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UTAH - 2015/16 Ice Season

Kevin Hansen · · Melba Idaho · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 130
chadnuesmeyer wrote: Thanks for the intel... any solid links on MP, super topo, or Guide books that I should look into?
CIRO ICE Nothing is in right now, but something may come in after this weekend's storm cycle.

You'd be right in thinking that ice at the City is for novelty and not for the great lines. Most ice is 1-2 inches thick at the fattest part of the season, and 10-30 feet tall. Think of it like training for Patagonia with verglas on the menu. Leave your screws at home, you won't need them.

Scott's blessing is a fun 30' pillar. Sometimes it forms enough to climb. Brad Schilling would hang a farming seed rope to keep it from falling and starting from scratch.
cdec · · SLC, UT · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 654

Screws went like lightning locally and no one complained. So here it goes again. With the forecasted temps it will be game on soon!

Nomics and BD Speed packs, all in excellent condition.
mountainproject.com/v/fs-pe…

William Kramer · · Kemmerer, WY · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 935
Neil Johnson wrote:I know there is some supposedly good ice around Fremont Lake in Pinedale. Swift Creek Canyon in Afton has a couple of falls. I'm sure the road is closed by now, but it's probably a 2-3 mile walk. Star Valley is always cold, I'm sure these are in. I don't know of anything in Southern Idaho, but there are a couple of falls right near the border in the Lewiston area. Approaches to them are pretty long, but the new ski resort may provide easier access to one of them. I've never been to any of them in the winter, so I have no idea what their condition might be like right now. Not a lot of help, I know. But that's all I've got.
Pinedale is still void of snow, last shift I worked up there a week ago temp was in low 50's, going back up tomorrow and was going to do the scout on Fremont before coming home. As far as southern Wyoming, most of the storms have been staying to the south and missing us completely, thus why I keep invading Utah. I have another spot in the East side of the Wyomings I'm checking Saturday, will update if it's any good.

In other news, was down in SLC yesterday and took a cruise up LCC, start of some good stuff forming at Scruffy Band, Super Slab, and GWI
zoso · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2007 · Points: 790
kevinhansen wrote: CIRO ICE
YDS ratings for ice? Awesome.
Kevin Hansen · · Melba Idaho · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 130
zoso wrote: YDS ratings for ice? Awesome.
Yea, Brad Schilling was Climbing Ranger at CIRO for decades. I once asked him about his personalized rating system for CIRO ICE. Said WI rating system is squirreley and too subjective. He thought comparing routes to rock would help people get a better feel for the difficulty. That and CIRO ice is unlike any ice you'll ever climb.
I think all ice should get rated "easy"," medium "," hard", and "Will Gadd insane".
Kevin
chadnuesmeyer Nuesmeyer · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 150

Ccc (pitch 1) is in.
Dirt Cicle is in.

Those are the only ones we got to today.

It looked like Deadbolt and T-Rex were in but, you'd have to cross the water.

Alec L · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2007 · Points: 632
kevinhansen wrote: CIRO ICE
Thanks for the link! Sounds pretty wild. I assume a lot of snow and around-freezing temps (melt/freeze) are the keys to ice forming?

Fremont Lake does indeed have some ice: climbingwyoming.com/2011/03…

I've also climbed a route above the next lake in from Fremont, a 200 foot WI3 that has likely only seen a few ascents. In the right conditions there could be some epic, hard lines further up the drainage...
Shane Hall · · Salem, UT · Joined Nov 2015 · Points: 10

Checked out squash head today. The first pitch still hasn't touched the ground yet.

1st pitch

Squash Head

J.R. Rowley · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 15

Any word on Vail ice? Temps have been cold enough.
Looks like Joes Valley is warming up this week, sad...
Has anyone been to Mary's lake this season?

Brett Verhoef · · Northern Utah · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 380
chadnuesmeyer wrote:Ccc (pitch 1) is in. Dirt Cicle is in. Those are the only ones we got to today.
chadnuesmeyer, that was Jeff and me that climbed the Dirtcicle after you. Thanks to Team Easy for kicking steps for us. :-)
chadnuesmeyer Nuesmeyer · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 150

@Brett were you the guys in the Range Rover that came down on Friday?

Jim Clarke · · Summit Park, UT · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 1,596

Thoughts on Last Chance Falls being in decent shape tomorrow (Monday 29th)? Have work in the area, looking for a quick solo lap before the next warm up end of this week.

luke smith · · Salt Lake City, Utah · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 121

There's been a couple of people on the GWI this weekend-although it's definitely still thin. Apparently someone topped out recently, we only did the first 'three' pitches with some easy wet simuling. Lots of powder, rock, and thin ice currently.

Upper 2 pitches or so.

bus driver · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 1,516
Superior apron

Looks like it would be a fun ski in ski out to a couple low angle ice climbing options on Mt. Superior right now. Photos taken 11/27 from the cliff lodge before about 2" of low density powder.
luke smith · · Salt Lake City, Utah · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 121

I've been wondering what Mt. Cristo Diretissimo looks like early season (picture above middle). May go check it out mid- week if it's cold enough at all. On that note, anyone here climbed the NE face of White Baldy ever? I've been wondering about it too since I rode the ramp up there 2-3 seasons ago.

Brett Verhoef · · Northern Utah · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 380

@chadnuesmeyer, no that wasn't us.

Brett Verhoef · · Northern Utah · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 380
Angels Tiers 11/29/2015

I climbed Angels Tiers up Providence Canyon this morning. It was pretty well formed. It has not been cold enough yet for all of the other climbs up that canyon.
Karl Kvashay · · Phoenix, AZ · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 225
William Kramer · · Kemmerer, WY · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 935
Big Kitty
Big Kitty has been hanging out at Lisa Falls, which the ice at Lisa Falls is not very good, really slushy and open in many places
morgoth70 · · Bountiful, UT · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 25

Just got back from a perfect day at Joe's. CCC lower section was in excellent shape. Upper section was a little thin for leading but climbable on tr. Didn't stop at the Dirtcicle, but it looked good from the road. Deadbolt also looked good but we weren't up for crossing the river.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern Utah & Idaho
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