Topping out of St. Louis Canyon ice climb, circa 1980. Climber is John Gorby or Paul Schwarz. Need someone to verify as I've long ago forgotten.

All Locations > Illinois > Z.3 Ice Climbing > Starved Rock SP > Other Canyons > Starved Rock Ice History (WI4-)

Topping out of St. Louis Canyon ice climb, circa 1980. Climber is John Gorby or Paul Schwarz. Need someone to verify as I've long ago forgotten.

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Check it out. Using a long 85cm. hiking ax as hand tool. The 'state of the art' tool of the day; a 65 cm.'terrordactyl' is the other one. I couldn't afford the ultimate tool, a Lowe Hummingbird. Tied to harness on long runners, before real leashes were 'en vogue for ice tools. Slick wool gloves against no-grip tools with no talons to hang on leashlessly. Cheap SMC hinged crampons complete the costume folks. But we managed.

Don't laugh. Style called for knickers, long scarf, even longer primitive tools. Yes, we were 'gods' back then to even attempt these routes. No thanks needed, just buy us a beer next time you see any oldsters' in a bar telling tall tales.

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Woodchuck ATC

Feb 26, 2010

“Topping out of St. Louis Canyon ice climb, circa 1980. Climber is John Gorby or Paul Schwarz. Need someone to verify as I've long ago forgotten.”

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Check it out. Using a long 85cm. hiking ax as hand tool. The 'state of the art' tool of the day; a 65 cm.'terrordactyl' is the other one. I couldn't afford the ultimate tool, a Lowe Hummingbird. Tied to harness on long runners, before real leashes were 'en vogue for ice tools. Slick wool gloves against no-grip tools with no talons to hang on leashlessly. Cheap SMC hinged crampons complete the costume folks. But we managed.

Topping out of St. Louis Canyon ice climb, circa 1980. Climber is John Gorby or Paul Schwarz. Need someone to verify as I've long ago forgotten.

Don't laugh. Style called for knickers, long scarf, even longer primitive tools. Yes, we were 'gods' back then to even attempt these routes. No thanks needed, just buy us a beer next time you see any oldsters' in a bar telling tall tales.

One of the 'test' climbs done in St. Louis canyon at Starved Rock, back in Feb.1980 to convince park officials that our sport is a renewable self healing ice event with no ecological damage. Climber is Paul Schwartz or John Gorby but not sure which after all these years.

Go figure: This is same time, early March of '96' and Mongoose is huge, but across the canyon, you can see that the 'Snake' never ever got enough flow to drip much or come close to forming up at all. Can never figure out each winter what to expect.

Great Ottawa canyon ice of 2019. 2020 was a 'no ice' season, but we had a great return to fine conditions again in Feb of 2021

6 more pics of Mongoose in winter of '96. Lauren's first try to climb, age 8. Nothing fit her but she gave it a try anyway.

I know it had to be very wet by that time. But soft ice, thus why I'm using old school tools for the challenge of it.

Topping out on headwall of Aurora canyon. Unfortunately all three, Kickapoo, Sac and Aurora are all closed to climbing now. Pic from 1995. Climber is 13 year old Tiffany Jurek.

The 'proper' approach to do roof move on overhanging ice of Kickapoo canyon. Up tight, long reach. stab a tool and pull the move!

Mongoose' of Tonti canyon again, from side view of that wild freeze up in Feb 2009. Incredible ice year.

Another view of Ice Hose. 3 climbers enjoying this rare one day event back in mid 80's.

Another view of wild Tonti 'Snake' with 2 top ropes and a lead climb squeezed right between them. Sometime in mid 2000's I think.

the wildest Mongoose formation I ever saw in almost 30 years. 2009 the early ice melted, cracked off top, tipped but caught on the top edge, re-froze BIG and had so many different angles to climb on !!

looking wet but pretty nice up above!

So we began up behind the ice, chopped the window open, swivel out and pound a Snarg fast and move up to get a solid screw in past the water.

Sequence of 3 pics from a wild lead of Ottawa canyon ice in March of 1986. Raging waterfall rushing down on us!

not the best conditions in late 80's in Pontiac. Yep, I got on top icicle and it fell down, with me.

A rare year when Pontiac canyon had two ice formations...but unfortunately it was after canyon was closed to ice climbing.

Then, across from the Snake of Tonti canyon, you have the main ice that forms off ledges from the stream. This is the 'Mongoose', and forms up more often than the Snake per each season. Wider and about 60 ft or so tall.

Right side of Ottawa froze up and connected for both 2018 and 2019. A fine season enjoying great conditions late in season shown here.

Routes! the red one was 'easy' spiral staircase to the top. Green one went up steep overhang. Orange took you up over the 'saddle' out on point. And a week later with melt changes, new alternate routes!

Outside of French canyon, up a small drainage is the 30 ft. tall Ice Dagger' Pic from 1995 or so. A superb steep and cold hard ice in mid season. Access is in question as of now.

The 'Ice Hose' which to our knowledge only formed up in the '85-86 season, is located about 100 yards back and to the side of St. Louis canyon. Has not been climbed since. Not even sure if it has formed again in last 20 years.

Another view of the Ice Dagger, about 2009 ascent. Wider curtain of ice to left was not normal each season.

Hike west from lodge, cross road on bridge, and trails lead you to 3 small canyons Back in 80's, this was the fun overhanging ice of Kickapoo canyon, or maybe Sac. They and Aurora Canyon were fun short climbs but very unique in shape.

Knickers? And my Whillens harness? Must be mid 80's pic of Wildcat Canyon ice. Probably the most used, easy access canyon for ice climbing the last 6 years or so, since many many closures to other canyons.

The headwall of upper Aurora canyon

Early 80's lead of Wildcat ice. Awful tools and even worse screws available back then. But at least I had my first gen. Footfangs to help me stay in place.

Also back in mid 80's, we had limited access to Hennepin canyon. This is a lead of the lower canyon falls, near an overlook above. Head of canyon has bigger ice that leads up to trail bridge by the highway.. Closed access for decades now.

Several ice seasons end with Wildcat getting cut down by meltwater, leaving a sweet chimney to stem up on nice soft ice. Cover up, as you are going straight into the water as you ascend.

My records show I was there late, on March 1, 8th, and 15th. This sure looks like late season melting ice conditions.

Moving over to Tonti Canyon. In best years, there were two massive ice columns, the tallest in use in the park is the 'Snake' big steep ice that can be split open, or hardly there at all some seasons. A real thrill even on top rope.

The Mongoose' of Tonti,,,still in '96, and massive yet on March 1st.

Probably my oldest pic of a climber on the Snake, about 1981. You can see how far up it can go if plenty of drainage freezes up for a great season. Our 'old' 165 ft ropes of early 80's would not reach bottom so had to be near 90 ft.

Late season '96' Mongoose ice, in Tonti canyon. It's getting wet.

Oh so delicate, to tip toe up that thin spot and get solid ice above on the Snake' . Sometime in the 90s' I believe.

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