millsclimber
01-02-2010, 10:00 PM
I decided to get out for the last climb of 2009. We headed out for Battlecreek Dec 31st hoping for some good, lower-elevation ice with all the cold weather recently.
Unfortunately, the long route I've done on a number of previous trips - south of the main falls - is not in. It looked like there had been some natural slide activity through the gully above it that may have taken the ice out, or there just hasn't been enough melting from above to feed it.
So we decided to just tackle the right (south) side of the main falls. It was a great day despite the shortened route. Climbing right next to (and sometime almost in) the main falls as they were running strong was cool. There was a very thin curtain that formed the tube at the top that would not have supported weight so we skirted it to the right on some thicker ice and a rock move or two. Nothing was fat enough or stable enough for screws so we just went topo.
It ended up being a great way to wrap up 2009. It was a tough year for many of us, but hopefully 2010 will bring some great ice and economic upswing (in that order :haha:)
http://picasaweb.google.com/austmills/LastIceOf2009?feat=directlink
Beautiful hike up
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0AicUkHSYI/AAAAAAAADoA/HhueoYeLGJ8/s800/IMG_6025_HDR.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0AieeUIFQI/AAAAAAAADoE/jXD6zdPgPTQ/s800/IMG_6031_HDR.jpg
Main Falls
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Apr3TTzGI/AAAAAAAADp0/hzTM8IA7Mog/s800/IMG_6116.JPG
Jordan rapping the falls before the climb
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0AmIOAjGQI/AAAAAAAADo8/n5GNmeqkfgg/s800/IMG_6075_Less%20Sat.jpg
Thin curtain near the top
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Ai06-oDgI/AAAAAAAADoY/vWwLa4BPFBw/s800/IMG_6049.JPG
Looking down mid-rap
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Aix2SnxBI/AAAAAAAADoQ/Rr6ah0poho0/s800/IMG_6045.JPG
The Climb
(4 image pano)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0AnmeUyhwI/AAAAAAAADpg/KnG3NnRoen0/s800/IMG_6082_stitch.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Apa-3f-yI/AAAAAAAADps/KPTwGe4jOag/s800/IMG_6106.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Aor2vG0kI/AAAAAAAADpk/7GpueY7_pu4/s800/IMG_6090.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0ApP2jThwI/AAAAAAAADpo/BEDcRbXfIy8/s800/IMG_6099.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Ape2Ekr0I/AAAAAAAADpw/b_L3Eeabfws/s800/IMG_6109.JPG
Good day...
Unfortunately, the long route I've done on a number of previous trips - south of the main falls - is not in. It looked like there had been some natural slide activity through the gully above it that may have taken the ice out, or there just hasn't been enough melting from above to feed it.
So we decided to just tackle the right (south) side of the main falls. It was a great day despite the shortened route. Climbing right next to (and sometime almost in) the main falls as they were running strong was cool. There was a very thin curtain that formed the tube at the top that would not have supported weight so we skirted it to the right on some thicker ice and a rock move or two. Nothing was fat enough or stable enough for screws so we just went topo.
It ended up being a great way to wrap up 2009. It was a tough year for many of us, but hopefully 2010 will bring some great ice and economic upswing (in that order :haha:)
http://picasaweb.google.com/austmills/LastIceOf2009?feat=directlink
Beautiful hike up
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0AicUkHSYI/AAAAAAAADoA/HhueoYeLGJ8/s800/IMG_6025_HDR.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0AieeUIFQI/AAAAAAAADoE/jXD6zdPgPTQ/s800/IMG_6031_HDR.jpg
Main Falls
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Apr3TTzGI/AAAAAAAADp0/hzTM8IA7Mog/s800/IMG_6116.JPG
Jordan rapping the falls before the climb
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0AmIOAjGQI/AAAAAAAADo8/n5GNmeqkfgg/s800/IMG_6075_Less%20Sat.jpg
Thin curtain near the top
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Ai06-oDgI/AAAAAAAADoY/vWwLa4BPFBw/s800/IMG_6049.JPG
Looking down mid-rap
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Aix2SnxBI/AAAAAAAADoQ/Rr6ah0poho0/s800/IMG_6045.JPG
The Climb
(4 image pano)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0AnmeUyhwI/AAAAAAAADpg/KnG3NnRoen0/s800/IMG_6082_stitch.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Apa-3f-yI/AAAAAAAADps/KPTwGe4jOag/s800/IMG_6106.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Aor2vG0kI/AAAAAAAADpk/7GpueY7_pu4/s800/IMG_6090.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0ApP2jThwI/AAAAAAAADpo/BEDcRbXfIy8/s800/IMG_6099.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0QCPCtkl_Do/S0Ape2Ekr0I/AAAAAAAADpw/b_L3Eeabfws/s800/IMG_6109.JPG
Good day...