Yellowstone ice

Park gate is in on the left and thin/mixed on the right

Park gate is in on the left and thin/mixed on the right

Park gate is in on the left and thin/mixed on the right

We went up to The House that Jack Built last Friday.  It was in but with thin.  Super rad pitch and gave a good pump...expect steep WI5ish climbing.  It may have got fattened up over the past 5 days which would ease the grade for sure.  There is no snow in Cooke City...easy 30-40mins to the base of the climb.  Didn't have a look but Hydromonster should also be climbable as it has similar aspect and elevation.  Enjoy!

 I don't know if the climb is formed up. Pray tell if you get down there and know where to scope it from. Snow conditions varied drastically and quickly between abysmal breakable crust on 2' sugar and non existant (mud). This made skiing pretty challenging.  It was raining when we left this morning, maybe that will help settle things out quicker than I think... or just make more mud.

 As of 4/17/10 the section of trail (between intersections) that runs south of Clear Lake is closed, so doing the approach according to the Brunckhorst description would be ill advised, I'm sure with a good map you can devise your own "plan B". We tried to stay along the rim; we didn't make it very far... not very far at all.

Trailhead information and trail markers in YNP are horrible, stupid really, especially in winter. Maybe they do it to keep the yutz's from going out where they don't belong (maybe I'm one) trying to pet the animals and whatnot but please join me in writing to the park service to let them know that some people would like to do more in Yellowstone than use their fancy outhouses and take pictures from their paved trails. link 

Cheers, Olin