which would typically involve a really long walk, or a sketchy river crossing across the South Fork. Where we were headed was much further up the valley, but the access was as good as it gets. Along the way, we startled one of the locals, which made us ask the question, who's the grizzly bait around here.
When we got to Flyin' and Spyin', which is in a remote and really wild part of the South Fork, we found the the lower pitches that basically start from the river were not in. So we did the upper two pitches. Todd did a nice job on a steep lead of the upper second pitch.
The upper pillar involved more than 20 feet of dead vertical ice,but I was able to stem it and drop my arms for each screw that I cleaned.
We survived the hike out without being devoured by anything, and after another night of eating, mild debauchery and sleep, Wally, George and I decided to find a climb with a "short approach". Yeah right.
We knew we would have an 8-9 hour drive back to the Front Range after climbing, and that we all had to work the next morning. Nonetheless, after a very predictable longer-than-expected approach to Cabin Creek Falls, we did one last route.
Those holes you see in the upper part of the climb are actually windows where one can see a high volume of water rushing behind the ice. George and I both thought it looked kinda scary, and it is not unheard-of for the tops of climbs to be very dangerous because the ice ends in a running waterfall. I also thought this would be a good excuse to bail, and avoid getting home after the drive in the middle of the night. Wally would have nothing of my petty excuses, and did a great lead of a spectacular pitch.
As we climbed the pitch, it started snowing very hard. My last picture of the trip is of Wally with a big smile on his face. Somehow, that long drive home did not seem like it would be too bad afterall. I felt the same way showing up at work to teach my first class four hours after arriving back home in Boulder. The glow still lasts.
Cheers for the season of long shadows, beautiful light, and endless ice climbing in a wild place.
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perswig
climber
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Jan 23, 2011 - 07:15pm PT
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Yeah boy howdy for ice. Some pretty routes.
Thanks.
Dale
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adam d
climber
The Bears, CA
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Jan 23, 2011 - 08:31pm PT
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Great looking trip and ice! TFPU...
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Decko
Trad climber
Colorado
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Jan 23, 2011 - 08:46pm PT
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Too funny just this morning I post up about Sendero the same weekend you guys were there Julie and I were there.......
We climbed it Sunday
We do carry a gun..........
On advice from the locals.......
Great TR guys.......
Cody is THE PLACE for ice climbing in the lower 48.....
I don't really care what anyone says about weather to carry a weapon or not.......
But if you've been to the isolation of the South Fork........
A couple of extra pounds is very reassuring.......
J~
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Brian
climber
California
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Jan 23, 2011 - 08:59pm PT
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What the hell are you packing for a hungry grizzly? Fully auto shotgun with slugs for the bear, or just a derringer to shoot your partner in the leg?
Seriously. Just curious. I've felt that creepy "I'm prey" vibe during the first warm late winter/early spring days in grizzly country...
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Jan 23, 2011 - 09:07pm PT
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Great stuff. Thanks for all the pics.
Hooray for climbing content!!
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MH2
climber
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Jan 23, 2011 - 09:36pm PT
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Having grown up in Kentucky, where real winter is a rare visitor, I fell in love with that time of year when my family moved to Minnesota for five years during the 1970's. I have memories of playing hockey outside with my friends at the public hockey rink and loving it even though I could not skate as well as the kids who started when they were 3 years old. I remember thinking I had found heaven learning to ski at the local bump called Buck Hill that had all of about 200 vertical feet of lift-served skiing. I remember shoveling the driveway when my brother and sister stayed inside, and just loving the full-moon reflecting off of the snow in the atmospheric almost-day.
This is an especially fine post in my humble opinion, for many reasons.
I no longer climb ice but do associate with people who do, and those people are far far from stupid (see wbw paragraph above the quoted one).
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Jan 23, 2011 - 09:51pm PT
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Great shots ! Really enjoyed my one visit to Cody.. hopefully someday I'll feel strong enough to return.
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BurnRockBurn
climber
South of Black Rock City (CC,NV)
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Jan 24, 2011 - 12:11am PT
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Wow.
As I'm finishing up my trip to ouray you guys make me feel like a total tourist to ice. Maybe a trip back home to Wyoming will get the adventure back to the ice game!!!!
awesome trip report
Shawn
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jan 24, 2011 - 12:14am PT
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hey there say, wbw, wonderful pictures here... i love the first one, the river bed... huge view...
thanks for the whole trip report share... very nice...
:)
would sure love to see cody, wy... have heard so much about the whole area, from many...
:)
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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 24, 2011 - 10:22am PT
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Thanks for the nice comments folks. Glad you enjoyed the trip report. Decko, I enjoyed your pictures of Sendero, also.
As far as bears go, Steve the caretaker told us that when he was guiding a bow hunting client in the South Fork, they were charged by a female grizzly. I'm pretty sure he told me that he shot her twice as she charged him, and she dropped right at his feet. Then she stood up, ran away, and died later at a different location. I think he told me he used a .44 which is his preference for when he is on a horse.
I don't know anything about guns, so for me to carry one would make the situation more dangerous. I prefer to practice safe travel in bear country, but maybe I'm just fooling myself.
Brad
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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Jan 24, 2011 - 10:54am PT
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TFPU - nice trip report
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otisdog
Big Wall climber
Sierra Madre & McGee Creek, Ca.
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Jan 24, 2011 - 12:24pm PT
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Cody has great western museums...we stopped for gas and stayed 3 days!
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Brian
climber
California
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Jan 24, 2011 - 12:34pm PT
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wbw,
I hear you. In the past, I haven't carried anything either, preferring to focus on the avoidance strategies. But I have a couple of friends who pack heat when ice climbing in the late fall or early spring. Like I said, that "I'm prey" feeling can get pretty creepy when it comes.
Brian
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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2011 - 04:02pm PT
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I've always heard that the Buffalo Bill(???) Mueseum in Cody is excellent.
Brian, I had that feeling when we ran into the *moose*. I don't know what I would have done if it had been a grizzly that we startled.
Maybe I need to learn a little about guns, because I am being called to by the South Fork. Come back, come back . . .
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El Gato
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jan 27, 2011 - 02:23pm PT
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Bear Spray (pepper spray) beats the bejeezus out of any firearm for grizzlies!
I would be tempted to carry a pistol if I didn't have something better (bear spray), but don't let that give you a false sense of safety. As the caretaker's story reflects, firearms don't kill bears immediately. He's lucky the bear didn't kill them both before it died, instead of running off and dying. Plus, the bear will survive the bear spray, which is good environmental consciousness.
Nonetheless, my primary concern is for my own safety, and bear spray is much more effective for that!! I think of it like this: bear spray repels grizzlies; guns just piss them off. Get some bear spray for grizzly country.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Jan 27, 2011 - 03:11pm PT
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I always thought ice climbing was not the smartest of ideas, the medium scares me, but these pics are great!
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Mees
climber
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Jan 27, 2011 - 03:13pm PT
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nice TR, good to see the old stomping ground from time to time. the moratorium looks fat, you lucked out as the first pitch is usually a real mind bender with lots of thin hooking. FWIW, Never saw a bear during ice/winter season in the absarokas in around 30 years of spending time in that area. Seen a lot of people that needed sprayed though. Ultimately, could care less if you want to carry a gun or not, unnecessary in my experience.
Also, never needed to cross the S Fork to do a climb, yes you have to walk a little more. IMO, if you want to take your life in your hands do a sketchy river crossing, at least you'll have your gun while you are drowning! :)
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otisdog
Big Wall climber
Sierra Madre & McGee Creek, Ca.
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Jan 27, 2011 - 03:59pm PT
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Cody Museums:
Plains Indians, Western Art (plenty of Remington Bronze & Bierstadts), Greater Yellowstone Natural History, Firearms including the Winchester Collection, and The Buffalo Bill museum.
Very impressive collection.
Sorry for the thread drift.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Jan 27, 2011 - 06:12pm PT
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How much did it run you for the bunkhouse? The old bunk house was closed as I understand it. That might have been the double diamond ranch I can't recall. Who do you cantact to rent it? Great TR by the way.
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