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Cody Ice Fest continues despite avalanche concerns, wild weather

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A climber looks for the best route up a rock face in Shoshone Canyon on Saturday during the 16th Annual Cody Ice Climbing Festival in Cody, Wyo.

Climbing frozen waterfalls requires not just physical prowess, but also endurance, versatility and creativity. It was exactly those traits that climbers exhibited during this weekend's Cody Ice Climbing Festival, which persevered despite extreme avalanche dangers and every imaginable kind of weather. Recent heavy snows across northwestern Wyoming have made ice climbing more difficult and risky, prompting festival organizers to move planned climbing clinics to alternate locations, and causing even some experienced climbers to abandon planned backcountry trips. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Gateway Towns, avalanche, ice climbing, recreation, south fork ice, south fork valley

Cody Ice Festival celebrates 15 years of climbing frozen waterfalls

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Aaron Mulkey climbs a frozen waterfall called Hells Angel on the Upper South Fork of the Shoshone River, about 45 miles southwest of Cody. (File photo by Joel Anderson - click to enlarge)

This weekend, the Cody Ice Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary, and more than 300 people are expected to attend events Feb. 15-18. With help from other local climbers and a growing list of sponsors and partners, local mountaineer Don Foote has organized the event each February to promote the unique collection of frozen waterfalls in the Shoshone National Forest near Cody. Fed by springs, streams and melting snow, the waterfalls freeze over the course of the long, cold winters along the South Fork of the Shoshone River, creating an ever-changing playground for climbers who seek adventure and variety. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Gateway Towns, cody ice festival, don foote, ice climbing, south fork ice