TR: Freeze Fest Part 1

[forum8fox]

Nathan and I meet up to do some shopping for supplies, then hit the road at a decent hour for a change. We are headed out to the North Wash out of Hanksville Utah for a festival that most people would probably deem insane.

After everything is said and done I must admit that I think we're probably clinically certifiable, and the feeling is more so confirmed on Monday morning when I return to work and tell the tale of swimming through ice water. Some of my close friends who are my co-workers tell me I have problems, "No, seriously" they tell me. Others joke, saying you don't have to drive to Utah to swim in ice water... Clear Creek is in front of our house and it's pretty damn frozen right now with channels to swim through.

They just don't get it, it's not that I just like to suffer (although through the years I have found I kind of do and have some-what masochistic tendencies). Really that's not what it's all about though, it's really about being out in mother nature pushing yourself to achieve your personal best (at least for me anyway).

We hadn't planned to arrive until the evening of Wednesday the 30th but since work was so slow for both of us we just decided to jump town early and leave before noon on Tuesday the 29th. We arrived at camp to find a friendly crowd gathered around the fire not long after sun down.
On the drive out we made our way through a couple storms which only gave us a slight in-site to what we were in for, the stories around the camp fire got us pretty fired up. It turns out there is quite a bit of snow in the canyons and on the slick rock approaches making things a lot harder then usual. So basically the canyons we had planned to do during our time out there were out due to the approaches. Luckily there were more options that under normal circumstances would probably be a jaunt, but in these conditions would be trying for almost everyone involved.

We were told that the walls were plastered with snow and rime ice making stemming scary, and I really wondered if the walls of sandthrax were too steep to be snowy. Way too full of energy Nate and I decide to go have a look since it's so close to camp. Turns out we would end up soloing up the last drop and stemming for a little bit up the canyon to where the canyon would have forced us down a drop and into full blown commitment.

This is the spot where you come to the last section of chock stones before the end of the canyon. We called it good here as it was night time and a good point to turn around at with out getting too committed (I was in snowboarding boots with no laces anyway). We were pretty jazzed that we got that far with out encountering a lot of snow and rime ice, and I think we were slightly inspired for a brief moment that something hard could be possible.

Back at camp we talk about what we had seen fairly confident that things will get better, Tom jokes saying what you went up there with ice gear? We relax and get to know the crew a little better, people are having fun cracking jokes about my heavy medicating as I get handed a smoking stick asking if I want to medicate! I happily accept not knowing better, it sure looked like a funny pipe I must admit, JOKES ON ME! HA HA, if you can't laugh at yourself... Turns out this was just the beginning of the medication jokes which I really didn't mind as I just tried to take it as light hearted humor on an easy subject to pick at.

We had planned on climbing while we were out there for 2 days because we had remembered seeing a lot of potentially nice looking lines. Not to mention *** I DID NOT PLAN TO GO THROUGH THE BLACK HOLE ON THE 1ST, INFACT I TRIED TO MAKE IT CLEAR NUMEROUS TIMES THAT I WAS GOING CLIMBING INSTEAD *** .

So the first day we made our way back out past Hanksville to the view finder tower area with the hopes of putting up a new line to a new summit. I had scoped the thing before and had a line in mind, I even toyed with some gear at the base to get a feel for the intimidating rock. I knew it wouldn't be easy so I came with a pretty extensive rack, even hardware for bolting if needed. I surely under estimated the nature of this rock and became slightly humbled from the experience.

DAY 1: CLIMBING: View Finder Tower area













We get a leisurely start this morning and make our way to the tower probably around 10:30-11. We walk right up to the base and I start eyeing the lines I remembered seeing. I set my sights on a line after discussing the potential with Nate. The route would start up a thin seam in a dihedral, then I figured it would go up one of the 3 possible seams above. It

[Don]

Damn you got some nice pictures! Looks like you guys had a great time! Nice to finally meet you too. Cheers!


Or whatever you prefer.

[CarpeyBiggs]

nice... i wait anxiously for the tale of the hole, as told by you and nate. what an epic day.

[jman]

I love your detailed reports, btw. Thanks for the great pics! Seems like S. Utah is getting more snow than N. Utah. (And hopefully that will make Zion a more-than-average wet year!)

[vader]

I read your TR While sitting in my nice warm house in fleece PJ's and it made me cold just reading it. Great pictures as always. Can't wait to see part 2

[ratagonia]

Great storytelling Jason. Nice pics too. Fun times!

Tom

[forum8fox]

Thanks guys, glad you all enjoyed the read and pics.

I think I'll put part 2 up tonight (it's just the black hole, and probly just as lengthy of a read as these 2 days put together). Unfortunately I don't have nearly as many pics from the hole myself as I was freezing and soaked most of the day! It should be a good read none the less with atleast a couple photo's from before the black hole proper.

[tanya]

BBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

Love it!