Monday November 20 - Wednesday November 22, 2006:
Three days, four climbs
- Hidden Gem: State line, three pitches to water ice 4 pillar below rim rock
- Hydro monster and House that Jack Built on Abiather
- Dancing with the Hippo on Baronette.
Monday November 20, 2006:
We got a late afternoon start on a climb we’ve eyeing all fall. It’s tucked just above the state line, newly visible from the wider Highway. Two fun pitches of water ice 3 and a snow gully lead to a fun water ice 4 pillar to the top of the rim rock. Pictures here show pitches one and two. The snow gully is in between these two. The climb itself is beautiful; solid rock and nice little alcoves all the way…Fabulous views of the Beartooths at every turn. It was a wonderfully aesthetic day, though we missed most of the afternoon views with a dark rappel. Smiling from countless pleasures throughout the entire climb and wondering how we could have survived so long without its joy, we named it “hidden gem.”
Tuesday November 21, 2006:
STMC customer, Tom Yandon and Jay hit the hills, heading up to look at Hydro-Monster. We found it in, much to our delight! After soloing the approach pitch, Tom led the enormous waterfall using, at times, his Old Chouinard hammer to clear ice for screw placements. The climb was mushroomy with lots of good feet, screws were not so good…
Then we hiked around to the next drainage to the east to climb the House that Jack Built. I jumped on it and found the ice in great condition with great protection. Fun climbing.
Wednesday November 22, 2006:
Went up to Barronette to see if Dancing with the Hippo looked as fat in person as it does from the road. Indeed! Another lead for Tom with good screws and thin ice at the top (what’s new?!). It’s a wondrous little climb.
A fulfilling triplet of classics!!! See you soon….
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| October 31, 2006: Visible from SILVERTIP MOUNTAIN CENTER'S front door, we scrambled up an ice climb we dubbed "The Goblin." It was a cold and blowy Holloween, when the couch and fire tempted Laurie all day. By 2:30, the goulish patch of frozen waterfall across the way had its day after all. A thin smear for about 15 feet, the little gremlin gave way to low angle gulley ice and fat curtain bulge of water ice 3 at the top. By 5:00, we gobbled down Cliff Shot Bloks as trick or treat candy and relished a Happy Halloween early season climb!
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| September 8-10, 2006: With my long time climbing partner, Alan McClain, I scaled Glacier Peak via the route Fred Becky pioneered in the 1960s. Near Granite Peak in the Beartooth Mountains, this climb featured a long snow and rock route that found us on the summit long after dark. We descended during one of the season’s first snow storms, back to our tent at 3:30 a.m. Click here for a view of the Silvertip Mountain Center products we used on our latest adventure… |
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