Hyalite Highlights

Just got back from an amazing 4 days in Hyalite!

Man, it's been nice to get the ice tools back in action this year after being stymied by work and weather the past two winters.  This year, I've climbed over 20 pitches of ice, by far my best season.

Eric Krumland and I decided to fly out to Bozeman in order to maximize our time there.  We climbed for three full days and one half day before flying back home.  Each day we hit a different area - most new for me from last trip.  The only pitch of ice I had previously climbed was the first pitch of the Hangover.  We had variable weather ranging from single digits the first day, to mid-30's and sunny on the second day.  The ice was good.  A little thinner than my last visit, but that year was apparently a banner year for Hyalite.  So I think we found it in "typical" condition.

Day 1: Genesis area.  We slogged up through waist-deep powder to do the Hangover (WI3, 2 pitches), then did both the right and left variations of Upper Greensleeves (WI3).  Upper Greensleeves felt hard and steep at the top.  It hadn't seen any traffic recently, and was cold and chandeliered.  Maybe we were just getting our lead heads on, because looking back at the photos, it doesn't look that steep compared to stuff we climbed later in the trip.  At the time, we called it WI4.  We also made the error of going straight back the gully to the road on the way out rather than traversing back to the Hangover and taking our trail back down.  What a mistake!  The slog out was horrible.  Won't do that again.

Eric gets us started off on the Hangover

Screaming barfies!

 Day 2: Unnamed Wall.  Comparatively, the approach was extremely chill.  A nice path had been beaten in.  The weather was warm and sunny.  We wanted to start off on the Fat One, but there was a party of three on it.  Instead, I led a short steep flow that is not named in the book to its right.  It was WI3, and ended with low-angle frozen moss sticks to a tree.  Good warmup.  We then hit The Fat One (WI3), The Elevator Shaft (WI3+), Jeff's Right (M4), and toproped Jeff's Left (M5).

Josh leads The Fat One

Another party on the Elevator Shaft

Eric sews up the Elevator Shaft

Jeff's Right was definitely my scariest lead of the trip.  It started off with a 10-foot overhanging section of rock.  Each time I tried to pound in a piton to protect the moves, the rock would break off.  Not inspiring.  Finally I got a knifeblade to go.  Then, as I made the moves onto the ice, I got sketched and had Eric take.   As I slowly fell onto the KB, it bent over as I hadn't been able to pound it to the hilt.  But it held just fine.  Looks like that's staying there for good as Eric couldn't clean it.  I eventually got the moves onto the ice, which was very thin and hard to protect, but much easier climbing.  The screws were not very reassuring, so I was quite nervous the whole climb despite the relatively easy WI3 ice climbing to the top.  Definitely a heads-up lead for me.

Josh pounding in a knifeblade to protect the overhanging rock moves to get on Jeff's Right

On the much easier, but thin, ice on Jeff's Right

Day 3: The Dribbles area.  We started off with the classic 3-pitch Dribbles (WI4).  Eric wanted a "by-the-book" WI4.  And he nailed it.  Made it look easy, in fact.  I think I could have led it too.  And I wanted to.  But by the time we rapped it, it would have sucked up most of our day.  I wanted to get on another new climb too.

The Dribbles, WI4, 3 pitches

Josh on the first pitch of the Dribbles

Eric styles the steep second pitch of the Dribbles

From there we traversed over to Silken Falls, WI3.  It was a really nice 2-pitch route.  It also allowed us to check out Silken Slot, 5.7.  Due to what looked like very short sections of rock and ice intermingled with a really long snow slog, we skipped it.

Silken Slot left (with the chockstone) and Silken Falls right

Josh on the first pitch of Silken Falls

Day 4: Mummy Cooler area.  We only had a half day, as we had a 4pm flight.  We decided to do the approach to Mummy Cooler 2, do that, and take a look at the Scepter.  We'd either toprope it after MC2 or Eric would lead it.  I took the lead on MC2, WI3+.  It was by the book the steepest ice line I led on this trip.  But it was really solid, and I never felt pumped.  I do really think I'm ready for WI4.

The Scepter (left) and Mummy Cooler 2 (right)

Josh heads up the steeper headwall of MC2

Looking down Mummy Cooler 2

Once we finished MC2, Eric decided to cap off the trip with a rad lead of the Scepter.  It was a really stellar route!  The bottom half had blobby overhanging moves.  But the blobs led to great feet, so it felt solid.  I'm sure getting solid screws was a little nerve wracking.  Up higher, it was a little less steep and the ice changed.  It was now a shallow groove with really solid ice.  Eric used a few rebores for protection.  Overall, so fun and aesthetic!  Nice lead, buddy.

Eric rocks the Scepter

Next time: Twin Falls, Winter Dance area, lead The Thrill is Gone and a "by-the-book" WI4 such as the Dribbles.

Awesome area.  Another great trip.  I think I'll make it an annual thing.  Unless the next ice age hits and we actually get some consistent ice in Washington...