Yep, we did! The weather cleared up for a few days after the warm temps and strong winds melted a ton of snow. The temps dropped nicely so all the snow was bullet proof and easy to hike on. I left the house at 7am and made it to Art’s by 8:15. We fondled the new rack I have picked up over the last month and then packed our bags. We all piled in his Taco and drove the 10 minutes north to the trail to the wall. Art and i hiked in to the wall while his wife and daughter waited near the truck for 2 of our friends to arrive a while later.

We hiked in to the wall on nice hard snow. The snow is a good foot deep most of the way in but with it nice and hard it was a rare post hole that happened. The climb up to the base of the wall was a bit touchy at points. The snow was so hard that kicking steps was a bit difficult, at least to get large steps. We got to the base of the wall after climbing the 20m ~50 deg snow slope then cut a couple of platforms to stand on, one at the base of the route and the other I built near the Oregon Grape a few feet away.

It was COLD until the sun came around the rock. When I woke up it was 17F at my house and probably sat at about 20F as we racked up at the base. I got the first ascent last year so Art got the first Winter ascent with the lead. The rock was damned cold and the air matched. Once the sun hit us and the rock Art got ready and started climbing. His toes were cold from the get go and he was having to warm his hands often while on good foot holds.

We still have yet to name the route...

He made it through the four bolts of face climbing and to the crack at mid point. Then the new cams started to get placed. Smooth action, long slings, doubles to quads on sizes, and light weight makes the new rack a dream to use. Art made it to the top of the crack then had to negotiate ice to make it to the anchor. Pretty gnarly but he made it.

I tied in and managed to get my climbing shoes on with socks on. They were pretty tight but i was a shit ton warmer than I would have been. My hands took a long time to get to warm up enough though they never really did while i was climbing. This made it VERY insecure feeling and I was far more gripped than I would have been in warmer temps. There is something about climbing with slightly numb hands and fingers that can make a person’s sphincter tighten a bit too much. I remember most of the moves and managed to make all of them. Despite being on top rope I still was gripped. Mostly as I didn’t want to fall off so that I could have a clean ascent.

The top of the route traverses to the right about 10 feet along a ledge to the anchor. At the top of the crack it was still filled with rime ice. I am NOT used to hand jamming a frozen crack... SO insecure feeling. I stood on the frozen crack and worked my way right then I hit a foot+ wide patch of ice and my feet were skating. I was feet from the anchor and had to work my hardest of the route just to grab the tree. I made it barely but I made it. We sat on the ledge in the sun for a while while everyone hiked up the valley to the lake. Daniel hiked up to the base of the wall with his 3 doofy dobermans as we pulled ropes and packed up.

We scrambled down the snow slopes to the road below and then went out to the lake and meadow. After a bit of testing the ice, (which was pretty damned thick) we all headed back out to the vehicles. Ally had driven her Bronco in a lot farther than Art had his truck and her only way out was to back up out the trail. She made it about half way up a little hill before getting stopped and then in the process of trying to get turned around she buried it. We tried for about an hour to get her unstuck but in the end gave up and took her, Daniel, the dobies in the bed of the truck/shell, Art’s wife and daughter in back seat, their little dog on the center arm rest, and Ally’s dog Willow in my lap. Good it was only a 10 minute drive back to Art’s. I took off not long after we got to Art’s and made it home around 6pm.

Daily Activity, Hiking, Walking, Weight Lifting