A few days in the Ice, Caribou Creek, Alaska 12/15/07

Prezwoodz

Decided to take Shasta out for her first multi-pitch ice climb and only her 3rd time ever ice climbing. My friend has a cabin out real close to the trailhead so it was awesome to take advantage of that! We got our friend Jack and headed out to the cabin. Jack had the only vehicle that could make it out that far so it was definitely nice he came along. Also some of these pictures are his. I felt like a total turd that I forgot my extra camera battery and it died quick...BAAHHHHH
So we drove the 2 and a half hours to the cabin. It is a beautiful little one room cabin. We started the fire and got ready to try and climb a little ice before it got dark (around 4pm now). As Shasta was putting her crampon (my backup) on she pushed to hard and actually broke it! We hoped it would work anyway and so we headed out.


(photo by Jack)

Jack got all bundled up in several coats, snowpants, and his helmet.



Jacks Chariot and the beautiful surrounding area.

(photo by Jack)

We hiked the nice frozen river up to Kid in the Corner and did a few laps on the lower portion. While we were here Mike and Dave came up and went on soloing the whole climb. They were gracious enough to lend us two ice screws as well! How awesome!


Then it was our turn to get some fun in on the ice.

(photo by Jack)

So Shasta hops up on the wall and begins to climb. Thankfully the crampon is working even though broken but I tell her "you don't have to kick the ice so hard" then the other crampon breaks! A piece goes rolling down the ice and her crampon nearly pops off. She had to come down and give it another go. She then proceeded to climb up and while coming down got flipped upside down! It happens to must of us atleast once while ice climbing.

(photo by Jack)

I decided to climb the inside left just for a little added fun. This is me heading up with my rope getting caught on all the little ice sickles pertruding.

(photo by Jack)

Jack snapping photo's. He just got this little camera and its his first real digital camera. So he was happy to shoot along.


We hiked back to the cabin after a few laps on the ice and working out some of the kinks that come with not climbing in a while and enjoyed the warmth of the wood stove. The next morning we bundled up once again and headed out back to the climb so that Shasta could get in the whole thing. We climbed the first pitch in pretty quick style. I put in a screw at the base of the climb at about waist level then didn't put another one in until the anchor. Feelin good today!
We continued onto the next pitch.


I didn't use another screw until the middle of the climb when I came upon the place where I had almost fallen the last time I was out here. This time however the ice was much thicker and it went without much issue!


Shasta followed and in this section kissed the ice a few times. Its hard to remember not to use the knees when ice climbing and to keep your heels down. She did a great job of keeping a smile and pulling through it!


We finished the climb and took the walk back to the cabin. It was a great and pretty warm day to be climbing the ice! The company couldn't have been better!

This is a photo of Caribou Creek and the Glenn Highway that Jack took and I stitched together for him.

z_28

Thanks for bringing memory back

I loved this blue deposit ice

Cuong

An awesome adventure.

Cuong

schmoo

Nice! I love how busy you guys keep, regardless of the weather.

coldclimb

schmoo wrote:

Nice! I love how busy you guys keep, regardless of the weather.

Can't let the weather keep you in, or you'd have to move somewhere else! Nice work Kelsey! Jack has a snowboard too, right? Get him to bring you out to Hatchers before you head to Mexico, we'll meet up and hike something.

DoctorIt

With that lead-in, I was expecting something with a 10" lift and studded tires!



Looks like a cool trip

ian408

DoctorIt wrote:

With that lead-in, I was expecting something with a 10" lift and studded tires!

That's just for the posers doc...you know. Like the GS drivers that only go
out on sunny days

Nice story and shots!

gluwater

That looks like too much fun! One day. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Chrissiebeez_NL

aaahhh great fun!!

nice series! like the first 2~! and the last especially

Prezwoodz

schmoo wrote:

Nice! I love how busy you guys keep, regardless of the weather.

Funny thing about that is that its Alaska! Some people just don't much like the summer and fly out during the summer but won't leave for a weekend during the winter!!

DoctorIt - Heh ya I could see where you could get that impression. The real problem was that Shasta put her vehicle into a fence and mine - The old Hing Marin - just dosent run like she used to.

gluwater - Keep your eyes open for some sort of shootout in Alaska.

Thanks everyone for the comments!

Michael Atkins

Very nice story and pictures! Gotta love Alaska!

gluwater

Prezwoodz wrote:

gluwater - Keep your eyes open for some sort of shootout in Alaska.

That would be so sweet. I've been looking into going there the last couple of years. That would be one big check off my list of places I want to visit.

Prezwoodz

gluwater wrote:

That would be so sweet. I've been looking into going there the last couple of years. That would be one big check off my list of places I want to visit.

Well I can't garuntee you what it will be but John and I are in for something for sure. Hopefully we can make it full fledged.

ian408

Tangle Lakes...or the Perch. Or we could just all crash in Girdwood

tnoisaw

Ahh, the beauty of Alaska. If I was not in Northwestern Montana I'd be back in Alaska. It's always nice to see others pics of Alaska instead of my own.
Thanks