The 2012-13 Colorado Ice Conditions Thread

Scott McMahon wrote: Speaking of rangers and Hidden Falls, what would we have to do to get that death tree removed at the top of the falls? It's worse than ever.

What would I use for my TR anchor if that thing is taken out? :)

Paul-B wrote:Anybody know if that North Central Couloir on Sneffels is still in (posted back on Oct 30th)? I would assume it is, since things are starting to form up in Ouray. Assuming they don't get anymore snow I would like to head down and do it early next week. Anyone interested in coming?

Some friends climbed that a week or so ago and encountered mostly powder snow, with about a 20' section of ice up high. Since then I'd guess we've received about 2' of snow up there.

Beagle wrote: Some friends climbed that a week or so ago and encountered mostly powder snow, with about a 20' section of ice up high. Since then I'd guess we've received about 2' of snow up there.

Thanks. Sounds like I waited to long.

Brandon Groza wrote: What would I use for my TR anchor if that thing is taken out? :)

haha brother if you are using this tree...But really it's only so long before the ground below goes, even though it's still alive. This is two weeks ago. Not sure how getting something like this looked at by the rangers would work.

Hidden Falls death tree.

Lake City Ice Park Conditions as of 12/9/12

Campground couloir is in but soggy. Sundance looked in, but kind if sun baked and dirty.

Tony's Nightmare, 12/07/2012.

Anyone have recent beta on Total Abandon? Or any info about the toll road, for that matter?

Bump for beta on officer's gulch OR flying Dutchman in RMNP. Thanks!

anything in S. CO? Ouray? Redstone? Silverton?

clay meier wrote:anything in S. CO? Ouray? Redstone? Silverton?

I was planning to head to Ouray/Silverton tomorrow, but most climbs seem to be thin, if in at all, and the recent snow has caused dicey avy conditions in Eureka.
mtnguide.net/resources/oura…

Closer to home: headed up to Black Lake today. The West Gulley was a bitch to get to, and it snowed all day, but avy danger was still low IMHO and the ice is in nicely (ditto for the Slabs).

West Gully.

Black Lake Slabs.

FFS people! Leave hidden alone before you kill it, FOR EVERYONE! Just because some jackass posted a picture of an anemic, barely climable piece of ice, does not mean that it is in. O wait, no, nevermind, go ahead and knock it down. Them the gumbies can leave to destroy some other piece of ice, and maybe we mixed climbers can have a SAFE quiet time climbing in wild basin. Go to lincoln falls or something.

+1 ^^^
A lot of stuff in Vail is barely in (esp. spiral staircase.) Please stick to the fatter stuff and wait to climb the "barely in" stuff.
Officers Gulch is getting quite a bit of snow right now, I would wait until a few days after this storm system and reassess. Those gulleys will be sluffing for at least a few days.

AMU was good Sat 15th, we were alone all day. Crossing mills lake was sketch, we tested as we walked and unbuckled our pack waist belt.

Took a peep at silver plume today, not too much happening. Bring on the snow!

rockey mt high, that link is super awesome! thanks

Climbed Esperanza, just west of Silver Plume, on Sunday morning. Ice was a little wet, but fairly fat and plastic. 2 fun and easy pitches - possible to contrive variations up to WI-3/M-easy.

Also climbed something in the Officer's Gulch area. Parked, walked east along the bike path for a few minutes, then followed a boot pack into the woods at a small cairn/gas pipeline warning sign. Walked uphill for 20 minutes or so then descended into a gulley. Climbed this for 1500' past numerous steps of varying quality, length and difficulty - nothing harder than WI-3 - punctuated by periods of intense slogging though 6" of powder on ankle-breaking talus (not amazing)

Anyone know what this is?

Also triggered a small side - 2' crown, 20' across - while trying to exit the obviously wind-loaded gulley just below tree line. Fortunately it didn't have far to propagate. After cleaning my drawers, I escaped the gulley to the west and descended a wooded rib. Someone had been that way previously, possibly on Saturday, and had also trigger a small slide in the next gulley to the west.

Be careful out there!

I think it would be very wise to stay out of Officer's Gulch for a while. From the area description:

Tenmile Canyon is along the interstate just west of Dillon. This area has lots of nice easy to moderate ice climbs with casual approaches. The downside is that most routes are the bottoms of avalanche chutes, so it is only sane to climb here early in the season before heavy snow falls. Preview conditions carefully before jumping on anything here.

Emphasis is mine.

I disagree with Ross above about Mills Lake. We crossed it on Sunday Dec. 16th and the ice was about 14 inches thick. You could have driven a hum-vee across.

Rigid Designator.

Hadn't seen a Vail Posting in a while. Here is the latest as of Sunday 16th.

Desi - Wet but "In". Should be good to go by this weekend
Spiral - Thin, wet and "In". Not as typically fat as it usually is at this time.
Belfry- Out, didn't look to be lead-able from my glance at the top of sprial. However, I am sure someone would be willing to lead them.
Fang - Out and waterfall conditions
Pumphouse - In
Mixed Routes- Thin, chossy, pumpy and also "In"

Anybody been on Martha? Scrolled through the thread but didn't see anything. Judging by Rocky_Mtn_High's photos I'm keeping my fingers crossed...