Kentucky Ice

[John E]

Did he climb it on toprope or did he lead it?

[weber]

TR. Ice cond. on this line was pretty marginal.

[Bashie]

The ice was really, really brittle. Cantelope to small watermellon sized (yes, watermelon sized!) chunks were popping out and whizzing by Strevel's head.

[weber]

The waterfall at Rebel Camp Hollow is now ice from top to bottom (90 feet) with an 8-foot diameter column. It just keeps growing. For viewing, not for climbing.

The ice at the Beer Trailer Crag has also grown fatter since last week. Several nice lines there.

[ynot]

Just think how many slushies you could make with all that ice........
Margaritas! Daquiries!

[redpointron]

The waterfall at Rebel Camp Hollow is now ice from top to bottom (90 feet) with an 8-foot diameter column. It just keeps growing. For viewing, not for climbing.

that IS beautiful rick. if thurston and i ask reeeeallllly nice will you let us climb it next weekend?

regards.

r.r.

[weber]

The waterfall at Rebel Camp Hollow is now ice from top to bottom (90 feet) with an 8-foot diameter column. It just keeps growing. For viewing, not for climbing.

that IS beautiful rick. if thurston and i ask reeeeallllly nice will you let us climb it next weekend?

regards.

r.r.

Let's see now... I have some firewood splitting to do here.

The general rule is no ice climbing in Muir without clearing it with us first. And then, it can only be done on TR. The Rebel Camp Branch waterfall will probably be soft next weekend. Besides, it is "chandelier ice" -- instead of one solid column it is made up of many icicles welded together by ice. Nice to look at; brittle to pick at.

Come on down this today and tomorrow to the Beer Trailer Crag. There will be several of us up there on good solid ice.

Rick

[pigsteak]

I'd rather bolt than climb ice. is bolting allowed this time of year rick?

ignore thurston and ron..they are just trying to destroy your fancy ice, and have no intentions of climbing it. I heard they were going to hide black cats in the ice curtain.

[L K Day]

Frozen water falls are pretty much always chandelier ice. A little freaky, but that's just the way it is. Alpine ice is different, the summer stuff is supremo, but relatively low angle. The winter stuff can be really strange, a vertical shell of ice over powder snow. Everything's cool, until you try to set up a belay anchor.

[weber]

I'd rather bolt than climb ice. is bolting allowed this time of year rick?

asked the guy who hasn't missed a week drillin' at the Midnight Surf wall all winter.

BTW, Barry Brolley, with help from Tim and Carol Yates was bolting a nice long (85') mid ten in bitter cold just to the right of One-Armed bandit last weekend. Route developers are a hardy lot!

ignore thurston and ron..they are just trying to destroy your fancy ice, and have no intentions of climbing it. I heard they were going to hide black cats in the ice curtain.

I didn't think there was any good climbable ice in MV. Wrong again. I bet Keith Raker he couldn't top out on the Rebel Camp waterfall, and he did it in style last Saturday. Now I owe him a trout dinner with lemon butter. Mark Strevel also made a couple trips up. Wet near the top.

This next week will be pretty warm. If the ice holds together, Redpoint and Goodguy; you can give it a go on TR. Hike to the top around the climber's right of the falls and set up an anchor on the trees above. (easy 3-minute hike.)

Photo of Keith on his FA: