Ice Climbing Road Trip (4of6): Cody; Main Vein (and The Ghosts and Bozo's Revenge)

After the California Ice effort, a break day was needed so we slept in Sunday and took our sweet time getting to Cody (which is surprisingly close to ERB). Driving in, I could tell it had been warm. This was my 3rd trip to the South Fork and it looked a lot like last year: bleak. However, last year I learned where there might be ice when conditions are warm or thin. Monday morning Devin and I set out for the Ghosts way way up Deer Creek. I knew where the climbs were from last year (though we did not climb them) and we got there without too much trouble. Finding the Ghosts is one thing, descending down to them is another. They are located in a slot canyon with very few access points. I went down a class 5 gully a few hundred feet only to get cliffed-out and had to slog back up to the trail. It was Devin's turn to try the next most probable descent gully and he encountered the same thing, an impasse. By the time he had cat scratched back up to the trail we were 3 hours into the hike and neither of us had taken off our packs yet. We agreed that the next gully had to be the right one but there was no way we were going to go all the way back down there AGAIN and climb back up to the trail AGAIN so we tucked our tails and hiked back to the trailhead. The road sodas went down particularly quick this day. We drove around the rest of the afternoon with binoculars and decided that the Main Vein looked like it was completely in and made plans to climb it the next day (Tuesday). We got lucky, it was in. We solo'd all the approach ice and did the climb in two pitches; I got the first and Devin got the money/crux second pitch (WI3). Since the forecast was not cooperating for ice climbing (but great camping weather for being in the middle of the mountains in winter!) we poured through the guidebooks looking for the shady and early-season climbs figuring they would be the least affected by the warm temps. Bozo's Revenge (WI3) claimed to be the ice box climb of the South Fork so naturally, we ended up there Wednesday morning. It was my turn to lead and I sent it fairly quickly. It was no ice box though; more like a cold shower. Devin, the photographer, left his camera in the truck for this one so we dont have any pics.

The approach to the Ghosts starts with atleast 1000' of switchbacks.

According to the guidebooks, you are supposed to steer very clear of these guys because they "will run until they die" and Im sure that some do however these guys hardly batted an eye.  

Looking down a portion of the South Fork of the Shoshone River.

Thats Deer Creek down to my left.

Slogger WI4

The Ghosts

[Place Caption Here]

Still there on the return trip.

Gearing up for the Main Vein

Me on P1

P2. Note the giant white rock dike to the left of the climb; its namesake.

Me on rappel.

Me following.

This is technically the 1st pitch but it rarely forms. We rapped over it instead of attempting to downclimb the luge-run that we hiked up.

The middle of winter in the mountains for ya.

Time to sharpen the spikes!

Ice Climbing Road Trip (3of6): California Ice

The scouting and climbing that we did on Thursday showed us that conditions were a little warm for E.Rosebud. The forecast had Friday night getting nice and cold which we deemed worth the wait. So after a 'break' day at Rock Creek Falls and an alpine start on Saturday, we found ourselves approaching California Ice. We put our crampons on after only 1hr15min and were at the base of the headwall pitches in only 2hr15 min.s! The guide books suggest allowing atleast 4 hours for the approach! I would like to think we were in pretty good shape, and we were, but the lack of snow and the scouting (I think) sped things up a ton. We dumped the packs out and started racking-up when Devin noticed that he left his half of the draws and screws at camp! But, to Devin's credit, that didnt stop us. We just committed to running it out (large gaps between protection). He had the first and longest lead and did an awesome job of getting us way up the headwall, definitely running it out into high-consequence-fall terrain. We noticed the flow was wet from the base but it wasnt until I was cleaning (removing the screws) the first pitch that I realized how saturated the ice really was. I wish I would have taken a picture of Devin at the belay: my ropes lost their 'dry' properties long ago and he had two 70m ropes of solid ice draped over his anchor chain! From this belay on the far climber's right side of the flow, we were able to escape the shower from above. At this point, I was feeling anxious because the ice was so wet and we were down half a rack but the commitment to get to this point kept me going. Plus Devin was counting on me. I climbed out from the belay, maybe 12-15ft and looked up at the last headwall pitch for a long time. The water was pouring off the top and falling straight down on me and I could barely open my eyes when looking up. I have climbed harder and more technical pitches but my gut was screaming "no" so I down climbed back to the belay and called it off. I dont get shut down very often and I second guessed myself for a while but making it home in one piece is rule number 1. I offered the pitch to Devin but he wanted nothing to do with it. And I dont blame him after the heady lead he just did. We reviewed numerous photos of the climb back at camp and came to the conclusion that the ice was in thin shape. All the pics we found were of folks climbing the far climber's left side up a system of steps. We could see the rock that would create the benches had there been ice formed. Oh well. That climb will always be there and I cant wait to go back for round 2.

The first 6 pics are actually from Thursday scout day.

ERB Lake

Notice the ominous weather? It was like that the entire time we were there and it never got nasty.

California Ice from the trail. 

The Gypsy Wagon under the 3 Sisters after we moved it down from the TH.

The Eastern most edge of Froze to Death Plateau in the sunshine.

Clear ice with running water underneath is fun to watch.

Looking down some of the approach gully.

Getting closer.

Me cleaning the last screw before the belay.

"Contemplation Ledge" I called it. I stood there in the shower for a long time trying to work up the courage to just climb through it but alas, no go.

Time to go down.

1000s of feet of gully approach ice.

Couloir anyone? Definitely going back in the spring to check this guy out! Thats got to be over 2k'!

A selfie from the headwall belay.

Ice Climbing Road Trip (2of6): Rock Creek Falls

Feeling like a break day might be a good idea after yesterdays marathon, Devin and I cruised to Rock Creek Falls to climb it yes, but mostly to visit a historically significant climb. Rock Creek Falls is arguably the first chunk of ice in North America to EVER be climbed with the (german?) front-point technique; the only technique you will see anymore. Pinnacle Gully is the other climb in contention. I would like to think the MT boys did it first.

There is a whole bunch of low angled ice before the headwall pitch. 

One of the easier approaches for the Red Lodge area. 

The photographer. 

It was Devin's lead luckily; the damn chains (right side) are up so high its a hanging belay! Retarded!

Ice Climbing Road Trip (1of6): East Rosebud Day 1

Devin and I got into E.Rosebud pretty late so you can imagine how excited we were to dig out a 10' long, car-width, 1-3' deep snow drift up by the trailhead where we thought we would park my 14' camper. We didnt have much choice; there was no other way to turn my camper around! Our biggest objective was California Ice so Thursday we hiked up the trail to scout the climb. It looked great from where we were (minor foreshadowing). With lots of time left, we traversed back and up to Upper Rosebud Falls (WI3?) and Devin lead it without too much difficulty. After we were done there, we went back to the truck and moved the whole rig down to the 3 Sisters area for better camping. There is another climb in between two of the sisters called Between Falls (WI3?) that was my turn to lead. Anyone familiar with Beartooth climbing might appreciate the effort it takes to bag more than one climb in a day. 99.9% of the following photos courtesy of Devin S.

Walking up to Upper Rosebud Falls.

Upper Rosebud Falls.

A beautiful winter day in MTs biggest mountains. 

Encountered some Moose on the approach to Between Falls. Thats the Tower of Poor Rock. 

Up we go!

Still there on the way out.

Hyalite Ice: Mummy 2 and Crypt Orchid

Sam, Justin, Sleeves, Manfred and I spent a day climbing Mummy 2 and Crypt Orchid. I think I was the only person that had ever climbed either of those climbs. Sam got his first ice lead on Crypt Orchid.

Mummy 2 WI3(?)

The Scepter WI5

Crypt Orchid WI2(?) rounds the corner climber's right and goes up a bit further. 

Hyalite Ice: Unnamed Wall; The Fat One and the Elevator Shaft

I made my annual pilgrimage to the Fat One and the Elevator Shaft with Sam and Manfred the other day. As usual, they were fun and easy. We heard an avalanche let loose somewhere in the main fork that sounded like a semi-truck rolling off a cliff and then down through a hill of trees. Total mayhem. Never did figure out where it happened.

Sam cleaning (removing gear that the leader placed) the Elevator Shaft WI3+