OK, so I know you're wondering where and what this Johnny Cash Falls is. It's in the Nenana river canyon, downriver from Bison Gulch, between Healy and the high bridge over the Nenana. While not technically difficult (easy WI3) it is appealing because it's almost a full pitch, unlike nearby Dragonfly and Fox, which are half a pitch at best. We estimated its height at 45-50 meters. Since it's on the opposite side of the Nenana from the road, access in the early and late season might be sketchy.
Nate Pamperin discovered the falls on Saturday after pulling into a gravel pullout that overlooks the falls. Sean Bemis, Nate Pamperin and myself (Ryan Shackleton) went back on Sunday (February 10, 2002) and climbed it. Since none of the ice climbers we know in Fairbanks have ever heard of this climb, we decided to name it. The two routes were informally named "Sunday Morning Coming Down" and "Folsom Prison" after Johnny Cash songs. "Sunday Morning Coming Down" is on the left (see below) and was so named because our climb was undertaken early on a Sunday morning. "Folsom Prison" is on the right and was named because the Alaska Railroad is directly across from the falls: "I hear that train a comin, it's rollin round the bend,..." In fact, an Alaska Railroad train full of people rolled by as we were climbing.
Please e-mail Ryan if you have any information about this ice fall. We'd like to know if anyone else has climbed it, if it forms up every year like this, and if it has another name! Enjoy the pictures.
