Home > Trip Reports > Feb 26, 2011, Stuart Ice Cliff Beat Down

Feb 26, 2011, Stuart Ice Cliff Beat Down

2/26/11
WA Cascades East Slopes Central
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Posted by jwplotz on 2/27/11 3:49am
If at first you don't succeed, try the damn thing again.  I didn't succeed the last time I was up here three weeks ago, due to the final bergschrund.  So, why not try again?  But you really have to want it with a 10+ mile approach that's not entirely trivial.

The indefatigable Alecapone trusted me this time to actually be there, and inexplicably agreed to a return trip yesterday.  Also joining us was fellow eastsider Kyle Flick, demonstrating an impressive level of pathology with his 6th or 7th consecutive trip up 8 Mile Road. 

But we were duped.  I had been psyched all week with a clear-ish forecast for Saturday, with the weather window slamming shut sometime Sunday or Monday.  Start the deathmarch at the road at 4:45am at 6F, we didn't stop much due to the temps.  However, the canyon must be some sort of cold sink, because temps increased the higher we got.  When we got back at the car, it was 26F, so there was quite a difference throughout the day.

We zipped through Mountaineer's Creek and basin with little trouble!  We're getting good at this.  To make a long story short, gale force winds and cold and very, very sensitive lee slopes held us to the entrance of the Ice Cliff and no further. 

What better way to cap off a fruitless day than a 10+ mile downhill skin?  Scott swears he's going to appeal to the IOC to add down-skinning to the Olympic repertoire.  Oh well.  It's all in the journey, right?  Whatever....

Ale, splitboar....er....AT skier....er...hell, I don't even know anymore...and I'm not sure Scott knows anymore.



Tails tucked, skins on, we're headed down.



Last look.



Here's a little video, sharing a little of the magic we felt up there yesterday!

Mt. Stuart ICG Love

Brutal... thanks for the report.  Good effort.  Are those Scott's new boots?

I'm not sure if they're new boots anymore, since he's already ripped a couple buckles off them.

proud effort fellas,  hell of a deathmarch.

thx for sharing the "love" .. you guys are sick animals  ;)

gale force winds, maniacal laughter... and one big white wha... ice cliff.


I don't even want to show you my vid from the same day

Haha.. still a fun day.

I don't know what's worse.. five minute pov videos of the tips of someone skis or the 15 seconds of me trying to put my jacket on.

I never took my camera out all day, so here is a picture from the saturday before.



now selling limited editions of my guide book, "50 classic teleboard-skin-ski decents in the PNW"? Most routes are best done in white out conditons and or thin snow cover.


ooops,

Yes Marcus, those are most of the new boots you gave me. missing some buckles, straps, some fiddling with the walk ski mode, differant tongue, and dremel work on the shell..

They work great for me, thanks!



Look for Scott's major Youtube debut with a gopro vid,  downskin from Colchuck Col to Icicle road. Sick!

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feb-26-2011-stuart-ice-cliff-beat-down
jwplotz
2011-02-27 11:49:57