Rock & Ice - Back to Back

March can be a pretty good month to climb.

The forecast for the next week is hot. With the temperatures looking like they'll make the high-teens I was interested in catching one last day of ice. So yesterday I took the day off work and hooked up with Stacey & Greg for a final ice day in Parlee. Although the week beforehand had temperatures in the teens and lots of recent rain it was full-on wintertime in Parlee. Every single line... even the stuff on Sunbake wall... was in pristine, fat shape. It was probably the best ice day of the year.

The steep undiscovered wall on the far side of Parlee. 

My tick for the day was going to be a lead of 'Patrick's Choice', a wide WI3 that was in good shape when we were in for Ice School a few weeks ago. I jumped on it as the first line of the day. Plastic ice, easy sticks, solid screws, and I was up in no time.

Next, Greg lead us up a group simul-climb of 'Three Amigos'. Such a nice pitch! By the top a strong sun had me baking in just my shell jacket. 

Afterward I thought that the conditions were never going to be better... so it was time to step it up a notch. I jumped on Yellow Pillar and bagged my first WI4 lead. I finished the day with that but Greg & Stacey went on to do another tricky looking line on the back wall. A stellar Friday!

That was yesterday. Today I tagged along into Cedar Point with Chris, Marcelle, and a big crew. That place is a sun collector. We climbed in t-shirts all day and I even got a clean run up a new 5.10b in the back wall.

Marcelle slings up the funky solution features for pro!

That was the good news... since I flailed my way up 'Torpedoes and Jellyfish'... even though I'd lead it clean before. I can never remember beta. I say it's like onsighting every day for me.

Dom &Cory... we ended up stealing their anchor... ha!

Ice one day and warm, dry, rock the next. No bugs and no bird-closures. March can be a pretty good month.