A fine Saturday morning.

After a bumpy start with a very cold wet November and a warm and dry December the Utah Ice season is finally off and running.

I spied this at the very bottom of Little Cottonwood Canyon and hadn’t ever remembered it forming. A quick look at Mountain Project yielded no information. I knew that another nearby small flow had been FA’d in a recent winter. Protected by some mixed climbing I thought we might have a shot at doing a new route.

I had a partner lined up for Saturday so Friday afternoon I hiked to the ramps that led to the base of the pillar.  There were no other tracks and on my way out I covered mine. There were still a few hours of daylight left and I didn’t want to get scooped.

6AM is always a tough time to get out of a warm bed. Especially to go hike in the dark and stand in the cold but the sunrise found us at the base of the rock and within a short mixed pitch to the base of the Ice.

Easy but insecure slabs went down fairly easily and I was at the base.

Nate lead the pillar of beautiful yellow ice to the trees that we planned on rappelling from and……. that had slings from a previous ascent.

No new route but a fine adventure on new (to us) ice and a great way to start the day.

The River People

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We strive to ensure that time spent with us is time that you will always look back on fondly. We want to leave you with a memories that bring a smile to your face no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, and no matter how much time has passed. In addition to a deep reservoir of personal experience, our rafting guides are licensed by the state of Utah, have Wilderness First Responder and/or First Aid/CPR certifications, and are insured. Many guides also have swiftwater rescue training. Our climbing and canyoneering guides are AMGA-certified for the terrain in which they operate. Our skiing guides are certified for the terrain, and some are world-renowned for their experience. All of our guides are intimately acquainted with not only the river, rock and snow, but also with the incredible surroundings of the areas we guide.