The temps have been in the forties all week, so I thought I should take a look at the conditions at Lock Haven. Unless things cool down, this may be the end of the season. The low angle approach to roadside is eroding, with several sections of open water. The Gemini's seem to be holding their own. I found some soft hero ice on Little Roadside Gully, which is along Rt. 120 between Roadside and Hidden. This may be my last sticks for the season... Video here: https://youtu.be/bBPQI7mZUXI

 (L) Roadside Gully has some open water on the approach     (R) Gemini Gullies from a distance along Rt. 120.

 (L and R) Little Roadside Gully offered some soft hero ice.

Didn't have a partner today, so I took a quick solo peek at the Twin Falls on McElhatten Run near Rosecrans, PA. This small area has been an ice farming project of ours in years past, and I was curious on the conditions there. It definitely has been a cold dry winter this season as the usual pillars on the south side of the gorge never formed. Just to get my "ice fix", I did boulder around on the twin falls and also on a tiny smear below the falls on the north side of the gorge. Videos here: http://youtu.be/NoX7flwkySY and http://youtu.be/pLdW3HiMdXs .

 (L) Twin Falls, McElhatten Run, Rosecrans   (R) The usual steep pillars that form here (see inset), never came in this year. Evidently, it was too dry.

Ben Nevin and Chad Zengerle spent the morning in Roadside Gully. Conditions are stellar, with leadable ice from the road to the top. The only route that has not touched down yet is Motorhead, on the left side of the third tier. (Photos by Ben Nevin and Chad Zengerie)

(L) Low angle approach gully filled in nicely.     (R) Steep bulge on the way up to the amphitheater.

(L and R) The upper amphitheater with three distinct tiers. 

(L) Thriller Pillar and Mixed Madness areas on the second tier.     (R) Glass Menagerie on the right side of the third tier.

(L) Motorhead on the third tier still not touching down.   (R) Rapping back to the road

Todd Baker, the Product Manager at Immersion Research, sent us a few shots from their local ice bouldering spot. Its a few minutes outside of the town of Confluence. Good to hear that the folks in SW Pennsylvania are getting their "ice fix".

Wayne Barnard and I slogged up the ravine into Hidden Amphitheater and found the ice in fine shape, except for some thin spots topping out. Videos here: http://youtu.be/meoCWpqiLas and http://youtu.be/yXT7Fr8lyVc .

 (L) - First tier of Hidden Amphitheater    (R) - Wayne leading the center variation on the steep second tier.

 (L & R) Wayne enjoying the steep NEI4 pillar on the right variation of the second tier.

Ben Nevin passed us some pics of their outing in the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon this past weekend. It's amazing what you can find to climb in Penns Woods if you do a bit of exploring and get off the beaten path. Sure beats dealing with the crowds at the Narrows... 

(L) Bear Run Falls.         (R) Chimney Hollow Falls.

(L) Two parties on Chimney Hollow Falls.          (R) View up Chimney Hollow Falls.

The conditions at the Gemini Gullies are best described as "thin, but definitely in". Wayne Barnard, Randy Edelman, and I  trekked up the Left Gemini Gully today, topping out in the right corner. Videos here: http://youtu.be/7ng4crfSmL0 and http://youtu.be/rp5UqSTt8yw . Another party led by Matt Hirt, climbed a nice shaded flow to the left of the Gemini's.

The lower section needs some running water to fatten it up. It appears you can top out on either gully, with a couple of mixed moves and dirt sticks.

 
Our usual route is the pillar immediately to the left of Wayne on lead. It was quite chandeliered, so we left that to fill in a bit more, and stemmed the right corner.

 
(L) Stemming the last moves in Left Gemini - (R) Roadside Gully has filled in a bit more from last week, We saw a party enjoying the low angle approach on our way home.

Ice conditions are coming along nicely at Lock Haven. Hidden Amphitheater needs another week to fill in, and the steep tiers higher in Roadside still need to touch down and fill in. Surprisingly, the low angle approach to Roadside is ready and I scrambled up the lower bulges to get the first sticks of the season. With the weather that is on tap for the coming week, I would bet both areas will be ready by next weekend. Video of the low angle approach on Roadside: http://youtu.be/SrG_zSl6x-s.

Hidden Amphitheater still has some open water and needs to fill in.

 The low angle approach to Roadside Gully is in, but the upper tiers need to touch down.    Little Roadside looks good.

Ben Nevin visited Ricketts Glen over the weekend and posted the following photos on his Facebook site. Both he and I are pleasantly surprised on the amount of ice that formed in the short cold snap we experienced this past week.  Ben refrained from tooling around on it for various reasons. While there, another party broke off a large chunk of overhanging ice in the War Bonnet area. Ben explained to them that is a popular ice formation, and it won't completely form if people break it. (let alone the danger).

Ganoga Falls

Dutch Eagle (left) and the War Bonnet (right) areas on the right side of the Ganoga Falls Amphitheater.

Kind of hard to accept that the temps are raising today to a near record high, so this great early season start may take a big hit.