David Yount

John Ramuta has provided me personally with nearly 30 resoles. He's so good he got 5 resoles for me on a pair of slip lasted 2 strap velcro shoes (5.10 UFO). He's so good he got me 9 resoles on a pair of board lasted tie-ups (Boreal Aces). He now lives in Montana, Vertical World Seattle ships your shoes for free as a group shipment, you can ship them directly if you prefer. I've seen resole jobs from shoe cobblers from around the country, some resoles look as good as Ramuta's and none look better. He grew up a local boy, learned climbing in the Cascades, learned to be a cobbler from his father at the family store that was at 509 Stewart in downtown Seattle. Ramuta's work is straight, clean, professional and never delaminates. I've tried most of the cobblers mentioned in this thread and I've tried several more. Over the years Ramuta's work has been consistently the best.

tvashtarkatena and I were having a conversation about that very topic; it's usually more productive to get out and do some trail maintenance rather than point out that various government agencies aren't doing as much as you want them to. I find that the pruning I do in Arizona and Utah seems to last much longer than in western Washington. I'll return to a climb several years later in the SW and the approach trail is wide open and I can see those cuts I made several years prior. At Static Point it's become an annual event to keep the road clear of branches and encroaching bushes. The steep trail at the end of the road doesn't need much help, it's located in old growth trees with very little understory.

10.20.12 Static Point – Trail Work Party – TRIP REPORT What a great day! The last several miles of dirt road approaching Olney Pass, there are several logging sites right along the road. Back in the early 80’s playing paintball along Sultan Basin Road I remember some logging in the area but these current operations surprised me. Some sites seemed finished and several sites are still actively logging. Sharp at 10:00am I met James (sorry I called you "Frank"), Pat and Colleen at the parking pullout. We loaded packs and began our hike up the road. The road was my interest, I already knew the trail would not need the work of a trail crew. My plan was to hike the spur road to where the steep hiking trail departs the road. That way, we’d have a clear idea of the total package. We could do our trail work as we returned down the road. Just 5 minutes from the cars I realized with a shock that I had brought the wrong pair of boots. These boots featured a vibram sole that was 1/2 delaminated on the left boot. Just 20 minutes later the sole fully separated and Colleen picked it up and handed it to me. About an hour after leaving the cars, as we reached the very wide creek crossing just 100 feet before the steep hiking trail, both Frank and Pat couldn’t believe how much the road had changed thru the many years. Since the spur road was fully decommissioned in 2009 it has quickly vegetated and closed in. Although there were only 5 or 6 downed alders crossing the road, there was plenty of other work to attend to. I fired up the chainsaw and put to rest 100’s and 100’s of various trees that had rooted at the edges of the road and whose branches were touching in the middle. Frank, Colleen and Pat tossed my cuttings off the road, they made further cuts with bypass loppers and they uprooted countless smaller trees by directly pulling with their hands. I wish we had some photos to share but honestly the work was endless and at times I may have smiled as trees were flying overhead and a particular song ran thru my mind, Our merry band of foul weathered friends continued this dance for an hour, and then another hour and another. The only stop I noticed is when I needed to refill the gas in the saw. I went thru 10 tanks of gas that day, nearly a full gallon of gas. Bringing 3 pairs of work gloves was a very wise plan; just as my hands were getting fully wet and beginning to get cold, a new pair! With slight drizzle of rain, and much hail and graupel, rare sunbreaks and temps never as high as 50F, we worked for 6 hours with never a break for lunch or conversation. I could tell somebody else had been out there with a saw and made many many cuts, several feet off the ground. I was able to quickly finish their work and cut these down to the ground. When I get into a rhythm, I get into a flow, and I don’t feel like doing anything else but keep on keeepin on and so I did. The time flew. The little trees fell. The weather was absolutely wild! We were just several hundred feet below snowline and it was gorgeous to look up on the forested slopes and see the white snow from the prior night. At 4:30pm the crew was glowing from the accomplishment and thought it reasonable to head back to town. I continued solo another 90 minutes until the fading light reeled in my aspirations. It was during this final chapter that my left boot fully exploded and I was walking on my sock. I returned to the car at 6pm and fully changed clothes in fading light on the forest floor. For the Spring Trail Work it would be fabulous to have 1 to 3 gas powered brush cutters. That would be the ideal tool to have in hand. And there are still 3 large alders crossing the road that I didn’t have the comfort to cut near darkness because my 30-inch bowsaw was safely returned to my car, and so if I goobered and got my chainsaw pinched in the trees I wouldn’t be able to free it. It was wild just last week meeting up with Jim Donini with the American Alpine Club and Jeff Young on the Conservation Team with the Access Fund to do trail work and other projects at Indian Creek in the hot sunshine in Utah!! Too bad the weather was just about as challenging as it could be; thanks a million for showing up and working so hard!! And a special shout out to Colleen who has only began climbing very recently but agreed to help with trail maintenance at a climbing area she had never heard of!

Tomorrow, Saturday’s trailwork at Static Point will be an historical event. It will be the 4th Work Party I’ve led at Static Point and only the first time I’ll have help. Thanks for all the replies via PM to my individual invites; I look forward to meeting the several hardy soles that intend to participate. Well, let me correct myself. One of my Trail Work Parties I did get somebody to show up. I operated a chainsaw for 8 tanks of gas and Don Brooks hefted and tossed all my cuttings off the road. Don’s presence was unannounced and frankly a complete surprise, but together we accomplished a great deal. If anybody has an Easy-Up that would be so great, to stand underneath while getting suited up and preparing; please bring it! Without intending to be pedantic or Papa Smurf I do want to share what I’ll bring in case my personal experiences with trail work experiences in Fall in anyway help others. First, a big beach towel and a complete change of clothes including shoes and rain jacket and hat. Sure, my car has a solid heater, but it’s makes me insta-happy to have dry clean cotton clothes after working in the damp. I stuff all my work clothes into a garbage bag at the car. Second, a thermos of coffee or tea or soup. Best is to carry a 1 thermos with coffee with me, and have a second thermos with soup in the car. Since the weather forecast has precipitation and cool temperatures I’ll begin my day with long johns which I’ll likely remove as I begin to get into the work. Pants with no cotton will greatly increase your comfort!!! I’ll also begin with a wool sweater and my rubber Helly Hansen jacket, but remove the rubber jacket as my body temp picks up. An Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero or a typical construction site hardhat both work well to keep the head dry and provide a brim to keep the face dry too. Otherwise, a baseball hat (beneath a wool hat) helps to keep the face dry. I’m bringing 3 pairs of work gloves, to help keep my hands and fingers dry and warm and nimble. I have a huge backpack that can carry plenty of extra clothes, gear and tools. The flavor of this work will be walk-and-prune. There won’t be many instances where we’ll be working at one area for more than 5 minutes. I expect we’ll be back at the cars 3 to 4 hours after we leave the cars. If you need to leave earlier that’s totally fine, just show up and give us what you can. The driving likely takes longer than you imagine, please start early!

The Work Party is shaping up - Saturday October 20, meet at 10am at the parking pullout at the beginning of the closed spur road. Bring your chainsaws, extra gas and 2-cycle oil, bar oil, safety glasses, eaf muffs or earplugs, work gloves, bypass loppers and a pack to carry your gear and food and water.

Static Point - Trail Work – Saturday 10/20/2012 -10:00AM ________________________________________ Static Point is a robust climbing area that has a longer climbing season and better climate than many western Washington crags and it’s closer than Index (as the crow flies). With 800-feet of clean rock, most routes are 6-pitches tall, including the celebrated route Online 5.10B 6 pitches. You can climb all year long at Static Point (although the approach will likely involve some snow December to early February); several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries quickly. A sunny day in winter the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. This awesome crag sits in a near-wilderness environment and needs some trail rehabilitation. Washington Department of Natural Resources and Snohomish PUD know about this overgrown trail issue and they were pretty amenable to our going up there and cutting Alder trees from the abandoned spur road so as to maintain a walkable path. I will be headed out with a chainsaw, 1-gallon gas, 1-quart bar oil, a 30-inch bowsaw and bypass loppers. Another couple chainsaws are helpful and we also need people to toss logs off the road and uproot small sprouting trees. Bypass loppers and hand pruners, also necessary. A couple pickaxes, couple shovels and especially a McLeod would all be useful to help re-establish some eroding trail tread. I’ve developed a backpack that can carry all my gear including extra clothes, food and water. But I also know that everything can go into a standard backpack and the saw can be carried by clipping the handle to a padded shoulder sling. By that 3rd weekend in October I'm sure there won't be an elevated fire danger with a ban on gasoline powered engines on PUD property. Dave Yount. Driving Directions East on US-2, thru Monroe and on to the town of Sultan. On the east end of Sultan, take a Left on Sultan Basin Road. About 11 miles after leaving US-2 the pavement ends, the road gets a bit steeper. At 13 miles from the highway you reach the registration station (and toilets) at Olney Pass near Spada Resevoir. A little further, drive through the Yellow Gate on the right. On the South Shore Road (road Nf-6129 around the reservoir) in about 3 miles, probably a little less, cross a bridge (over the inlet to Spada Resevoir) and the parking will be on the left side of road. The abandoned spur road begins on the right side of the road, several large boulders block this spur road from vehicles. We’ll meet here at 10:00am Static Point - parking and hiking map As of September 2012 the Gate on the South Shore Road at Spada Resevoir can be determined to be Open or Closed by checking online, or making a phone call http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500 425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian 425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman

In general climbing is good from March to early November, but never on sunny summer days at Static Point. September, 2012 Before you drive out to climb at Static Point it's easily worthwhile to place a phone call to ask if the South Shore Gate is open at Spada Resevoir. The gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from May 1 to October 31, except for 1) roadwork, or 2) dangerous conditions. And in my experience it's not rare for them to decide there exist dangerous conditions, and they have roadwork to perform every year during Spring to Fall. The Snohomish PUD contols the gate and their website will give the gate's status. But the actual page with the gate's status is buried in several layers of choices and the navigation is not intuitive nor descriptive. But here's the URL as of September 2012: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500 425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian (or her subsequent replacement) 425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman If you don't reach either of them you can call the main number and seek other suggestions from the operator 425.783.1744, or 877.783.1000 option 0 to speak to an operator at Snohomish PUD and ask them about the current status of the South Shore Gate at Spada Resevoir. Ask the operator for the direct phone number and the full name of the person they will connect you with, for your records. If the gate is closed, you can still climb at Static Point, just add 3 miles of casual downhill mtn biking or hiking. Sometimes you must park at the registration station at Olney Pass if the right gate, South Shore Road, is closed. The right gate is the South Shore Road, take this. The three miles (on road Nf-6129 around the reservoir / lake) to the decommissioned spur road is gently and consistently downhill (fast and easy on a mtn bike). When you arrive at a large bridge (crossing the inlet to Spada Resevoir), the spur road is just past on the right and is blocked by several boulders and a large snag placed crosswise. Park here. You used to be able to drive part of this spur road, but now you park in a pullout on the South Shore Road. You can climb all year long at Static Point. Several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries relatively quickly. In the winter when it's a sunny day the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. If the South Shore Gate is not opened and if there isn't snow at the 2000-foot Olney Pass, then a casual 3 mile downhill mtn bike ride accesses the old spur road (this spur road can be biked for a few minutes but quickly turns into hiking only because of 21 deep gorges cut into the road).

In general climbing is good from March to early November, but never on sunny summer days at Static Point. September, 2012 Before you drive out to climb at Static Point it's easily worthwhile to place a phone call to ask if the South Shore Gate is open at Spada Resevoir. The gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from May 1 to October 31, except for 1) roadwork, or 2) dangerous conditions. And in my experience it's not rare for them to decide there exist dangerous conditions, and they have roadwork to perform every year during Spring to Fall. The Snohomish PUD contols the gate and their website will give the gate's status. But the actual page with the gate's status is buried in several layers of choices and the navigation is not intuitive nor descriptive. But here's the URL as of September 2012: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500 425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian (or her subsequent replacement) 425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman If you don't reach either of them you can call the main number and seek other suggestions from the operator 425.783.1744, or 877.783.1000 option 0 to speak to an operator at Snohomish PUD and ask them about the current status of the South Shore Gate at Spada Resevoir. Ask the operator for the direct phone number and the full name of the person they will connect you with, for your records. If the gate is closed, you can still climb at Static Point, just add 3 miles of casual downhill mtn biking or hiking. Sometimes you must park at the registration station at Olney Pass if the right gate, South Shore Road, is closed. The right gate is the South Shore Road, take this. The three miles (on road Nf-6129 around the reservoir / lake) to the decommissioned spur road is gently and consistently downhill (fast and easy on a mtn bike). When you arrive at a large bridge (crossing the inlet to Spada Resevoir), the spur road is just past on the right and is blocked by several boulders and a large snag placed crosswise. Park here. You used to be able to drive part of this spur road, but now you park in a pullout on the South Shore Road. You can climb all year long at Static Point. Several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries relatively quickly. In the winter when it's a sunny day the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. If the South Shore Gate is not opened and if there isn't snow at the 2000-foot Olney Pass, then a casual 3 mile downhill mtn bike ride accesses the old spur road (this spur road can be biked for a few minutes but quickly turns into hiking only because of 21 deep gorges cut into the road).

In general climbing is good from March to early November, but never on sunny summer days at Static Point. September, 2012 Before you drive out to climb at Static Point it's easily worthwhile to place a phone call to ask if the South Shore Gate is open at Spada Resevoir. The gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from May 1 to October 31, except for 1) roadwork, or 2) dangerous conditions. And in my experience it's not rare for them to decide there exist dangerous conditions, and they have roadwork to perform every year during Spring to Fall. The Snohomish PUD contols the gate and their website will give the gate's status. But the actual page with the gate's status is buried in several layers of choices and the navigation is not intuitive nor descriptive. But here's the URL as of September 2012: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500 425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian (or her subsequent replacement) 425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman If you don't reach either of them you can call the main number and seek other suggestions from the operator 425.783.1744, or 877.783.1000 option 0 to speak to an operator at Snohomish PUD and ask them about the current status of the South Shore Gate at Spada Resevoir. Ask the operator for the direct phone number and the full name of the person they will connect you with, for your records. If the gate is closed, you can still climb at Static Point, just add 3 miles of casual downhill mtn biking or hiking. Sometimes you must park at the registration station at Olney Pass if the right gate, South Shore Road, is closed. The right gate is the South Shore Road, take this. The three miles (on road Nf-6129 around the reservoir / lake) to the decommissioned spur road is gently and consistently downhill (fast and easy on a mtn bike). When you arrive at a large bridge (crossing the inlet to Spada Resevoir), the spur road is just past on the right and is blocked by several boulders and a large snag placed crosswise. Park here. You used to be able to drive part of this spur road, but now you park in a pullout on the South Shore Road. You can climb all year long at Static Point. Several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries relatively quickly. In the winter when it's a sunny day the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. If the South Shore Gate is not opened and if there isn't snow at the 2000-foot Olney Pass, then a casual 3 mile downhill mtn bike ride accesses the old spur road (this spur road can be biked for a few minutes but quickly turns into hiking only because of 21 deep gorges cut into the road).

In general climbing is good from March to early November, but never on sunny summer days at Static Point. September, 2012 Before you drive out to climb at Static Point it's easily worthwhile to place a phone call to ask if the South Shore Gate is open at Spada Resevoir. The gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from May 1 to October 31, except for 1) roadwork, or 2) dangerous conditions. And in my experience it's not rare for them to decide there exist dangerous conditions, and they have roadwork to perform every year during Spring to Fall. The Snohomish PUD contols the gate and their website will give the gate's status. But the actual page with the gate's status is buried in several layers of choices and the navigation is not intuitive nor descriptive. But here's the URL as of September 2012: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500 425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian (or her subsequent replacement) 425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman If you don't reach either of them you can call the main number and seek other suggestions from the operator 425.783.1744, or 877.783.1000 option 0 to speak to an operator at Snohomish PUD and ask them about the current status of the South Shore Gate at Spada Resevoir. Ask the operator for the direct phone number and the full name of the person they will connect you with, for your records. If the gate is closed, you can still climb at Static Point, just add 3 miles of casual downhill mtn biking or hiking. Sometimes you must park at the registration station at Olney Pass if the right gate, South Shore Road, is closed. The right gate is the South Shore Road, take this. The three miles (on road Nf-6129 around the reservoir / lake) to the decommissioned spur road is gently and consistently downhill (fast and easy on a mtn bike). When you arrive at a large bridge (crossing the inlet to Spada Resevoir), the spur road is just past on the right and is blocked by several boulders and a large snag placed crosswise. Park here. You used to be able to drive part of this spur road, but now you park in a pullout on the South Shore Road. You can climb all year long at Static Point. Several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries relatively quickly. In the winter when it's a sunny day the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. If the South Shore Gate is not opened and if there isn't snow at the 2000-foot Olney Pass, then a casual 3 mile downhill mtn bike ride accesses the old spur road (this spur road can be biked for a few minutes but quickly turns into hiking only because of 21 deep gorges cut into the road).

In general climbing is good from March to early November, but never on sunny summer days at Static Point. September, 2012 Before you drive out to climb at Static Point it's easily worthwhile to place a phone call to ask if the South Shore Gate is open at Spada Resevoir. The gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from May 1 to October 31, except for 1) roadwork, or 2) dangerous conditions. And in my experience it's not rare for them to decide there exist dangerous conditions, and they have roadwork to perform every year during Spring to Fall. The Snohomish PUD contols the gate and their website will give the gate's status. But the actual page with the gate's status is buried in several layers of choices and the navigation is not intuitive nor descriptive. But here's the URL as of September 2012: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500 425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian (or her subsequent replacement) 425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman If you don't reach either of them you can call the main number and seek other suggestions from the operator 425.783.1744, or 877.783.1000 option 0 to speak to an operator at Snohomish PUD and ask them about the current status of the South Shore Gate at Spada Resevoir. Ask the operator for the direct phone number and the full name of the person they will connect you with, for your records. If the gate is closed, you can still climb at Static Point, just add 3 miles of casual downhill mtn biking or hiking. Sometimes you must park at the registration station at Olney Pass if the right gate, South Shore Road, is closed. The right gate is the South Shore Road, take this. The three miles (on road Nf-6129 around the reservoir / lake) to the decommissioned spur road is gently and consistently downhill (fast and easy on a mtn bike). When you arrive at a large bridge (crossing the inlet to Spada Resevoir), the spur road is just past on the right and is blocked by several boulders and a large snag placed crosswise. Park here. You used to be able to drive part of this spur road, but now you park in a pullout on the South Shore Road. You can climb all year long at Static Point. Several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries relatively quickly. In the winter when it's a sunny day the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. If the South Shore Gate is not opened and if there isn't snow at the 2000-foot Olney Pass, then a casual 3 mile downhill mtn bike ride accesses the old spur road (this spur road can be biked for a few minutes but quickly turns into hiking only because of 21 deep gorges cut into the road).

In general climbing is good from March to early November, but never on sunny summer days at Static Point. September, 2012 Before you drive out to climb at Static Point it's easily worthwhile to place a phone call to ask if the South Shore Gate is open at Spada Resevoir. The gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from May 1 to October 31, except for 1) roadwork, or 2) dangerous conditions. And in my experience it's not rare for them to decide there exist dangerous conditions, and they have roadwork to perform every year during Spring to Fall. The Snohomish PUD contols the gate and their website will give the gate's status. But the actual page with the gate's status is buried in several layers of choices and the navigation is not intuitive nor descriptive. But here's the URL as of September 2012: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500 425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian (or her subsequent replacement) 425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman If you don't reach either of them you can call the main number and seek other suggestions from the operator 425.783.1744, or 877.783.1000 option 0 to speak to an operator at Snohomish PUD and ask them about the current status of the South Shore Gate at Spada Resevoir. Ask the operator for the direct phone number and the full name of the person they will connect you with, for your records. If the gate is closed, you can still climb at Static Point, just add 3 miles of casual downhill mtn biking or hiking. Sometimes you must park at the registration station at Olney Pass if the right gate, South Shore Road, is closed. The right gate is the South Shore Road, take this. The three miles (on road Nf-6129 around the reservoir / lake) to the decommissioned spur road is gently and consistently downhill (fast and easy on a mtn bike). When you arrive at a large bridge (crossing the inlet to Spada Resevoir), the spur road is just past on the right and is blocked by several boulders and a large snag placed crosswise. Park here. You used to be able to drive part of this spur road, but now you park in a pullout on the South Shore Road. You can climb all year long at Static Point. Several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries relatively quickly. In the winter when it's a sunny day the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. If the South Shore Gate is not opened and if there isn't snow at the 2000-foot Olney Pass, then a casual 3 mile downhill mtn bike ride accesses the old spur road (this spur road can be biked for a few minutes but quickly turns into hiking only because of 21 deep gorges cut into the road).

In general climbing is good from March to early November, but never on sunny summer days at Static Point. September, 2012 Before you drive out to climb at Static Point it's easily worthwhile to place a phone call to ask if the South Shore Gate is open at Spada Resevoir. The gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from May 1 to October 31, except for 1) roadwork, or 2) dangerous conditions. And in my experience it's not rare for them to decide there exist dangerous conditions, and they have roadwork to perform every year during Spring to Fall. The Snohomish PUD contols the gate and their website will give the gate's status. But the actual page with the gate's status is buried in several layers of choices and the navigation is not intuitive nor descriptive. But here's the URL as of September 2012: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500 425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian (or her subsequent replacement) 425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman If you don't reach either of them you can call the main number and seek other suggestions from the operator 425.783.1744, or 877.783.1000 option 0 to speak to an operator at Snohomish PUD and ask them about the current status of the South Shore Gate at Spada Resevoir. Ask the operator for the direct phone number and the full name of the person they will connect you with, for your records. If the gate is closed, you can still climb at Static Point, just add 3 miles of casual downhill mtn biking or hiking. Sometimes you must park at the registration station at Olney Pass if the right gate, South Shore Road, is closed. The right gate is the South Shore Road, take this. The three miles (on road Nf-6129 around the reservoir / lake) to the decommissioned spur road is gently and consistently downhill (fast and easy on a mtn bike). When you arrive at a large bridge (crossing the inlet to Spada Resevoir), the spur road is just past on the right and is blocked by several boulders and a large snag placed crosswise. Park here. You used to be able to drive part of this spur road, but now you park in a pullout on the South Shore Road. You can climb all year long at Static Point. Several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries relatively quickly. In the winter when it's a sunny day the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. If the South Shore Gate is not opened and if there isn't snow at the 2000-foot Olney Pass, then a casual 3 mile downhill mtn bike ride accesses the old spur road (this spur road can be biked for a few minutes but quickly turns into hiking only because of 21 deep gorges cut into the road).

Now it's 2012, and four years later and the 21 steep-sided ditches are holding up well. I just wish we climbers could get a crew together to cut trail beds down the faces of many of these ditches. It's a minor annoyance to trudge up and down during dry conditions. It's downright nasty hiking out in a downpour. It's nearly impossible to access the beautiful south facing rock when there's snow on the ground.....

That much snow in the end of May is rare. Usually the approach is snow free a month earlier.