News Flash: "Yosemite Falls Frozen Solid"

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 1 - 20 of total 37 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
WBraun

climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 2, 2007 - 02:09pm PT
Yosemite Falls this morning taken half hour ago.

Mtnmun

Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
Dec 2, 2007 - 02:14pm PT
Very cool, how often has this happened? FA in the making!
WBraun

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 2, 2007 - 02:22pm PT
Get your ass down here Walleye.

You're gonna to lead this thing, and I'll watch from the yard.

Mtnmun edit: It's very rare occurrence for the falls to freeze up totally like this. I've never seen it like this ever.
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
Dec 2, 2007 - 02:33pm PT
Brr. I was climbing yesterday and every time the sun went behind a cloud I was starting to freeze.

How do those guys climb at Baffin? Boggles my mind

Peace

Karl
John Moosie

climber
Dec 2, 2007 - 03:27pm PT
My guess would be it froze because of the low water flows. Last year in November we had 2 degree weather and it didn't freeze solid. But it had higher flows.

The low last night for the valley is reported at 27. Thats not that cold.


Cool picture tho. Thanks !!!
Lambone

Ice climber
Ashland, Or
Dec 2, 2007 - 03:28pm PT
has it ever been climbed? that's cool...
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
Dec 2, 2007 - 04:00pm PT
About every other day, I think to myself, I wish I was Werner.
McC

Trad climber
Livermore Ca
Dec 2, 2007 - 04:28pm PT
Werner --

Great picture! Got me dreaming about Yosemite ice.

If you took any pictures that show the lower part of the falls, please post them, too.

Thanks,
McC
Raydog

Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
Dec 2, 2007 - 04:50pm PT
yeah walleye - great shot, like ka-bam!
Double D

climber
Dec 2, 2007 - 04:58pm PT
GO WARNER GO!

Would that be a cool send, or what?
captain chaos

climber
Dec 2, 2007 - 04:58pm PT
Nice Werner... seems like history in the making for the one who can act fast enough- To realize this read Werner's edit to Mtnmun again:

Mtnmun edit: "It's very rare occurrence for the falls to freeze up totally like this. I've never seen it like this ever"
Crimpergirl

Social climber
St. Looney
Dec 2, 2007 - 05:03pm PT
Looks like a good place/time for the next sushifest. Hahahaha.
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Dec 2, 2007 - 05:43pm PT
John Muir tells a story in his book The Yosemite, about doing death-defying scrambles on the ice cone under the upper falls.
Ricky D

Trad climber
Sierra Westside
Dec 2, 2007 - 06:05pm PT
Early '90s and the missus and I had bailed on a low snow Thanksgiving ski trip at Kirkwood. Heading down the 49 to geek at the gold rush boutiques - we decided to swing into Yosemite.

Shooting the breeze with the bartender at the Ahwahnee bar about climbing it gets mentioned that we might get a good room deal since the tourons had left from the Turkey weekend.

The girl at the front desk gives us a handful of room keys and says - find one you like.

We didn't really get it free - but pretty damn close considering the regular cost. Anyway - we took a room looking out towards the Falls.

The next morning, laying in bed nursing a champagne hangover - we start hearing CRACK, WHISTLE, BOOM! every 30 seconds or so.

WTF?

Crawling out the window onto the roof ridge over the dining hall we crawled until we good get a more direct view of the Falls.

Sure enough, the Falls had frozen solid overnight.

That is until the temperature started rising as the sun cam up over the Valley.

The CRACK turned out to be the sound caused by a sheet of ice breaking free from the wall.

The WHISTLE was the sound it made dropping through the air.

The BOOM was the hit at the bottom.

This kept up for 20 minutes or so until all of the ice had peeled away and fallen or melted off.

All in all, one of the neater ways to wake up we had ever experienced.

Rick
:)

Jello

Social climber
No Ut
Dec 2, 2007 - 07:18pm PT
Perfect for a quick solo. Possible death trap for a roped team pitching it out. Wish I was still climbing--what a beauty!

-TantalizedJello
Raydog

Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
Dec 2, 2007 - 07:31pm PT
that's what I always thought,
looking at Yosemite Falls too Jeff. Yep.
perfect for a quick solo, after a bong hit.
or a couple olde E!
just a quick solo...man no problem,
me and bvd used to scheme on it all the time
wondering which one of us would go for it!!
Shack

Big Wall climber
Reno NV
Dec 2, 2007 - 07:37pm PT
Werner, just go grab one of the SAR 1500 ft ropes,
and go top rope that thang!
fairweather

Mountain climber
Roseville, CA
Dec 2, 2007 - 08:49pm PT
Let me get this straight. Werner has never seen the falls frozen like this before, but we need to act now or global warming is going to be the end of all of us?

Spare me the "global warming is the cause of all climate extremes" debate.
scooter

climber
Moss Landing CA
Dec 2, 2007 - 08:54pm PT
Polished granite + ice = CRASH!!!!

I have been under El Cap when huge chunks were falling off. Under the P.O. My Bud Matt got hit in the leg with a canteloupe size piece. Didn't break anything, but gave him a little El Cap charlie horse.



John Moosie

climber
Dec 2, 2007 - 08:56pm PT
Uh..... Fairweather, it only froze because the water level is low. We have had much colder weather. Last year in november it hit 2 degrees for over 30 hours and it didn't freeze. Last nights low was only 27 degrees.
Messages 1 - 20 of total 37 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta