Gothics???

CaptainMo wrote: generally speaking you look for clues on similar slopes with similar aspects and use your head . . . If there were high winds and wind loading it would be important to know wind directions and be able to identify slopes or areas where loading would occur... Digging snow pits and testing the snow on those aspects would be critical. Also being aware of changing conditions on the hike up and having escape routes planned....

Thank for the response (not sarcasm! I mean it), but I don't think this stock answer doesn't address the TD all that much. I don't think any proper aspect for a snow pit would be available without extraordinary efforts, simply knowing wind direction and speed isn't gonna satisfy me that loading did or did not occur from snow blown into the TD from other locations, no escape routes, etc.

It's simply a tough call to make. I once saw a 4 foot crown in there, and the snow levels everywhere else were minimal! I'm not trying to say TD is super dangerous or anything, I'm just saying that I think it's hard to really discern the conditions on this unique line beforehand (although I'm sure there are those who can, these are the observations and opinions of someone with some experience but no formal training).

Ben Brotelho wrote:How did this thread about Gothics devolve into a thread about avy conditions in the 'Dike?

my bad.

no worries...we can just blame it on Kevin anyway. ha ha

what Kevin said. If you want safe, go climb at the edge.

I would, but I don't have a beanie at the moment, so I'm not sure how safe it would really be.

check out rock and river's ice condition report. or maybe go to or call the Mountaineer and ask if anyone has been out there recently. get out there and check it out for yourself. if you don't like the conditions just go for a hike. rockandriver.com/guiding/ic…

i looked for you.

sounds about as safe a hip belay from a squirrel.

There's always True North or the new Saddleback slide if the NF isn't in. Go for a hike already. :-)

Declined to go for a hike, sort of. Did Cascade with perfect conditions on the ice (with a few holes to keep things interesting.) We then broke trail through deeep powder to the summit, swimming in the trees for longer than necessary but topping out directly from the trees. Windy!

Ben, did the snowfall we got Monday bury the climb? I would have thought anything moderate would have needed a plow. It is windy in the pass so maybe the wind blew the route clean for you guys?

The first ice step in the beginning had some deep snow in spots, but not avalanche risky I thought. Suuuper fluffy. Good ice the whole way with some long sections of breaking trail in knee deep powder.

some step along the way

fun ice along the way

fun ice along the way

Also some really deep snow at spots

also some really deep snow at spots

someone should go tell huntington ravine that avalanches dont happen in NE so I can go climb pinnacle soemtime this season.

superkick wrote:someone should go tell huntington ravine that avalanches dont happen in NE so I can go climb pinnacle soemtime this season.

I'm chompin' at the bit for the activity to settle to get up tux soon too!!! I was at Jay this past weekend and man o man... spring is a long ways away up there... about 7' of snow in the woods.

Nice photos Ben!

Thanks!

I concur about the ravines in NH. Turned around twice in the past because of avalanche conditions being bad. CaptainMo: if you need a partner for Tux, lemme know...I have been wanting to ski that thing for years now!

Thanks for the photos Ben, been ithcing to do the technical route up Cascade since Irene flushed it clear of debris. Looks about as easy as I've seen it described.

It's very easy, technically. The waterfall is still steep enough that most people will want a rope, but I've taken novices to the summit rope-less beyond that.

We were going to simul-climb the waterfall section in the beginning, but I got cold and ended up climbing way before the rope was tight so we just ended up soloing it. The only sketchy part on the steep section right now is holes that peer right down into a running waterfall...some of them big enough to fall in. Just keep your wits about you with the holes and it's a real easy climb.

Then we put the rope away and scrambled up the remaining ice steps along the way up. If anyone following this thread was in either of the parties behind us, did you see our zig-zag trail we broke? he he