Alpine conditions

[edit: added higher res photos]

I can add a few more from my after work run/hike up to Chasm Lake last week Wednesday (6/6).

Some of the mixed routes on Long's east face look good still and the Big D should be ready to go in a week or so if weather stays warm.

The approach to Chasm Lake is 99% snow free with just a few hundred feet of soft snow in the traverse heading over to Chasm from Sky Potty junction.

Dreamweaver is on the way 'out', if you are expecting neve sections and ice cruxes. One crux is totally melted, but easy scrambling up blocks. Another was a detached sheet of ice that prohibited climbing directly up it, or getting to the rock behind. We tiptoed up - one of us took the left rock wall at about 5.5, the other two did the narrow slot on small but positive hook moves while avoiding using the hollow ice at about M4. Several other ice steps were nice climbing, and while the snow isn't neve, it's mostly consolidated enough to make for good steps.

It's still fun, and might be pretty good if we get a cold snap to firm things up and keep rockfall at bay. It only just touched freezing at 12k' the night before we climbed.

We managed some very long simul-climbing "pitches" (3 total) with one 60m rope, 6 cams, 8 nuts, and one lost arrow. We had a screw but found no ice to take it. Each of us had one ice tool and one hybrid (Sum'Tec). These weren't strictly needed, but made the cruxes fun and easy.

Hallet Peak had a few snow fields to cross on the approach, wall is dry. Except the shower you get below the roof on Love Route.

thanks for the great pics, Greg

what is it like traversing across broadway from the chasm view rappels with a little snow on the ledge, trying to decide whether to go chasm lake or rap in

Still snow on broadway. Snow entirely avoidable on the loft. Snow in the notch. several shallow and not sure footed snow fields to traverse on your way down the cables route, lots of water and verglas. Eyebolts are not buried.
Its slow going and i would not recommend it as of 6/12.

Thinking about the Culp Bossier this weekend - does anyone have any conditions information? Is it still too early for Hallet's?

Corey - I was up on Chasm View Wall last weekend - there is more than "a little" snow on Broadway. We did the Chasm raps once in early season - traversing Broadway with snow on it is a much more serious proposition than when it is dry. Same goes for climbing the north chimney. No easy way to the base of the diamond now, which might be partially why last Saturday, on a stellar high pressure system day, there was nobody climbing the diamond.

Climb Ohn. Wally