McCauley Lake, January 21, 2012

Blue Max Wall, McCauley Lake, January 21, 2012Mortgage Derivatives and V-Tree - very dry, McCauley Lake, January 21, 2012The Wailing, McCauley Lake, January 21, 2012I was at McCauley with a group of 9 folks from the ACC on Saturday.

Very thin conditions at McCauley Lake (probably the worst I’ve ever seen there, even though it’s still early for McCauley).

Approach – lots of beautiful fluffy snow. Surface glop started about halfway across the lake – it was manageable at first, but then turned cement-shoe nasty 2/3 of the way across. We beelined for the opposite shore more quickly than normal – as a result the beaten path in weaves its way rather drunkenly through the trees compared to last year (sorry). 3 people stepped into holes on the beaver pond on the way in (myself included; but only one person soaked their boots – not me).

Northern Cwm – don’t know; ice was visible, but lots of snow
Quickly Out of Trouble – not even close to being in
Gift by Ommission and Lightweight ID – thin 1cm glaze down low, thicker, protectable-looking ice 10-12m up
Valentine Slabs area – mostly snow.
Blue Esther – in, but lean (the ice runs out on the top half).
Grey Alan – not in
Three Stooges - in.
Yellow Fever - no
The Wailing – in, but scrappy in the middle section; upper pillar is still thin, but protectable (albeit with cracks running through the ice at the base). We bailed left 20m along a ledge and topped out on a 7m high slab of ice over there. (I broke off one of the more annoying branches of the bushy top-out above the pillar while rapping down the Wailing).
Bifurcation – out; only one small section of ice was visible
Mortgage Derivatives - nothing
A Dick, 6 Tits, V-Tree - nothing

Blue Max Area – very thin compared to last year. Only for strong mixed climbers at the moment.
Adopt-A-Drip – not in
Blue Max – only about half-way down
TIOLI – lower pillar blob is not really in

Talus Cliff – couldn’t tell

Very disappointing in general.

Danylo