Bogley

[jumar]

From rockclimbing.com

Quote:
triassic

PM Friend Partner

Utah, United States

Dec 17, 2007, 12:52 PM
Post #105 of 107 (169 views)
Copy Shortcut

Registered: Nov 25, 2002
Posts: 43

Re: [stymingersfink] The 2007-2008 Ice Conditions Thread - NEW [In reply to] Quote | Reply

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joe's Valley as of 12/16/2007.

Primadonna Not in yet

Spear of Fear barely getting started.

Deadbolt Probably doable, the curtain pitch is more of a column on the left side.

Melty Way Looked pretty good to me, in better than I've usually seen it.

CCC Falls All 3 pitches are in, pitch three felt like a solid WI4.

Donorcicle In all the way up, many climbers were toproping it. Leading it might be a little more exciting.

Looks like a good year for Joe's is on its way.

[jumar]

From RC again
Quote: triassic

PM Friend Partner

Utah, United States

Dec 25, 2007, 2:55 PM
Post #109 of 110 (133 views)
Copy Shortcut

Registered: Nov 25, 2002
Posts: 44

Re: [stymingersfink] The 2007-2008 Ice Conditions Thread - NEW [In reply to] Quote | Reply

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey Sty, Here's your Xmas present!

Maple Canyon Xmas Eve

Rubber Cup Nausea WI3- In, but in thin conditions, but it's not been this good in years.
Bottomless, Topless WI6 Almost in probably just a few more days
Lemon WI2+ Not in good enough yet
Yellow Rapture and Skidders WI3 Both need a little more ice, but they're getting close!
Running Man WI4 It's in baby!

Box Canyon Routes: The Dagger, Cobble Cruncher, Maple Syrup, Maple Moon, Jesus Wept, Dos Gusanos, Tied off Stubbies All of these were really close to being in, maybe only one or two more days of cold.
Box Canyon Routes: Empire of Dirt WI5/6, Sandbagger WI4, Approach to Dagger WI2 More ice on Empire than I've seen for a decade, Sandbagger- looks good enough it's always thin and scary at the end.
Roadside Couloir WI3 Any day now.
Hooker WI5 Any day now also.
Hog Jowls WI3 Looks scary still.
Chicken Limbo Looks good to me.
Under Wraps Looked like enough ice to send, but I didn't scramble up to the base to see behind the flake.
Suzy Q Not in.
Suicidal Tendencies WI4 Enough ice on it to make you think about it.
Wet Itchies WI4 Did it, as good as last year.
4 pin Variation WI4 Almost.
Bowling Ball Head WI3 Did it, good enough.
Deep Throat Maple WI3 Probably in by today or tomorrow, its that close.
Sir Mixalot WI6 If you're sending WI6, it will turn your head as it's probably as good as it's going to get.
Get Whacked WI5 Sent it and then did a few laps on it. Screws for the first half and then two bolts on the left side and two on the right side and then more screws.
Brittle Stiffie My favorite climb in Maple and didn't go look at it well enough. The first pitch looked in, but couldn't tell about the other two.

I didn't check out further up Left Fork, but would guess that the first two pitches of Chutes and Ladders are in.
I didn't check out the climbs in the campground.
I didn't check out Frankenchrist, but would guess not quite yet. I also have no idea about the stuff by The Pipedream Area.

Did what is probably the FA of the thin ice between Get Whacked and Sir Mixalot. Seemed a lot harder than Get Whacked and way scarier. Scratch your way up to the roof and clip two bolts of the summer sport climb, you may have to dry tool and use your hands, but once you're at the roof it's all ice. You can still clip two more bolts to the left of the ice flow and then it's all stubbies until the end. Get on it early as it starts to delaminate from the wall after 1 or 2pm. I wouldn't want to test out any of the screws and it's continuous until the end. Once you pull over the final steep part, there's anchors to the left. You can continue to the top of the cliff, but it's easy and a lot of rock and ice and another 100+ feet.
I'm calling it The Final Frontier WI6 R
It looks like a killer year for Maple with all the snow! I had to walk from the very start of the canyon with all the snow on the road, but didn't need snow shoes. You would want snowshoes for The Right Fork however.
Have Fun!

[millsclimber]

Any update here guys? Pics are great - thanks. :nod: I'm in the flatlands of Illinois right now, but I want to get on the ice as soon as I get back next week.

Anyone been to Joe's yet? Anything in Santaquin canyon in? Anyone been up the freeway that materializes up the Great White Icicle on the weekends yet?

I always really appreciate any and all updates on conditions since they can change so fast.

[jumar]

We were going to go yesterday, but it didn't pan out. Hoping to try again on Saturday. I can't believe I haven't been on the ice yet!!!

Austin, what are ya doing in Illinois? Work?

[millsclimber]

Nope...being lazy unfortunately. I've been with the wife's family for the Holidays, so I'm ready to get back and get on the ice. I see that you did post some relatively recent stuff on Joe's....I just didn't see the second page of the thread. Sounds like a trip down there would be well worth it.

Austin

[Brian in SLC]

Some info related to the current conditions reported on the iceclimbingutah website (which got sent back in a message to me as undeliverable):

As an update to the info on your website:

>Great White Icicle Still climbable, but may not be in
the best shape, lots of snow.

Looks good from the road and solid all the way to the
top. Plenty of traffic.

>Scruffy Band From the road looked OK, but may not be
in.

In and solid all the way up (we climbed it last
night). Several pillar variations available at the
top tier. Some running water straight below the lip
below the upper tree anchor: take care.

>Cold Duck May not be in.

Looked fully formed and enough ice, when viewed from
the road, to give it a closer look and maybe a try.

>Storm Mountain Falls May not be in.

Saw folks on the upper part of the first pitch on 1/13
in the afternoon. Still appeared doable.

********************

In addition to the above:

Scruffy Band: folks might not realize, but, Scruffy Band can typically be thin in the middle in a couple of places. Its common, even when the lower and upper stretches are fat. If you need/want pro, get it prior to stepping up onto these thin spots. And, if you top out far right (or, in general), place a screw above the last steep section just in case your partner comes off at the lip. The next decent pro is the stubby tree to the left off the top traverse and the swing from a falling second could be really bad (ie, they'd deck on the ledge at the base of the steep section). Take a stubby and find deep enough ice. Or two. And take care on that traverse, folks have blown it up there. Around 20 years ago a soloist fell from the top on slick snow over the rock. Surprisingly only broke a few bones and lived.

Photo from 1/13 on mountainproject shows the second pitch of Storm Mtn Falls looking plenty fat still. My bet is with continued sustained cold and plenty of snow, this ice will stay for a few more days.

One thing to keep a mind of, is, that with a big swing to colder temps, thin pillars and the like can get cracky and be much less robust. Also in sustained cold temp's, ice dams tend to bust and its not uncommon to find open and running water where you least expect it. That can be pretty scary and create an ugly situation very fast.

Cheers,

-Brian in SLC

[Jaxx]

I don't know if this will help but I saw a bunch of people climbing the stairway, southwestish of bridal veil falls, on Saturday 1/12/08. The highest person was mabey a 1/3 of the way up.

[iceclimbingutah]

Iceclimbingutah.com has been updated with the recent info posted here, and thank you for the info on the routes as well as on the email not working, its back and working again.

[jumar]

Spent a little time in Joe's on Saturday. The bottom curtain of Amphitheater was in, but has now fallen. The ice looked good if you can get over the lip of the overhang.

Most everything else looked good.

[Brian in SLC]

jumar wrote: Spent a little time in Joe's on Saturday....Most everything else looked good.

Slip slidin', premadonna and spear of fear??

Maple is pretty good. North facing stuff along the road is plump.

-Brian in SLC

[Brian in SLC]

LCC ice is still hanging in there. Climbed Super Slab last night, can't believe how thick that ice is. Was pretty darn cold, too, so I'd imagine it "should" stay viable through the weekend. If folks haven't ticked this climb, now is a good time. Pretty good, easy to follow trail right now (3 parties worth), fat ice, although, pretty low angle and will hammer your calves. But, it just doesn't come in this good that often, so, get it while its (not) hot.

Scruffy Band is lookin' a bit heat hammered, but, still ok and from the fresh tracks last night, looks like folks are still tickin' it. Was a crack running across the bottom of the first standard pitch (we climbed the left side variation on 2/26), though, and visible running water beneath it so I'd be careful on that rig.

GWI looks ok from the road. Upper pitch has got a fair amount of open running water. First two pitches can be done completely as a snow climb (crazy snow year) with very little ice poking out. Bulge looks fat and sassy (and super pegged out).

At Maple, we climbed Get Whacked on 23 Feb and the next day or so it fell down, so, be careful on anything steep and sun/heat affected. Had friends climb in Santaquin that same day and reported that Automatic and Candlestick were in good shape.

Hard to say, but, my guess is these high temp's during the day are not good for the ice. I'd stick to shady, gully type climbing and be very careful about avy conditions in any rapid rise in day time temp's.

Cheers,

-Brian in SLC

[jumar]

I'm 'un-sticky-ing' this thread since the season is winding down.