Grabbed a quick ice fix at Roadside Gully on Saturday January 20, 2018. The weather was turning to unseasonably warm temps, and we hit the ice in the morning before things started to deteriorate. I met up with 3 PSU students and we practiced our mantling technique surmounting the steeper bulges on the low angle approach gully. Another party from Gettysburg climbed on up into the Amphitheater. GoPro Video here: Roadside Gully - January 20, 2018.   Pics of Roadside Gully - 1/20/2018 below.

(1/21/2018 Update: Took another trip up the Renovo Road on Sunday, and the warm temps had already deteriorated Roadside's approach gully and sections had opened up to view the running water below. Hidden Amphitheater was still open running water, but the Gemini Gullies looked really good while viewing across the river from Rt 120. The weather forecast for the coming week is dismal, with temps bumping up into the 50's and rain. We will need another extended cold spell to recover from this unseasonable hit.)

Bryan Whipple sent a couple pics of climbable ice conditions at the Montgomery Cliffs. The short steep routes require lots of ground water and really cold temps to bring them in. Unfortunately the weather forecast for the upcoming week will probably wipe this place out until winter returns.

Route 3 in the tight right facing corner just to the right of the Montgomery Curtain. It doesn't look like the curtain has developed this year.

     

 Route 2 and Route 4 both were coming in nicely.

Received an ice conditions report from Tim Gronski in NE PA. He sent some ice condition pics and a write up on Coxton Falls near Duryea. (I believe this location is also known as Campbell Falls WI3 70' in the Ice Climbing Pennsylvania guidebook by Rob Ginieczki.)

Tim writes:  The following attached pictures are from a climb in North East PA near Duryea, (about 10 miles south of Scranton). This is known as the Coxton Waterfall or Coxton Falls. The climb is literally right next to the road and there is typically enough parking for one or two cars. The road is a moderately traveled country road. There are no shoulders on the road and it is two lanes divided by a double solid yellow line. 

Once you park, you can take the small goat trail up to the left to get to the top of the falls. There is some minor "bouldering" moves that you have to do to get there. Once on top, there is a large clearing with a lot of big trees for natural anchors, and you have a great view of the Susquehanna river. I used a tree just at the top of the falls to maximize rope length. 

Three weeks ago, this climb was in the greatest condition it had ever been, and then we had a 60 degree day two weeks ago that really did damage. But with the favorable cold temps this past week, the falls started to take form again, and on 1/18/2018, it was again climbable.

I set up an anchor and rappelled off the top and then did a solo top rope. The ice felt good but it was a little wet because the left side of the falls still had a good amount of water running off, and there is still some running water behind the ice. I'm hoping they will be prime again by the end of January if we stick to these cold temps. Unfortunately, I think they are on the rise again though this weekend. This is a nice single pitch climb for anyone in the Scranton area that wants to get a quick lap in and avoid the drive to Ricketts Glen. I've never run into any other climbers at this particular waterfall, and I have been climbing it for ten years when the weather cooperates. Hope you can add this nice little climb to the site and I’m hoping that we get some good cold weather again to preserve this climb for another month or two.

Son of a bitch!!! I took a ride up Rt. 120 to take a couple of damage report pics of what a assumed would be the dismal remains of our early season ice. I pull up to Roadside Gully, and find the low angle approach holding strong and the steep upper tiers still looking climbable. Only route not touching down was Glass Menagerie on the third tier. A bud of mine was soloing up the low angle stuff and I took a few shots. He did note that the low angle ice seemed hollow and could hear water running under the ice. With the increased flow, the low angle stuff should be fine, but the steeper lines may be a bit delaminated from the rock.

As expected, Hidden Amphitheater was completely wiped out with Green Run now an open roaring waterfall. But, since Roadside and the Gemini Gullies are spring fed, they survived the monsoon last Friday, and will continue to grow in the seasonal cold temps.

Still kicking myself for not throwing the ice gear the car... 

Conditions are stellar at Ricketts Glen. We visited on Saturday January 6th. We pretty much had the place to our selves with only one other group climbing that day. 

Ganoga Falls is completely in with at least three different lines that are leadable to the top. GoPro video of climbing: Ganoga Falls - January 6, 2018.

Right of Ganoga Falls, Dutch Eagle has touched down and offers a steep grade 4 pillar.

War Bonnet would take a hit if someone hacked their way up the pillar, but Cradelboard is in and leadable.

 
Climbing shots on Ganoga Falls and Dutch Eagle:

Have at it folks! These early season cold temps have Roadside Gully in better condition than we have seen in the past 3 years. The low angle approach is filled in and lead-able. (GoPro footage on the lower grade 2 approach: Roadside Gully - 12/30/2017) In the upper amphitheater, both the first steep bulge and the second tier look to go. The third steep tier is not yet ready, and Glass Menagerie has a ways to touch down.  The low water flow, while hurting other climbing areas, is why the low angle approach is now climbable this early in the season. I would think Hidden Amphitheater and the Gemini's both will also allow passage. Time to climb!

Cold weather is coming! Lets hope for favorable conditions this year.

Feel free to check our Ice Condition Archive Pages located along the right sidebar to see what we can expect if the weather cooperates. Please use this site and www.NEIce.com to assist you in determining where to climb.

HELP WANTED! Please help keep this site up to date. Use the conditions form listed on the "Submit" tab above, or email your Pennsylvania Ice Climbing trip reports and photos to dave@hikebikeclimb.net and I will post them to this site.