Thanks for cutting the trail. Be up there for my twice weekly gig again tomorrow and Weds.

Photshop, again. Didn't use a piece of rock pro last week btw.

Same line as well as two or three others.

I do this twice a week deal from the first week of January till the ice is no longer safe to climb in late March or early April.

Sometimes it's three to four times a week. Last year I got in 24 days at LVC.

'03 I got in over 35 days.

I make it my goal to avg 20-26 days a season at LVC.... all during mid-week when we locals have the place pretty much to ourselves.

There are no noobs or crowds on the stiffer lines....ever!

WEEKENDS! You'll never see me there on a weekend unless I am on the clock.

Who likes videos?

Vitaliy 'Hurting' Himself

Vitaliy Doing the Monkey Hang

(Me) Fancy Column Work and Butter-Toes (doh!)

(Me) Traversing & Finishing the Line

where did that column go?! Don't tell me you knocked it down!

Good job getting after it guys To me, that's what climbing is all about -- enjoying the outdoors with friends.

I hope kovarpa & justing won't mind me re-posting some of his pics of the Bard-Harrington last Sunday -







And remember everybody -- make Chief proud !

On a serious note....

I put in over 35 Bamboo wands with orange tape to mark the trail into LVC this morning. I'll check them periodically but ask that anyone utilizing the trail in, sees that they are getting buried, please pull them up and reposition along the trail so we can maintain a standardized trail up the to B/H.

Thanks for your support on this.

BTW, the B/H should be completely good to go this time next week. The top half is fat and the lower portions are filling in nicely.

Vitaliy M wrote:Thanks a lot. But I can't really see anyone getting lost in that canyon. It is kind of like a one way street.
However, if I am there and any are buried, would be happy to help.

Has absolutely NOTHING to do with getting lost. Has to do with ACCESS cooperation via establishing one trail that is firm, safe and easier for all to access. Primarily a safety issue so that no one punches through and injures themselves on the house size boulders hidden below the snow. Possibly even falling into a large hidden deep hole (many are present with the heavy snowfalls that have occurred) ironically as one individual from a visiting group did yesterday that were well in front of us. They were off the "beaten path" and wandering aimlessly.

The wind blows constantly through that canyon nightly and covers the hardened established trail. The folks that visit that area on a regular basis do appreciate a hardened established trail that makes the hike in that much safer. Positive comments were in fact received by two other "local" groups of folks that followed us in, stating that this was indeed a great idea. SCE/LADWP, the LM's of the entire area, are greatly appreciative of any actions that minimizes impact and potential injuries.

Thank you.

Vitaliy M wrote:Oh nice, good idea. Punching through between huge boulders sucks.

YES! I have a scar for life and three layers of ruined clothing that a razor sharp boulder edge sliced thru 4 years ago in LV canyon. Don't mind the scar, but the tape on the pants now? AAARRG!
And YES, I have fallen into a boulder well up to my chest in a couloir on Mt Mary Austin. Fortunately, I have alone so there was no embarrassment.

Thanks for saving the established trail!

Why is everyone giving Chief grief? Sounds like the start of a Dr. Seuss poem...

Anyways, it's important to remember that access to Lee Vining is over private property and if users get injured, require assistance, whatever the case may be, it'll be a lot easier for DWP to merely deny access than going through the headache of trying to regulate users. While even a dimwit can eventually figure that if you head up a canyon, you'll eventually reach the ice. However, there are many more climbers nowadays, some of whom are coming almost immediately from an artificial environment like a gym, sport climber area, etc. , but don't realize what they don't know. As a result, their mountain sense [edit: isn't] well developed and a nice broken trail is a benefit. Take advantage of other people's hard work.

Can't say I've ever seen that many wands in LVC before, but hey why not .. let's give it a chance and see how well the idea works. Thanks for your effort and foresight Rick.

btw Some nostalgia -- the Bard-Harrington Wall in early December 2004 -



Oh and another thing -- we need to translate "Make the Chief Proud" into Latin, photoshop it onto a Grivel logo, and put it on some helmet stickers

Guys, I just cleaned up the thread a bit. No harm done. It's a great thread, let's stick to the ice climbing.

In regards to the wands in LV Canyon: The inevitable large storm or wind event will come in and cover them up or blow them all down. When that happens a new trail will start anyway. Who is going to come back in the spring and pick them all up? They are basically trash and many will end up in the creek.

ChrisCal wrote:-In regards to the wands in LV Canyon: The inevitable large storm or wind event will come in and cover them up or blow them all down. When that happens a new trail will start anyway.

- Who is going to come back in the spring and pick them all up? They are basically trash and many will end up in the creek.

- I am there 1-3 times a week till the end of March beginning of April. If you had actually read my post regarding this issue instead of making the above judgemental asinine comment on your first post here on SP, is asking that ALL who travel into the canyon, please adjust them accordingly.

- I will pull them on my last trip in March/April.

I will return and walk the entire length of LVC, the first or second week of May to clean up trash, debris and "Booty" as I have for the past eight years. You won't believe all of the GOODIES that I find... he he he he.

BTW...

You CHRISCAL, are you going to or have you ever returned in the Spring to do your part and pickup any turds, trash or debris that you or anyone in group may have dropped on your once or twice annual visit to the area? I got 10.00 says you never have. Why don't you make some time and you can join us "locals" that do return to clean up the area in the late Spring in order to keep a good standing ACCESS rapport with SCE and LADWP.

ChrisCal wrote:....

Let's keep it at reporting "California Ice Conditions", will ya?