Sargent_Rock

Rat, I've been in the area for sometime, and feel like I know the climbing scene somewhat. I don't know of any "developed" climbing areas in Aeneas Valley. Certainly there is tons of rock in Aeneas but most of it appears to offer poor climbing or is on private land. Very possible that quiet climbers have been working on secret crags that I don't know about. Where did you hear the "rumor?"

Bouldering in the Okanogan

Have you heard of Snow Peak near Republic? Here's a link: http://www.recreation.gov/recAreaDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&facilityId=394669&agencyCode=131

Great trip report. Awesome job, youths!!

Cool! Love that place. Looked like fun times in a beautiful place.

I "discovered" Spire Rock while working in Tacoma summer 07. A fall from near the top sent an unfortunate young climber into the ER where I was employed. What a wonderful urban climbing area! A great idea that was well executed, producing fun, enjoyable, and demanding routes. Here's to the designers and builders who gave future climbers such a priceless gift.

Great pictures and wonderful post. I love that place too, what a truly splendid place to climb. Happy to hear you had such a productive and fun outing!

Way to go, man! Good job. Believe it or not, I can still remember my first 5.7 lead. I can remember the pro (1 1/2 inch angle) and the beautiful afternoon light on the rock. In this sport it doesn't matter what "hard men" think. It's about you reaching your goals and the effort you put in. Sweet, dude! I know how you feel.

Thanks Kevino. If you have time would you PM me with instructions on how to post pics. Cheers.

Sorry. Still can't figure how to insert pictures directly onto the Forum thread.

Please excuse the tardy reply, but I've been in Wyoming for the last two weeks, far away from a computer. The following two pictures really don't capture the extent of the disaster.

Once again I feel compelled to share some bad news from the Okanogan. McLaughlin canyon was hit by the front of the Tunk Grade fire. Fanned by high winds as it raced across super heated, dry sage brush, the temperatures most have been enormous when the flames reach the mouth of the canyon. Here the effect must have been similar to a blow torch: 100% fatality occurred to those beautiful woods that covered the canyon bottom. Indeed, no needles remain, in fact the trees and bushes high on the ledges were incinerated. The Wall of Cracks and the Circuit fared a little better. Areas that had seen some controlled burning in past years allowed a few trees to withstand the horrific flame front. The service berries, sage and other brush/bushes are ashes on the blacken ground. On a positive note the rocks, especially the boulders, appear unaffected by the inferno. I might add that the ticks, poison ivy, and rattlesnakes seemed to have been nuked into extinction. The grasses will be back next spring. In a few years the service berries will bloom again. It is sad to accept that we have lost the trees, especially the beautiful woods on the canyon bottom, for a few lifetimes. Such is the nature of the earth’s cycles.

I tried to post the photos right on the forum page (following the instructions in FAQ) and just the web page address shows. What did I do wrong? I fixed them for you, go have a look. You used the URL of the page, instead of the image URL, which ends in ".jpg" And while I'm here: !!

I thought I'd add some pics to help you recognize the evil plant. By the way, I don't think that poison oak grows in Washington, only posion ivy. And I don't believe it grows as high as Liberty Bell (never seen it there).

To try and answer Mattp’s question about Guidebooks: Rick Hanks did in fact write a guidebook to the area. For sure he wanted to use it as a vehicle to show people what he had done (the I’m so “rad” motivation). But I believe that he was equally inspired by more traditional reasons, the same reasons that motivated early cragsman to keep journals at the huts in the pioneering days of the Lake District. The “original” Omak climbers had adopted a no guidebook approach for various reasons. This was neither a new idea or that unique. The early climbers of Icicle Canyon, Leavenworth wanted to keep the area bookless. Some of the first ascenders of the Domelands wanted the area to stay “wild” and “undocumented.” In fact many of the early English climbers argued that there should be no published pictures of the crags because it would inspire non-climbers to go where only climbers should. Rick’s guidebook did not irritate the landowners, or the Native Americans per se (his book never was commercially published). It did add fuel to the fire of animosity between Rick and the old guard. And it was this conflict in general that sucked the landowners and Native Americans politically and personally into the controversy.