Admin’s Trip Reports

2nd "freeze solo" ice climb in 2 days at Pinafore Falls. Climbed up and beyond the 20-foot multi-tier Pinafore Falls (main waterfall in the write-up) to find more large waterfalls upstream. Note that these waterfalls are only accessible via ice climbing, with proper gear and experience, as the bedrock and canyon slopes here are far too slippery and dangerous to attempt to climb during warm months. Beyond Pinafore Falls lies several 5 to 7-foot tall waterfalls, a 13-foot tall waterfall I named Ice Scale Falls, and finally, the last monster waterfall I named Wall Falls (named after the Game of Thrones ice wall). Wall Falls is a 30-foot tall waterfall with a flat tier 2/3 of the way up. Just beyond the flat tier is another 10-foot waterfall, making the entire waterfall about 30-feet tall. Wall Falls is where most ice climbers would stop, unless looking for another vertical challenge. Adjacent to Wall Falls waterfall is a canyon hillside stream that freezes over in the winter, making Wall Falls appear as if it wraps around the entire canyon here, hence the name. Down-climbing back to the rail trail from Wall Falls wasn't easy - this took a lot of upper-body strength as I found footing in the frozen waterfalls with my crampons, then would pick away with my ice axes to find holds, finally slowly lowered myself down these large escarpments of ice after jiggling each ice axe out of their holds. Once back down the 20-foot main waterfall, Pinafore Falls, the ice climbing out felt much easier, as I noted before that these are beginner ice climbs. Beautiful day on the ice, can't believe I climbed that much vertical ice safely with no rope, just my crampons, ice axes, and a helmet "free solo". I say that not to encourage others to do the same, but to preserve my experience here.