Current conditions of Devil’s Lake’s: still frozen over! Each cold snap we get freezes it up, while the warm spells seems to be wearing away at it relatively slowly. After last weekend’s 50 degree weather and upcoming warmer temperatures, we will see how much longer the continues to have a layer of ice.
While the lake continues to be frozen over with a slow thaw, I wouldn’t head out onto the ice to test the structural soundness. Nosiree! BUT, the current conditions for rock climbing are in pretty good shape. Sunny routes are warm and dry. Approaches are relatively good with some spots on and off trail that continue to have some wet/icey spots. I think we will get a pretty dry start to Spring climbing, with the Spring showers rolling in seasonally. The rock is cold in the mornings, but has been relatively warm after some sunshine.
We are looking forward to spending the warm days at Balanced Rock, which offers an easy approach and stays sunny all day. We might see some weeping (water runoff) from the walls since we haven’t had a truly proper thaw AND dry. Nothing a little chalk, a dirty sock, and some fancy movement can’t get past.
If you are headed out for some spring climbing, don’t forget your helmet and to be extra careful. When rock climbing, rock fall can always occur. At Devil’s Lake, we specifically see it after the Winter when lots of freezing and thawing occur. There are always those pesky sticks, pine needles, and leaves left over from the fall too. As always, be careful, have fun! And if you are starting to plan your Spring or Summer, our calendar and packages are now available!
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