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Messages 1 - 36 of total 36 in this topic |
OjaiClimber
Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 24, 2016 - 09:47pm PT
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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?
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Stewart Johnson
Mountain climber
lake forest
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Jun 24, 2016 - 10:08pm PT
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Ha ha!
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Redwood City
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Jun 24, 2016 - 10:10pm PT
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Bring a down suit ...
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OjaiClimber
Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2016 - 08:12pm PT
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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.
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Ney Grant
Trad climber
Pollock Pines
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Jun 26, 2016 - 08:21pm PT
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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...
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OjaiClimber
Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2016 - 08:41pm PT
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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.
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Jun 26, 2016 - 08:41pm PT
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*
OjaiClimber, Damn...Hairball..!!!!
So glad to hear you and your girlfriend made it out alive..
Take care..
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Jun 26, 2016 - 08:48pm PT
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Thanks for validating a recent bail of mine. Happy this turned out ok minus the IBU
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Stewart Johnson
Mountain climber
lake forest
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Jun 26, 2016 - 08:53pm PT
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Wow!
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Jun 27, 2016 - 06:32am PT
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Bump
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Grippa
Trad climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Jun 27, 2016 - 07:50am PT
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dangggggg
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jun 27, 2016 - 09:11am PT
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Epic. A few selfies with the ice fall please!
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dikhed
climber
State of fugue and disbelief
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Jun 27, 2016 - 09:14am PT
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without pictures it is just a f*#ked up run on paragraph
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Jun 27, 2016 - 09:18am PT
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HOLY CRAP!
I'm so glad you were able to hold on.
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Ed H
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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Jun 27, 2016 - 09:26am PT
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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.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Jun 27, 2016 - 09:33am PT
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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.
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Escopeta
Trad climber
Idaho
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Jun 27, 2016 - 09:37am PT
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So, you're saying you do need crampons for Bear Creek Spire then?
Edit: Glad you made it.
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BFK
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jun 27, 2016 - 10:14am PT
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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?
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OjaiClimber
Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2016 - 11:02am PT
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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.
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OjaiClimber
Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2016 - 11:53am PT
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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.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jun 27, 2016 - 12:13pm PT
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This is not a troll?!
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OjaiClimber
Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2016 - 12:17pm PT
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In order to receive what type of response exactly? It would be a pretty lame troll.
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OjaiClimber
Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2016 - 12:30pm PT
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Lol, that's me too. I don't usually post over here on SuperTopo unless I need actual climbing information. I know there's a lot of banter on these forums but SuperTopo seems to have way way more information on alpine and obscure trad climbing.
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Jun 27, 2016 - 03:04pm PT
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Hope you bought a lotto ticket
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jun 28, 2016 - 12:32am PT
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Great you are alive. Climbing tenaya peak while the large chunk of snow is there is a gamble honestly, even with an early star. I have seen the majority of that thing come down a few years ago, was an incredible sight. Too bad there is no warning in a guidebook...
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Jun 28, 2016 - 11:59am PT
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Yikes! Frightening. Could have been tragic.
I'm not usually the "What were you two thinking!!! That massive snow-pile sits on a freaking slab in the sun only an idiot would go up there....seriously....what a gamble just to go up there on a sunny day in spring, that's basic mountain awareness 101, what do you think that slab just slowly melts all day long every year and never releases? Fools for even being up there! Fools I say!!! Fools!" guy.
But I won't be that guy. Not today. We all learn lessons out there don't we. I've done my share of regretful decision making in the mountains over the years. Sometimes ya get bit, sometimes you don't. So glad it ended well. Stay stoked and stay safe out there,
Scott
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OjaiClimber
Trad climber
Ojai, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 28, 2016 - 01:36pm PT
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Hey Scott, thanks for not saying anything...ummm. Lol. Yes, basic mountaineering skills 101...except I'm a climber and have not much mountaineering skills. I've tons tons of alpine climbs, Dark Star, Red Dihedral, Bear Creek Spire, Sun Ribbon Arete, Venitiun Blind, Moon Goddess, Triple Crown in Tuolunme, etc but my partner has always been the one who navigated me through the snow and he had just left for Peru. I guess I forgot who the pro was.
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Jun 29, 2016 - 01:16pm PT
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Here is a pic from 6am on 6-26-2016. I believe we are just below the flake your gf hid under. You can see the snow far above doesn't look too menacing here.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 29, 2016 - 01:42pm PT
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I first climbed the Tenaya Peak buttress in 1977. The Roper High Sierra Guide, then the most current available, described the route going by a snowfield that linges [sic] until late season. Thus, we called it the "linging snowfield" route for several years.
John
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labrat
Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
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Jun 29, 2016 - 01:56pm PT
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"I don't usually post over here on SuperTopo unless I need actual climbing information."
Are you sure you are not trolling? ;-)
Glad you did not die and thanks for posting.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 12, 2016 - 04:40pm PT
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You're a very lucky pair!
There's a reason alpine climbers make an Alpine Start (pre-dawn). Get up the bloody mountain before the snow/ice start to melt in the sun.
Not because it's easier to travel on firm snow/ice but because when it starts to melt it becomes unpredictable. Especially on smooth slabs.
Also what looks like a very small patch of snow from the car is likely much larger than you think.
Carry on!
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Ed H
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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Jul 12, 2016 - 08:31pm PT
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Tenya July 2
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Jul 12, 2016 - 08:39pm PT
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Crampons and snow pickets would be advised . . . and an extra pair of underwear.
Glad you survived.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Jul 12, 2016 - 10:46pm PT
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Hey Ojai,
How is the jaw doing? Jaws are kind of my specialty. Any lingering pain, stiffness, difficulty opening?
Scott
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Highlife
Trad climber
California
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Jul 13, 2016 - 08:37am PT
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I know this thread has taken a different turn. But FYI you do not need crampons at bear creek spire right now.
Cheers
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Aug 30, 2017 - 07:05pm PT
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bump for an Ojai story I hadn't heard.
dayum!
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