Hyalite Ice: Comet Alley

Nick, fresh off the horribly sick couch, and I made our maiden voyage up Comet Alley hoping to climb Comet and Asteroid. Surprisingly, we were the only climbers at the TH that morning. After a long and engaging approach, we reached the beautiful curtain of ice known as the Comet. Just to our right sat the Asteroid; touching down in both spots but a wet soggy mess. I was putting in my first screw in Comet when a season-ender sized rock came whizzing by my shoulder and hit the snow less than 3 ft from me. We had been seeing and hearing lots of little rock fall (it was warm and we were in a thaw cycle = rock fall) but it seemed manageable. That rock was a game changer. I scampered to the top and set up a top-rope. I climbed it again before Nick cleaned it and we retreated. Comet alley was quickly becoming an accident waiting to happen with the increase in rock fall and thawing ice. What a magnificent lace to spend a morning though! Its a pretty spectacular slot canyon fairly unique to Hyalite as far as I know. Ill definitely be back when its a little colder.

Me looking down at Nick presumably after the rock fall with a deer in the headlights face.

Down climbing with the upper portion of Asteroid visible.