Here Today Gone Tomorrow

North Idaho ice is always a fickle beast elusive and short lived this season is no exception! In fact this winter has been one of the mildest I can remember. We have had three good cold snaps lasting about five days. Which we rely on to get the ice started but they have all been followed by rain and early spring type temperatures ugh! Typically our ice can last awhile this season literally days! I actually got my season's first swings early by N Idaho standards on Copper Falls things started out great Copper typically isn't climbed until late November early December in fact this season is the earliest I've climbed ice in N Idaho. Followed by some ice at Pyramid Lake a week later and Chilco came in late December early January (lasting only a few days feeling lucky I got to climb it twice!). So I was psyched thinking maybe the season I've been waiting for had arrived. Not to be but I did get to climb some of what my panhandle has to offer and will again soon I hope! So until then north and east I'll have to go!

Copper Falls November 16 2014

Pyramid Lake Ice November 22 2014



Chilco Falls January 3 2015
 In and out in less than a week this season



2014/15 Ice Season Is Well Under Way A Few Mental Minutes To Over Come & The Shoulders Feeling Pretty Good!

Rolling into this ice season after shoulder rehab (still rehabbing) kinda got me down a bit mentally. I was having to get over a mental cloud I had put over my head. I actually came into the season feeling pretty fit I started out climbing fine I had a couple of mental minutes to get over and that has seemed to have passed. As an average climber it's still nice to feel like I got my groove back. I got up to Canada for a quick two day trip last week, we hit Field on day one hearing Cascade Kronenberg had been getting climbed (via the Shooter Bar mixed two bolt line to access the upper curtain two different reports from guides rated going at M6WI6) thought we should at least go check it out. Upon the walk up we decided to warm up on Carlsberg which is a great climb and in good nick I might add.  Also Kronenberg looks intimidating as a warm up after climbing Carlsberg Joe and I looked at Kronenberg and decided we should giver and see what happens. Joe got us started leading up through a fun ice section to the mixed bolted section then a woo hoo and he was on the ledge! I follow what is a super fun pitch meet Joe on the ledge. Put on a jacket drink a quick Monster while getting racked up for my lead of the upper ice section. Super fun ice section this is just what I needed a bit of a challenge to help get the mental wheels turning. We finished off the day with a TR lap on Carlsberg. Climbed Louise the next morning and drove home great short trip! Feeling psyched for my next climbing trip!

Cascade Kronenberg

 Shooting Bar goes up through rock right of lower hanging ice then up on left on upper ice from ledge. Really fun climbing!

Cascade Kronenberg

Best medicine for me some steeps

Carlsberg on the left 

Carlsberg

Carlsberg

Joe Lind getting our day started on pitch one

Carlsberg

Pitch two offered up 

Louise 

The classic line offered us a fun climb before driving home

Petzl Laser Speed Ice Screws

Up until recently my ice screw rack was completely made up of Black Diamond express screws. Which after trying other screws that some of my climbing partners have there was no doubt they were the best screw out there racked good started fast and went in quick. So if a partner didn't have BD express screws we would wind up using my rack as I preferred them over others. That was until I tried the Petzl laser speed screws this season holy shot Batman they are better! They start like butter, rack great, are lighter and crank in easier what more can I ask for. They do make a light version in aluminum the tip is steel I tried em awesome too I decided to go with the all steel standards for ice since my gear does seem to take a beating and the aluminum just would get beat up I believe over time. The light aluminum version would be the way to go for building a light alpine rack for sure. So I have started the transition!