Mt Whitney Webcam
Mt Williamson Webcam
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 155 guests, and 16 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
#979 11/23/09 10:48 AM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 582
OP Offline
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 582
A big group of us headed up the MR Saturday to hit the ice below Girl Scout (Thor, Frog Pond, Dave Kirk) Lake. Conditions getting there were really less than optimal:

1) Trail is dry essentially to LBSL. The creek crossing below the E-ledges has some tremendous ice coverage, so watch your step. E-ledges are clear .

2) Snow coverage above LBSL is spotty , dense, hard, and slick. Some leap-frogging between rocks and scree is possible, but I would at least recommend trekking poles for touch balance to avoid slipping.

3) The trail and the slabs below Clyde Meadow are covered in thick, white, hard ice. I couldn't tell if the outlet from CM was running, but it was a solid-looking white path as well.

4) Snow conditions just below the falls were mostly hard-pack that allowed for just enough front-pointing with boots to walk up. I would imagine there are some areas higher (the chute above Iceberg) that might have similar conditions.

5) The ice is fat and in on the falls . The middle line is where the bulk of water flow is happening, and produced quite a shower and rope freezing when we were on it. Watch your step at the base: the areas of hard ice are not consistent across the belay line, and Miguel broke through to water at one point. I tested another area with my kneecap, and, unfortunately, lost that battle.

6) Afternoon freezing is really kicking in by 1500-1600. The descent to LBSL through the rocks was pretty unpleasant and slick. Again, poles would have been nice.

A few pics from the day:











We spent a great night at the Lone Pine CG, then hit the rocks in the Alabama Hills on Sunday. The Shark's Fin was our first target, and we covered the routes with ropes across the east side. I took a stab at the 10b (top rope) on the south edge of the arete, but the overhang was a killer. Knuckles bore the brunt of the day there, but we finished the day at Paul's Paradise with some nice 7's and 8's on the face.



Pics from the MR are here.

Pics from the Alabama Hills are here.

Thanks Miguel, Kevin, Gibran, Will, Joan, Christine, Dave, Amy, Mike, Fred, and Justin for a great weekend. Let me know about the next trip so we can work on our log-flipping into the fire skillz! shocked

From the luckiest girl in the world: Climb Hard, Be Safe.

-L cool


Facebook

Flickr Pics

Think outside the Zone.
Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
MooseTracks #980 11/23/09 12:26 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 660
Rod Offline
Offline
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 660
Fantantic pictures as usual. I REALLY love that shot of the ice stream meandering through what looks like bales of straw.Thanks for sharing here.You look so happy and comfortable. You are in your element.

Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
Rod #981 11/23/09 12:39 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 695
CaT Offline
Offline
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 695
Yeah, I love that same picture of the ice stream through the brown November foilage. Very nice!

CaT


If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
CaT #982 11/23/09 01:27 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 582
OP Offline
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 582
Thanks, guys. Working on the happy thing. I was just glad to have something hard to work on this past weekend...


Facebook

Flickr Pics

Think outside the Zone.
Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
MooseTracks #985 11/23/09 06:19 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,505
Likes: 103
S
Offline
S
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,505
Likes: 103
MooseTracks wrote:
3) The trail and the slabs below Clyde Meadow are covered in thick, white, hard ice. I couldn't tell if the outlet from CM was running, but it was a solid-looking white path as well.

Laura, you didn't mention wearing crampons for that section, but I can't imagine NOT using them there.... Oh -- maybe you didn't cross the slabs. Is that right?

Looks like everyone had lots of fun. Keep up the reports!

Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
Steve C #986 11/23/09 06:58 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 582
OP Offline
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 582
No, we didn't cross that but I did give it a big wrinkled-up nose look before we headed to the left up to the falls. We did have a lot of fun, except when I slipped and bashed my kneecap into the ice... mad


Facebook

Flickr Pics

Think outside the Zone.
Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
CaT #987 11/23/09 08:12 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 2
Offline
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 2
Originally Posted By: CaT
Yeah, I love that same picture of the ice stream through the brown November foilage. Very nice!

CaT


I'm assuming that's Trailside Meadow, but it looks a helluva lot different than when I saw it in August!

Great report Moosie - love your photos too!

Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
Bulldog34 #990 11/23/09 08:25 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,505
Likes: 103
S
Offline
S
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,505
Likes: 103
> I'm assuming that's Trailside Meadow

Actually, it is the stream heading into Lower Boy Scout Lake. If you look at Laura's pics starting with this one and the two following, you can see LBSL in the first two, and then the frozen stream.

(Laura, hope that knee is ok!)

Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
Steve C #991 11/23/09 08:30 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 2
Offline
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 2
Originally Posted By: Steve C
> I'm assuming that's Trailside Meadow

Actually, it is the stream heading into Lower Boy Scout Lake. If you look at Laura's pics starting with this one and the two following, you might recognize the area.


MR, MMWT - what's the diff? Boy, that'll raise a hue and cry . . .

I suppose I should focus on the route taken, huh? My bad. I was just reading Bob R's trip report about the main trail and it's been a looooong day. Let me re-state: it reminds me of what I would imagine Trailside Meadow looks like now. Was that a save?

Re: Hit Hard, Kick Harder: Ice on the MR 11-21-09
Bulldog34 #996 11/24/09 08:40 AM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 695
CaT Offline
Offline
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 695
Quote:
Was that a save?

Sure, why not...


If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.4
(Release build 20200307)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.4.33 Page Time: 0.027s Queries: 34 (0.022s) Memory: 0.6245 MB (Peak: 0.7160 MB) Data Comp: Off Server Time: 2024-03-28 16:47:49 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS