Entropy

I've always excused myself for knowing little about physics. Often, I addend the remark with a kitschy apology like "I camp for a living or "I studied English, which I speak very well." This past week climbing ice in the South Fork Canyon, I worked closely with physics, or maybe just my lay understanding of it.

Nick approaches Moratorium

I finished a nine day ski trip in the Absoraka mountains ready to ply ice. I'd heard shady side climbs were getting fat, so I packed up and headed to Cody. Day one offered a short hike up to the Moratorium which was rumored to be climbable.

Tiny Dancer on the first pitch

Nick took the first pitch, which climbed like off-vertical eggshells with dubious protection. Ice this thins likes to pitch off at the slightest provocation, so Nick tapped gently. At the belay, I was showered with whatever he knocked down.

View of redemption

I drew the second pitch which in years past had been a short curtain followed by an easy ramp. Unfortunately the ramp hadn't formed and I was pushed onto a steep curtain to top off the flow. It looked hard from the bottom, so I clipped leashes onto my tools and proceeded to bash, thrutch and otherwise unceremoniously tap my way up the feature. Near the top, with only one stick needed to get to a good rest and shake out, I lost it. I swung and swung and swung and couldn't get my tool to stick. I tried to shake out but I was too pumped. With a primeval scream, I peeled off ass first, tools gyrating from my wrists, until one of the skinny 8mm ropes caught me. Shaken but uninjured, I went back up and finished the pitch.

The next couple days we got some good climbing done, but the South Fork still needs a bit more love before things will be great. Word on the street is the last three weeks have been good and I'm excited to get back.

Thin is In: Early-season Hyalite Ice

After spending the last eight months rock climbing, guiding and teaching rock climbing and learning about guiding and teaching rock climbing, I was ready for some winter climbing. A cursory inspection of the Tetons revealed little ice due to a warmer fall with little precipitation, but after a few phone calls I determined that while climbing was going off in the Canadian Rockies, south of the border the mantra was "Thin is In." I packed my bags and headed up to Hyalite for a three-day quickie before my next trip.

Travis on Crypt Orchid

The first day we swept the Mummy Cooler area, starting out with a simulsolo of Crypt Orchid for a warmup, followed by a quick lap on Feeding the Cat. After an ill-fated attempt at a small ribbon between Feeding the Cat and The Matrix during which Travis took a short lead fall, I flashed The Matrix, which was quite thin.We cooled off on Mummy II, which was soaking-wet, hollow and relied on turf sticks for half the route. Travis cooly dispatched the pitch.

Travis on Mummy II

The next day called for adventure and we got it. I'd never been up to Flanders Mountain before but we had it on good intelligence that there were classics in the area to be had, which we confirmed on the walk-in when we spied High Crimes, our objective for the day.

Nick and I following Champagne Slot

Travis is irrepressible. When it comes to runout, loose, dangerous or otherwise sketchy moderate terrain, no one is more psyched to put the rope up. When we arrived at the base of Champagne Sherbert which was dripping reportedly less than it usually does, Travis quickly racked up and blasted up the Champagne slot which was bereft of dripping water and, likewise, lacked ice.

Nick on High Crimes

High Crimes, however, was a treat. Undoubtedly the longest, steepest pitch currently frozen in the canyon, it was a pleasure to climb. The lower half was just off-vertical for a good 15 meters and it was fun to get in the thought-free groove of swinging and kicking up homogenized ice.

Travis assesses his options

On the way down, Travis spied a mossy, loose corner in an alcove climber's right of High Crimes. I remembered walking past it and thinking to myself that it could be a fun, if a bit gritty. Travis, however, is an enthusiast of the obscure and quickly racked up for the route.

Dustin Pinkpoints on Travis' Gear

I climbed a snow gully to the top ostensibly to take photos, but mostly to avoid getting suckered into climbing the route. It looked dirty and burly, a hypothesis confirmed when Nick came down with a jacket full of grime. Travis and Dustin called the route At a Moss for Words, which will probably stick unless someone else admits to having climbed it.

On the third day it rained, and after some meager dry-tooling near Fat and Thin Chance, I bailed out of Hyalite towards sunny Landiego. Word on the street is that winter's a-coming and I look forward to plain-old "In" climbing when I finish with work.