Putting Powder on Ice – A winter spent swinging tools
It’s the middle of November, 2012. Snow begins to fall in the Teton range. It doesn’t stop falling until the end of December. Cold temperatures and consistent snowfall form a deep and stable snow pack. All this snow is making every winter enthusiast’s dream in the Tetons come true…..just about.
On November 10, Jackson Hole snowboarder Travis Mcalpine leaves the snow in Jackson, and heads to the City of Rocks in Idaho. There he meets up with his friend, Dustin Fric, and after a few days of climbing the two of them set out in search of what they really want to experience all winter long. ICE.
Their first stop is Hyalite Canyon in Montana. Living in a wall tent, splitting wood, and cooking with a skillet they complete about seventy pitches, climbing nine days on and one day off for a full month. Two of these pitches include two new mixed lines; Antimossity M4, near High Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Vitamin M M5, near Champagne Sherbet. Due to low concentrations of ice while they were there they climb all sorts of “weird abstract mossy stuff”.
Unfortunately thirty days is too long to stay in Hyalite according to the forest service. The Rangers told them they had to leave. Here is a video made by one of their friends that came to visit them during their stay.
They decide that after a month of bumming it they should head to Cooke City, Montana. They know they can find some work there, and explore a place they had not spent much time.
They quickly find Cooke City to be a small town with fairly easy access to climbing. After two days of being there, Dustin’s car breaks down. They are forced to settle into a hotel, and start to check out everything they could ski to. Fortunately for them, ICE IS FOUND EVERYWHERE!
It is now mid February. Travis and Dustin are still up in Cooke City climbing as much ice as they can. Check out this photo gallery of some of the epic routes they have been getting on.
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Category: Mission
