Another long snow slope led to the base of the infamous Pencil pitch. The Pencil is a 150' freestanding icicle, which usually rests on a huge fluted mushroom base that, amazingly enough, resembles nothing more than a huge white avocado. It has been climbed many times and even has been soloed.

Unfortunately for our ascent the Pencil was gone, leaving only a sheared-off stub at the top and the mushroom at the base. I climbed up the right side of the mushroom on very featured easy ice to a fixed anchor on the wall on its right. Here's Dave standing on top of the mushroom. while it looks like no big deal, what you don't see is that there is nothing on three sides of him. A fall off the mushroom would not be nice!