12/31/09 – The ice and mixed lines in East Vail are in and turns out: they’re still awesome. The Fang isn’t quite in, but here a local hardman sends on the second pitch of the classic Will Gadd testpiece Amphibian [M9/10?].
Just watching the boys on that one was pretty awesome. Here’s Stanley working out the first roof on that second pitch. Oh the steepness!
Moving on to a quick conditions report: Rigid Designator is in, and is hacked out enough to be pretty easy climbing despite actually being rather steep in places. The bottom is funky but easy, and above the protection is finicky and probably the crux of the route. As you can see in a few pictures, The Fang [WI5] is still quite a way from touching down but looks like it might happen. Octopussy [M8] is a short pillar and doesn’t look reachable. Everything in the Belfry is in. Spiral Staircase is WI3. Secret Probation, Frigid Inseminator and all the other usual suspects are in and climbing very reasonably. Pumphouse looks good. Looking across to Booth Creek, the ice looks big and pretty. Even the Secret Circle area looks pretty good, assuming I’m clear on where that is. Further towards Denver the ice in Officer’s Gulch is looking fat too.
My buddy Eric and I stuck to more moderate terrain with the Designator [WI4+], Cupcake Corner[M5 WI4], Esmeralda [M7 WI4] (which felt harder than the last time I did it), Frigid Inseminator [M5 WI5] and Secret Probation [M7 WI4+], all of which were in great shape, although the Inseminator and the Designator had some tricky pro.
The one really curious thing about the outing was the signage on the approach, though! Apparently they must have had some access issues with the Nordic Center because as you hiked out along the ski trails the signs got progressively more serious to the point where it seemed a little ridiculous. I don’t know what happened to prompt it, but some Nordic skiers must have been fired up about boot prints across the ski track because they’re serious! Check it out.
Serious business. Stay on the snowshoe trail or else.
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