East Vail Falls (1)

Statistics

• Date - 12/28/2012
• Elevation - 8,800'
• Miles - 0.6
• Elevation Gain - 300'
• ACME Mapper - Link
• CalTopo - Link
• Partners - Jeff Shafer

Description

Jeff and I hadn't been out in a while and both of us had the day free to head to the mountains.  Each ice season I try to check out an area or two that I have not previously visited and are within my climbing abilities.  Unfortunately, those areas are diminishing as my skills remain stable and new ice at this level is not being discovered.  Anyway, this year I went to Stevens Gulch Ice, Booth Creek Falls, and on this particular day Jeff and I checked out East Vail Falls.  Despite viewing this ice from I-70 on numerous occasions, neither of us had actually climbed here.

We left Highlands Ranch, Colorado, at 6:00, and the drive to Vail, Colorado, was slightly delayed to due avalanche control at the Loveland Ski Resort.  East Vail Falls is located between Firehouse Falls and the Spiral Staircase.  We made quick work of the short approach to East Vail Falls and had a good morning of ice climbing.  We each led the pitch a couple of times on the easiest line we could find and then top-roped several harder lines to get some laps in.  I think both of us thought we would definitely return to the area as it seemed just as fun as Spiral Staircase, Firehouse Falls, and the Pumphouse Falls.

Photos

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