I have three basic conditions questions for anyone who has been up the N Fork of Big Pine lately:

1. Is it still mandatory to cross snow descending from Contact Pass, or can you stay on scree at this point?

2. How steep are the snow slopes blocking the base of the main aretes of Temple Crag?

3. Has the softening snow been refreezing hard at night? (I ask this because it was on BCS a month ago, but not on Banner Pk or Ed Lane Pk the last couple of weekends)

When I went there I believe the couloir was somewhat avoidable to the right (on the way down) but I did not bother. Snow was JUST soft enough in the evenings for insecure plunge steps. It was ok to glissade though, although bumpy and hard, but quick. I used a rock to stop when i had to.
Have no idea why you ask this, BUILT CHARACTER! Bring crampons, ice axe, and a boom box!



If you approach Sun Ribbon BRING CRAMPONS/AXE, toss them when you get to the solid ground. For Dark Star you do not need crampons. For other two I don't know, but may be there Sunday, most likely not...

I'm asking for some alpine newbies that are coming along. They crag but aren't too familiar with that strange white stuff. I think I'll just tote up a tool and if the others are close enough, lower it down on the rope or let them prussic up the rope. I'll carry the tool up with me in case I encounter any bear on Sun Ribbon Arete.

Now for me, I'm bringing bottled 3 beers & a flask of Jameson along with my ice tool to build character. Now maybe if I start climbing with Twinkies I can do Reed's Direct

BTW, nice touch with the animated car driving off the road

PellucidWombat wrote:I think I'll just tote up a tool and if the others are close enough, lower it down on the rope or let them prussic up the rope.

Would love to film this circus.

I think I might try to get my partner for the day out of camp early enough that we're conveniently too far along to help

I was in the gully heading to Contact Crack at around 9AM a couple weeks ago and although the snow was icy hard in brief, unavoidable sections, the suncups and soil on top of it eliminated any need for crampons or an axe. I'm guessing it hasn't all melted out, yet. Later in the day it would be zero issue. The folks that started Venusian Blinds that morning had no problem without axe or crampons but I'm not sure about the bigger aretes.

JD

Don't know if it helps, but on 8/28 it looked like this:

For those who might be interested, we found the conditions as follows:

For the snowfield getting to Venusian, Moon Goddess, & Sun Ribbon Arete, the snow was very hard packed & icy in the morning. At a minimum you'd want an ice axe, and crampons would make passing that section a lot faster, though I did without. The snow was too hard to kick steps in with my boots and I could barely get enough edging with my feet to move my axe placements.

For those climbing the snow with marginal gear, the easiest way if you're not taking the chimney approach pitch (which still requires some snow crossing) is to take the debris groove to the left of the talus highpoint. This groove eventually merges with rock at the base of the cl. 3 ledges traverse. However, keep in mind that the debris groove is in the line of fire from rocks knocked loose by climbers ascending to Moon Goddess Arete.

There is a short mandatory snow crossing after descending the initial headwall from Contact Pass, but it is low angle and suncupped, and by early evening is soft enough for easy walking down.