Thanks Jim. Not really cold for a guy that worked in Grand Lake Colorado in -40. I didn't wear gloves much as it is really hard to hold nails or anything else when you are building.
Sometimes I even throw off my gloves while ice climbing.
The temps don't seem that bad really.
For BMartin
The road to the east fork closes at the intersection to the main road on January 1st, unless there are cars stuck back there then they leave it open until folks get their vehicles out.
the east fork road is different from the main fork, which is plowed all the way. If it doesn't snow there's a boottrack all the way into the killer pillar in flanders, champagne sherbet should be at the top of your list. I've spent the last 4 days in the east fork/flanders. Today I drove all the way to the end of the road, not bad, just stay in the ruts. Of course that doesn't matter if the road is gated, in which case it's an extra mile of road for flanders, and 3 miles of road for the climbs like high fidelity and slight of hand.
Shotgun to the head @ 1987 ish Mike? Rogers ashes got scattered up at Angles Rest by his lady Kathy and some friends. I regret I had to work that day and couldn't get it off.
Roger had been on a self imposed all natural, all uncooked, Veg diet ever since his fall off the very top of Rooster Rock headfirst into the Columbia River. The river was at record high levels and he was stuck headfirst in the mud with a broken neck. A young couple nearby gently pulled him out and floated him over to the shore.
The fall, which must have been @1969-70 somewhere had caused all kinds of broken bones and health issues which later morphed into arthritis in every joint he had. Roger was told he'd be in a wheelchair by the time he was 30. Then he's walking past the stacks in a book store and sees a health food diet book written by an old black guy that suggests eating ONLY raw uncooked vegetables is the key to the fountain of youth. It may have been, I was once soloing Mount Hood in the days when I was guiding and up there a lot and in shape. In the early morning gloom I see another way over also heading up. I tried to match his pace but was unable to. Later I learned it was Rog, he'd seen me, didn't recognize who I was and didn't want company. On later climbs together I learned how good of shape he was in, amazing. The diet helped a lot in keeping the pain away but as he aged (into his 30's or so) it crept back and he'd admit to it. I didn't climb a lot with Roger but we did some rock and some mountains together.
But either the diet or the prolific drugs he took as a youth, caused some rage to come out on occasion of what was an otherwise absurdly mellow guy and one day, he just couldn't handle the combo of pain and rage and did himself in. RIP Roger.
We did some PG 13 at Genesis area. Mountain Project says these are WI 3+.
Didn't seem that hard. It was fairly picked out which was OK by me. We both led one and toproped a bunch. Our first day we thought we would ease into the week.
Another sweet day. Got a WI3 lead done first thing this morning. Felt like the rope gun. Really not that big of a deal. it was just smokin fun. Had the GoPro on for that lead. 6 screws on Siwitchback Falls. Just fun. Love placin screws. WILD!
Pete Tapley gettin' it done in HC--a Deadrocker, at that :-)
edit: That Scepter video was gnarly--I was on the crux (seconding, thankfully) of Green Gully for a 19 second avalanche "flush". Keep the tools in and the head down...
Vitaliy M. - We are staying at the Best Western PLUS!!!! This has to one of the greatest vactions EVER!!!
Great weather. No wind. Temps good for ice formation. So fresh ice! No avy danger. Or at least not enough to worry much.
We are getting plenty of ice. Tomorrow we are going to see if we can take it up a notch. Haven't had to clip off a tool on any of our leads yet.
Best ice I have been on in a long time. Another day in paradise.
We had the best weather EVER! We got 9 routes done. I personally set 34 ice screws on my leads. We swung leads with Rick leading the first one of the morning on one day. Then I would lead the first one the next day. Five days of pure bliss. We climbed Genesis 1 and then Genesis 2. Switchback Falls, Fat Chance, Mummy 2, Then I led Genesis 1 straight up. We climbed Twin Falls in two pitches to get the alpine mult-pitch feel. Really it just made it more fun cause we both got to lead a pitch. Then today was Genesis 2 for Ricks lead, then I got to lead Hangover in free flowing wet conditions. I had to move fast so I didn't get car washed.
Let us know!