Caribou Creek Ice Climbing

I've never done this route and have always wanted to, but it hasn't been in stellar shape like this for years.  Bill and I did our customary rosh at the bottom and I won.  I made a belay before the steep pitch, I figured it would be challenging enough for me without rope drag, and it was.

Thag-O-Mizer

 The second pitch felt steep, I definitely earned it.

Bill Coming up

In retrospect I probably should have continued up another 75 feet to the top of the next step, but at the time with only a couple screws left and pumped arms I just didn't want to do it.  Bill is a considerate leader and set an additional belay so as not to kill me with ice fall, but we climbed it in 4 and rappelled it in 2, just saying.

Start of the Last Pitch

Super fun route and always fun to climb something new, I'm definitely feeling like a crusty old ice climber.

On our way out we saw our friends Jonya climbing STD.  Another route for another day, and also an infrequently formed flow.

Tonya at the top of the pitch and Jon below

 

We still had some daylight left and Rhythm and blues was looking fat and juicy.  My gumption wasn't up to even rosh for the second pitch, and I guess Bill could tell because he gave me the first pitch without a word.  Plus the first pitch is my favorite on this route.

 Rhythm and Blues

 

Bill Leading the Top Pitch 

It was dark by the time we got back to the river, and cold enough at the car that the beer froze.

My Frozen Beer Volcano

 

Caribou Creek: A Whole New Approach

I hadn't been to the end of Caribou creek all winter and really wanted to check out the land slide that took out the climb Double Take. Billmier had the grand idea to ice skate back there. It was probably not ideal conditions, but it was definitely more entertaining than walking on ice.

Billmier Skating Past the Sublimation Wall

 

I was pretty proud of me and Bill when we got to the base of Robopick, saw it melting in the sun, wanting to climb it, but not even going through the the huge rock fall debate like we have the last 2 years, its already been confirmed, rocks fall off that wall down the route when its warm and sunny.

So we went back to the new wall of ice to the lookers right of the old Double Take. There were so many lines to choose from, all in the sun, all looked fun. I won the rosh, and got to lead a stellar soft, perfectly angled pitch of ice.

Billmier Rappelling the New Route Above the Landslide

 

Bill won the next rosh for the first pitch of Rhythm and Blues, I was bummed I really wanted that one. The pitch above is usually brittle and cantankerous, and this day was no exception. The difference in ice quality from the sunny to the shady side is stark, I much prefer soft and easy.

Rhythm and Blues (I think?)

 

The mild gradient back down Caribou Creek made for some fast ice skating. The climbing pack definitely upset the balance, and I went down twice at a complete standstill.

There was still a lot of light left in the day when we were walking past Kids Corner, so it was hard to pass up. My pack felt heavy and my mojo to low for a solo on the first pitch so Bill belayed me, but from there we soloed side by side and were at the top in well under an hour.