Manker Flat to Icehouse Canyon, 15-Jan-2011

[Tim]

This was one of those great trips where you just wing it and everything works out. Our goal was to travel from Manker Flat to Icehouse Canyon and climb random chutes along the way. Not knowing how deep the snow was back there, we packed snowshoes along with ice axes and crampons. We ended up using the snowshoes just briefly on the way back down to IHC.

My friend John and I started up Big Butch Wash toward Lightning Couloir at 7am. We briefly thought about climbing it since it was very calm that morning (no rockfall), but as soon as we got to the turnoff to Miner's Bowl, a deluge of rocks started raining down. Man, it's like a big giant garbage chute.

At the first chute we found, we climbed it to gain the ridge to Thunder Mtn. The snow was a bit soft, sinking about 3-4" with crampons. Up on the ridge we could see the train of people heading up Baldy Bowl.

Our next objective was Telegraph. We were feeling good so we decided to attempt the north face. I was worried about avalanches so I did some stability tests near the saddle, which were sort of inconclusive. I've only taken one Level 1 class last year so I'm definitely no expert, and it's hard to know later if your decision was right or if it was just dumb luck. Anyhow, we used safe travel techniques like one man crossing, etc.

We were hoping to climb the center chute, known by ski mountaineers as the "Easy Way" and pop out at the very top. I was pretty sure we had entered the right chute, but at 100 ft from the top, I started second guessing myself. I decided we should climb towards a bare tree on the ridge to our left to do a recon. From below, it looked like an easy climb, but this turned out to be the crux of the route for us. This 20-30 ft section was the steepest yet and was iced over much more than the rest of the route.

But we made it and were rewarded with incredible views. On the way down we made several interesting discoveries in various remote locations.

Lightning Couloir to our right:


A real "snowcone"


Off to Telegraph


John climbing


The steep section towards the bare tree:


That steep section was 48°. Most of the chute was 40-42°. I went and measured the very top of the chute where it looks crazy steep but its really just about 42°.


Almost there


Signing the register


Nice views


Heading home


Bigfoot lives in the San Gabriels!


Found remnants of an avalanche


Telegraph south slopes looking bare


Our route up Telegraph


Video recap:

[lilbitmo]

Very nice work Tim

How consolidated was the snow on the north face? How far over the saddle did you go down before you headed up? Looks like from your map you traversed straight into the chute then up?

Only wish Lytle Creek road was open to the gate, be nice to do that route from the base of that canyon - I think that's the middle fork area?

As the south face slopes melt we are all looking for north slopes that are accessable

[Tim]

Hey lilbitmo, the north face wasn't entirely consolidated. It was about the same as Baldy Bowl on Jan 8th but a tad firmer. When breaking trail our steps were going in about 4-5". We went down level with the saddle then traversed over diagonally before heading up. Yes, we kept traversing until we got to the chute that we wanted then we went straight up. We stayed to the side of the chute while climbing in case we had to do a quick exit to the mini ridge if rocks came down or the slope let go. We thought about how it would be to get up there from Coldwater Canyon but it seems like a really long approach (although I haven't been in that area). Hope you find some nice north slopes to climb!