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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 20, 2008 - 01:20pm PT
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After my successful trip to SLC last month I talked my buddy into dropping big bucks and flying back out for a week of ice climbing. Tickets are bought and dates fixed, but now the weather looks questionable. We're flying Saturday 23rd. In SLC weather forecast shows chance of showers and highs in 40s. Does that mean the ice is shot and the season over? Or will we find something safe up the canyons?
Any other suggestions? Find ice further up canyon, Provo / Joes Valley? Is it colder there?
Or we can rent a car and drive to Ouray but that sort of defeats the whole quick and easy "fly into town" and climb plan and blows two days driving.
any other advice appreciated. WI4 is about our max unless top roping is possible.
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Feb 20, 2008 - 01:43pm PT
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Nope no ice in utah, nothing to climb, move along and ski Vail.
Just kidding, you will be fine. Things are still fat and freezing at night. A bit drippy but the showers are free.
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fowweezer
Trad climber
Pleasant Grove, UT
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Feb 20, 2008 - 01:53pm PT
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You should be fine. Provo Canyon might be getting messy by then. But there's always Santaquin Canyon, which stays in better shape a bit later. Longer drive gets you to Joe's, which is reliable late season. It'll still be fine for sure, but I'd hate to drive 3 hours after flying in.
Maple might be doable also, depending on weather. I'd check LCC and Provo Canyon first and move south from there to Santaquin if I were in your shoes.
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Kartch
climber
belgrade, mt
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Feb 20, 2008 - 02:34pm PT
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IME usually has up to date information if you're looking for another resource PH# 801-484-8073.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Feb 20, 2008 - 03:05pm PT
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IME usually has up to date information if you're looking for another resource
Nah, none of those guys climbs ice...(ha!).
Be super careful with any rise in temperatures especially mixed with rain. The stuff in both Provo and Santaquin (especially) are super prone to avalanches with that scenario. 1-888-999-4019 for the avy hazard.
LCC is huge too. Scruffy Band is as big as it gets (four independent lines available), and, the GWI is a fun romp, albeit super pecked out from a huge amount of traffic up there (multiple parties on the dawn and dusk patrol are de rigurur for this route). And, so much snow, only about 10 feet of ice is stickin' out on the first pitch right now. Crazy. Gotta like the approach for these ones (and you can see from the road if they're crowded).
Provo purported to be pretty big too. Stairway doesn't see near the avy hazard that the Fang, Millers, Finger, and Bridelveil do (not as big a feeder gully above it). Folks routinely do the apron lower pitches on Stairway (stay off to the side from the upper pitches to avoid ice knocked down from above). Through P 4 its pretty WI 4 climbing, and, the fifth pitch is approaching WI 4 (down from its usual WI 5 rating). That can be a real treat to catch Stairway's fifth pitch in no hands, sticky, WI 4 type conditions, and, this would be the season for that.
Rumor has Santaquin in but, again, watch the avy hazard there. I've been hit once and close call once on Squashhead and Backoff with wet snow slides and it'd be easy to get creamed in there.
Joe's is a bit of a drive and rumor has the roadside stuff at the res. is seeing a bunch of sun and gettin' rotted out. CCC first pitch will be really fat for some time, though. Donorcicle is bound to be in too. Deadbolt should be fine as well. Plenty to do for a day or two in Joes.
Maple is going OFF. Big as it gets for some routes and with the wild temp swings this and last week, just gettin' bigger. 10F at night to 40F during the day. Will no doubt be a bunch of the north facing stuff still fat and sassy this weekend. At the WI 4 level, you could spend many daze at Maple doing routes. Rubber Cup Nausea, Yellow Rapture, Skidders, Running Man, Roadside Coulior, Hog Jowls, Chicken Limbo are all in and just gettin' bigger. Little avy hazard there, but, one thing to watch out for is any top outs that might see sun or be affected by the higher temps might be spicy (ie, you'll be on cobbles). Rumor has Suicidal Failure (Tendencies) in near WI 3 condition, and, with a bolted anchor (left side) which is neat 'cause its been thin for the last couple of seasons (nice to have in gimme conditions). Cobble Cruncher in the box should still be in. Hourglass got done this week but low angle topout was on cobbles. Left Fork stuff (Get Whacked and Bowling Ball Head) rumored to be huge. You need to park at the mouth of the canyon and walk in, but, its only .8 mile to the box and there's tons of stuff right there to climb, so, easy money.
Cheers,
-Brian in SLC
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fowweezer
Trad climber
Pleasant Grove, UT
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Feb 20, 2008 - 10:16pm PT
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Santaquin is definitely in, my buddy was down there this weekend. Of course, as Brian mentioned, avy hazard can be significant in those parts.
I'll report back on Sunday re: Provo conditions, if that's not too late for you.
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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 21, 2008 - 11:26pm PT
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fowweezer, a report on Provo would be great.
what's more dangerous in the rain, the whole falls coming down around you or the avies?
As I recall the great white and scruffy (our first day's targets) are what, less than 1000' higher than the city?
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atchafalaya
climber
Babylon
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Feb 21, 2008 - 11:37pm PT
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maple going off? I would bail lcc.
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fowweezer
Trad climber
Pleasant Grove, UT
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Feb 22, 2008 - 12:06am PT
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Danger depends primarily on the terrain above the climb. Not sure about Maple (Brian can chime in), but in Provo the big danger is probably going to be avalanches if there's rain. Weather reports look spotty--some citing rain and some snow, so it's hard to say.
If the avy danger is high (call the number listed above), stay off of Bridal Veil and anything in that small area.
For Maple it seems more likely that sh#t falling down would be the bigger danger, as most of the routes don't seem to have big feeder gullies above them, but I could be wrong.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Feb 22, 2008 - 11:30am PT
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Yeah, Maple's not that prone to avalanches. Could happen in the box I suppose, but, not super likely.
Rapid warming of the upper part of the routes, especially anything that sees the sun can be an issue. Article posted below from end of Feb 2004. It had rained three days prior to this happening, and, the temp's had warmed up that weekend.
Something to be super mindful of. Looked at Frankenchrist a couple of weekends ago. Huge. The upper part of the route is on a kinda flat mossy face that's slightly overhanging, so, not much support for the huge mass of ice that accumulates there. That routes scares the beejesus outa me, especially late season. Upper part of the route "sees" the sun this time of year.
That said, there's ton's of stuff that is very north facing and semi protected from direct sun. Watch yer topknots.
Cheers,
-Brian in SLC
Friends remember expert Sandy climber Robert Moore, who died Sunday, as "funny and loud but gentle as a deer." (Photo courtesy of the Moore family)
By Derek P. Jensen
The Salt Lake Tribune
SANDY -- Robert Moore had hiked world class terrain for more than 10 years from the mountains of Alaska and Canada to the Rocky Mountain's Wind River range. His friends and climbing partners call him an elite alpinist who spent up to 80 days a year traversing rock and ice walls.
So his day trip Sunday to Maple Canyon in Sanpete County seemed routine -- especially considering he'd done it before. But just 20 feet from the top, Moore, 35, noticed a horizontal crack in the ice. Thinking it would hold, he placed another two screws into the frozen wall as he advanced up the rope.
"He was just about to the top when the whole thing collapsed," said Mike Morris, one of three climbing partners and friends, who choked back tears while talking to reporters Monday.
Moore died after plunging 100 feet, despite his climbing partner's frantic attempts at resuscitation. The Sandy man leaves behind a wife, two boys ages 5 and 3 and a 3-week-old daughter.
Friends say Moore, who was born and raised in Sandy, was a dedicated family man, who loved outdoor adventure, golf and worked in real estate.
"He was funny and loud but gentle as a deer," Morris said.
Around 2:30 p.m., Moore and partner Marcus Porter were climbing the day's second route -- what hikers call Frankenchrist -- when the thick wall of ice broke free. Porter trekked out through thigh-deep snow and found hikers with a cell phone who called search and rescue. But due to massive trauma, immediate care could not have saved his life, friends say.
Bruce O'Donoghue, Moore's friend, who guides for climbers around the world, said the duo had "favorable" conditions Sunday even though the window for ice climbing in Maple Canyon can be as short as two months.
"It's pretty safe if you're well-educated like Robert and Marcus were," he said. "If Robert would have sensed he probably would have come back down."
Moore placed six ice screws for protection in the wall as he climbed, but when the ice collapsed, it took with it the top two screws, and a third screw failed. The combined weight of the climber and the slab of ice stressed the rope, causing Moore to hit the ground. "A lot of it was rope stretch," said Nole Walkingshaw, a climbing companion.
His love of mountaineering notwithstanding, friends say Moore was most devoted to his children and thrilled about the recent birth of his daughter. Friends of the Moore family hope to pass Moore's passion for outdoor recreation on to his children as they get older, said Walkingshaw.
A trust fund for The Children of Robert Moore has been created at Zions Bank.
O'Donoghue, said those close to Moore feel "shattered" by the loss. And losing an experienced member of Utah's climbing community, he says, changes the sport.
"This will always be in the back of my mind for the rest of my life as I go into the mountains."
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fowweezer
Trad climber
Pleasant Grove, UT
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Feb 22, 2008 - 01:56pm PT
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I think stymingersfink posted a first-hand account of that day (he was in another party) on another website. Rockclimbing.com maybe.
Definitely be careful in Maple as things warm up. Santaquin seems to be your best bet when things warm up (without having to drive to Joe's), but I'll report back on Provo sunday afternoon.
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fowweezer
Trad climber
Pleasant Grove, UT
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Feb 24, 2008 - 12:15pm PT
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Well, as promised, here's an update on Provo Canyon ice conditions:
First, the weather....as of 9 am it is blowing pretty hard and sprinkling lightly with rain. No chance of snow--it's far too warm.
Stairway looks good to the top of pitch 5, but it's hard to say how the rain will affect it. Saw no dripping, but this was from the road.
The Bridal Veil drainage is shot. There is a huge fracture going all the way across both Bridal Veil left and right. Some debris at the base of both climbs. White Nightmare looks solid still, but I wouldn't venture anywhere near it. That entire drainage has potential for falling ice, and it's only gotten worse with the wind blowing the water from the falls around. Several huge blocks look perched, ready to kill somebody.
The upper canyon climbs are a mixed bag. Finger of Fate looked okay from the road, only a bit thinner than 6 weeks ago. But I'm not sure I'd want to slog up and take a chance with the rain. Miller's Thriller is probably fine, but prepare to get wet on the first pitch where it funnels through a small choke (low angle, WI2?, but wet). The Fang is a bit dirty at bottom and I doubt it's in very well up higher, but it looked good from the road also somehow.
Bottom line? If it rains much, avy danger will be through the roof in Provo Canyon. I'd stay out of Bridal and that vicinity no matter what. Finger of Fate and Miller's Thriller will be okay if it doesn't rain a lot. The first 3-5 pitches of Stairway are your best bet though, as they don't get hit by running water from a waterfall, and they're not particularly threatened by avy danger. Plus if you commit to the ten minute approach and don't like the upper pitches there is a full day's worth of toproping on the lower apron itself, so it's not a wasted day.
Depending on how long you have here, I would either spend a day in Provo getting on stairway and then heading to santaquin or maple or joe's valley, or just head to santaquin right off the bat.
Good luck. We bailed, as Finger of Fate was our goal, but it was too warm for us to bother. Get an early start if possible, and hope for continued cloud cover (but no rain).
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s. o.
Trad climber
academia
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Feb 24, 2008 - 12:46pm PT
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Update to the stairway thread posted above.
Climbed the first 2 pitches yesterday. The ice is extremely soft. A lot of water is flowing down the climb. Kind of cool/ scary to create a fountain by placing a screw. It was more like climbing slush.
Two wet slab avalanches fell down the climb during the time we were there (1 1/2 hour?). Considerable avalanche debris on top of the second pitch. Two parties went to the fourth or fifth pitch so it is climbable. We bailed because we did not feel safe. We traversed to the mixed lines between stairway and bridal veil and just by walking triggered a slide that went within 20 feet of the trail from the top. (about 600 feet total)
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StyMingersfink
Ice climber
hatu
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Feb 25, 2008 - 04:33pm PT
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you can read the article i wrote mentioned upthread here
It seems the memory of that day comes knocking on my door every February. It's been four years this Friday since that awful day. Every time I am down in Maple climbing ice I think about that day, even if only in passing. I wonder each time how his widow and orphans are doing, hoping they're doing ok...
I've since seen Marcus out climbing ice again. I know he took some time off the ice to get his head straight about it, which anyone would certainly understand. He's actually quite lucky that he was pulled out of the impact zone in that incident... It could have been both of them under that pillar, in which case no-one would have found them for a day or two (if then even).
I finally ticked the climb this year; a bit of a head-game, that decision to get on it, planning my pro, swinging the axes, arriving at the base of the pillar and seeing for myself firsthand something what it might have been like for Robert. Knowing the history of the pillar, I avoided placing any screws into it. Not that by doing so I was making the climb any safer, which I doubt it ever really can be, but that it was one less thing for my head to worry about. Maybe now I'll put that issue to bed, but it'll never be out of my head.
Be careful out there... the tail end of the season is never clear-cut, but come this time of year it's often safer to start looking a little more closely at the less-steep moderates, maybe the climbs you'd overlook otherwise when gunning for the steep stuff. I know that for me, climbing ice is partially a game of personal challenge against a potentially deadly adversary, and partially just out having a good time moving over my favorite medium. In my eyes however, it will never be worth it to risk certain injury, when there will always be next year's ice to climb.
As much as possible, know the history of the areas you choose to climb. It may save your life, or the life of one you love.
In death there are no bragging rights.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Feb 25, 2008 - 06:31pm PT
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Tough post, holmes. Good to hear Marcus is out a bit. Need to give him a jingle.
Yeah, depends on the climb with this swing up in temp's. Some can melt out, and, some come crashing down. Helps to kinda know which.
Missed ya in Maple on Saturday. Left Fork. Get Whacked was huge. Thing to the right which was only partly in came crashing down next to us. Kinda sobering.
Shady north facing lower angle gully ice! Supposed to be mid 50's by Friday. Yikes!
Don't suppose you'd want to get a lap on Scruffy tomorrow, post work? 'Bout 4:30pm or so? Single 70m on the left side before it gets too gooey. Gimme a jingle if you want to go.
Cheers,
-Brian in SLC
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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 26, 2008 - 12:13pm PT
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Climbed Great White and Scruffy on last saturday. nice
Sunday we went to Stairway to Heaven. Warm chinook winds blowing hard up canyon. dripping everywhere. Halfway up first pitch came to four inch wide horizontal crack. As I was placing a screw the whole sheet I was staning on shifted down another half inch. Sh#t,
So we moved over a hundred feet and tried another line. Part way up an huge ice falls comes crashing down from up high. I think above pitch five. It was way off to left so we were safe but decided not to go higher and just top rope some stuff on pitch one. Then it starts raining. Maybe an hour later a whole sheet of ice, maybe 50' by 50' and three feet thick pealed off right next to us. Clean back to the rock. At that point we finally got the message and bailed. ha
Drove to Ouray the next morning and got in 6 pitches of top ropping that afternoon. fun was had by all.
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StyMingersfink
Ice climber
hatu
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Feb 26, 2008 - 04:04pm PT
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I've heard stories from a friend of a time they were climbing on Provo's Stairway to Heaven as a party of three...
The leader topped out on P3,then brought the two followers up simultaneously. Just as they arrived at the tree anchor, the P5 pillar came sliding over the lip of P4 like a silent freight train.
If they'd still been on the pitch, they probably would have both been wiped out.
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paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
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Feb 26, 2008 - 05:40pm PT
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better late then never...i am getting a pair of used crampons tonight...if anyone wanted to get out we could do a dawn or dusk lap on something...
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Feb 26, 2008 - 05:59pm PT
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If you guys are on climbs when they are coming down you definatly are not useing you heads! You Can Get Seriously F*#king Killed at this game and you need to know when it is sketch and use your fcking head. If I was flying somewhere to climb ice I would check the weather there daily from the moment that I planned the trip. Here in the northeast I know all the diferent exposuers and weather paterns. I know which climbs will be safe and which will be deadly on any given day and any given week. I still may get killed ice climbing. If sh#t is falling down on the same sun angle as you and you are still climbing, chances are good that your next! If water is running between the rock and the ice you may be next, if it's white instead of blue or yellow, you may be next. It is easy to give in to the feeling that you traveled a long way to climb so you better get something in but that is how you get killed. Allways be objective and look at the situation as it really is and not how you want it to be.
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fowweezer
Trad climber
Pleasant Grove, UT
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Feb 26, 2008 - 08:06pm PT
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rockermike, nice work on a good trip. Definitely a good call to go to Ouray in this case.
Glad you had fun and didn't die.
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