High Sierra Couloir Report

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marky

climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 10, 2006 - 01:10am PT
What have folks seen? Anyone willing to make a forecast of how the classic gullies will look in late September?
BCD

Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Aug 10, 2006 - 10:40am PT
I was snowboarding on the north side of Conness two weeks ago. No ice showing anywhere. The snow is kind of freezing at night, and turning to corn/slush during the day.
eeh

climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Aug 10, 2006 - 11:18am PT
Climbed the north couloir of Mt. Gilbert in late July. There was about one pitch of "ice" and the rest was snow. Things are melting fast....climate change?
marky

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 11, 2006 - 12:26pm PT
thanks. anyone else?
Ksolem

Trad climber
LA, Ca
Aug 11, 2006 - 12:33pm PT
We were up at Feather Peak a few days ago. All neve snow, no ice. My buddies climbed it anyway and said there is at least 36" of snow over the ice all the way up....


Patrick Sawyer

climber
Originally California now Ireland
Aug 11, 2006 - 01:05pm PT
What was this past winter like in the Sierra? A lot of snow? What's the snowpack like now?
Gary

climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
Aug 11, 2006 - 01:10pm PT
A lot of late snow, Patrick. The snow is still lingering in unusual places for this time of year.
eeh

climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Aug 11, 2006 - 01:13pm PT
Last winter we had record-breaking snowfall. One of largest amounts of snow we have ever received in a season, depending upon which data set you use. A few higher lakes just recently melted out and the mosquitos are still in full effect, if that gives you an idea of the amount of snow left.
Patrick Sawyer

climber
Originally California now Ireland
Aug 11, 2006 - 05:10pm PT
Thanks people.
hossjulia

Trad climber
Eastside
Aug 11, 2006 - 05:57pm PT
The Tioga Pass area seemed to be the epicenter of the storms, recieving 200% of normal snowpack, or something over 700 inches.
check out www.esavalanche.org and go through the old avy reports for spring, interesting, albiet scary stuff!

There was a young fellow in a couple of days ago who skied , I think, The North Peak coulior. He said it was firm, with runnels in it, and some sun cups.
Ultrabiker

Ice climber
Eastside
Aug 11, 2006 - 09:31pm PT
If the Day/Night variable temps continue as they have around here, we may see some "Classic" Couloir Ice, MAYBE, begin appearing in late Sept on the following Classic's:

NP East and West, Gilbert, Smrz, Knutson, Harrington, Moynier, Feather(Big MAYBE), Mendel Rt Side and cross your fingers, ICE NINE may even be in and out for a couple of days in very late Sept.

So far, as KSOLEM mentioned, there is a top layer of at least 24-36"s of this years snowpack/neve still covering many of the Sierra Classic's Ice.
marky

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 24, 2006 - 08:34pm PT
has anyone looked at anything lately?
T2

climber
Cardiff by the sea
Aug 25, 2006 - 12:08am PT
Here is what the V notch and the U notch looked like last weekend Marky.


Ultrabiker

Ice climber
Eastside
Aug 25, 2006 - 08:32am PT
"ICE NINE" is DOA for this season...so far. Pray for a drip in the next couple of weeks! Same for "Moynier"...ahhhhhhhhhh! I need my Ice fix soooooooon!
10b4me

Trad climber
California
Aug 30, 2006 - 12:43am PT
anybody been up the Dana Couloir lately?
what's the 'schrund like? neve or AI?
james Colborn

Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
Aug 30, 2006 - 10:51am PT
Dana Last thursday with a party of three. One in the party was not so solid so we roped up and simul climbed it in one long pitch. It's low angle enough to use a long axe. Neve frozen corn snow conditions prevail, w/ one small patch of ice on the upper right of the couloir. The Schrund is bridged in three places, left, center, and right side. We went for the center. The route is very moderate, with lots of scoops for rests, if your solid I reccommend soloing the route. As with most climbs in the backcountry the approach is more brutal than the climb.

Mick how about posting some of the photos. James
Patrick Sawyer

climber
Originally California now Ireland
Aug 30, 2006 - 11:58am PT
That 'schrund on Palisade Glacier looks larger than I have seen it before. T2 did you climb either notch and if so what was the 'shcrund like to cross?


I can't believe the last time I was on the Palisade Glacier was in 1973 (U-Notch and North Pal).
clustiere

Trad climber
Durango, CO
Aug 30, 2006 - 03:04pm PT
Did V notch two weeks ago and it was perfect nieve, the center was starting to ice up and that will likely continue for a while. The U notch was nieve too and the right side was icing up. The nieve was sweet, like ice climbing but easier, definately not a slog!!
bearbnz

Trad climber
Bridgeport, CA
Aug 30, 2006 - 06:14pm PT
Here is a photo of the North Peak couloirs from Monday August 21. Definitely snow, but firm snow in the A.M.
Ultrabiker

Ice climber
Eastside
Aug 30, 2006 - 09:25pm PT
WOW!!!!! Check out #2 or the Center Couloir!!! Looks like the funnel up top (2/3rds of the way up and can't be seen clearly) goes through!!! BEARBNZ's, did you notice if that is true. If it is, that is a fine line and goes @ WI4+/5 with an 80deg 5-8' wide by 40' long deep channel that only forms once every, well, last time I saw it/did it was back in 98'. Got to go SOLO it...maybe tomorrow!
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