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Ice Conditions - updated Dec. 21st |
Ice and avalanche conditions for the more popular ice routes in Rocky Mountain National Park are updated regularly by Eli Helmuth; Estes Park resident, IFMGA licensed mountain guide and AIARE trained avalanche educator and forecaster.
WARNING: Ice and avalanche conditions change constantly and the information provided here should not be the final say in making the best decisions in regard to your risk management in the mountains. Climbing Life and it's contributors accept no liability for your decisions based on this information. Ice climbing is very dangerous and one can easily kill themselves in this sport.
December 21st Conditions:
Yesterday on the Squid, we had the place to ourselves (thanks to our friends' trailhead change of plans to the route Jaws) and it was a full-on winter experience with constant 20 mph winds from the west and about 2 inches of new snow falling during the day (as Dan predicted in the mountain weather forecast). Wind-blown deposits were forming slabs on the south-facing slopes below this route and throughout the treeline and above elevations (10,000+) in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Steve Johnson getting some solid sticks on the Squid on Dec. 20th, 2007
The avalanche danger throughout the high country has risen due to the new snow which started again yesterday and is in full-swing now on Friday afternoon. We stuck to the thickest tree'd terrain on our descent yesterday and wished that we'd packed our beacons, shovels, and probes as there was some higher risk in spots. We had done some ski cutting and column tests on the opposite north-facing slopes in the Tyndall Gorge over the weekend and had found a very weak (CTE1, Q2@25cm) surface slab in wind-affected and loaded slopes in the treeline elevation range around 10,000'.
I will boldly state that the Squid is the best pure ice route in RMNP and the grade has dropped down a bit as it's thickened to a sustained WI5 flow which could easily contain a left (ice) and right-hand (mixed) variations. There is plenty of climbing in this 55 meter-long pitch which is in prime shape and we saw no screw holes which likely means that the route is filling-in and it was a bit wet in one small section after the crux.
Temperatures above 10,000' have stayed well below freezing despite the warmer temperatures in the Front Range and with the ground still warm on the south aspects, the snowfall from the recent storms is melting on many south-facing hillsides and feeding ice routes such as Jaws, The Squid, and The Crypt.
The ephemeral and classic ice route Jaws in the Fern Canyon of RMNP on Dec. 18th, 2007
Avalanche danger is staying in the CONSIDERABLE to HIGH range above treeline, primarily due to the wind loading on a relatively weak snowpack and so the most lee-loaded areas such as the Lambslide on Longs and the east face of Notchtop are still in the HIGH rating for avalanche danger at the present time. Other lower elevation ice climbing areas such as Hidden Falls and Jaws currently have LOW avalanche danger and there is always someplace to ice climb in RMNP without being exposed to avalanche risk.
A view of the ice route "Jaws" with the cliff "Rock of Ages" just up valley in the Big Thompson River drainage
The big news this week is that the ephemeral ice route Jaws is back again this year and with the current weather trend it is likely to keep growing and hopefully stabilize as temperatures drop a few degrees by this weekend. Ed Havraneck and I made an ascent of this classic on Dec. 18th, and once the route went back into the shade on what turned out to be a balmy day in this lower elevation (8,400') and south-facing venue, conditions were pretty good for a safe ascent. The heat and sun had taken a toll during the day and the route was somewhat "slushy" in spots, but the expected cold-snap will take care of this issue and open up at least three independent variations of this route.
I was glad to have a couple of cams for Jaws as the top-out to the first rock anchor was pretty thin and fragile and both a #.4 and .5 camalot fit perfectly before these last thin moves. The WI 5 pillar on the right side looks like it will be great once it cools down a bit and gains some stability.
Ed Havraneck on the thin finish to the Jaws
The Squid is in even better shape now than last week and the big question now is if the test-piece ice route "Hot Doggie" below the east face of Notchtop is finally in climbable form. Likely it will be (although with some serious potential for avalanche danger), and this route along with the Squid are two of the most coveted pure ice routes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Routes are sorted by current Avalanche Danger Level:
MODERATE Avalanche Danger
Hidden Falls
WI 4 |
WI 3-5
M 1-8 |
Reflections
WI 3-4 |
|
|
|
|
IN
|
IN |
IN |
CONSIDERABLE Avalanche Danger
WI 4 |
WI 5 |
WI 4 |
 |
|
|
IN
(at 4+)
|
IN |
IN
(at 4+) |
Necrophilia
WI 5, M5 |
Deep Freeze
WI5, M5
|
Black Lake Slabs
WI 2
|
 |
|
|
OUT
|
OUT |
IN
|
WI 3
|
WI 3
|
WI 2, M 1 |
|
|
|
IN |
IN
|
OUT
(usually Dec-March) |
|
Dark Star
WI 4+, M4 |
Hallett's Chimney
WI 5, M4 |
Field's Chimney
WI 5, M4 |
|
|
|
OUT (usually July)
|
OUT (usually June)
|
OUT |
HIGH Avalanche Danger
Grace Falls
WI 3-4 |
|
|
IN
(at WI 4+) |
Alexander's Chimney
WI 4, M4 |
WI 5+, M5
|
M5, WI5
|
|
|
|
IN
4 out of 6 pitches IN
|
OUT
|
IN |
The Window
WI 5, M4
|
Vanquished
WI 5, M4
|
Hot Doggie
WI 5+ |
 |
 |
 |
OUT
|
OUT |
OUT but close |
WI 3+, M1 |
 |
OUT
(due to high avalanche danger) |
| North American avalanche Danger Scale |
Danger Level
(& Color) |
Avalanche Probability and Avalanche Trigger |
Degree and Distribution of Avalanche Danger |
Recommended Action
in the Backcountry |
| ...WHAT... |
...WHY... |
...WHERE... |
...WHAT TO DO... |
LOW(GREEN) |
Natural avalanches very unlikely. Human triggered avalanches unlikely |
Generally stable snow. Isolated areas of instability. |
Travel is generally safe. Normal caution is advised. |
|
MODERATE
(YELLOW) |
Natural avalanches unlikely. Human triggered avalanches possible. |
Unstable slabs possible on steep terrain. |
Use caution in steeper terrain on certain aspects (defined in accompanying statement). |
|
CONSIDERABLE
(ORANGE) |
Natural avalanches possible. Human triggered avalanches probable. |
Unstable slabs probable on steep terrain. |
Be increasingly cautious in steeper terrain. |
HIGH
(RED) |
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely. |
Unstable slabs likely on a variety of aspects and slope angles. |
Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Safest travel on windward ridges of lower angle slopes without steeper terrain above. |
EXTREME
(BLACK) |
Widespread natural or human triggered avalanches certain. |
Extremely unstable slabs certain on most aspects and slope angles. Large, destructive avalanches possible. |
Travel in avalanche terrain should be avoided and travel confined to low angle terrain well away from avalanche path run-outs. |
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