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 Bridal Veil Falls, from the base Credit: AKTrad |
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Greg Sievers wrote me a note in January, "Want to go to Valdez?" Of course I did; I live in Anchorage. But I was in Ouray at the time, so saying yes was easy. As the appointed time rolled around, I wondered if the ice would hold till the end of March. But Alaska remained cold and clear for a month, and as we cruised through Keystone Canyon, the ice looked warm and massive.
The first day we decided to climb "Rain Check" a nice Grade IV in Bear Creek, a close half mile from the road. However, we left the skis at the B&B, and after a few hundred yards we were sinking to our chests in unconsolidated sugar snow, an exhausting approach. We managed to drag ourselves up a little drip of ice at the entrance to the canyon.
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 on the fragile curtain at the mouth of Bear Creek Credit: AKTrad |
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By the third day, we felt we had better bag a few of the big climbs across the Lowe River, because most of the river was melting out, and only the inner Keystone Canyon had thick enough ice to cross. Galen Flint had joined us for the week, and we were now on a roll. After a month of cold clear weather, the first snowflakes started the night before. We started as dollar-sized flakes swirled in the down-canyon wind. Undeterred, Greg led off up the first pillar.
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 Credit: AKTrad |
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The first pitch ends in a huge cavern behind the frozen waterfall. It's a bomber belay spot, so I could traverse around the curtain and move up for another 200' to the next cave.
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 The cavern Credit: AKTrad |
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The third pitch, the "Killer Pilar", is at least vertical and is the crux of the climb. Greg cruised the skyline in front of me; the photos are impressive.
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 Greg on Killer Pilar Credit: AKTrad |
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By now it had been snowing for quite a while covering the climb with a 5" blanket of wet crud. The final pitch to the top leans back, and no sheltering cave to protect us. We skooched to the side, slung a gob of alders, and rappelled down to the second cave. The lip above the cavern was guarded by huge delicate ice stalactites, so we had to be quite delicate passing them to keep from sending a spear down to the waiting climbers.
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 Galen descends into the cavern Credit: AKTrad |
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A great day was had by all, in spite of the snow and wet. Back to Anna's B&B for beers and dinner.
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 Galen smiles at the cavern entrance Credit: AKTrad |
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