It rained two inches on Saturday and it has been well below freezing since---textbook scenario for a Cannon ice explosion!

Kevin Mahoney and I climbed Omega today (as did Freddie Wilkinson and Janet Bergman) and completed a variation to Freddie Wilkinson and Peter Doucette's super-cool new variation of Omega, "Firing Line". We called our variation "The Line of Fire" as the line we chose split the upper icicles which were shower stalls of slush---did I mention the splitter blue skies and consequent radiation problem? It was cold, but there was too much sun.

Anyway, after climbing Omega and rappelling back to the belay at mid-height, Kevin led the crux section of "Firing Line"---pick torques and upside down steins in a verglas-covered crack. It was desperate! Nice lead Kevin! Nice job Freddie and Peter! The top pitch consisted of run out thin ice which was incredibly exposed but not physically demanding. It was yet another stellar day on Cannon! The direct lines of these routes are the real plums and as of yet remain inviolate; but, we're hoping to put them on the "near future list". No bolts!

She go!

cheers,
will

Key:

Orange: Omega
Green: Firing Line
Purple: The Line of Fire
Red: Mean Streak