Comments on: U-Notch Ice Dancing

By: Andy

Andy — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:03:42 +0000

This was Memorial Day. I thought snowpack was deep everywhere above 10.5K in the Eastern Sierra. I’d definitely expect snow from Trail Camp to Trail Crest. Check Whitney Portal Store for the latest on conditions.

By: Dan Conger

Dan Conger — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 05:49:15 +0000

Definitely wild! Love the Bear Grylls comment … that guy is truly a nut. “You never want to try to cross a frozen lake like this in late spring when the water level is rising under the ice … but if you do, go ahead and do it like this!!!”

Hey, Andy, how does the snowpack look in the Whitney area? I have a permit and 4 friends and I are heading up on June 14th and hiking out on June 16th. Crampons or something less on the main Whitney trail?

By: Joseph

Joseph — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 08:30:11 +0000

Wow, i saw your life flash before my eyes! Well, powder saves lives, what else can you say?

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:16:36 +0000

Hoooly crap man! Unreal. I think it’s kind of funny that I mentioned U-Notch in my last post. How recent was this? How far up the North Fork did you get until you hit snow? Off to make nice mellow turns on Alta tomorrow morning… As an aside, it looks like Tioga opens tomorrow.

By: Xavier "Man .Vs. Ice" McGillicutty

Xavier "Man .Vs. Ice" McGillicutty — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:58:20 +0000

Dood, I hope you appreciate just how much you sound like Bear Grylls at the end of that. Especially those moments when he’s like, “well, that’s not normally what you want to have happen. But it’s important to remember that if you’re ever 200′ in the air swinging from an old rusty chain and a grappling hook you made from a couple of rabbit bones, you have to be prepared to improvise.”

Very gripping video – yikes!

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:39:28 +0000

You know, if I hadn’t rotated around and skidded toward the rocks, everything would have gone exactly as I was expecting, but I think that would have been a much worse outcome. It was good to be reminded that once you break loose on ice, all bets are off. It was a good learning experience.

By: ScottP

ScottP — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:23:55 +0000

Reminds me of an icy patch I hit on Baden Powell this winter. Tried to turn, nothing happened, I fell through a spiny bush, inverted, and finally managed to self arrest before sliding into some trees. Scary and humbling experience, to say the least.

Probably be a little while before you do the steep icy again, eh?

By: Sam Page

Sam Page — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 04:19:20 +0000

Yikes! The video was very suspenseful. Glad you made it back.