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[TR] The Blues: Adventures with Yeti and Prairie Dog - Zig Zag A Roof 7/3/2009


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Trip: The Blues: Adventures with Yeti and Prairie Dog - Zig Zag A Roof

 

Date: 7/3/2009

 

Trip Report:

I'd been reading about Oregon's most accessible granite for several years now in a guide book that I've had for quite a while now, and it was just going to be a matter of time before the idea to make a pilgrimage across the state to investigate this little-climbed area became so over-powering that I had to go. Con-vincing Dan (aka Prairie Dog) to sign on for this rediculous quest wasn't hard since he is desparate for rock - considering that he is locked up in his gym nearly 95% of the time :P

 

Originally, our goal was to climb all three of the routes on these, the unknown Oregon granite slabs (oh how I love slabs :)) but snow blocked our approach to two of them (Angel Peak and Lees Peak) and we were not prepared :tdown: for a snow approach, so with regret, we resigned the plan to another day and went forward with the plan to climb the most accessible of the routes, which lies on Gunsight Dome:

 

The objective from camp

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The forgotten lines: Angel Peak on the right and Lees Peak on the left - you can just make out the slabs in this pic

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There was even snow at the base of the route we could get to - damn, I knew I shoulda brought my axe and boots but instead I was stuck with my approach shoes that got soaked anyway

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As we studied the guide for beta we discovered that the route was much easier than either of us realized. The guide described three pitches, but we scrambled the first pitch before Prairie Dog suggested we rope up for the runout second pitch on a diagonally situated seam that had no/little pro. I placed what I could for Dan on the follow before coming to the intersecting crack and a bent-over pin that I reluctantly tied off.

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Yeah, that boulder is just sitting there on the slab as Dan gets ready to traverse below it - it was scary looking up at it and even worse when you got above it and looked down :sick:

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Above the pin I was able to find a suitable spot for an anchor...

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And above the anchor I was thrilled to discover that there was route booty (look closly in the shadow), an old .5 U-stem camalot. It came out easily and I was shocked when I put in passive gear in three spots right around it. Lazy climber who lost it obviously didn't take the time to set a hex or a tricam (I had both and they were more bomber than the cam - I was jumping on them!) or they wouldn't have lost it in the first place. Oh well...

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...it's still in reasonably servicable condition so it will take its place as a bail piece on my rack :grin:

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The last pitch to the top was interesting but I forgot to give Dan the camera when I took off so unfortunately there were no pics of this part :( but we did top out and after a celebratory Bridgeport IPA...100_3494.JPG

...we admired the view of the lake from the top of the dome.

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It was a disappointing trip since we only got to do one of the routes that we wanted to do, but a disappointing trip climbing is better than any day in the office!

 

Gear Notes:

We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers; and also a quart of tequilla, a quart of rum, a case of Rainier, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls.

 

Approach Notes:

A mile or more, or maybe less... I really didn't keep track of the trail time or mileage - it was irrelevant once we could see the route. There's snow in late june and early july - DUH!

Edited by LostCamKenny
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Nice TR! Yell yes, something other than smith, beacon, or hood! Please put it in the Oregon forum to spice that area up a bit. Please note that Lee'S Peak Slab usually has snow at the top until late in the summer. Make a trip out in late August to climb it, make sure to sample the excellent, but mostly laughable overbolted, routes at Spring Mountain too. Make some time to pop over to High Valley and lead Do or Fly in the early morning or evening (badass but way to short!), but watch out for rattlers (seriously).

 

However:

 

No fu**ing-a No! The lame ass Falcon Guide book is a piece of shit and is totally inaccurate and sucks balls! Those jesus freaks suck pole and can't even read a regular USGS 7.5 minute quad. They also made up the names for the routes themselves that were put up long before they were born!

 

see my post here, which has been added below for your historically correct pleasure.

http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/432314/a-date-with-an-angel.html

 

 

Clarificaiton from the lame ass guide on the Lees Peak route (not the route you climbed):

 

Everyone that bought the lame ass falcon book has been an unwitting victim of poor documentation by lazy guide book authors. Lee's Peak peak is on the left (east side) and angel peak is on the right (west side). Two anyone interested in this Peak and route, the USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle accurately depicts the Peak names. A little information that Bolf and Reuf neglected to determine is that the name of the route is not "free ride to heaven". As far a I can surmize they made this name up themselves. This route is known locally by several names such as Lee's Peak slab, Lee's Peak coulier, Lee's Peak ramp etc. The first routes to the left of the ramp were put up by Dave Jensen in the early 1970s, it is uknown who first climbed the ramp, Dave suspects others climbed it before him. There are several lines on the prominent buttress to the left of the Coulior, but they have fallen into obscurity.

Edited by shapp
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No fu**ing-a No! The lame ass Falcon Guide book is a piece of shit and is totally inaccurate and sucks balls!

 

Clarificaiton from the lame ass guide on the Lees Peak route (not the route you climbed):

 

Everyone that bought the lame ass falcon book has been an unwitting victim of poor documentation by lazy guide book authors.

 

The first routes to the left of the ramp were put up by Dave Jensen in the early 1970s, it is uknown who first climbed the ramp, Dave suspects others climbed it before him. There are several lines on the prominent buttress to the left of the Coulior, but they have fallen into obscurity.

 

Yup... that guide led us way off course the second day out climbing and we didn't find the lower and upper parker creek walls until late in the day when we were tired from hiking and searching all day. They fail to mention that you need to hike over some low angle slabs before you can access the trail up the gully. We hiked about a mile and a half out of the way and around in circles looking for it and when we came out further around by the sw end of Hoffer Lakes we finally saw it - since it wasn't blocked by the slabs. :tdown: I'm still going back to get lee's and angel sometime.

 

Jensen climbed the slabs out there? Did not know that...

 

As far as being an unwitting victim to the guide book BS, I lucked out. It was a birthday present in 2005, so I never paid anything for it :grin: And I broke up with the broad that gave it to me :laf: Makes my day to know this now!

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In the Elkhorn Mountains adjacent to Anthony Lakes ski area, of note is that one can routinely observe teenagers skiing Lees Peak Coulier on any given saturday during the winter (hiking over from the ski area).

Edited by shapp
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