Best place to live for ice climbing

Where is the best place to live in the US for ice climbing? I'm thinking near Ouray, Cody, or New Hampshire? What do you think?

For ease of approach, I'm going for Ouray area. Plus you can treat box canyon like a gym, then have plenty of surrounding alpine climbs for the real stuff.

I spent most of last winter living near Ouray and then in Cody.

Ouray is very pretty, has the outdoor gym at the ice park and tons of alpine stuff nearby, as well as being relatively close to Indian Creek and is a big climbing center; on the downside, climbs are often crowded, even in the backcountry, and depending on your taste the town might feel a little small and limiting and there's lot of snow to deal with.

Cody climbing is absolutely killer and not very crowded; on the downside, the approaches can be big, the local climbing community is small, the town isn't all that interesting and everything is a long ways away in winter.

Personally, I'd move to Ouray (or some other town on the Western Slope) under the right circumstances but Cody would be pretty far down my list of places to live.

I might be a little bias because I grew up there, but in my opinion Adirondacks, Keene Valley NY. There is so much ice and its all amazing. I've climbed in Ouray, all around Colorado and nothing compares to the ice back home.

just my 2 cents...

Rob

Without a doubt it is Ouray or Ridgeway which is inbetween Ouray and Telluride.

If you're going to move somewhere for the ice you'll want consistent conditions and an oppotunity to meet other climbers who you might partner up with to visit other areas. The Ice Park in Ouray can be crowded but usually if you hang in the leading area you won't have any competition for the routes AND if you do live there you can pick and choose when and where you climb, thus avoiding the crowds. The other-laying ice climbs are very good and not crowded. Then there is the proximity to Bridalveil Falls and other classics like the Ames ICe Hose. Lake City has an ice park and about 40 other climbs that consistently form up year after year and that's just two hours away.......There is still potential for FAs on ice and alpine routes plus the knowledge and experience you'll gain from traveling and playing in the long winter there will give you a good background for other, more ambitious ascents........Indian Creek is just two hours away and Vail is just two hours away.

Otherwise, my only advice would be to cultivate an Australian accent, move to Canmore and flip pancakes at the "little Miner" coffee shop. The Canadian women are cute AND they can carry a heavy pack!!

jack

jack roberts wrote:Otherwise, my only advice would be to cultivate an Australian accent, move to Canmore and flip pancakes at the "little Miner" coffee shop. The Canadian women are cute AND they can carry a heavy pack!!

Hi jack ~ Those are actually american women diguised as Canadian girls 'cause their also after the action up there - *grin*

I second this place for best ice & n'ice pack-carriers... (sorry for the Hi-jack, Ben :)

Whitegrass, Montana
There isn't a mountain or an ice flow for as far as the photons can flow, but its the closest you are going to get to the Banff Valley and Jasper Highway, and all other ice climbing destinations pale.
Sorry Colorado. Its true.

Sam Lightner, Jr. wrote:Whitegrass, Montana There isn't a mountain or an ice flow for as far as the photons can flow, but its the closest you are going to get to the Banff Valley and Jasper Highway, and all other ice climbing destinations pale. Sorry Colorado. Its true.

Ain't no need to apologize for the truth.

jack roberts wrote: The Canadian women are cute AND they can carry a heavy pack!! jack

I think that is why Ben married one. That and the fact that she was following hard ice routes at 7+ months pregnant (Holly is such a bad-ass).

Ben, the best place for ice climbing is somewhere near northern NM so we can climb together. Chandra and I really miss you guys!

Best wishes,

George

Thibodaux, LA or Flatonia, TX

Stellar climbs that you will never forget (or is it forget to remember??)

I would have to say Ouray/Ridgeway. I would personally live in Ridgeway due to the fact that it is a little bigger. If you are young Ouray can be a really boring in the winter time when you are not climbing. If you are in Ridgeway and bored you can always head over to Telluride where the night life is a little more active.

The routes are not crowded if you climb during the week. The weekends are for skiing and lounging. Plus if you live up there you will learn about all the secret ice. ;)

Although Canada would be pretty cool if you could get them to let you live there. It is very hard from what I understand to move to Canada.

New England is the best in terms of easy access (road side), diversity of climbs (remote, alpine, cragging, road cuts) and just the plain amounts of ice, etc. that are accessible.

Thunder Bay is good, but pretty isolated and not really diverse.

The west, in general, is far more involved. (With the exception of Ouray.)

1. Cody
2. Ouray
3. Estes park

I lived in Ouray for 2 winters and my vote would be for Ridgeway. Canada would be tops, but I don't think they're giving green cards to any Americans right now.

Sam Lightner, Jr. wrote:Whitegrass, Montana There isn't a mountain or an ice flow for as far as the photons can flow, but its the closest you are going to get to the Banff Valley and Jasper Highway, and all other ice climbing destinations pale. Sorry Colorado. Its true.

Where is this? I don't know of any town or area named this...nor does google or my GIS data...

TomKingsbury wrote: Where is this? I don't know of any town or area named this...nor does google or my GIS data...

perhaps he was referring to the Sweet Grass Hills, MT
(I just noticed that 'links' with underscore-spaces won't hyper-link..?) ~ must copy/paste this .pdf~

www.mbmg.mtech.edu/pdf_100k/sweetGrassHills-text.pdf

Parowan, UT.

hey TK.

Interesting pdf....Could be Sweetgrass Hills...I'm just mainly curious.

Hiya Kartch! You should bump the Batholith thread...hehe

Yeah, Sweet Grass. THe border town. White Grass is a ranch in WYoming. Thanks Kirra.
PS. Don't move to WHite Grass or Sweet Grass based on this posting.

Thanks for the confirmation...

Kartch wrote:Parowan, UT. hey TK.

This was a Joke right? I live just south of there and was starving for some ice last winter.
Kevin