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First Sticks, Hyner Amphitheater, Bucktail Canyon

January 20, 2007

This past week we have finally started to experience winter weather. ( It has been unseasonably warm since the second week of December). We decided it was time to head to Lock Haven / Renovo to see if the ice was forming. The conditions in all three of the main areas, Roadside Gully, Hidden Amphitheater, and Gemini Gullies, are far from in due to the large amount of runoff from last week’s rain event. Seed ice has started to form along the sides of the gullies but open water flows in all three areas. We will need many nights of very cold temps to slow these flows and solidify them.

Roadside Gully 01/20/07


Hidden Amphitheater 01/20/07


Gemini Gullies 01/20/07


I did get first sticks of the season on ice formed on the avalanche fence that protects the railroad. This has formed at the base of Loner Gully just south of the Gemini Gullies from water splashed up on it. At this point we will take what we can get.

First Sticks of the Season! Notice no crampons.

We did notice that the main gullies were not in due to excessive water. In contrast, other new areas had formed from seeps of water trickling between the rock’s bedding plains. We bushwacked up to one site ( Hyner Amphitheater) that looked promising on Hyner Mountain several miles north of the Gemini Gullies. I had never climbed at this small amphitheater, but had noticed other climbers had explored the site in years past. Hyner Amphitheater is two hunderd yards north of the obscure Shoestring Gully that sometimes forms into a long grade two route on this section of Bucktail Canyon. The amphitheater today offered one short steep pillar and several mixed opportunities. The conditions were a bit too thin to lead so we opted to toprope the route. (Sorry Wayne) Not what we had hoped to find today, but still a fun day out in Penn’s woods.

Hyner Amphitheater


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Tom Mrotek comtemplating the mixed finish on this pillar.

Dave Eisenhower getting his ice fix.


Dave in Ice Conditions, 1/20/2007 •