Conditions update, 1/22/2007
There was a flurry of route activity this past week as people continued to capitalize on the route build-out during the recent cold weather. The weekend itself brought the first seasonal temperatures again to the area, and freezing levels over the next few days will be high, which will affect ice climbs and snow conditions. Its great that so many people are getting out!!
Leavenworth: The Pencil was attempted by a strong party and also climbed this past week. An attempt was made at another route lower in the same drainage, but the route collapsed a short while after the party retreated. As of Monday morning the Pencil is still in, but the warm weather is bringing rain to the area.
Banks, Lake Lenore, Soap Lake, desert areas: Online report Most climbs are formed once again, including Champagne, Beer climbs, Children of the Sun, and major Banks Lake routes such as Zenith H2O2, and Salt and Pepper. Emerald is formed but spitting water. I don't have a report for Vantage, sorry.
Strobach: Click for image. Two parties were in at Strobach this past weekend, one on Sat and one on Sun. There are two snowshoe trails kicked in now: one from the 609 road, and one using the Split Rock approach, so if you go before the next significant snowfall, your routefinding will be easy. The ice remains as fat as its ever been, with some routes in easier shape than normal. Sad Ce'bu, Sudden Change of Plan, and Ice Dreams are all fat and moderate, coming in around WI3 or WI3+. Dropline was attempted once and climbed completely for the first time on Sunday. Additionally, another route, named Bleeder Project, received its first ascent Sunday and offers a nice 2-pitch moderate with a short stiff crux. On the left side of Seperation Gully, Primus Sucks is formed and an unclimbed route second to the left of Seperation Gully, is touching down for the first time. It has a dual-bolt anchor at the top of the upper tier, for any enterprising hardmen looking to try it.
Mazama: Click for image. Josh reports Goats Beard is touching down, and other ice in the area is in.

Conditions update, 1/15/2007
The cold blast continues with daytime temperatures in the Seattle area not above freezing today. On the East side of the crest things are colder. Duh. Get out there.
Leavenworth: White Slabs direct on Snow Creek wall was climbed this weekend, as well as other lines. Jim reports Leavenworth is in pretty well. LOTs of ice but LOTS of thin ice. Careno is blanketed in ice and at least a few long, climbable lines. The Falls there are still looking wet and sickly. Climbed a fun mixed line on Cable Rock ([ed.]details to be posted here later...). Seems to be lots of new route potential in the Icicle in general. Drury is HUGE. Pencil in. Also saw some cave-looking thing across the river that was growing a curtain, east of Drury (I think) that would be an awesome little mixed crag...if it weren't for that pesky river.
Banks, Lake Lenore, Soap Lake, desert areas: Paul reports that things are healing up again. Should remain in one piece through the weekend.

Conditions update, 1/8/2007
The last week brought several wet and rigorous storm systems with higher than normal freezing levels, dropping alot of rain up to higher elevations in the mountains, creating very high avalanche hazard, and destoying alot of climbs in the desert. The coming week, starting Tuesday night, promises dry modified arctic air and extremely cold temperaturs across Washington though the coming holiday weekend. The predicted temperatures are significantly colder than anything we've seen yet this year, and probably as cold or colder than the extreme cold of late February 2006. What does this mean for ice climbing? Arctic air like this is good for some ice formation for sure, but also typically leads to challenging, brittle conditions while climbing. Most West-Coast climbers are just not used to leading ice or climbing in     -15C  conditions, so if you venture out in the next week be conservative. Your best bets for climbing will initially be ice that didnt get destoyed by the recent warm cycle. The longer we go into this cold weather, the better the conditions will get for new route formation - enabling you to climb perennial flows that don't often form well such as Alpental Falls, John Pierce, Skookum, and other lowlands waterfalls. Check avalanche conditions before you go out in the mountains, the recent rain crust with snow on top, and cold temps leading to hoar formation will make for an atypical avalanche cycle here on the coast.
Leavenworth: The online report by Lworth local rat reports Drury and Pencil as in, lots of snow on north facing aspects like Rat Creek and Hubba hill, and Snow Creek Wall and Wet and Wild might be there for the more adventurous types.
Banks, Lake Lenore, Soap Lake, desert areas: An online report had most of the desert climbs badly affected by the recent warm weather, with just about everything except Zenith at Banks Lake destroyed.
Strobach: Word is that the moderate routes are thin and hollow, and the hard routes are still looking hard.
Snoqualmie Pass: It rained to the 6000 foot level last a week ago, but was snowing again Sunday at the pass. Easily accessible ice wont be in until the cold gets here.

Conditions update, 12/31/2006
A very wet Fall, seasonal temps with a deeper-than-normal snowpack everywhere means that the ice is fat in some areas that are tall enough and snowpack fed, like Strobach, while in other areas where the flows are not so large, the climbs are pretty much buried, flowing, or both (Alpental, Chinook Pass). In the last two weeks we've had more snow and no significant warming, leading to a good building cycle. Avalanche hazard is high in the mountains!
Leavenworth: Strobach: Climbs are in and fatter than they have been since the 1998 season. FA's going up in the past week.
Chinook Pass: Horsetail is flowing, other routes in various forming states but not leadable.
Banks, Lake Lenore, Soap Lake, desert areas: Wetter-than-average in the desert, but the temps remain mild, making for frequent build/fall-apart cycles. Zenith, Champagne, Salt and Pepper top sections in, bottom sections questionable. Punchbowl in. Cable forming. Scotch on the Rocks forming. Children of the Sun forming/thin. Some FA's going in in the past two weeks because some flows are forming up that have not formed before!

Conditions update, 12/15/2006
Banks, Lake Lenore, Soap Lake, desert areas:Stuff is formed. Champagne, Frenchman Falls, Zenith, and other routes all lead or TR'ed in the last few weeks.
Leavenworth:Hubba is in, perhaps some other stuff in the Icicle.
Lake Wenatchee:The climbs above Lake Wenatchee have been reconned and climbed recently.