Canada Ice: Day 6 - Dissed

Our last morning, we packed up and headed south. The plan was to take a more southerly route home to avoid the stressful driving conditions we encountered on portions of the Trans - Canada, instead dropping down into Idaho and taking I-90 back to Seattle. The plan was to climb at Gibraltar Wall, a spot conveniently on the way.

The drive was really pretty, as we were able to get a totally different perspective on the southern part of the range. As we drove further south, and the sun came further up in the sky, I began to get concerned over the lack of snow and ice we saw.

The climb required Matt to drive down a logging road for at least 30 klicks. The further we drove, the less and less likely it appeared that we would suddenly come upon a fat waterfall. The guidebook suggested it was a reliable route, though, so it was worth checking out.

I swear we weren't out of the car at the base of where we saw the obvious falls for thirty seconds before some loud booms were heard from up high. Dripping waterfalls were plainly visible on this sun - exposed wall. It probably was a great climb a month ago, but the warm temps as of late had not been kind.







Not to be skunked, we decided to head up a gully to the right which also contained a recommended route. There was no snow on the ground, and so we bushwhacked up a ways on steep terrain. It was dense with brush, reminding me of the Ozarks where my grandmother lived. It was also really warm out. Up high, I saw some whiteness through the brush at the top of the drainage. It appeared to go up and around a corner, so I went up to check it out. Meanwhile, Jordan and Matt were picking up pieces of tat that appeared to be remnants of V-threads past. Only now they were laying in piles of leaves and brush.

Up above the short step, we saw the falls for what they were - a waterfall. There was an impossibly thin free-standing pillar with water cascading down one side of it. At this point, we were victims of our own ambition - most reasonable climbers would not have even left the car.

We rigged a quick rap, which was also foolish and time consuming since we could have just downclimbed, and got down to the car quickly and continued on our way back to the good ol' US of A. I think I was declaring my disdain for this climb in this photo. Either that or burping, I don't remember.









I snoozed in the car for awhile, and woke up just in time for us to partake in this photo. FYI, Jordan is the miner, I'm the wife, and Matt is the baby girl.

We made a smooth passage through the border, and whaddaya know? It's raining in the Pacific Northwest. Aaah, good to be home. We stopped for the final food indulgence of the trip, some good Mexican in Spokane after swinging by Mountain Gear and searching for sales (none were to be had). We got back to Seattle around 10pm, and Matt and Jordan dropped me off at my place (thanks, guys!).

This was by far the best climbing trip I've ever been on, and I'd like to thank Matt and Jordan for having me along. This is a trip they had planned for some time, and were gracious enough to have me along. I had a great time sharing climbs, laughs, and beer with them.

A side note - we got home just in time. Matt's wife, Cindy, was pregnant and due in mid - April, but went into labor the night after we got home. Congratulations to them and Jackson, their newborn son! We got home in the nick of time!