Uuugh, to have a normal sleep schedule! I didn't think I'd fall asleep early enough for the 3 am wake-up (so we'd get climbing before the melt), so I drove out the night before and slept in the rear seat. Jordan and Bill arrived around 6, and we headed through Humber Park to the north face approach.
There she is.
The postholing was literally waist-deep in places. The best it got was shin-deep. On the traverse to our climb, our track looked more like a trench than a boot track!
The dihedral was in sublime condition today. Perfect, crunchy neve for a whole pitch, which we soloed. The 75 or 80 degree bulge before the first belay was a little spicy for Jordan's second ice climb ever, but he performed!
Surmounting aforementioned bulge.
Surmounted.
First belay (on a root).
FAT! Yes! Our ice conditions predictions were RIGHT ON!
Bill clipped my rappel anchor from last Sunday, which I was pleased to retrieve.
Belay two! Two stubbies.
At belay three, bringing Bill and Jordan up.
Belay three was two bottomed stubbies, one tied off, and a sketchy pin.
Bill leading the crux, AI3 pitch.
Belay four.
I can see how this runout, powder-crust slab business would have been unnerving on lead.
Last pitch!
Scrambled to Tahquitz summit from topout. We were the first signature in the register since November.
In true Socal ice fashion, this climb is probably gone by now thanks to 60-70 degree temperatures in the hills.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Gearing up in the morning at Humber Park. A new fond memory to add to a vast bank of fond Tahquitz memories! Three hours of sleep in the rear seat of my car, and woken up in the morning by the sound of my partners' car pulling in next to mine.
Photo by Jordan Ramey.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. On the nice part of the north face approach.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Some weird parasite I spotted on the traverse to the NE face. Found out later that this is mistletoe (durrr).
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Yes!!! Look at that!
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Still traversing...
Photo by Jordan Ramey. I just noticed how many uphill branches are missing on this tree.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Soloing first pitch. Jordan thinks this is El Grandote, but the pictures on SP make it look like NE Face west.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Who got screws in socal? Aw yeah.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. I'm pretty sure there's a dihedral under the snow to the right.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Looking up at next two pitches.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Belay two.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Another glorious ass shot.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Belay three.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. The crux water ice step on pitch three (third pitch not including first solo pitch, with 65m pitches).
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Bill starts up crux pitch.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Fourth belay.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Leading last pitch to the topout!
Photo by Jordan Ramey. San Gorgonio in the background, Idyllwild below.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Belay five and TOPPED OUT!
Photo by Jordan Ramey. A wall on the other side of the NE descent gully.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. San Jacinto.
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Tahquitz summit (first time here, actually)
Photo by Jordan Ramey. Sometimes the ocean is visible from here.
