The 2014-2015 Colorado Ice Conditions Thread

There is a separate thread for the Ice toprope/ice preservation ethics discussion here: mountainproject.com/v/top-r…

Also reposting Gadd's 'Ice Climbing is NOT Rock Climbing'
gravsports.blogspot.com/201…

If its in, climb on. If it's thin, let it form.

England wrote: I was starting to gain a little respect for you, but that's so gone. Let me retort... Welcome to MP since you've been here for a whole year and a half! Credibility = 0

We're more similar than you think.

Oh noooo.

That's my natural reaction.

I can fundamentally understand how much it sucks when kids from the other neighborhood find your fort in the woods and trash it. It's human, hell, we're evolutionarily unable to accept sharing limited resources, see the last 200 years of history for further evidence.

However, we've gotta temper that natural reaction. Bottom line, is that these folks were psyched on ice and they went to climb ice. They didn't wait for a nice warm day, they went out in the midst of a damned polar vortex to climb. That's respectable dedication. If we were talking about the situation a few years ago, when the N Cheyenne Canyon ice had touchy access, then maybe we have a different discussion here. But since the easement Rick Gieman secured, that's not the case anymore.

So now we're arbitrarily placing limitations on who is "allowed" to ice climb in our favorite areas. That's a slippery slope. As someone said earlier, is delicate top roping actually more degrading to the ice than a desperate lead? Does the leader inherently have more of a right to the ice than the top-roper? My gut would say, yes, the lead is more ballsy and therefore more respectable. But that's my personal opinion. Objectively, everyone pays taxes, everyone has a right to recreate on public land.

We haven't heard back from the original poster. I still contend, that for all we know, they did lead the climb, but then lowered back down to belay the second so they could wrap up in their belay parkas. Nothing wrong with that. Is the climb somewhat unformed? Well, in some circles, that's a ballsy and respectable lead.

If you're an experienced ice climber and want to climb (somewhat) virgin ice, then you can do so. Hike into the backcountry and swing to your heart's content, sure, there will be others there. But less so than on a flow that's right off the road. (Based on your pictures, you do that. So I'm not saying you don't). If the access is easy, then the ice is going to be beat up. Is that a good thing for all of us? Probably not but the argument against it is always going to be an elitist one and hard to stand behind.

We just have to see our fellow ice climbers as real people with real desires and real emotions. Not as the mysterious "other" that seeks to alienate us from our ability to have a good time. Yesterday, at hidden falls, I initially wanted to warm up by soloing the easy WI2 flow to the left of the main fall. But when I looked at it, it was ill formed and so I decided personally to not climb on it to preserve the climb' future formation.

An hour or so later, a group of five showed up and warmed up in the route. They beat it up sure, but not to an irreversible degree. If you want to be the altruistic ice climber, then by all means, do so, your choice to stay away can help offset the choice of those who do climb it. Give and take.

How can we really disparage people who want to have fun doing the thing that we also love to do?

I've read a lot of posts here suggesting that people go find ice. I'm cool with the idea, I can write off a day of wandering in the woods and not finding anything. That day would still be better than one spent on the couch. My question is, where does someone start in finding new or lesser known flows? I think I've heard of people looking at topos and satellite pictures but that sounds a little crazy. Winter pictures aren't used in Google Earth so the chance of spotting ice is nil. The idea of wandering around with NO goal in mind sounds like a waste of time. You gotta go wandering with the idea of finding something in a particular spot, right?

So....if the goal of this thread is for people to find their own ice, post up some tips...?

Me adding something constructive:
Moffat was thin, not worth the trip as of Sunday, imo, sorry no pics. A friend an I went up there and ended up having a great time dry tooling all day. The pillar fell recently and took the rope down with it. We moved another rope to where the water was flowing. I'd be curious to see how fast that sets up. If anyone goes up there in the next week or so, post a picture please! (or PM it to me to keep it a secret haha)

England, Dank- get a room and quit fucking up this thread.

No more rants. This is a conditions thread- if you don't have conditions info, post it elsewhere.

From a 65mph drive-by this afternoon, 10 Mile Canyon doesn't look promising. The Shroud needs more time, Three Tiers is covered in snow and doesn't look like much ice underneath. Tony's Nightmare looked pretty dry. There were some tracks leading up towards Tony's and also towards Round the Corner. Be mindful of avalanches, as it's that time already.

Silverplume looks like it might be getting close.

"There is no ice on the Colorado Front Range worth climbing"

My ice climbing buddy famously said to me 15 or so years ago and finally convinced me to head up to Cody to find some real ice and solitude.

For the last 18 years that I've been swinging tools yes it has become more crowded, and I believe in part because of a thread that #1 starts in July, #2 is mostly about peoples own accomplishments, (spray) and 3rd serves a purpose of saying, "hey this is in come destroy it".

It used to be you went out to "see" if ice was in and if it was you climbed it and maybe told a few friends.....

Now you tell hundreds of amped up folks of all caliber that descend upon the limited amount of ice available to the Colorado Front Range.

I mean Alexanders stepped out ???? 38 people I've counted at the Glacier Gorge practice area, over 30 in Vail.......

Not to mention the madness of Ouray........

Video killed the radio star.....

MP Ice thread well.........

It's entertaining........

Vail Conditions:

Staircase- Super thin, but word on the street is that it got climbed this weekend.

The Dez - Still needs time

Frigid - Pretty Dry

Fang - Was shedding quite a bit yesterday!

Cupcake Corner - Mega Fat! go get it while you can.

Staircase.

For those of you who have been up to Hully this season, is the gate still locked at the start of Old Stage? Or can you drive back there again?

LawHous wrote:For those of you who have been up to Hully this season, is the gate still locked at the start of Old Stage? Or can you drive back there again?

You can drive up now.

What's with all the ice on ice violence? Can't we all just go back to the good ole days of hating on boulderers? That seemed to be something we could all agree on.

As for conditions, all mixed up is in. Looked scratchy on the lower pitches, last pitch looked in, though thinner than last year. We slogged up but didn't climb due to absurd winds yesterday. The approach is somewhat heinous right now with wind loaded drifts chest deep. Whatever that steep WI5 to far right of AMU is (the yellow pillars/curtain) looked really in. I wouldn't touch that thing (above my pay grade) but some of the more bold ice climbers would have a hell of a day on that rig.

erik wellborn wrote: You can drive up now.

Thanks Erik!

Any beta on Sneffels?

J

J Antin wrote:Any beta on Sneffels? J

lots of snow 30" this last weekend, probably was in a week or 2 ago.

Anybody gotten eyeballs on the Wolf Creek area? Any beta appreciated - save me a long drive!

Hidden Falls 11/14. Bottom was just touching the ground.

Mixed Feelings isn't quite ready 11/16.

Approaching Crystal Meth 11/16.

Dangerous 'shwacking to the anchor trees. 11/16

Hidden Falls is thin but only the main flow. Loch Vale Gorge is coming in well but few routes are safely leadable. Lochluster and Mixed Feelings are in but dangerously thin. Most of the other mixed routes don't have enough ice yet. AMU appears to be low Avy risk on 11/16. Be Gentle!

Jim Amidon wrote:"There is no ice on the Colorado Front Range worth climbing" My ice climbing buddy famously said to me 15 or so years ago and finally convinced me to head up to Cody to find some real ice and solitude. For the last 18 years that I've been swinging tools yes it has become more crowded, and I believe in part because of a thread that #1 starts in July, #2 is mostly about peoples own accomplishments, (spray) and 3rd serves a purpose of saying, "hey this is in come destroy it". It used to be you went out to "see" if ice was in and if it was you climbed it and maybe told a few friends..... Now you tell hundreds of amped up folks of all caliber that descend upon the limited amount of ice available to the Colorado Front Range. I mean Alexanders stepped out ???? 38 people I've counted at the Glacier Gorge practice area, over 30 in Vail....... Not to mention the madness of Ouray........ Video killed the radio star..... MP Ice thread well......... It's entertaining........

Your so right. Plus if you don't tell the whole world about your ice climbs someone from far away will move to your town, climb your climbs and put it on MP and name and claim FA. Ice climbing has become to gay.

Anyone been up to RMNP this week? I'm thinking of heading to Jewel Lake/Overflow, but I'm a bit worried with all the warm temps.

What warm temps are you referring to? Looks like great ice forming weather to me! Heading up there tomorrow to see if I can find some terrible skiing, will let you know what I see.

Bear Lake SNOTEL

I was in RMNP yesterday - no signs of any thawing going on.

Adam DNR wrote:Anyone been up to RMNP this week? I'm thinking of heading to Jewel Lake/Overflow, but I'm a bit worried with all the warm temps.

Warm temps???? The highs are barely above freezing. And besides warm temps are good. Night time lows are even better!! Gotta melt the snow to make ice.

weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iw…