Ice Conditions 11-30-14

November 30, 2014December 1, 2014 Bill

With colder temperatures returning to Upper Michigan we went out looking to see what damage the rain and warm weather did to our early season ice.

While it is hard to see this ice come down, by mid season these climbs sure will have interesting bases. All waterfalls are still flowing pretty good and won’t be climbable for a while.

From Prelude Curtain to the Curtains proper there are three climbable climbs. All climbs are thin at the bottom and the top outs are super sketchy as the turf is still not frozen.

Check back next week as we will try to post more information on different climbs with hopefully some fat conditions!

Ice Conditions 3-2-14

March 2, 2014 Bill

Well the photo says it all….-28 degrees this morning almost had me heading back to Marquette and a warm bed! Fortunately the plan was to ski to Trout Bay on Grand Island which was almost guaranteed to keep us warm! With the morning sun cresting over the ridge we made good time skiing from the Grand Island Public Launch to the West Shore of Trout Bay in 1.5 hours.

The lake ice is super solid and it looks like all climbs are still accessible from the lake ice via skis or snowmobile. As you can imagine, there is more ice formations on both the east side and on the west side this year due to our amazing cold temperatures.

Based on what we saw today, it looks like March will be the perfect time to come up and climb Grand Island in warmer temperatures-its got to be coming soon right? Keep checking back as we will have weekly updates on how long of a season we will have this year!

Ice Conditions Report 12-8-13

December 9, 2013 Bill

Every year I look forward to the beginning of ice season. An alpine start offers a quite drive from Marquette to Munising with virtually no one on the road, and a cloud free sky means terrific star gazing along the shore of Lake Superior. This morning was COLD providing perfect conditions for makin’ ice! With bitter temperatures predicted for the next week it really looks like we might just have a banner year for ice.

With a relatively light snow pack Miners Castle Road is still passable enabling climbers to access the Miners Beach climbs. Most true waterfalls are still not climbable but that should change shortly. Seeps are coming in, and with the wet fall and recent rain storm they are growing everyday!

11279648014_e4bcd1f32c_z — Potato Patch Falls

11279691094_3f74b29cde_z — Memorial Falls

It was a great day on the ice today as we spent most of the day at the Grotto! Start sharpening your tools and start making plans to come on up and get some early season ice! Rember to check back here for ice conditions or call the store at 906-226-7112. The classics should be coming in soon!