Hyalite Ice: Lower Greensleeves and G2

Lucas, Manfred and I went to Hyalite for my first ice lead and first ice multi-pitch! Smiling ear to ear the whole time, I easily led Lower Greensleeves. We also wanted the Hangover but it had climbers so we traversed over to G2. Since we only had a few screws and needed practice V-threading, and since G2 has a nice shelf half way up, we multi-pitched it. Lucas took the 1st half and then I climbed up to the trees for P2.

Lucas on one of his 1st leads. 

Practicing that V-thread.

Lucas following, hands free. 

A little ice cave behind G2.

10th Mountain Division hut excursion in Colorado to the Eiseman hut

Anna Berstrom, Donna and Tim McParlan and I skinning into the hut. This was the winter of no snow everywhere but we got incredibly lucky and it snowed ~12" while we were skinning!!!!!

A big ol' powder smile. 

The crew after our first lap out of the hut.

Tim and I were going lap for lap all day; we just couldnt get enough and neither of us had been in pow like that for a long time. Let alone pow in the backcountry in an uber safe scenario.

No matter how tired we got, you couldnt wipe the smiles off our faces with an SOS pad!

Got up early the next day for some more laps.

Some of the coolest people you'll ever meet from Illinois.

I though it was blue square and green circle? J/k this is a trail marker. If you have never been backcountry hut skiing anywhere, umm do it. 

Bridger Ice climbing: The Cottonmouth

Lucas, Cole and I headed into the Bridgers for some quick top roping on the Cottonmouth.

Bridger Ice Climbing: The Cottonmouth

Lucas, Cole and I walked up to the Cottonmouth for some quick top ropes. 

Bridger Ice climbing: The Cottonmouth

I think it was Jeff Lee and I getting in some laps after work. I have climbed more pitches of ice in the dark than I have the light!

Absaroka Caving: Boulder River Ice Cave

Lucas rapped into this cave and noticed a giant flow of ice in it. Well that sounds like a FA ice climb to me! So we went back and tried to send a trad route up to it instead of hiking WAY around to the top of it and rapping in. We got to the ledge to the looker's right of the cave but couldnt get near it. Oh, we'll be back.

Lucas after the failed bid to climb up to the cave. Notice the nice strawberry below his left eye? You can thank a 0.5 BD for popping out after he gave it a little test jerk and punching himself really hard in the face. I actually got my first taste of the screaming barfies on this climb. When I got to the belay, I just leaned forward and screamed as the blood flow came back into my hands. It was uncontrollable. It was almost weird. But heck did it hurt! 

Absarokas: Mt.Cowen NE Ridge

Anna, Manfred, Lucas and I spent the weekend climbing Mt.Cowen's famous NE ridge. It is a super fun easy climb with terrific exposure (if you want) and tons of climbing. We had a rope of 3 with me leading to simul-climb the whole thing. We were able to do it in 4 pitches. I think the guide book says 9 pitches? 

Looking up at the Centennial route from Elbow lake.

Bug

Manfred and I are professional campers!

And all of a sudden we're on the summit! 

Hmm, any Grey Poupon?

Or bottle rockets!?

Super proud of her for overcoming the fear. When you get on the E side of the mountain, you're in no mans land looking up at the climb that looks so far away and extremely committing. Especially since you cant see the weather! So kudos for the Illinoyance for staying tough!

We somehow simply walked off. By the time we got back to camp, Manfred was wrapped around a tree and we were all acting a little dehydrated, i.e. wasted!