Last saturday two impromptu/informal groups of Mountaineers ice climbers headed to Icicle Creek to search out some ice. We had seen a trip report from the previous weekend reporting a WI 2 climb and with the continued very cold weather we all hoped we would find more. 
The two groups met at a P&R then headed over and went seperate ways during the day and planned to meet for dinner at the end of the day. One group which included Peter Heinz, Andrew Coutant, Anita Cech, and Glen Glover headed for the reported WI 2 and the other group which included myself, Tom Ryan, Andy Gill, and Barbara Dekesyer headed up to Hubba Hubba. On arrival to Hubba Hubba's base we confirmed what we had thought but hoped wasn't true.... the ice was to thin to lead. So we headed back down to the road and hike up to the Mountaineers Creek practice area... which turned out to be bone dry, not a single piece of ice... so we continued hiking up the Mountaineers Creek road until we got to the Eight Mile Creek trailhead and then followed the trail for about about a mile till we spyed some ice about 300-400 feet above the trial on the right in a gulley/recess in a cliff band. Off trail we went up the said ice which turned out to be a entertaining small climbing area about 30-40 feet tall with 2-3 lines at about WI 3+ - WI 4+. We lead and top rope lapped like mad until dark and the headed out as the heavy snows began. Needless to say we got back to the car fairly late and the other group was long gone.
Follow the map link to see the approximate location of the ice…. http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=47.53916&lon=-120.82239&datum=nad27&layer=DRG
Trudging up Mountaineers Creek Road in search of ice
Tom and Jeff gaze at the Mountaineers ice area and see no ice at all
Tom, Andy and Jeff pause before forging up the Eight Mile Creek trail
Oh my god! We found some ice!
These photos are taken to close up to get a true sense of the area.
It’s about 30-40 feet tall. WI 3+ - WI 4+
