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Utah Ice Conditions '12-'13

Kevin Hansen · · Melba Idaho · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 130
scott cooney wrote:GWI as of last friday, in but completely chopped up, just a hook ladder the whole way.
A few weeks ago, I climbed GWI for the first time and had a blast. While I was belaying a person from this Forum, I noticed 5 other soloist's on the route. I wonder how many ascents this route gets per week and how many of those ascents are solo's?
I think the percentage would be interesting.
Kevin
Jersey · · park city, utah · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 115
youtube.com/watch?v=HL5paB1…
water ice soft porn
miller was in last week but a little thin
Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711

GWI fat and cold as of Monday night. Gobs of snow.

Take care as we get rapid heating this weekend folks.

RonB · · Berthoud, CO · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 275
The Real Mark Evans wrote: Long story short, I had a friend plan a climbing trip with a different aquaintence named Mark, thinking it was me, and had a bit of an epic... So he started calling me "the real Mark Evans." So, did you end up staying in town?
Nope...back in VA/DC area, and it's nasty wet; no snow, no ice, just mud; and they don't like you MTBing on the trails here after a rain; and blah blah blah blah blah...I'm already planning my spring trip back to Utah!...
RonB · · Berthoud, CO · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 275
chadnuesmeyer wrote:...Also, I saw some of the Strawberry pictures. Where is Strawberry Road? In Advance, Thanks.
Go to google maps and type in "Strawberry Pinnacles, Duchesne, UT". That's on Strawberry Road. The climbs are both east and west of the pinnacles. They all are on cliffs that face dead north mostly, south of the road. Keep your eyes peeled into the woods for the western climbs. They see zero direct sunlight and the temps stay generally colder than, say, Provo canyon; so they hang around...Wish I could join you; enjoy!
cdec · · SLC, UT · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 654

Climbed this corner between the Bumble Bee and Psychobabble Walls today.
Rock gear and small screws for 90ish' of really fun thin ice and mixed. A bit harder than the Scottish Gully.
Who's climbed it. Brian do you know something about it?

From the road about 10 days ago.

The route today 3/27

Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711

I know NS climbed that route back in January and said he pulled some old fixed gear/tat off it that looked a number of years old...

Sam Cannon · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined May 2012 · Points: 924

Climbed 5 pitches of Frozen Assets today. Ice pretty thin on the first pitch and protection marginal. Probably going to be gone soon.

RKM · · Alpine, Utah and Almo, ID · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 2,233

Dude! Miller's Thriller ???

Still an embarrassing name, glad I didn't come up with that. All Jim Knights idea. Loved the video though.

Ha!

Kevin Hansen · · Melba Idaho · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 130
RKM wrote: Dude! Miller's Thriller ???
Is it in? What about the rest of Provo Canyon?
vanman798 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 40

Kevin, Provo Canyon is still in pretty good shape as of today. However the forecast for the weekend is temps in the 50's F, so I'm not to hopefull that the ice will survive that.

scott cooney · · La Casa Taco · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 85

so a lil update from Malans, went to get on it last night and right before launch notcied a pretty sketchy fracture, at least sketchy to me... anyways the bottom of the first pitch is fractured at least 95% across if not 100% hard to tell with the ends in the snow, and behind it is hollowed out already. the one pic in the day I photoshoped the line in for the approximate location. most of it was big enough to stick a hand straight through to the rock behind and lots of flowing water even with last nights cold temps. This fracture is new within the last couple days, wasn't there on saturday.

fracture

photoshop line

AKM1878 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 50

was in sataquin on sunday. good ice but be a bit careful of pillars.

this one was attached before we started up it... we also backed off of ACT because of cracking.

base of act

Kevin Hansen · · Melba Idaho · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 130
AKM1878 wrote: ...careful of pillars. this one was attached before we started up it... we also backed off of ACT because of cracking.
I'm looking for confirmation here.
I started ice climbing in 2002, and along the way remember reading Will Gadd's book. He mentioned that when the temps are low, there will be a good ice/rock bond and the ice is "safe". Once temps get higher, the rock heats up (greater thermal mass) and it melts the ice rock bond leaving a freestanding or free hanging shell. Once the weight of the lower hanging section is greater than the pillars tensile strength, a crack/fracture is observed.
How did I do?
Any other explanation for why these cracks are appearing?
Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711
kevinhansen wrote:Any other explanation for why these cracks are appearing?
Thermal stress.
Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,203

As water cools into ice it expands, when it warms it contracts.

Erik Eriksson · · Colville, WA · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 126

whats the pillar on second pitch of act lookin like?

Garret Nuzzo Jones · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 1,436
Erik Eriksson wrote:whats the pillar on second pitch of act lookin like?
I was climbing in Santaquin today and even with the temperatures being around 10 degrees last night it was wet. Bring a hardshell, she's a gusher.
ACT

ACT has formed up some odd growths.
ACT/Candlestick

Candlestick has all kinds of weird growths which make it quite reasonable to climb. Nice and spooky top out when leading though.
Candlestick

The first pitch of Squash Head has a super bizarre leaning curtain of semi-attached ice. Had several fountains of water going. Second pitch was fantastic though.
Squash Head

Backoff is thick and pretty drippy on the right side. Best quality ice I've climbed on this season though.
Backoff

Get Back On It is over with.
RonB · · Berthoud, CO · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 275
Allen Sanderson wrote:As water cools into ice it expands, when it warms it contracts.
And, look at what the ice is bonding to above and below the crack; like solid rock above and soft stuff below, and maybe nothing in between, or more rock below. Good spots for chronic fracturing in the ice due to the above explanation, i.e., thermal stress, as previously diagnosed. I suspect the rock bonded ice is pretty safe, especially where the ice lies back against the rock. Still, it looks warm this weekend out there, so more fracturing, so climb safe. Wish I were there at the moment, not in VA; but PA has snow, so maybe a 3hr drive is required; NH and NY have ice & snow, hummm...
RonB · · Berthoud, CO · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 275
RonB wrote: And, look at what the ice is bonding to above and below the crack; ...
OR! It's lunar tidal fracturing! ...I'm gonna go with that...
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern Utah & Idaho
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