Ice Climbing, Skiing --- 1/5/2019 - 1/19/2019 --- Colorado
Thursday we took a break from the park and climbed on Camp Bird Road. We got on Chockstone Chimney, Lola's Leap, and Senator Gulch (right and left). Finished the day with all you can eat pasta (every Thursday) at the Bonton in town.
Friday we were back in the park climbing at South Park and sledding on the official Ouray sledding hill.
Saturday we spent the entire day at Orvis hot springs. Which was amazing. It isn't cheap, but it was totally worth the cost. Very very very relaxing! Not to mention showers and the opportunity to get all the ice out of our seven gallon water jug (and fill it with warm water).
Back at it on Sunday. We went to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and skied 21km on the unplowed south rim road.
Monday we went to Crested Butte to snowboard. Because lift tickets are so darn expensive, we went hard from when the lifts opened until they closed. Got in about 30 runs.
Our second night in a row below 0F, it reached about -10F and the inside of the truck was a winter wonderland. We were having trouble keeping our water in liquid form, but luckily the sun came out while we were enjoying Great Sand Dunes National Park. Everything defrosted. Including my feet.
My first visit to Shelf Road. We picked Cactus Cliff and lucked into a sunny day, so the climbing was pretty tolerable. We got on Crynoid Corner, Three-Quarter Ton, Pick Pocket (on toprope), Wadworth Boulevard, and Beach Ball.
Aborting our plans to stay in Colorado for another day or two, we blasted back to Ithaca in two very long days of driving to beat a huge winter storm that would dump two feet of snow across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
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I made a pair of umbilicals so I wouldn't drop my tools in the Uncompahgre River. Used a coat hanger to thread a bungee through about 13' of webbing. Then tied a middle knot and adjusted the end knots until they were at the limit of my reach. Haven't found it necessary to add a swivel, but that's an option. I did have to add 4mm cord loops to the bottom of my tools because the other option was clipping the plastic pinky rest in a way that I was sure would break it under any sort of load. Ithaca -- 1/5/2019 |
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Jackie is excited to be done driving Ouray, CO -- 1/8/2019 |
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We rappelled in and top belayed for most every route in the park Ouray, CO -- 1/8/2019 |
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-30F bags are nice when the temperature drops to -10F at night. Though this wasn't that cold a night. Ouray, CO -- 1/9/2019 |
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Party next to us just upstream of the upper bridge Ouray, CO -- 1/9/2019 |
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Jackie climbing at Pic O' The Vic Ouray, CO -- 1/9/2019 |
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Jackie climbing at Pic O' The Vic Ouray, CO -- 1/9/2019 |
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Jackie climbing at Pic O' The Vic Ouray, CO -- 1/9/2019 |
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Jackie climbing at Pic O' The Vic Ouray, CO -- 1/9/2019 |
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Jackie following the second pitch of Chockstone Chimney on Camp Bird Road Ouray, CO -- 1/10/2019 |
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Jackie following the second pitch of Chockstone Chimney on Camp Bird Road Ouray, CO -- 1/10/2019 |
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Dry tooling Lola's Leap. I aided it to set the toprope because leading a dry tool route is terrifying. Ouray, CO -- 1/10/2019 |
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Chockstone Chimney seen from the base Ouray, CO -- 1/10/2019 |
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Jackie Ouray, CO -- 1/10/2019 |
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Senator Gulch. My favorite climb of the trip. Ouray, CO -- 1/10/2019 |
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Jackie's first ice lead. A short flow in the South Park section. Ouray, CO -- 1/11/2019 |
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Setting the comp wall. This is what the Lindseth setting team should aspire to do. Ouray, CO -- 1/11/2019 |
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Apparently I found a small child and we went sledding Ouray, CO -- 1/11/2019 |
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Ouray sledding hill Ouray, CO -- 1/11/2019 |
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Jackie racing a local for pink slips Ouray, CO -- 1/11/2019 |
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Show them locals what an east coast sledder can do! Ouray, CO -- 1/11/2019 |
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Should that be "...the neighbors *of* this sled hill..."? Honestly I'm not sure. Ouray, CO -- 1/11/2019 |
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Neighbors *to* this sled hill sounds correct also. Ouray, CO -- 1/11/2019 |
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You can tell we are in a national forest just from the shape of the signs Ouray, CO -- 1/12/2019 |
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Government is shut down, but the park gates are open Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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This is an amazing canyon! Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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Jackie is the blue dot on the right side of the photo Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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I love the views of the North Rim which is where Adam and I were climbing two years ago Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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We climbed the Casual Route which is kinda in the shade in one of the middle gullies in this photo Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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Close focus Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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Far focus Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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Pan focus Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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If the government were open, they would groom the South Rim for classic, skate, and snowshoeing Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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As it was, the trails were mostly broken, though we did have to push through a few inches of powder for the last few kilometers of the road Black Canyon NP -- 1/13/2019 |
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Snowboarding! Crested Butte, CO -- 1/14/2019 |
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Snowboarding! Crested Butte, CO -- 1/14/2019 |
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We are practically sponsored Crested Butte, CO -- 1/14/2019 |
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This looks awkward because we are trying to balance on our snowboards. Or because we are awkward people. Crested Butte, CO -- 1/14/2019 |
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Ice noms Jackie! Crested Butte, CO -- 1/14/2019 |
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Jefe noms Ice!!! Crested Butte, CO -- 1/14/2019 |
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Another closed park with open gates Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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Warming my feet over the propane heater Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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Very foggy Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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Snow crystals were very cool Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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Typical sub-freezing activity... building a sand castle Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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Hodor! Winter is coming!!! Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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Fog clears! Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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This is normal Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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This is also normal Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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So arty Great Sand Dunes NP -- 1/15/2019 |
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In the land of the Delta Blues, in the middle of the pouring rain Yeah, I got a first class ticket
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Shelf Road Shelf Road, CO -- 1/16/2019 |
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Shelf Road Shelf Road, CO -- 1/16/2019 |
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Cactus Cliff at Shelf Road Shelf Road, CO -- 1/16/2019 |