1. Repentence
2. PowerPlay
3. Quartet Ice Hose
4. Any NEI 5 at Willoughby
5. Italian Traverse on Poke-O

getting out more than 5 days will make me happy.

After last year, I want just one solid day. Of course, it usually takes me at least 3 days before I feel solid.

Ticklist:

1. Jackson Hole.
2. Grand Targhee.
3. Teton Pass.
4. Killington backcountry.
5. Tuckerman.
6. There is no #6.

1. Moore's Bridge
2. Moore's Bridge
3. Moore's Bridge
4. Moore's Bridge
5. Moore's Bridge

(Hey, I gotta be me!)

Moore's Bridge five times?

Just can't get enough of Moore's Bridge!

No particular routes in mind - I just want to climb some ice! I'd be nice if I could get out every weekend from Jan 2-early March like last year. I've got a couple of rock climbing buddies who are interested in trying ice. Gotta' get 'em hooked. Heh, heh, heh...

Kathy

That's the spirit Kathy! Every weekend from Jan to March huh? That's impressive. You must have the big guns!

Smikey...where are you on this one? Can't believe you haven't jumped on the ice wagon yet

1. Moore's Bridge con Mike R
2. Buttermilk in under 1 hour car to car
3. I can't say
4. Moore's Bridge con Mike R
5. Tahoe
6. 60 days on skis 15 on ice

Ha, ha!

Ha, ha, ha!

Hahahahahaha!

Um, no.

I have arms like rope. 5mm accessory cord to be exact.

Kathy

Where I'm I? Planning my attack and shaping up my liver…

Kathy, What are you doing waiting until Jan 2? Season started Nov 23 last year.

C'mon Kathy..we all know you have the ability to channel the spirit of Sue Nott through your acessory cord arms.

Oh, I got out some in Dec, but not regularly. I just really get in a groove when I climb 1-2x/week.

Doing 12oz curls for the liver?

Winter Arrives next week. Snows up north and below freezing temps at night here.... its starting real early this year. Hold on.

Looks like one of those years were its "Where the F^&*@ was fall?

5 rollies

Snow is in the forecast here in the Honk for Tuesday night. Yee haa!

Normally would agree with the 'yee haa' part, but doesn't look good for our changes of getting out Wednesday now does it?

what the hell are you talking about?? Wednesday looks beautiful. They took the snow out of the forecast and Wednesday is supposed to be sunny and 50. That, my friend, is SEND weather.

RR

Just have two things on my list:

Bridelvail Falls and Birdbrain Blvd in the San Juans

the first corner in the hell hole
dracula in NH
anything on poko
a gully or two on Mt Washington

Solo Central Gully to ski Odells.

cFrac, 60 ski days? Not fair counting the afternoons coaching the team. Waxed and ready. RC

Rick, if I get in 5 free runs I count it, nothing wrong with that, right? I just need to pick-up my Volkl GS Racetigers mounted with Hammerheads and I'll be ready to keep up with all those alpine racers!

Oh, I guess so. I'll admit, I'd be counting it. Just jealous of those who get paid to ski. I must say though, that at the speeds you are currently skiing, are you getting a chance to enjoy the terrain? Keeping up with you is already tough as it is. Till the snow flies. RC

Just an FYI, the skiing section is one section down on the list. Get outta ma box!!!!

Catskills:
Advocate
Purgatory
Instant karma if it's in by more than just Ryan's standards

Adirondacks:
Big Brother
Rhiannon

It would be nice to get to the lake or NH this season.

The other goal would be to climb with the DF crew more than just one weekend this year. It's fun watching smike do stupid stuff.

So will this be attempt number 4 or 5? I think on one attempt you brought the big gun Mellor and failed?


Absofuckinglootly, stupidity is certainly not limited to one weekend a year.

You mean this guy?

What a sissy. He let a little water running behind the crappy ice scare him off.

At least the sissy didn't get overly board standing at the belay... Might be the reason hes still doing it after 30 years

if he froze solid at the belay he could have gotten THAT kind of board! Smikey your spelling is priceless.

yah know I went to camp up near poko for 6 years and never climbed there....Ive hiked it a few times but never climbed it. Plan on doing so this winter, anyone know of some nice 4-5's to lead?

uhm...
lot of mega classics at poko... get yourself the guidebook....

Sorry, Aya's wrong. Everything at Poke-O is short, broken up by ledges, easy, and no fun. and to make matters worse, the approach is long and difficult.

Don't forget the snow snakes waiting to pounce. A unique critter, that.

Oh that's right all the long megaclassic climbs are in the catskills, doh what was i thinking

Staying on topic is not half as fun as grouch-baiting... back to your trashcan!!1

So now I'm a small, miserbale, green fuzzy muppet who lives in a garbage can? Gee whiz my life is getting worse and worse all the time.

short climbs, long approach and snow snakes? dont sound like much fun.....thought the parking lot was right next to a face

That "parking lot" was the result of repeated huge avalanches. Amazing that you survived.

went there a long time ago like I said, and it was only to hike and I think I may have done a trad route or two, was a long time ago like I said. No avys in the summah for me

WOndering if I'll be cleared to climb ice. Hip joint decay at age 35, BLAH

Sorry to hear that, Strat. DJD of any joint usually has an underlying cause, such as trauma or abnormal mechanics. I would think that climbing rock or ice would be OK for a hip once you get the surrounding muscles strengthened and some flexibility. Continuing to use the joint properly is often of huge benefit. Humping a big pack around and impact, such as jumping down off ledges are much more likely to be a problem.

1 out of 5 down. Repentence went down this week. All I can say is..Bragg is a maniac to do that in '73.

Nice Work RR! That's one I need to do someday soon!

Nice Dude! Can't wait to get back at it. Hopefully, I will get out middle of next week.

So, how was it compared to your expectations?

I can't brag too much. The ice was plastic, dry, and well traveled. I'm sure it was way easier than it should have been. picture PT conditions last year. However the crux curtain off the second pitch belay was an attention getter.

A reputable send in any condition! A northeast classic.

you guys are lucky.... we just got 6-8ft of snow and the avi's have been sluffing off as 8ft slabs..... nothing in the backcountry for a while.

Hey Rob, nice job getting on Repentece. I'm 1 for 5 so far as well. Got purgatory two weeks ago but haven't been to the kitchen yet or up to chapel pond at all yet this year. Early in the year I set a list of climbs but as the season goes on I find myself wanting to get on so many other things that each day brings a new ticklist.

I need to add one to the list. Last time at Chapel Pond I spied a beautiful line between the Powerplay wall and the entrance to the Canyon. It is a long, right trending gully/crack system. Looks like it ends with a fist size crack or wider on a vertical headwall after about 120 feet or so of mixed chimney/gully climbing. I have no idea what it is called, but it looks fabulous.

Nice job on Purgatory! How did it protect? Was the ice on top good?

RR -- I believe the line you describe (right-trending gully/crack system) is on the right side of the Spike wall and called "As You Like It" (page 61 of Blue Lines). There's not much pro down low and there are several exciting finishes.

Rob- Purgatory, for good or bad, has bolts and I was not too proud to use them. Granted they are not exactly close together in spots but they'll keep you off the ground. It'll take an assortment of cams from .4-2" but most of those spots were covered in ice or near bolts (go figure). It was certainly in easier than normal condition (grade Smike 3/3-) so I suppose I still need to do it for real...in normal condition and without the bolts.

Hey RR, don't you still need to do the 3rd pitch of Repentece? (just saying) I mean hell I need to do all 3...

Why yes Mike I do. And seeing how you need to do pitches 1 and 2, why don't we head up therer sometime soon...like next week

Jim, thanks for that beta. Someone had told me the line might be called that. I was looking at following the main hand/fist crack all the way. It sure looks steep up there, but fun! One of the great things about not ever having a guidebook for the area is that everything is exciting when you first get on it. I did a direct finish to Dances With Darkness this way last year. We had no idea what it was, but it sure looked cool. We climbed the roof straight out of the cave, which Horner told me later is not the way the established route goes. It sure was fun getting my ass spanked on it.

RR

Hey Rob, if Mikey doesn't want to go and you want to head up wed/thurs, I might be available.

Sorry, but I gotta work Thursday, otherwise I would take you up on it.

So I still stand at 1 for 5. The advocate had three options today and I tried thee steepest since it looked like it might take the best screws from the ground. Two hangs later, it is still on my list. BTW- Instant Karma looks almost feasible...almost. Actually, just sac up and have at it, she's good to go. It's been led thinner. Hell, it's probably been led this week! The kitchen will be in good shape by next week. Who's free thursday?

Welll......how did it go??

For me, I only ticked off one of the things on that list, and even that I failed to climb completely, having bailed off the last pitch of Repentence in the dark. However, all of the climbing I did in the Catskills this past season was on ground i hadn;t been on before. That included Two trips up Buttermilk Falls for various project, a few days on the ast side of Stony Clove, doing lines north of the playground.

In the Adirondacks I did a bunch of stuff I had never done before. Names are mostly unknown to me, but I did manage to eye a line at Chapel Pond that looked friggin awesome, find out what it was, and climb it with two locals two weekends later. Turns out the name of the route was "As You Like it" ( I think it was anyway). When we got on it was after the big thaw they had, and it was significantly thin on P2, making it mostly dry tooling on vertical to overhanging and very exposed rock, which led to a final vertical pillar to top out. Wild ride!!!P1 was a long, tight, thin groove. Think White Line Fever on acid. Very little ice in the corner. Was pretty cool. I just wish I didn't have a hangover from the scotch party we had at the Ausable Inn the night before.

So, how was everyone elses season? Kathy....how did the limp noodle arms do this past year?

RR

T'was a good season for me. I got in almost 30 days on ice (OK, so many of them were just a few hours after work), led some thin stuff (Neurosis) as well as some steep stuff.

And if Kathy's too modest to admit it, her noodle arms did great, and she upped her leading significantly.

I'm living proof that if you set your expectations low enough, you're seldom disapointed. My main goals this season were to climb as much as possible and maybe lead a few 2's and easy 3's. I didn't keep track of ice days, but got out whenever there was ice in Dec, 1-2x/week in Jan and Feb, and a few more days after a week in Red Rocks in early March. I succeeded spectactularly in my plan to convert two of my rock climbing partners, Jay and MikeB, into ice climbers. Jay is already leading 3's confidently. We swung leads on Chouinard's and Chouinard's Right on one of my few trips to the Dacks this year. There was just too much good ice in the Cats to justify the long drive.

I first exceeded my lead goals on a trip to Hillyer in January with Jay and AOC. Al lead the 1st pitch and suggested I take the 2nd. It was 3+, and it looked like there was half a stance to place a screw midway up the steep, but stem-able section. It's easy to say, "I can do that," standing on terra firma, listening to Al's quietly confident encouragement. It's another when you are in the thick of things well above your last piece and can't get a screw to start. I downclimbed to the last good stance, rested and placed a another screw as far as I could reach above the original one I'd placed from there. I knew the route was well within my ability to climb and managed to send it on the 2nd try. This came as a surprise to Jay, who knows I am a colossal chicken and who fully expected me to back off of it entirely.

Fast forward about a month. Jay, MikeB and I went to Stoney Clove West on a cold and blustery day. I'd already done a lot of the routes toward the north end, so we explored to the south. The first good route we came to was the Gurgler, which Jay lead. MikeB did well, inspite of very few days on ice. After that, we continued south. The Curtain was in with climbers on the 2nd pitch, but we all agreed that was too stout a lead for any of us.

We stopped at the next flow of ice we came to that looked fat enough to climb, which we would later identify as Stage Fright, W4, but we didn't open the guidebook at the time. It looked fairly steep at the bottom, but had what appeared to be a good rest 2/3's of the way up, followed by another steep section. There were some significant drips on the far left, but plenty of dry ice to climb. I could tell Jay was itching to lead this too (I swear he'd rather lead than eat or sleep), but he allowed me the choice since it was, in theory, my turn. I knew he was expecting me to chicken out, and that it would be stout, but I also knew it was within my ability to climb (I figured it was a 3+, but didn't check the guidebook). I'd said I'd take it. How is it that at 48, I'm still bowing to peer pressure?

The ice was thin enough that I left my long screws on the ground, taking only my 6 mediums and two shorts. Midway up the steep section, I had trouble starting one of the screws, put it away and dropped a 2nd before finally placing the 3rd. My calves were screaming. Focus, focus. It was steeper than it had looked from the ground (isn't it always?). I continued up with the adrenalin rushing by the time I reached the so-so stance 2/3's of the way up. It was there that I realized not one, but both of my remaining medium screws were dull. Jay had probably touched rock on the Gurgler without realizing it. The ice had been a little thin in a couple spots. I worked and worked trying to get one in the more pithy, aerated ice on the upper section. No dice. I spent considerable time talking myself out of panicing. Downclimbing from where I was looked terrifying and would have taken a lot of strength and energy. I didn't feel comfortable placing the two shorties in the so-so ice in front of me and being lowered off. I had no way of making a v-thread. I just wanted to get to the top. I wanted to be back on the ground. I wanted to be anywhere but where I was. I wanted my mommy. The guys told me later they knew things were serious when I stopped talking to myself and got very quiet. They stopped shouting encouragement and fell silent, too, though I was far too busy to notice. I realized my best way out was up. Focus, focus. A sharp 13cm screw started easily in a slightly better piece of ice off to the right. The last one went in midway up the final stretch, and I was a little runout to the top. Fortunately, there was frozen dirt, rather than the usual loose rock on top. I swung one pick hard into the dirt. Good stick. Hooked a small tree with the other and crested the top. Yahoo!

Heart still pounding, I set up a top rope anchor and lowered off to let the guys climb. Afterward, Jay admitted he might have had difficulty had he led. He hadn't yet learned to shake his arms out early and often, and confessed he may have pumped out.

It was a while after that before I felt like leading anything again. Had I known in advance that route was W4, I almost certainly would not have led it, even though I was capable of it. I realize now that it's my noodly noodle, and not my weenie arms that have become my limiting factor. I'd give a cookie for a good lead head. I guess that will be next season's project.

RR...when you bailed off Repentance, what did you use for an anchor?

Well, from my list I got to do two of the five, purgatory and the advocate, the latter coming on what ended up being my last day of the season. Instant karma seemed a bit much for me either time I was in there and the stuff in the dacks never quite made it this year. No worries, got in about 25 days, had some great times with usual and new partners in the usual and new places. I probably laughed my ass off more than any other climbing season and am here, uninjured, looking back on it. I call that a good year.
For most of us, the ice season is over but here's to Al and Pat and there upcoming trip to Mt Hunter! Climb hard, be safe, and have fun! And remember, it doesn't have to be fun to be fun.

oooh, what are they doing???

I got better... led a few fours with absolutely no problems, finished season doing Big Blue in underwood... climbed a lot... was good times.

Unfortunately I seem to SUCK at rock climbing now. More than the usual post winter bugs to shake out.

We're planning on the west ridge of Mt. Hunter - the original route climbed in 1954 by Beckey and Harrer (Alaska Grade 4, 5.8, AI 3). And if it's in - we're going to take a shot at the Mini-Moonflower (AI 4+). Leaving on Saturday.

Kathy - great post! I felt like I was there with you that day!
Mike - Harry - thanks for a great season. - Al

Much luck and great weather, Al.

Have an awesome trip, Al and Pat!

Good luck! That will be a great feather in your alpine hat! The Mini will be casual in comparison I'm sure. If you've never been there, be careful skiing up to the mini. That huge hanging glacier to the right of the north buttress releases regularly. It released shortly after we skied up the glacier, sending house sized blocks of ice clear across the glacier and up the other side, and covering the entire little valley in ice dust for a half hour. Pretty freaking scary actually! Also, bring a pouch of Drum rolling tobacco for Lisa the base camp manager. That'll score ya points for sure!

RR

Thanks RR. I was wondering what small gift to bring Lisa and now I know. I hope we get half as lucky as you did last year blazing up H & E and SNS, and then attempting the MM. Great trip report! (despite the grief you got for not posting photos) Thanks for the warning about the MM approach - unfortunately we'll be on snowshoes - so we're going to have to run through that gauntlet. I'll post a TR in June. - Al

Let's revive this thread... RR, what's on your list for the winter?

Mine is to get out and climb once or twice on ice... (very bold I know).

shoot, I don't know.
It might just be to climb at all, since I may be having hand surgery this winter.....

Aya, hope the hand does well. Probably a bit of a professional concern at the least, eh? Don't forget that you are quite close to some excellent ice potential throughout the area of Ithaca, just in case you can get at it.

I'd like to climb Roaring Brook Falls and maybe get up to NH this year. I might have to lead another W4 route to scare the crap out of myself, since I won't be whitewater kayaking in the winter.

I might try to hold off until March; shouldn't need my hand for much until May!
I need to get back and do Unexpected Pleasure, after backing off the top pillar last winter bc it was brittle and starting to come apart.

Sounds like a good reason to back off, but what do I know!

Whats on my list? ALL OF IT.... Their is hardly a piece of ice that I will turn down.

The key to climbing a lot of ice... Low standards, high ambitions...

low standards, high ambitions, and plenty of jameson

climbing in Valdez. Never have, and I already got airline tickets for February..... should be fun

Sorry to ask what may be a silly question, but - I'm new here.

What is so special about Moore's Bridge?

It has a variety of fun routes and virtually no approach, so it's good for after work for those who can get out early. Since it faces north, the ice hangs in there on sunny days. Not for the camera shy, as traffic will back up on Rt. 23A as passers-by ogle the "crazy ice climbers" at Moore's and take pictures.

Moore's is the tallest roadside ice in the Catskills. With the shortest drive from points south. Reliable ice, as Kathy mentioned. One of two good spots (the other being the Kitchen) to work on steep ice technique, on TR or lead with equal ease.

The downsides - roadside noise and attention. Challenging parking. Weekend groups. Thin top-outs on many of the steep lines.

The 'special' aspect about Moores is in the eye of the beholder. Great Ice, terrible location...

Well I mean you do get to enjoy front row seats to the full fury of the NYC ski crowd as they drive home all liquored up fresh from a day at the slopes on 'hon'-ter mt...

Moores bridge brings all the aspects that made me give up apline skiing to the world of ice...

Sounds nice. Thanks.

Really good ice. I haven't climbed there in several years because the location sucks balls.

Oh ya I almost forgot that place gets smashed and blasted to bits by all the topgroupers.....

I've never climbed there. I don't know that I ever will.

Good steep ice, easy ice, lovely smell of brake dust, power lines, flashes from cameras, comments from skiers. Not bad.

As far as places to work on steep ice, there are more than two places in the catskills but the kitchen as an easy access place? Oh wait, Mike's one of Marty's boys so he means the hell hole. Got it.

As for you Smikey- it's Huntah, not hon-ter. What is that, some Pennsyltucky shit?

True Story....I was leading the right facing corner at Moores a bunch of years ago. I was inthe crux curtain and it was thin. I was vaguely aware that there were cars stopping on the bridge and people saying things about how crazy we were. The next thing I know I hear a very obnoxious drunken male voice coming from a car window shout "I hope you fucking FALL and DIE!!!!". Tires screeched and the engine raced and they were gone. The voice was definitely a grown man, not a teenager or young adult.

I wasn't exactly mad or upset, but the oddness of it really made me lose concentration and I almost had to hang on a screw just to bring myself back to what I was doing. I remember topping out with some good moss sticks and mumbling to myself...."oh yeah..well I hope you eat a lot of greasy potato chips watching Nascar and have a massive coronary in your livingroom"

RR

Seriously though, who does that?

RR, maybe it was that insurance salesman you blew off about the term life policy he was trying to sell you. Maybe.

I've seen that type of hostility from non-climbers on the interwebs. Whenever you see a news report of a climbing accident in conventional media, there is often some sort of a negative remark similar to the one you describe. Climbing is seen by some as a useless activity costing tax-payers money and loved ones an emotional distress.

he was probably just pissed that you were the reason he was backed up in traffic trying to get home... the fact that you were climbing ice was probably irrelevant?

I don't really think the foul-mouthed motorist who yelled at Rob was motivated by fiscal responsibility. Nor, I suspect, was he a distraught relative of Rob's.

I suspect he was merely a beered-up a$$hole of sub-average intelligence who didn't like seeing that someone enjoys a physical aactivity that he is not capable of.

I bet it was two things,

A = The guy was drunk (most likely on heinekens and Yagger bombs)
B = He was from 'Longailend' NY

Most likly this is the guy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JMOh-cul6M

That's a pretty funny monologue you posted, Smike. It seems though that this thread morphed from ticklist to tickedofflist.

I joined gunks.com because I wanted to learn more about climbing, but now I love it more for these fun posts to brighten my day! Loved it. Couldn't stop laughing. hahaha!

Man I'm so glad I got off the island.

I used to get a lot of crap like that when I rode my road bike a lot. I would sometimes yell "I love you" or blow kisses to idiots like that. It really messes with their heads.

Rob, now we now where you got your "Edge". The Island strikes again.

When ice climbing started at Moores Bridge in the late 70's, traffic would back up occasionally to a complete stop. Eventually, nearly every person driving by would be yelling and cursing and (maybe rightly so) blaming the ice climbers for the traffic jam as people were attempting to drive up or down the road. After just that one visit, I stopped climbing there completely. The noise, the fumes, the close proximity of the road, the whole zoo like atmosphere, why bother? RC

Because I am an attention whore!

RR,
We all recognized that, how in the world do you handle the solitude of Alaska and other out of the way locales? Or better, how do your partners handle it?

Did you not hear about the keg party we had on the Root Canal glacier with 4 lovely french ladies?

Yes, saw your very nice slide show.. Way jealous of both the climbing and the good fortune to share the glacier with such friendly folk. We never had the good fortune of pretty neighbors.

Oh man Oh man Oh man!!! I found my winter project! Stay tuned for the details. This one is off the hook!

RR

Well RR, that certainly sets the scene for somthing extraordinary. "Off the hook huh? Winter girdle traverse of Wallface? Katahdin in February? A winter traverse of the Penny Ice Cap with a solo first ascent finish on Asgaard? RC

hmm..maybe not that off the hook, but pretty fun. Stay tuned

Ah, what a tease you are.

To fat and weak to even think about that yet...I did pull a 5.10 move reaching forsome dark meat over Thanksgiving.

Umm...is it my cpu or are we posting in the future. Its 12/10/10.

I just checked, cpu says is the 10th but this site says "eleven" in a bad english accent ta boot.

Did Moores bridge today for the first time. It IS kinda insane the way people stopped to take pictures. Of course I posed for a bunch, smiled and waved. Still... very strange. Nice climbing though.

Now if I did that (being a guy), it would really mess with their (the NASCAR type) heads but I'd probably get punched (except the sharp tools may be a deterient for that.