Timing/season for Smith trip in spring

[jcm]

TL;DR: If you were to choose one week in the spring to go to Smith, to optimize chances of good weather for performance sport climbing, what week would you choose?

It now looks like I will have some space in my schedule during my spring (March/April) performance phase for a week (maybe two) in Smith. Embarrassingly, I’ve never been to Smith, despite having lived in Seattle for a year and a half now. I need to rectify this situation. I know that March/April is the season there, but would like to refine this picture a bit. What does the spring Smith season usually look like? When is the earliest that weather is somewhat reliable? Is early March good, or still questionable? Late March? When in April does it start getting too hot? I am generally heat-averse, so I’m looking for chilly conditions, but would also like to avoid getting snowed on.

Having never been, I do not have specific objectives there yet, so I’m fine with choosing projects based on sun/shade needs one I get there. Open to route suggestions also. Will mostly by trying to tour/onsight, but may try to pick one RP project (13a-13b?). Any ideas? My major objective of this trip will be to learn a bit about how to climb at Smith, and set myself up for future time there.

[James_E]

Will you be camping there? I have taken a couple early March trips down there and the climbing is perfect but the camping can be pretty miserable. Late March or early April is a great time to be there. It's east of the mountains so the weather is generally reliable starting in February/March. Try to look up when spring break is for various colleges in the NW and avoid the park during that week (or two) if possible.

[MarkAnderson]

Since this is your first time, you will want to climb the classics, and those pretty much all face South or Southeast. So you want cold or overcast conditions. In my experience April is significantly warmer/sunny-er than March, so I would rule that right out. March is unpredictable, like it is everywhere, but I've had great trips in March in every condition from snowing every day to 70's every day. I would shoot for the middle of March and pray for Hi's in the 50s and mostly cloudy.

For a project, Darkness at Noon. Churning in the Wake is more popular and also very good, but it's more popular. You will likely have Darkness more or less to yourself, plus it's way more classic.

[James_E]

Dec 23, 2015 10:14:23 GMT -7 MarkAnderson said:

You will likely have Darkness more or less to yourself, plus it's way more classic.

I agree, Darkness is much better. Plus it gets shade for a good portion of the day so you'll have perfect temps while the spring breakers are greasing off of Chain Reaction a few feet away.

[erick]

Darkness is going to be my project next time I visit and it has a lot of time in the shade! Churning gets lots of sun and is really only in prime conditions early in the day or late in the evening. It is super fun but I feel like Darkness is more typical of Smith, dead vertical and long. Make sure you get on heinous cling as well and if your bold take the whip from the chains! 

Also I have woken up at the camp with 6 inches of snow but was climbing in a short sleeve shirt that afternoon. So my vote is for March for sure.