Fort Peck Ice Fishing

We made it to Fort Peck this year! After last year's weather debacle and the bad ice all the way through January this year, it was looking like we might strike out again. Luckily, some really freaking cold weather showed up and stayed for weeks creating tons of ice on the reservoir. Fourchette ice was still a little unknown so we went somewhere new, Crooked Creek. Crooked Creek marina also had cabins to rent so we left the campers at home. We left town before the Snowmageddon of 2019 hit western Montana and got back right after it was over. Between my Dad, Jeff, Travis and I, we caught a few fish. My holes were pretty slow this year but I still managed to pull a couple of pike through the ice. We really only caught one big fish which was my dad's at 39.5" 18lbs. The high tmep one day was -12 so the funky weather definitely through off the fishing.

We were literally on the edge of the storm. I have never seen such a striking, perfectly straight line all the way across the sky like we got to witness.

Slow cooked wieners.

The bottle of Makers Mark made for some good stories!

The big fish.

The snow hampered our ability to really explore this new area.

Freezer meat.

Crooked Creek meeting the main Missouri river channel.

Cody WY; South Fork Ice: Too Cold to Fire, Mean Green

Usually Im ice fishing president's day weekend but this year found me down in Cody ice climbing with my good friends Lucas and Bailey. We showed about noon on a Saturday with just enough time to climb Too Cold to Fire WI4. We solo'd the approach pitches and I led the main pitch. This was a fantastic climb that I have tried to climb pretty much every trip I have taken to Cody. This year, the approach pitches were in and fat! I took a pretty good chunk of ice to the helmet and expected to find a crack upon inspection but I guess I got lucky!
Sunday we got a fashionably late start (very common theme with me) to the Mean Green 5 pitches WI4. It was a beautiful day but very cold. Luckily, a party of 3 was ahead of us cleaning off the ice and putting in the boot pack! Early bird doesnt always get the worm! I led every pitch but the final, easy, namesake pitch; my partners were cold and done. Time to get back to camp and start a bonfire!

Thats me dragging a rope through the approach pitches. Main pitch is above me to the right.

Here we go!

All smiles on top.

Photo Booth time!

Bailey rapping. 

Mean Green is the big main gully in the middle of the pic.

Crossing the Shoshone river.

Approaching pitch 1 and 2.

Me rope gunning on P1.

P4 crux pitch.

We kept a fire that big for a really long time.

Cooke City Ice climbing first trip: Fossil Cave and Hydromonster

I had never climbed in Cooke City before but decided enough was enough and made plans to go camping and climbing out of that crazy little town. Usually during MLK weekend I go to Cody but Sam couldnt go this year so I roped Kyler in to going to Cooke City. Our first day was Kyler's day. We went to the Fossil Cave where he dry tooled a super hard cave route called Blonde Ambition (?). There was no time for me to climb by the time he was done. I dont even want to talk about the 'ski' out of there. Lets just say I suck at skiing in mountain boots.
Sunday was my day and I wanted to climb ice. One of the longest ice climbs around is called Hydromonster. Its pure ice and a within my abilities.... usually. For some reason, upon seeing the monster, I psyched myself out mentally. But we carried on. I try not to ever back down from a climb until I am standing at the base, harness on and roped up. It gives you time to think about things and calm down if needed. I calmed down and we free solod the first little pitch up to the main flow. I lead until I ran out of screws and had to belay Kyler up and he finished it. I had to sit on just about every screw because the pump in my forearms was too bad to climb continuously. That usually means you are over-gripping and using poor technique which means you are usually battling demons in your head. Whatever the case may be, we got to the top with out any falls.

Fossil Cave. Kyler sent the gap he is standing in.

Thanks Conrad for the customized bottle.

Doing everything he can to avoid the ice.

Slayed that puzzle and that box of wine.

Hyalite Dry Tooling: Bingo Cave; Panamal Canal. Next Day Twin Falls with Merilee.

Kyler and I got out of work early enough to spend a couple of hours in the Bingo Cave dry tooling. Kyler put the rope up on Panamal Canal M8 or 9 and I was able to top rope it 3 times, once completely clean. Meanwhile, Kyler sent his project of Northwest Pasasge M11 cleanly. Its fun to watch people climb routes that you know you wont ever even try!
Followed this by a day up at Twin Falls with Merilee (her first time up there). I was scouting our project (Abandon Ship) as much as I was climbing.

Thats one way to keep your tools warm!

Straightforward just steep.