Conditions update, 02/04/2011
Just two short updates this week.
Exit 38: A new mixed route Careful With That Axe, Eugene was established by Dave and Dan Morales to the right of CYA this week.
See Pictures of the FA

Lennox: Someone climbed up through Goat Basin on Lennox on their way for a winter summit, and offered a glimpse at conditions of the ice routes there. They are all thin but definitely still there. With some cool weather that cirque will be fine for a while.

Conditions update, 01/29/2011
Is no report a report? I'm afraid I have no good news to share, it seems like most of the ice we all enjoyed up to two weeks ago is now gone. I've watched the snowpack at 5000 feet go from about 150 inches to 50 inches in the last two weeks, which only means that it's extremely warm and raining more than snowing even up high, and this season, which started out quite promising as it has the last two year previously, has turned bust. A bit earlier than I would have expected. Usually you can count on something somewhere being in until mid-Feb, if not first week of March. However I have no good news to share. Banks Lake is out, Leavenworth is pretty much out, everything on the West side is out, and second-hand report is that Strobach is also out now. Pandome might still be hanging in there and stuff above 5000 feet in the alpine is likely fine, but those are generally long-approach low-ROI climbs.
One interesting tidbit is the party of long-time local Kurt Hicks and Rodney ticking off a North Face of Dragontail route in reasonable conditions. These routes usually dont come into decent shape until, oh, say March or April - well, there's the indicator. These last two weeks have been much more late March, early April weather than anything else, so not a huge surprise. Good job guys!
There is a cool-down forecast the next 5 days. It might be too-little, too-late, but we'll have to wait and see. It's not even February yet, there might still be some Winter left.

Conditions update, 01/20/2011
The warm weather was very warm but pretty short lived, just a week or so. My instinct tells me this is not the classic "February Thaw" that we sometimes experience in the Pacific Northwest. Regardless, the temps have returned back to seasonal norms in the region. This coming weekend is looking quite dry with a dirty ridge of weak high pressure building up over the area on the weekend. Next week we get stronger high pressure, with sun and warm temps forecast. So this weekend is probably better than next for finding ice. Aside from the two tidbits below, I have no reports.
Leavenworth: Millenium Wall survived the warmth which is a decent sign that things in the Eastern Cascades are not completely gone with the warm weather.
Banks Lake, Moses Coulee, Desert Climbs: Someone took a drive up through many ofthe popular desert areas and reported that all the ice had fallen down.

Conditions update, 01/12/2011
Shockingly the forecast was actually pretty far off, and instead of our third hard winter storm we got a real Pineapple Express! It is raining at 6000 ft on the East side of the crest which doesn't help things very much, the long-term forecast looks not favorable through the weekend. At this point I don't know much more than anyone else what will happen with the ice. Seriously. Certainly this past weekend while it was still cold it was still pretty good in the Leavenworth area, with attempts on the Drip and a variety of other routes climbed complete, including one reported new route. (Most of this is in the good Leavenworth Conditions thread on cascadeclimbers.com).
Leavenworth: The Conditions Thread for Leavenworth has a variety of pics, updates and commentary (cough). Despite Pencil and Drury reported in, I have not heard of any successful climbs though I do know people are interested, as always.

Conditions update, 01/10/2011
This coming weeks plans will be hampered (no, not by our inevitable Pineapple Express) by yet another cold system coming in, threatening accumulation in urban areas including Seattle and Portland. This has already been an eventful ice season: while stuff isn't in fat except perhaps at Strobach, the winter has been generally colder and drier than normal. More cold is not bad news, ever.
Accuweather: Significant Snow Event Possible for Seattle, Portland

Conditions update, 01/09/2011
Local climbers Dave Burdick and John Frieh busted a move and finally sent The Watchtower at Strobach.

Strobach: The Watchtower recieved its first ascent on Saturday, in relatively thin conditions. The first ascent party hiked in from The Motherlode. Other routes currently in include Sudden Change of Plan, Sad Cebu, Dropline, Ponderosa Pillar, and Ice Dreams which the party also climbed the same day. Other routes close but not quite there are Bleeder Project and Tower of Power. Other routes in the Dome Peak area aside from The Watchtower don't seem to be completely in yet. This area recieves more sun than Motherloade later in the year, so tends to get a bit fatter in Feb and March if the melt-freeze cycle works out.
Trip Report Here

Strobach, The Watchtower FA.

Conditions update, 01/06/2011
Happy New Year! Thanks for all the various reports, all the way from Colorado to Southwestern BC!
The rain started again yesterday in Western Washington after several weeks of really nice cold clear weather that reminded me much more of the interior than the coast. Lots of ice being climbed in Washington and beyond the last week. The ice season is shaping up to be quite a bit different this year, with the desert climbs at Frenchman and Banks Lake quite thin this year despite the cold, and at other areas also atypical conditions with standards not forming but non-standards coming in fine.
One attempt and one complete climb of North Face of Index during the cold spell was noteworthy. This is kind of early in the season for this route, it's better when the snow is a bit more consolidated and the days are longer. Nice effort!

Mt Baker Ski Area: Pan Dome is in.
Banks Lake: Trotsky's Revenge, Trotsky's Folly, Punchbowl, H202 and other routes in. Quite a bit thinner than in banner years.
Leavenworth: Hubba Hubba (thin at the top) and Rainbow Falls, Millenium Wall, Drury, and Pencil are in. Do not know about The Drip.
Alpental: Some of the standard routes upvalley have been climbed or reported in. With the dramatic change in the weather pattern your mileage may vary!
CYA, Black Ice drytooling crag: This came in thin over the last two weeks but is gone again now with the rain.
Strobach: Since last report Primus Sucks has been climbed, and other routes mentioned below are building. including Responsible Ladies Man, Sudden Change of Plan and Sad Cebu, Dropline, Ice Dreams, Ponderosa Pillar.
Mt Rainier: The Mikey climbs seem thin but in, and also Narada had a short span of climbability. A bit strange as I would have expected it much thicker with the cold we had.

Conditions update, 12/28/2010
First off, sorry for dropping the ball on updating these pages last few weeks! Thanks so much to Parker, Nate, Dan, Dave, Jeff, Paul from Yakattack, and others for sending me conditions reports even though the pages were stale! Thanks all of you who are posting on CascadeClimbers.com as well!

Mt Baker Ski Area: Pan Dome's been in since before Thanksgiving but is still living up to its reputation as a difficult lead. I've sketched my way up this thing too, it's not to be underestimated.
Methow Valley: As of Sunday 12/19, Goat Wall was sporting only poor ice and some pretty deep snow getting to base. The week before had been warm and wet and only the most sheltered areas of the Goat Wall had sported any ice. Not recommended right now.
Banks Lake: Back around the 10th of December a number of lines got climbed by different parties, including Trotsky's Revenge, Trotsky's Folly, and H202. But in general it's been pretty warm and Banks right now is not fat. The Leavenworth Conditions link below also has some recent Banks Lake pictures of the Punchbowl area, in general it's been too warm in the last week or so. With the cold snap now it should get better in the next week.
Frenchman Coulee: During the cold snap after Thanksgiving and into the first week of December, Frenchman Falls came partially in, and was climbed by numerous parties. It's a really fun climb when it's there! It's out now, however. Fuggs seems dry this year, not in.
Leavenworth: Here is a pretty good Conditions Thread for Leavenworth. A few of the standard routes have been climbed in the last weeks, like Hubba Hubba and Rainbow Falls, but much of the stuff close to the road is rotting. The Millenium Wall ice is in and pretty good for a short hike. I have not heard of anyone climbing Drury or Pencil yet this year.
Mountain Loop Highway: Very interesting undertaking trying to climb ice in the lower Three Fingers cirque, Trip Report Here.
Alpental: Rap Wall; climbs are decent, with some icing now. Many parties have been in. Alpental Falls is ....well, frozen at least as of two days ago...but very thin and doesnt look particularly protectable in its current shape. Same with the other lower valley climbs. I would wait. NEB of Chair Peak was climbed in recent days but looks quite thin still.
CYA, Black Ice drytooling crag: It came in for a few days during the first week of Dec and CYA was climbed, but it's gone again now.
Strobach: Oh it's ON at Strobach! Two significant FAs already by two strong parties who are putting in alot of time and miles already at Strobach this season. First was Responsible Ladies Man, WI5, by Bryan and Skander, Trip Report Here, and just yesterday Nate Farr and Colin B finished one of the long standing challenges, Unholy Baptism, WI6, Trip Report Here. They've already done the duty and on their first approach into the area climbed First on the Right, which due to it's physical isolation from the rest of the routes in the area sees few ascents. Otherwise, as of 12/28 Responsible Ladies Man is in and a bit fatter than it's FA shape, Sudden Change of Plan and Sad Cebu are thin but climbable, Dropline is in, Ponderosa Pillar is in.
Chinook Pass and White Pass: As of Christmas Eve, Horsetail was not formed, Peekaboo was verglassed, the Drowning Pool was not in, and Clearcreek's right side was climbable. It's been fairly warm but with the cold snap on us now it should be back on.


Some Pictures.

Strobach, Unholy Baptism FA.


Rap Wall.

Conditions update, 11/21/2010
My first conditions update in 2009 was on this very same day, but here we are a year later and a cold airmass has filtered into Western Washington, making sleepy ice climbers wake up and begin dreaming of a new season! It snowed a little in Seattle today, and there are several inches of snow on the ground at Exit 38 off I-90. Several folks have already been poking around in anticipation!

CYA, Black Ice drytooling crag: Nothing there yet.
Strobach: Intrepid Kevin got a jump on everyone and went into Motherlode area at Strobach. Climbs are forming. Pictures Here. Photo 10,11 Primus Sucks Photo 13,14 unnamed still awaiting it's first complete ascent, Photo 15, 17 Unholy Baptism still awaiting it's first complete ascent of the upper pitch, Photo 16 First on the Left, Photo 18, 19 Sudden Change of Plan and Sad Cebu, Photo 20 Dropline, Photo 21, 22 unnamed and unclimbed, Ponderosa Pillar and Bleeder Project, Photo 23 Ice Dreams.
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