My wife and I were thinking of headed down to the dessert mid Feb. to do Castleton tower, North chimney most likely. Any locals wanna give their opinion on how uncomfortable this route would be in the middle of Feb. If you think its a bad idea I am open to suggestions, or dry canyons near by. your input is appreciated.

Danger-Russ

I climbed the North Face the first weekend of December and it wasn't bad. Highs were in the mid-50s I believe and we wore a long sleeve base layer with windbreaker. The Kor-Ingalls would be a bit more comfortable, though, as it's South facing and only slightly more difficult. On a windy February day Castleton will be rather miserable. So it really depends on the prevailing weather.

We did Ancient Art, Jah Man, and Kor Ingalls in a weekend last January and were fine. All these routes get good sun.

North Chimney in the shade might be a different experience though.

I think it would be really cold but you won't need feeling in your fingers to do the chimney pitches.

We've done it in March without wind. It was cold in there. Hat, fleece, long pants, warm base layer shirt. It was cold enough to shiver and dislike waiting to climb. I'd consider hand warmers as a just in case. That being said, it's easier than Kor-Ingalls, but the slight difficulty difference and sunshine might make the KI worth switching to (if you haven't done it). The sun on top made us stop shivering.

north facing chimney in winter. sounds pretty cold. jah man is very south facing and sunny...

Could be nice, could be snowing. Have had it both ways. Check the forecast before climbing! Even on a warm day if it has BEEN cold, the air coming out of that crack will freeze you.

Thanks for the input guys! I think my wife might want to opt out for a different adventure