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The 2014-2015 Colorado Ice Conditions Thread

Andrew Krueger · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10

Anyone gone and looked at Total Abandon again lately?

Matthew Jerousek · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Nov 2013 · Points: 105
Andrew Krueger wrote:Anyone gone and looked at Total Abandon again lately?
We were up there checking yesterday - zero ice.
Eldo Love · · Mancos,CO · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 125

Gonna head to Silverton on Sunday to check out conditions. Anyone have a heads up? Ice ice ice ice ice

Andrew Krueger · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10
Eldo Love wrote:Gonna head to Silverton on Sunday to check out conditions. Anyone have a heads up? Ice ice ice ice ice
Let us know what's up on Gullies 1 & 2?
Zachary Cole · · Edwards, CO · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 170

Any word on Lincoln falls?

Just Solo · · Colorado Springs · Joined Nov 2003 · Points: 80
Matthew Jerousek wrote: We were up there checking yesterday - zero ice.
That is pretty surprising given what should be a decent melt/freeze cycle in these temps. Must just be sublimating away... Very, very dry.
Eric Kramak · · Denver, Colorado · Joined May 2011 · Points: 45

Climbed Flying Dutchman yesterday. Did the approach to the lake in my tennies - only a little bit of ice/snow on the trail. Snow in the couloir was about 30% awesome. The other 70% required 6 point wallowing technique. Lots of old, gray ice on the crux. I think I went a little low on the loft descent (first time doing it) and ended up on what would have been a pretty sweet little mixed pitch if I wasn't down-soloing it.

seth0687 · · Fort Collins · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 375

Hey guys, here is a look at the NW Gully on Thatchtop. Needless to say, it's not fat, but damnit it was IN!! Great climb, ice all the way up with a little snow wallowing in between pitches.

NW Gully, Thatchtop.

I'll attach some more pictures in a few minutes, Mixed Feelings looked very close to being "in". Deep Freeze and everything uphill aside from NW Gully was out.

Mixed Feelings.

Deep Freeze and Necro area.

Cheers,

Seth

sanjuanmtnguide · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 5

Pre-season conditions have been good so far (good moisture), but we aren't there yet in the San Juan's - more info here: mtnguide.net/blog/

Highlander · · Ouray, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 256

Sunny and 64 in Ouray currently, perfect rock climbing weather.

Christopher.D.Thomas · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 150

And here's some ice I climbed on Pike's Peak yesterday.... Free solo. Spray, spray, spray..... :-)

youtube.com/watch?v=nRma3bb…

Kevin Zagorda · · Glen Haven, Co · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 600

I took a walk up to Glacier Gorge 11/7 to have a look at All Mixed Up. The main flow is in and was being climbed. Here are some pics, the quality sucks since I was shooting right into the sun,
--- Invalid image id: 109683876 ---

Climbers on AMU 11/7
AMU

Danimal. Young · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined May 2009 · Points: 0
Christopher.D.Thomas wrote:And here's some ice I climbed on Pike's Peak yesterday.... Free solo. Spray, spray, spray..... :-) youtube.com/watch?v=nRma3bb…
Nice work! I couldn't find any information on Waltzing Matilda.... do you have any beta?
Christopher.D.Thomas · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 150
Rocky_Mtn_High · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 230

Notchtop: we decided to turn around after wallowing on wind-loaded slopes (after just a couple inches of snow up high overnight) on the approach on a really windy day. Too bad, because the ice looked really great (and Matt, whom we meet on the way up, confirmed it was a great climb just a couple of days ago), but we figured we would be doing similar wallowing on the snow fields between the ice steps, especially below the summit (which is already building a cornice). One team started up fairly late, but the winds were abating, so I'm wondering if they went for it? (yeah, I'm waiting to hear that they had a fantastic climb . . .)

Notchtop NE face 08Nov2014

Danimal. Young · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined May 2009 · Points: 0

Thanks Christopher!

Yaroslav Lototskyy · · Longmont · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 35

AMU today Nov 9 2014



More pictures here
Camilo Gomez · · Fort Collins, CO · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 25

AMU - 11/09/14 - 2nd pitch

AMU - 2nd pitch.

Alexey Dynkin · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Oct 2014 · Points: 0

So...I wonder what the upcoming cold snap will do to the ice? I fear that with the lack of moisture this fall it may not build much and just make whatever is there super brittle...on the other hand there is some snow in the forecast, so maybe it's not so bad.

Fred C · · Eagle, CO · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 15

Rocky_Mtn_High . . . yep, we went for it on the NE face of Notchtop, and yes, it was an amazing climb. Zero winds on route, ice was in great condition, and snow pack between pitches was stable. There was a small amount of post-holing (up to knee level), but most of it was easy, quick walking. The only warning to future parties I have is that the snowfield above the final pitch was getting very wind-loaded, and a fairly ominous cornice had formed at the summit. With all of the forecasted snow up there for the next week, those fields will get dangerous. But as of Saturday, conditions were perfect.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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