Do I need crampons for Bear Creek Spire this weekend?

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OjaiClimber

Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 24, 2016 - 09:47pm PT
Does anyone have any snow condition photos or advice for Bear Creek Spire? I'm driving up tonight and am trying to decide on snow boots and crampons OR 2 nut tools and approach shoes. Any information?
Stewart Johnson

Mountain climber
lake forest
Jun 24, 2016 - 10:08pm PT
Ha ha!
Dapper Dan

Trad climber
Redwood City
Jun 24, 2016 - 10:10pm PT
Bring a down suit ...
OjaiClimber

Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2016 - 08:12pm PT
Okay...so we planned to do Bear Creek Spire, but there was a tremendous amount of snow as soon as you left the hiking trail and there's no way I could have gotten to the spire without snowshoes. So, we decided to get back in the car and drive to Tuolunme and do a quick free solo of Tenya Peak.

There was snow on the route at about pitch 10 or so. My girlfriend and I decided to free solo the route anyway and just avoid the snow by going off route. We made it up about 8 pitches and then my girlfriend asked me if I thought I could actually run up the route and that she's like to see me do it. Being the cocky guy that I am, I started running as fast as I could up the 5.3 or 5.4 slab.

I heard a thundering sound overhead. I looked up and saw the whole snow bank flying through the air right towards me. Luckily my girlfriend was watching me from next to an overhang so she was able to protect herself from most of the ice blocks flying towards her head. I wasn't so lucky. I was in the middle of completely exposed slab with no where to go, so I put my head to the slab and my hands on top of my head to protect myself (my stupid decision to not wear a helmet...It's slab, what could happen right? Idiot.) I was hit over and over and over and over by bowling ball sized chunks of ice and snow as I waited for the avalanche to stop. Every time I was hit on the head I would yell, trying to stay conscious because every hit was almost knocking me out.

After the mayhem was over, I came out of it with a dislocated jaw, major pain all over my back, cuts all over the backs of my hands, a walnut sized lump on the back of my right hand. the force of the snow had also popped my water bladder in my backpack.

After I was able to control the adrenaline pumping through my veins, we then had to find a very very off route way to get to the top. The entire slab was now covered in water and we had to free solo up slick wet granite for another 3 pitches before we were above the remaining snow patch. All in all, my girlfriend and I were very very lucky to not die today. My jaw popped back into place a couple of hours later, but I still can't chew.

After we topped out we back country hiked until we reached Cathedral Lakes and walked the John Muir tail back to Tuolunme Meadows. I'm very happy to be alive today.
Ney Grant

Trad climber
Pollock Pines
Jun 26, 2016 - 08:21pm PT
Wow!

So you running up the rock actually set it off? That is wild. Punctured your water bladder and dislocated your jaw? I'd say you were not blowing smoke when you said each blow almost knocked you out.

Glad you are alive. Now that you have had a recent concussion you should avoid them for a while. So no running up slabs with snow above...
OjaiClimber

Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2016 - 08:41pm PT
It's hard to believe that the footfalls of my 160 pounds could dislodge the entire snow bank that was 3 pitches up. I've been a trad climber for 11 years but I don't have much experience with snow so I made a rookie decision that almost killed me. I can't believe that the snow didn't throw me down the entire route. Free soloing is fun but this is the first time ive almost died. Will I stop? Probably not, but I will defiantly not climb under snow ever again.
nita

Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
Jun 26, 2016 - 08:41pm PT
*
OjaiClimber, Damn...Hairball..!!!!

So glad to hear you and your girlfriend made it out alive..


Take care..





thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
Jun 26, 2016 - 08:48pm PT
Thanks for validating a recent bail of mine. Happy this turned out ok minus the IBU
Stewart Johnson

Mountain climber
lake forest
Jun 26, 2016 - 08:53pm PT
Wow!
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
Jun 27, 2016 - 06:32am PT
Bump
Grippa

Trad climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 27, 2016 - 07:50am PT
dangggggg
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Jun 27, 2016 - 09:11am PT
Epic. A few selfies with the ice fall please!
dikhed

climber
State of fugue and disbelief
Jun 27, 2016 - 09:14am PT
without pictures it is just a f*#ked up run on paragraph
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
Jun 27, 2016 - 09:18am PT
HOLY CRAP!
I'm so glad you were able to hold on.
Ed H

Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
Jun 27, 2016 - 09:26am PT
Whew - glad you are ok.

A partner of mine tells a similar story - they are on Tenya, they hear rumbling - thinking it's motercycles on 120 - look around - no bikes - look up - a huge slab of snow and ice are coming right at them - they are able to duck under a block, as the whole thing sweeps over them - barely escaping with their lives.

fear

Ice climber
hartford, ct
Jun 27, 2016 - 09:33am PT
50 tons of melting snow and ice on dark steep rock slab hundreds of feet above you.

What could go wrong?

Glad you're still with us and not maimed.
Escopeta

Trad climber
Idaho
Jun 27, 2016 - 09:37am PT
So, you're saying you do need crampons for Bear Creek Spire then?



Edit: Glad you made it.
BFK

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Jun 27, 2016 - 10:14am PT
Wow, sounds pretty epic!

Curious what time this happened? There were a few parties we bumped into on Matthes that were doing the triple (at least 1 for sure and a pair of soloist that I assumed were also doing the linkup). I wonder if the slide was set off by a party above?
OjaiClimber

Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2016 - 11:02am PT
I posted my experience on Mountain Project and the team who was ahead of us wrote in. The party you saw had started Tenya Peak at 5:40am and had summited by 7am. Monika and I had started at the parking lot at 10 and the avalanche hit us around 11.
OjaiClimber

Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2016 - 11:53am PT
That picture is awesome. We were both close to the first snow patch when the avalanche started. If you look closely you can see an overhanging fin to the right of the first snow patch. That's where my girlfriend was able to duck underneath. I was on the slab 50 ft up. The entire second patch of snow that's above is what fell on me. There is only a small amount left up there now.
Messages 1 - 20 of total 36 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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