Is the Owen-Spalding dry?
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A friend and I are planning on doing the Grand via the Owen-Spalding this Saturday and we are on the fence about this being an approach shoe day, or a mountaineering boot/crampons/technical tools day. Any info would be appreciated. |
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Looks like boots and crampons |
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jULY 4TH UPDATE |
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DCarey wrote:A friend and I are planning on doing the Grand via the Owen-Spalding this Saturday and we are on the fence about this being an approach shoe day, or a mountaineering boot/crampons/technical tools day. Any info would be appreciated.Did you climb it last Sat? How were conditions? |
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The route is probably 90% dry. Any snow/ice is easily avoidable or has a solid boot pack going through it. Some of the rock (the Catwalk for example) is wet from melt water but that was not a problem. The snow field right below the lower saddle is still in but there is also a solid boot pack going up that. I did not feel that an ax was needed but those less comfortable with snow travel might want one. Happy climbing. |
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DCarey wrote:The route is probably 90% dry. Any snow/ice is easily avoidable or has a solid boot pack going through it. Some of the rock (the Catwalk for example) is wet from melt water but that was not a problem. The snow field right below the lower saddle is still in but there is also a solid boot pack going up that. I did not feel that an ax was needed but those less comfortable with snow travel might want one. Happy climbing.Thanks. Glad to hear it. We are climbing Upper Exum the end of July & I expect it will be in pretty good condition by then. I've been watching the ranger's blog and was getting a bit worried, so I appreciate your report. Planning to go as light as we can get away with & don't want to carry boots, crampons or axes |
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Yesterday the OS was 100% wet with some patches of snow and a fair amount of running water. I suspect much of this will dry with a few warm days. |
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Anyone been up there lately? Ranger's blog somewhat discouraging: |
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Jim - I too am watching the weather in the tetons for an attempt on the Grand (via lower or upper Exum, descend OS like everyone) and have been watching these threads. PM'd a few folks last week who have been posting on the blogs here. Super helpful responses, mostly late last week - thanks again to all. Here's a helpful one with some specific info that hasn't been copied to the forum: |
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. And hey- at least we weren't on Half Dome RNF over the 4th, right? |
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Jim Fox wrote:. And hey- at least we weren't on Half Dome RNF over the 4th, right? LOL. Yeah, things could be worse. Thanks for the update. I'll keep watching the ranger's blog and hope for a couple weeks of good weather I'm guessing that the routes should be fairly dry by the end of the month but anything's possible at this point. We are planning to climb on the 31st.....We don't have a permit yet - but we'll probably be just a few days ahead of you Jim. |
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We are hoping to go up the 24th and 25th, unless the conditions totally fall apart. No permit yet either, so we shall see. I would like to avoid the no sleep hike, although carrying camping gear up there is also its own brand of painful... Go with the flow, eh? |
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Weather report looks hot and dry after this coming weekend, so hopefully the route will dry out soon |
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The first time I did it was over 30 years ago. A friend once told me that mountains tend to grow about a 1000' feet a decade in perceived difficulty - that means the Grand will seem about 16000' high to these old bones :). |
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Chris Rice wrote:The first time I did it was over 30 years ago. A friend once told me that mountains tend to grow about a 1000' feet a decade in perceived difficulty - that means the Grand will seem about 16000' high to these old bones :).Yeah- this will be my 2nd ascent. 1st was 21 years ago, so I'm sure it will feel Himalayan this time around.... |
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Funny gents. 30 years for Chris, 20 years for Jim, and I last did the Grand 10 years ago. Sounds like my kind of group up there toward the end of July. We (well, maybe just me) will just have to stick out a trekking pole and trip up the whippersnappers sprinting past us. |
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benb wrote:Funny gents. 30 years for Chris, 20 years for Jim, and I last did the Grand 10 years ago. Sounds like my kind of group up there toward the end of July. We (well, maybe just me) will just have to stick out a trekking pole and trip up the whippersnappers sprinting past us.LOL. Sad part is, I was older than you the last time I climbed it..... |
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benb wrote:Funny gents. 30 years for Chris, 20 years for Jim, and I last did the Grand 10 years ago. Sounds like my kind of group up there toward the end of July. We (well, maybe just me) will just have to stick out a trekking pole and trip up the whippersnappers sprinting past us.I'll be two weeks from my 67th birthday - how about you guys? I'm hoping to lasso one of those younguns and get a short rope going :) |
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Chris Rice wrote: I'll be two weeks from my 67th birthday - how about you guys? I'm hoping to lasso one of those younguns and get a short rope going :)I'm a relative youngster-will be 59 next month.... |
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You guys are awesome, and inspiring. As Jim noted I'm a bit younger. But it is still weird for me to be looking at 40 in a few years, you know? Especially when my mind still thinks that I am 20...until I start trying to do something hard. Regardless, when I'm 67 (or 57) hopefully I'm still loving it up there. |
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I'm still having as much fun now as I did 30 years ago. |