David Yount

sent PM to purchase pack

A brief synopsis now. Perhaps a full report from the climbing team in a day or more. As always, it would be noble and well to keep the second-guessing to ourselves. There were perhaps near a 100 total people attending in response for this incident, and plenty of misinformation is already being spread. I know the climbing team, I was not at the climb when the accident occurred, I was in the first 6 people to respond (though I am not associated with any SAR or similar), I talked with the belayer, I spoke with the medics. A female climber, at Exit 38 on the Gun Show crag with the celebrated route Endless Bliss, she was likely on a route named GS-9 5.10C 11 bolts (I will update this if it is not correct), fell from the anchor bolts. She fell to the ground, there may have been a large ledge she struck first, this ledge may be about 7-feet off the ground. The total fall may have been 50-feet or somewhat more (but with 11 bolts maybe it was much more?) I think she never lost consciousness. She had no open fractured bones. I think she had no serious bleeding. There didn't seem to be any obviously broken bones. She seemed aware and voice responsive the entire time. Left hip and gluteals seemed to be the chief complaints. She was in significant pain. (I will update this if any is incorrect). Maybe 4 hours after the accident she was helicopter lifted in a Stokes Litter from a site very near the climbing route. That's all I got, if I had more, I'd tell you. I'm sure the climbing team will provide a full report in a day or more. Patience, and keep your words caring and compassionate - family of the fallen climber will likely be reading this thread.

Thanks for the road conditions update.

I've talked with the 2 "climbing rangers" about "Late Exit" and based partly on those conversations and mostly on my personal experiences...... when the park is closed they do a sweep. When they see your vehicle unattended during the sweep and they check your plates and compare to the list they have in hand, they ignore your auto. When they complete the sweep (takes 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours usually), they go home. G'night. They do not return 3.5 hours after closing, to perform a second sweep to check on the 3 to 14 vehicles with Late Exit passes. They're already chillin' with cold beverage in hand. Their work day is done. It's my significant experience that as long as your auto is gone an hour before they open the park, you're golden. just sayin

That 2nd Pitch of RPM is 10b and totally fun, a right facing corner with great jams and liebacks. Pulling that lip at top is mind expanding. Or, you can avoid the roof pull by breaking out left, and more left, left some more, to gain the chimney feature.

When I got to Lunch Ledge and was eyeballing the Improbable Traverse pitch.... my partner was eyeballing the vertical hand crack that went straight up. He's like, "Hey, what's that go at?" and I'm like, "Just a sec, I'll look it up." When I told him the hand crack was a published variation and it went at 5.8 he's like, "Gimme that rack! We're going UP!" And it was good.

Also tasty is the 5.8 Direct Variation, which goes straight up a steep nice hand crack rather than make the Improbable Traverse to the right. And if you're looking for more climbing, there's at least 4 more pitches of 5.6 to 5.9 cracks and faces all the way to the summit.

I hope the crux ultimately earns a solution that is repeatable. It is my opinion that the first (several) clean leads (and follows) will be little more than slapping at double gaston with palms wide open smearing, toes jabbed into the slick corner, palms greasing outward, rise up and slapping palms again smeaing, greasing outward....... more of a race with constant movement your necessary bedfellow aided by a huge chunk of good luck.

Jimbo, I do remember as we were bushwhacking through those impressive ferns just after the white slab boulder, there was a section where somebody with big hard boots trampled a nice path..... certainly somebody had been up the trail before we did on July 6, 2pm. On the way out the next afternoon I tried this same technique, but didn't give it enough time to widen the trail much. I can't imagine many of those heavily trampled ferns were able to hydraulically right themselves, they should be down for the count. The trail in the forest is new and rough and sometimes a little challenging to follow. There are 2 sections I noticed where there were 2 choices; it would be good to decide the superior track and brush it better while covering over the alternate. The undercling / layback on Pitch 19 was fun, sewn up with BD #1, 2, 3, 3.5, 4 cams The cracks on Pitch 21 were a treat. I also found this pitch the most open to interpretation, which I enjoy. Well, Pitch 9 was a little navigationally challenging as well. Pitch 22 had a nice hard face move, with good protection. Pitch 20 crux is humbling. Dihedral, very low angle, looks like 5.7 at worst. The water polish makes it absurdly low friction. I will post a TR, hopefully in a week or two; plenty of photos too. Dave Yount

Oh! And I saw another team of climbers, they were enjoying Online. First time I've seen other climbers. We chatted from Pitch 3 of the Pillar while they were at Pitch 3 of Online. Their first time at Static Point; they lost an hour on approach when they went up the wrong drainage to a lovely waterfall.

Trip: Static Point - Offline, Online, Pillar, Granite Jihad, CuriosCube Date: 7/17/2010 Trip Report: Rightline / Offline 5.10A 6P, Online crux pitch 5 5.10B, Pillar 5.9 3P to Granite Jihad 5.8 2P, Curious Cube 5.9 2 pitches Lee had visited Static Point last month, but his visit was short of spectacular. He didn’t get to climb, he barely made it to the rock. So I wanted to provide him a broad sample of slab granite near Index. We got an early start and arrived at the unloved step sister of Online, named Offline or Rightline. Whereas Online has pitch after pitch of virtually impeccable, clean granite with very few features, Offline has big ledges, some vegetation and not as Bugaboo-clean granite. Whereas Online is known to be runnout, Offline is even more so. Whereas Online has chain anchors at every belay, Offline / Rightline has webbing slings and rap rings. Both routes begin at the same flat ledge, Rightline begins on the rightside of the ledge and heads lightly right. Partway up Pitch 1, looking down (5.7) Looking up at Pitch 1 anchors above me, webbing at center of picture Lee sprinting the top of Pitch 1 Lee beginning Pitch 2 (5.7) Lee nearing the anchors for Pitch 2 Lee beginning Pitch 3 (5.8) Pitch 3 anchors in exact center of picture, looking like a blob, and Pitch 4 anchors up and left, left of bush, beneath an overlap, in the shade, looking like white webbing. Looking up at Pitch 4 (5.9), with the anchors near the top, left of a bush, beneath an overlap 5.9 crux of Rightline / Offline, anchors left of bush The FA is listed as “unknown” by Darryl Cramer in guidebook Sky Valley Rock. Perhaps they wanted the line to describe a smooth curve that protruded to the left? They did put a bolt to entice this solution. Traveling to this bolt is a bit runnout and then from there up to the anchors is also a bit runnout. By Static Point standards…….runnout. I honestly didn’t see the bolt when standing on the small crumbly ledge. It’s at this ledge where Cramer notes “worthless small cam can be placed in this area.” I placed 3 pieces, all small, none textbook. But I would argue the Pink Tricam was a reasonable piece. The Yellow Hugh Banner Brass Offset Nut was okay. The Black Tricam (new smaller size) was not so stout. I would end with advising no cam be placed in this crumbly area, passive is the way to go. After I attained this crumbly ledge and placed my nest of small pro I wasn’t looking that far to the left of a direct line. What I did see was incipient moss filled cracks directly below the bush, these cracks clearly shown in Cramer’s topo. Even if I couldn’t get any pro between the small crumbly ledge and the anchors, at least the rock was heavily featured in a direct line. To dance out to the left was certainly much harder than the direct line. So I set out to see what I could see. I glided up the features, arriving at the mossy streaks. After some wishful scratching with my nut tool, I discovered this gem of a placement otherwise fully obscured by moss And then I dug out another TCU placement (horizontal as well) a couple feet up Looking down from Pitch 4 anchors as Lee follows my line. In the picture you can see the small crumbly ledge below him. He is approaching my second excavated TCU placement. Following this variation, with pro, I say the climbing remains at 5.8 or 5.9 I believe the bolt is off the picture to the right, on that very smooth Static granite. Next time I’ll give that smoothness a whirl, but I rather enjoyed my chunky solution which yielded nice pro. Lee beginning Pitch 5 (5.9) Soon in the crux Joining the Pitch 5 anchors for Online. In Jeff Smoot’s guidebook Rock Climbing Washington, his topo erroneously shows separate anchor stations for Online P5 and Offline P5. They share the same anchor.Then a quick 5.2 with no pro up to the top of the route(s). Rappel the route Online to the base of Pitch 5 and suggest to Lee he lead this crux pitch of Online. Many climbers would never accept an offer to lead the crux pitch of a nice long line as they are rappelling the route and have never once been on the route. But I found out Lee is not most climbers. He gladly accepted the invite. Lee is 2 bolts up P5 of Online and staring at the 5.10B crux He makes the crux, clips the next 2 bolts and heads on up Back on the ground Lee’s happy to have finished his first route at Static Point and also got to bag the crux on a second route. We scramble over to the Lost Charm Tree and I combine the first two pitches of The Pillar 5.10A 6P, requiring a little simulclimbing for me to reach the anchors on the large ledge. Lee launches up Pitch 3, enjoying the rightside of the Pillar flake. Some arête pinching and ubiquitous smearing solves the right jutting flake edge. Up higher Lee employs laybacks, arête pinching, underclinging and smears smears smears enjoying the impeccable granite at Static Point to reach the top of the Pillar. Looking down the left side of the Pillar, nice climbing too. Lee vaulting up a variation to the upper part of The Pillar. This 2 pitch variation is Granite Jihad and I’m giving it a rating of 5.8 and 5.8 though the FA gave it 5.9 and 5.10A/B. Lee is headed for the fold (dihedral) in the overlap Further up the first pitch of Granite Jihad, and notice the Great Flake to the right, which is the crux on Lost Charms. Beginning the second pitch (5.8) Lee is at the first bolt and eyeballing the next two. Somewhere in there is the reported 5.10A/B crux. Probably pulling the overlap? After moving thru the overlap and many moves higher, Lee surveys what he’d done. We agree it was great climbing with fun moves and it goes at 5.8 Now finished with Granite Jihad 5.8 2P we’re at the anchors for I Found It 5.10C which I looked at a few days prior. I didn’t feel like giving a go last time, but today I’m feeling good so I start up the featureless granite. Here’s the picture from last visit The bolts are 1/4-inch, rusted badly, the hangers are Leepers. It’s good to climb silently around such time-bomb pro. But I’ve caught 4 leader falls with my bare left hand at Static Point, each time I’d estimate the force to my hand was about 35-pounds. Which means the top pro is seeing well under 150-pounds of force (assuming the rope has negligible friction between my hand and the top carabiner). Bouyued by my pseudo math-physics I’m comfortable to give it a whirl. Problem is, it’s much too hot. The material used for rock shoes has maximum friction at about 49F and it’s presently mid 70’s and direct sun. My shoes are buttering off otherwise good 5.10A foot holds. I make it to the first bolt, but need to step on it to get past it. I make it to the second bolt but need to pull and then step to make it up and past it. My shoes are slipping unlike I’ve ever experience at the Point. I’ve never climbed when it was this warm. I think I can discern the crux above me, which concurs with Cramer’s topo. My feet can’t even hold onto 5.9 foot holds. Buttering. How can I beg my way past the crux? Not today. I down climb and down aid back to the belay, and we rappel down Shock Treatment to Spencer’s Ledge. Then quickly scramble up to the Old Milwaukee Tree. The Curious Cube 5.9 6P was the first route at Static Point. I find it interesting that the 3 men in the FA are not listed in any other routes? I find it further interesting that 2 of them are named Dave: Dave Johnson and Dave Pickard. Also with FA at the Point are Dave Whitelaw, Dave Tower and Dave Jay. That’s 5 men with the name of Dave putting up lines at Static Point. What happened? Didn’t Dave Gunstone get the memo? Looking up at Pitch 1 of the bolted variation to Curious Cube There’s now a 5.7 start variation to Curious Cube for Pitch 1. Rather than the runnout 5.9 this less runnout is published at 5.7 but I’ll still tell you it’s about 5.9 anyway. I’ve climbed plenty of 5.7 pitches all over this wall and none of them comes close to this tricky smear-fest. Further, this pitch felt harder and more technical than all of the 5.8 pitches I’ve climbed here. It’s a wonderful pitch, but consider it 5.9 Looking up at Pitch 2 (5.9) I’m not sure what the FA had in mind. I wanted to follow the topo, but the temps were hot, my smears were failing. Maybe when the temps are reasonable I’ll saddle up and see how far I can ride this line? I kept wanting to follow the published line to the left…. but I just wasn’t see anything I liked over there. I continued straight up and then realized I was climbing into the unkown. I couldn’t make out any bolts, anywhere. I was in granite bliss. But I wanted some pro. I had climbed about 30-feet up past my last pro, and none of this vertical was easy. Certainly none of it was reversible. If I wanted to retreat to my last pro I could only accept a slide and hope Lee was rabbit quick in grabbing up the slack rope. No. That was not an option. So I kept smearing upward, promising I’d re-evaluate at the next rest. But when I got there my options had not changed. I had no pro. I couldn’t see any bolts or rock features that might allow pro. I couldn’t down climb. I can see an anchor. It’s above me, slightly left, easily over 40-feet away and seems to involve stiff moves the final 20-feet. I see another anchor. Way off right, farther away. But the climbing seems far more reasonable. Oh man….. No other option but keep padding upward. Surprise! A piton. Even if I’ve no idea where I am the piton tells me that somebody has done something vaguely like this before me. Then I begin a slow rising traverse to some janky anchors. When I reach the anchors I have almost no composure. I grab at the relic webbing, close my eyes, and breathe. Lee coming up Pitch 2. Beginning up 30-feet of hot buttery smears We’re now at the top of Pitch 2 on Static Cling. I have worked off route from Curious Cube to the next route to the right. I look up at Pitch 3 of Static Cling 5.10A 3P It’s just way too hot for my technique to work on this route today. Time to head down and enjoy a little secret. As you hike down the trail to the road, at a left switchback, a cairn sits to the right. Walk to the edge of the large drainage and view the marvel Three feet deep, clear, and the water temp is similar to a heated swimming pool, 76F Here’s the view from the pool, which is in fact Static Peak, the mountain that Static Point Wall is a part of

Ah, I made the assumption it was in the overlap about 20-feet up from the ground. This is a crack that would take a pin nicely. There's also a fine Purple or Blue TCU placement. Scott placed a Blue TCU clipped to the orange rope, in the picture. There is an overlap directly above him, with a small bush on the left side. Maybe there? Next time I'm out there I'll take a good long look.

Trip: Static Point - Online 5.10B 6P, Lost Charm 5.9 6P Date: 7/13/2010 Trip Report: As we arrived at the rock, Scott Vetter was less than impressed with the wet conditions. The 90 minute approach completely soaked us, the underbrush hanging low with moisture. I carried a stick and beat at the bushes on both sides of the trail, trying to release some of the excess water. Whatever. By the time we arrived a the rock we might as well have swum across a river to get there. Soaked. I was in fine spirits. I’ve seen the rock wet early in the morning, then dry out quickly. I casually pulled out my harness and put it on. I pulled out the slings and racked ‘em on my gear loops. I pulled out my chalk bag and attached it. I pulled out my shoes and put them on. I pulled out the rack (sliding ball nuts, TCUs, micro nuts, and Red and Gold camalot). I pulled out the ropes and flaked them. All the while, we were talking. Scott wished we had continued driving east on Highway 2, all the way over Stevens Pass to Leavenworth. And as we talked the rock was drying. In less than an hour of arriving at the wet wall I felt the damp slab was ready for climbing. The rock was damp everywhere and there were flowing wet streaks as well. The first bolt is in center of picture, in the wet streak. Scott geared up, but not with joy and verve. I began the ascent to the first bolt. Recently I’ve taken to running a few laps to the first bolt on my way out from the wall. I’ll run up to the bolt, then handline down with a rope threaded thru the hanger. My thighs feel a good burn after 3 or 4 laps to the first bolt. But today I was taking my time, choosing my feet, paying attention to the flow of subtle features up the rock. I slipped. Just one foot, but still caught my attention. The rock was damp and quite slick. I slipped again, and again. Finally I clipped the first bolt. I’m climbing in the less wet areas and clipping the bolts which are in the mostly wet areas. When I reach the anchor I turn around to review Pitch 1. Scott begins the pitch Looking up at Pitch 2 Scott following Pitch 2 Scott following Pitch 3 Pitch 4 goes smoothly. Now the crux, Pitch 5. I’ve been wondering how this crux would go, the rock is still damp. Since we began climbing the rock has dried somewhat, but the rock is not dry. I’ve climbed Online twice this year and I know I was more focused and less spontaneous on this ascent because of the dampness. Four bolts later I turn around to view the crux between the prior two bolts. A close up of the crux, between bolt 2 and bolt 3. As I watch Scott climb I am surprised by his consistent tempo, he doesn’t stop to carefully consider the crux. He marches straight thru. When I holler at him for making it look too easy and ask him how he did it, he just replies he connected the nubbins. The right stuff: Scott finishing Pitch 5 of Online He finishes to the top of Pitch 6, we rap down, then scramble over to Lost Charm Tree. David Whitelaw in his guidebook Weekend Rock describes Lost Charm as a 5.7 with one point of 5.9 which is bolt protected and can be aided thru. I mostly agree. I would strongly caution a leader that maximally leads at 5.7 considering this route as reasonable. One remarkable feature of this route is the single bolt in 800 feet. The belays are bolted but the pitches are devoid of bolts, a full gear route at Static Point. The only one. The topo in Darryl Cramer’s guidebook Sky Valley Rockshows an “FP” at an overhang not far off the ground. Weekend Rock shows a “pin.” Scott looked for it, when I followed I looked for it, several days later I led this and looked for the “FP” and then when rapping down I looked some more…….. the “FP” in the topo no longer exists. Scott beginning Pitch 1. After passing the overlap you make a long traverse right. Then work up and right. I recommend ending Pitch 1 at the rappel anchors at Spencer’s Spaceport. The Cramer topo shows a “hard to find” pair of bolts that ends Pitch 1 of Lost Charms. Nope. Not there. The Whitelaw topo shows a belay stance to end Pitch 1, but that makes the first pitch way too short, avoiding some good rock, as well shorting Pitch 2 and missing a fun sequence. Pitch 2 really should begin at the rappel anchors from Spencer’s Spaceport. Pitch 2 is a fun and subtle pitch at 5.7 but not for the faint of heart. Well, maybe that’s not entirely true. I suppose you could keep to the right facing feature but it’s so much more interesting out on the face to the right, though, sparse in pro. It ends on a broad ledge with bolts and a nice large tree nearby. Looking down Pitch 2: I may not be certain where Pitch 3 begins but when Scott saw that gorgeous right facing corner he knew his line. He climbed up the right side of the Pillar. He traversed and pulled past the first right jutting feature, climbed a little higher, put in a Gold Camalot and then began a delicate traverse on featureless face. He was only 2 feet away from the Bridge Flake to his right when his feet cut free! I dropped the brake ropes and began hauling in slack with my bare hands only. I glanced up once and saw him facing slightly left and somehow running down the slab! His feet whirling in circles like a cartoon Road Runner. MEEP! BEEP! I kept on grabbing loose rope. I may have decreased his fall by 8-feet, but he still took a 15-footer. And somehow he never skidded; he just ran it out. When the full force of his fall came onto me I was holding his rope with just my left hand. The force pulled my arm upward maybe a foot or less. My hand didn’t slip on the rope. I’d guess the force my hand felt was about 30-pounds. Certainly less than a single-arm 40-pound dumbbell arm curl. Scott marched right back up there and began the traverse again. And fell in the exact same place. He wasn’t feeling it so invited me to give it a go. As I climbed to his highest gear I saw a weakness moving out right, but much lower than his attempted solution. I clipped his high piece and then saw the compelling magic in his line. Scott’s solution is 5.9 / 10A and not likely “on route” for Lost Charms. Once I made the traverse and walked along the Bridge Flake I turned back and looked at the other solution. I believe the route moves right, 10 feet lower than we did. I believe the route keeps at 5.7 by moving right on the thin foot ledge. You can clearly see the thin foot ledge 10-feet below the thick tuft of grass. This ledge moves right and then steepens as it ascends to join the Bridge Flake. I ran Pitch 3 and Pitch 4 together, which might not work without using a pair of Half Ropes. Pitch 5 is where the single protection bolt is. It protects the move up to the Great Flake. You clip then smear up to the thick flake that is floating off the main wall. A Valley Giant 12-inch cam would not protect this flake. A Big Bro #5 might not protect this. But once you get your hands on this baby your life’s path is set. Lieback, smear, lieback, smear!! Looking down on Pitch 5, but the Great Flake is only photogenic from below. Here’s the Great Flake, looking up from the next route left, Granite Jihad [climbed on a different visit] We didn’t do the full route, Lost Charms. There are 2 more pitches that take you left on broken ledges and then up a 5.6 crack. Rather, we pulled past the Great Flake and then followed a bolt or two up and right to anchors. We rappelled from here, though the next pitch, I Found It 5.10C, looked like sweet Static Point fun! There’s plenty of space between bolts so you can get creative with your personal solution. The hangers are Leepers. The bolts are1/4-inch and rusted so badly the bolt threads sticking out are indiscernible. The little nuts are rusted so far you can’t see their flat working faces, they look like blobs of metal. Good times, for sure. But, another day.

Rainman and Sunday Cruise details

Trip: Exfoliation Dome (Darrington) - Rainman 5.10C *** 11P, Sunday Cruise 5.9 8P Date: 7/9/2010 Trip Report: Alex and I left Tacoma 1:30am to meet up with Lee in U-District 2:15am to begin hiking about 5:00am up the Granite Sidewalk. Mark Hanna (and others) have done so much work on the parking area at the base of the Granite Sidewalk approach I didn’t recognize it. The insane logjam has been cut and removed. Lee had never been on the ‘Sidewalk before, he was in constant awe and enjoyment. We geared up at the 15-foot snag, maybe 100-feet shy from the top of the ‘Sidewalk. The route isn’t so easy to locate, but I had done it a few times so we slung a rope around a tree and rapped off the edge of the ‘Sidewalk down to the base of the slabs. Heading up toward a large bush got us to the smallish and awkwardish belay stance. I slung some bushes to steady my stance. Alex got the first pitch, which, provides a bolt for the immediate cruxy 5.10A move. Quickly a second bolt appears for a slightly more difficult move. Evidently there’s a mellow 5.5 variation for the crux 2 bolt start. Lee started up Pitch 2 which features a nice left facing corner. Four bolts protect the delicate smears. We all found the crux on this pitch near that 4th bolt. Lee took an unsuspecting fall on lead. Alex took a fall while following and I felt a little precarious, at the same spot. Here’s Alex at the crux of P2. After the 4th bolt the crack in the right face of the corner provides great pro as well as hand holds. After placing a solid cam, Lee wasn’t sure whether to continue up the corner or pull over onto the face. He tried the corner, but found it awkward, so he investigated the face. Then he moved right 10-feet, out of the corner and over an overlap. He either found a bolt out on the face or he found pro, I can’t recall. He danced up that face and finally found a brown bolt near the top left corner of that face. I can now share that both solutions go, safely. Alex and I both enjoyed Lee’s move right, onto the face and then delicate smears up the face to that brown bolt. And in reviewing my photos I now see a silver / gray bolt that Lee did not use. This bolt is on the right face of the corner, and it patiently waits about 10-feet above his nice cam in that side crack. You can see this hard to see bolt in the middle left of this photo This bolt that Lee missed is just past the next overlap in the corner, past the pod in the side crack. I took Pitch 3 which begins with a vertical crack that can be jammed or laybacked. Then, some smears up to an excellent flake edge. That leads up to an even more excellent flake edge. You begin with an undercling, working out right, then layback, then monkey across the hand traverse up top. But don’t think about putting pro behind this flake ‘cuz it’s nothing more than a potato chip! Smear up to an overlap and relax after making the 2 clips. Now consider the 5.10B crux staring you in the face. I chose to stand up high on the face and use the edge of the overlap as an undercling, move feet left then reach left for another hand, move foot way left then reach maximally to latch the finish jug. Sweet! Alex chose to remain purely on smears on the face below the overlap. I considered this, I began to try this, I wanted to make this go. And……. an undercling traverse crux is a rare opportunity, so I went with the gusto. As Lee began Pitch 4 which is a merry romp up steep slabs with a dozen bolts or more, Alex pulled out his Bosun Seat and got comfortable. Lee glided up this pitch. As Alex and I climbed we saw that the sun had finally found us. Lee had difficulty with the last many moves because the sun was peaking over the sumit, directly in his eyes. But his belay stance on top of Pitch 4 looked comfortable. I fired off Pitch 5 but I don’t recall anything; must have been the sun, I do much better in cool temps. At this belay we had joined with the route to the right, Dark Rhythm 5.10C. Dark Rhythm is another great long route on Exfoliation Dome, and though it is rated the same as Rainman 5.10C it only has a single 10C move and the remainder is much easier. Rainman has a much more sustained nature. Alex took Pitch 6 and we all thought it was going to be a gimme. At 5.8 we thought we’d all just merrily skip along. Nope. This 5.8 pitch is interesting and great quality. Baking in the sun I took the ropes and sped up Pitch 7, skipping bolts as I jogged up 5.7 to shade on Blueberry Terrace. Lee and Alex jogged as well, making my duty as belayer quite taxing. Last year when I climbed from the Blueberry Terrace up to the summit of Exfoliation Dome I remember a vertical jungle, pulling on slender tree limbs, pulling on fistfuls of heather. I kind of enjoyed it, but didn’t look forward to a repeat. Well, I got beta from Matt Perkins about a few bolts and bolted belays he’s established to make this final 3 pitches of climbing far more enjoyable. Here’s his beta amended with my experience: Head left and somewhat downward to the far end of the Terrace where it drops down. You will pass the chains at the top of Jacobs Ladder, which are about 10 feet from where the Terrace ends in a corner. Climb up and left on small blocky ledges to the highest good belay, which is about 1-foot by 4-foot and covered in green lichen. Here it is: You’ll see a bolt 25-feet above: Climb up, pass that bolt, climb over the overlap and then left above bushes. Then climb right to a chain belay at 30 meters. Now climb up, passing a bolt, and look for an exit to the left. Another chain belay is way up there, slightly left at about 30 meters. The second belay anchor is just up there: Note, you cannot combine these 2 pitches with a 60m rope. But, there is a nice mid-sized crack just 20-feet below the upper anchor, in which we built an anchor. Here’s Lee finishing up: Now scramble or climb, left and down into a rock slab bowl. If you’re rapping Jacob’s Ladder or Rainman then leave your gear here. If you’re rapping from the summit down Westward Ho, then bring all your gear up to the summit. Looking down the backside from the summit ridge: With a very early start we had avoided the sun until the last 3 pitches of Rainman and now we would seek continual shade by climbing on the backside of Exfoliation Dome. I rapped from the summit anchors, down the shady backside. At about 55m I found a nice large tree. I built a rap anchor, rapped down and then found a gnarled, but sturdy, twisted tree about 45m down. I built a rap anchor, rapped down and then found a very large chunky horn. Built a rap anchor and then my ropes reached the ground. Lee crossed the talus slope to the headwaters of some creek, filling all our water containers with cold cold water. Next time I want Lee to find a beer creek. We were seeking Sunday Cruise 5.9 P8 and quickly determined we needed to loose tons of elevation, hiking way down to climber’s right. As we’re hiking we come across an improved bivy site atop a huge flat boulder. There’s also a couple 5-gallon buckets cached. When we got down to the slabs at the base of Witchdoctor Wall we were amazed at the gorgeous sight. Checkered Demon 5.7 A3 Grade V is in the center of the face, the right facing corner which has a white section at mid-height. Sunday Cruise 5.9 lies just to the left. Somewhere. Left side of Witchdoctor Wall: Right side of Witchdoctor Wall: I began up the first pitch of Sunday Cruise. Every horizontal ledge was littered with decomposed kitty litter granite. Every vertical crack was filled with fallen kitty litter or jammed with dirt and vegetation. Every flake creaked and moved. Most blocks were not fixed to the face, they could be easily trundled with a small crowbar. The first pitch is very short and I don’t like to stop climbing before my rope is taught. I began up the second pitch. Unbelievably, it got worse. I still had rope so I continued. Pitch 3 was more of the same. This was not what I feared. It was far far worse. Lee hollered I had no rope, so I found a crack that would take BD Nuts #10 and #11. I have bootied many of these large size over the years, so I remember to bail from that size since I have multiple backups. I holler to Lee and Alex that the climb is not promising, that I’ve seen the first 3 pitches and might not want to see the next 5 pitches, that I’ve set a bail anchor and that I’d really appreciate somebody to climb up to clean the gear. By combining nearly 3 pitches together the pro was scattered across a broad swath which also featured many stout bushes. To clean the extended pitch on rappel would be more than annoying. Alex wasn’t having any part of it, he was already scrambling down the slabs to the creek. Lee wasn’t interested either. I asked again, earnestly and Lee obliged. But he declined to climb, instead asked me to fix the orange rope and he tied into purple. He batman’d up the orange rope while I took in slack on purple. He never once put his hand on the climb. I was disappointed; I wanted somebody to recognize the horror I had just endured. Maybe “Sunday Cruise” is a sarcastic route name. What I suffered was anything but a Sunday cruise. Or, maybe it’s relative. Since the route next door is a Grade V A3 perhaps a 5.9 free climb is certainly a Sunday cruise? I dunno. But I would be mighty interested to hear from others that have topped out on Sunday Cruise. I think all the kitty litter comes from the white spot in that huge dihedral of Checkered Demon. I didn’t think the rock on Sunday Cruise was decomposing like that, there was just this thick carpet of kitty litter, everywhere. But the rock on Sunday Cruise was poor, even if not decomposing like that. Most of the flakes were useless to put pro behind. Most of the blocks were similar. Both features were scary to use for climbing upward. When Lee reached my stance he found a horn with some very old slings, so I removed my bail nuts and we rapped from the slings. Another rap down slabs brought us to Alex. We then hiked the creek, down to the road. It is a long ways. I could give gory details of the ensuing hour or two, but since we were headed downhill I don’t’ think we have much to complain about. We reached a spur road from the main road, followed the spur until it joined the main road. The spur is so overgrown with alder and salmonberry you cannot see it as you drive by on the main road. We walked back up the main road about 1 mile to our car. Done. Oh, but wait! We each left our big packs at the top of the Granite Sidewalk. We were intending to climb Sunday Cruise up to the summit of Exfoliation Dome then rap off the front, down to our packs. Nobody wanted to make that ascent. Nobody wanted to make the subsequent descent. We all agree that it needed to be one person. One of us could easily Sherpa the group of packs, solo. So we played Rock Paper Scissors between the 3 of us. Alex challenged me. I lost. But we had agreed to play Best Out of 3. So Alex and I did it again. I lost. I challenged Lee. I lost. Great. If I lost again then I was the Big Loser. I won! There was hope. Until I lost. So I sweated up the Granite Sidewalk for the second time that day, and then sped down in fading light.

I see where we could obviously save time by skipping some bolts and especially save time by doing some simul-climbing. But I wanted to establish something of an "Everyman's Speed" time. Something that "husband / fathers" could tinker with. Wow! I'd love to hear about your rappelling. I thought we had our systems dialed, and you blew our rappelling time away. I can't imagine how to do 22 rappels faster?

The Work Party went very well. Trip Report Work Party 07.10.10 Satic Point

It went very well. Trip Report Work Party 07.10.10 Satic Point

Trip: Static Point - cutting the gnar 2 Date: 7/10/2010 Trip Report: Static Point Trip Report Work Party 07.10.10 Saturday I arrive at the parking area early; adjust the chain on my saw, fill up gas and bar oil. And wait, half hour. Nobody. At 10:00am I begin the hike. I come to a rather large gorge, with steep sides. With a McCloud and a Spade Shovel it would be straightforward to cut a trail into the side of these steep banks. Presently most of these banks are scaled with loose scramble paths. This kind of dirt work is best done Fall or Winter when many plants are dormant with no leaves and the ground is visible. Ideal crew would have 1 Pick, 2 Spade Shovels, 1 McCloud and 5 people. I reach the always raging little creek and place some pink nylon flagging tape. This marks the beginning of a section that needs work. The road was partially washed away and now there’s a loose steep dirt section that needs to be worked into a reasonable ascent. There is also an extraordinary density of new growth. I place a flagging at the end of this section. Up the road a while later I place flagging, for the beginning of a section that needs some moderate pruning to widen the trail. Then a second flagging at the end of this section. The third section begins where some of my 2009 chainsaw cuttings lie on the road. These cuttings need to be lifted and chucked off the road, out of sight. Last year I worked solo cutting thru the unimaginable alder tangle. October 2009 Trail Work “I could only proceed reasonably if I was cutting a path thru the gnar. And so the blood letting began. I walk, I cut, I walk, I cut, I leave the trimmings where they fall, I continue pushing up the forgotten roadbed. In order to move uproad with all available speed I was choosing to make as few cuts as possible, leaving the trees whole. I was making it easy on myself, but creating thuggish work for tossing the cut trees.” Don Brooks tossed most of my cuttings from 2009, following behind me as I cut. “A capable looking fellow, dressed in comfortable clothes based on function and experience far more than technology and fad, sporting a nice pair of hand pruners and a folding tree saw, both in sturdy leather holders, well worn work boots with the steel toes plainly visible, moving reliably and efficiently, never in a hurry, obviously at home outdoors doing physical work.” I returned two weeks later and cut some more. This third section of road extends to the end. The first part needs my cuttings removed. After the left culvert some heavy brushing and some chainsaw work. After the right culvert moderate brushing and some chainsaw. But today I want to work on the trail; the road has seen my last 3 efforts and all significant obstacles have been removed. I reach the large broad streambed and look up to see Static Peak and the slabs. At the hiking trail I take off my pack with saw and oil and gas. I know this old logging road reaches the Sultan River . In Darryl Cramer’s 2000 guidebook Sky Valley Rock his map on page 244 shows “Picnic Spot” where the logging road crosses the Sultan River and that sounds like such a nice place to visit. On google maps when you zoom in 4 times where the climber’s trail begins you easily see the road and it’s less than 800 feet to the river. Static Point driving and hiking map So I pass the climber’s trail and continue on the abandoned logging road. It’s less than 800 feet to the river and the “Picnic Spot.” I can’t wait. Just 7 or 8 minutes of walking. I’m ducking under blowdowns. I’m stepping over blowdowns. I’m thrasing between young alders. Sometimes I’m thrashing while I’m ducking or thrashing while high stepping. Madness! If you are curious to get a taste of how bad 2 miles of road used to be, try walking the 800 feet to the river. Anybody that attempted to climb at Static Point in 2009 can verify that the road was in worse shape than this final 800 feet to the river. Far worse. I return to the climber’s trail, shoulder my pack and gear. As I begin up the steep trail I am smiling. Somebody has been here since I climbed a few weeks ago and they have swung a sharp machete with a skillful wrist. The first 50 feet of steep trail were covered with smaller blow down trees and tangled mess of Spring growth. Now it’s cleared. I suspect Don Brooks. I reach the rock, take off my pack. Yesterday I went up the Granite Sidewalk of Exfoliation Dome, climbed Rainman 5.10C 8 pitches, topped out at the summit (3 more pitches, thanks for the new bolts and bolted belays Matt Perkins), then rapped off the backside – Withdoctor Wall. We were intending to climb Sunday Cruise up to the summit of Exfoliation Dome then rap off the front, down to our packs. Well, turns out that Sunday Cruise might be one of those sarcastic route names. At the top of the third pitch I called a halt to the madness, it was the biggest horror fest I’ve ever climbed. We had 5 more pitches and because of the low quality of rock we were climbing way too slow. We bailed from slings around a horn and another rap off a strong bush. Then we walked down the drainage to the road, up the road to the car and played Rock Paper Scissors between the 3 of us. Our packs were at the top of the Granite Sidewalk but no reason for all 3 of us to make the grunt. Yeah well, I lost. So I sweated up the Granite Sidewalk for the second time that day, and then sped down in fading light. Today when I looked up at the first bolt of Online I thought the angle of rock was not much steeper than some sections of the Granite Sidewalk. I thought I’d try to work some moves in tennis shoes. After quickly gaining 20 feet I realized I might be able to climb much of the first pitch or two in tennis shoes. Why not? The Stonemasters of Tahquitz and Suicide Rock had done just that. I turn and face out and smear down the steep rock, my tennis shoes never really slipping, but seeming to threaten to do so. I plan to return Tuesday July 13 and see how far tennis shoes can get up that route. I take out the saw, shoulder my pack and walk down the trail. For the next five hours the saw is used when necessary to clear the trail. In five hours work I go through 6 tanks of gas and clear up the remaining two sections of trail that were really bad. I only throw the chain, once. I place the chain back in the bar and pull the chain thru several full rotations; I find one drive tooth that must be slightly damaged, it does not move freely thru the channel in the bar. I reassemble the saw and adjust the tension in the chain. There’s a sticky link but it seems to move well enough? I start it up and the saw struggles slightly with the friction from the damaged piece of chain. After several more small trees are bucked the chain is moving smoothly. I’ve learned that cutting springy vines, bush stems and sometimes small trees less than 1-inch diameter can bind the chain and pull it off the bar. But I’ve also found it’s faster to keep using the saw for these purposes rather than put the saw down and pick up bypass loppers. When I’m working solo it’s just faster to keep using the saw and not even carry the weight of the loppers. But I think the channel in the bar is somewhat tweaked, I think it’s widened, I think in re-learning how to use a chainsaw I’ve put rapid wear and tear on the bar. Time to consider a new bar. And I do need to always carry a bow saw; just in case the chainsaw becomes pinched by a tree. When my gas container is empty I’ve made it over halfway down the trail. I pack up and walk down to the road. The lower half of the trail needs work, but it’s not bad. I leave my gear at the large dry streambed just after reaching the road and walk down the wash to the Sultan River. I place my feet in the cold water and drink 3 pints of water. The sun is gorgeous. By 6pm I return to my car, 8 hours after leaving it this morning. Looking forward, the road would benefit some from brushing and cutting and benefit greatly from digging some trail tread into the sides of those steep banks. The trail would benefit from significant lopper work and some chainsaw work. Several people have contacted me letting me know they really want to help but need significant advance scheduling. Here it is: October 17, Sunday 10:00am Static Point Work Party Tools: McCloud, Spade Shovels, telescoping bypass lopper, bypass loppers, folding limb saws, bowsaws, chainsaws (gas and lube, bar oil). David Yount.

Trip: Static Point - Sparks 5.8, Kill da Wabbit 5.10D, Fudd Hat 5.10A Date: 6/25/2010 Trip Report: Static Point – Sparks 5.8 ***, Kill da Wabbit 5.10D ***, Fudd Hat 5.10A *** 06.25.10 Friday Hike 90 minutes to base of the route Online then put on rock shoes. Scramble right, use the assist sling to cross a blank section which is much appreciated considering we’re carrying our full packs. Continue further right, to the Lost Charms Tree. Rack up and lead the 5.6 approach pitch to Spencer’s Spaceport ledge. The anchors are on the far left side of Spencer’s Spaceport ledge, about 15-feet above the bottom of the ledge. Continue scrambling right, passing the route Shock Treatment, then scrambling up the right side of Spencer’s Spaceport, low 5th Class. Finally reaching the Old Milwaukee Tree (picture of the tree, shot from several pitches above). To the right of Old Milwaukee Tree is a triangular black roof. On the right of this roof is a water course, this is the beginning of the route Besides Fudd 5.9 * 3 pitches But our route is even further right, and begins lower, than this. We rappel from near the Old Milwaukee Tree, down to the bottom of the granite tongue. Scrambling further right to reach the base of the route Sparks 5.8 *** 3 pitches, which climbs the right side of a left facing corner. That is a long approach! It takes us 90 minutes to begin climbing Sparks, after we reach the route Online. It took us 90 minutes to reach Online from the car. This is the newest full route at Static Point. Mark Hanna put it in 2003. I climbed it October 2009 and really enjoyed it. Alex and I are in the clouds, visibility is less than 300 feet. The clouds and fog are so thick that the rock is damp. Damp slab is nobody’s pleasure but I’m here to climb and I’ve just put in considerable effort to be here. Exactly here. I start up and get the first bolt. Conditions are building, moisture is coming out of the air and appearing on the rock. It’s not raining. No rain is falling. But the cloud is so thick we’re inside saturated air. The moisture on the rock begins to thicken until it begins to flow. I take a few steps up past the bolt. Small rivulets of water are coming down the wall, everywhere. I take another step, my foot slips immediately. I can tell it’s going to continue and likely get worse. My next bolt is maybe 25 feet up. Forget it. I can’t climb this route in active water. I downclimb, take my sling off the bolt and downclimb to the ledge. There is now a deep puddle of water that has collected on the ledge. It feels like maybe it’s raining. It’s just after 7:30AM and things are slowly getting worse. A big day, sidetracked by a little water. We retreat to several trees with healthy canopies. The ground remains dry by the tightly packed foliage overhead. It’s not really raining, nothing is falling. It’s like being inside a cloud where water droplets are forming. I scout about, finding a small space beneath two large rocks, large enough to stuff the ropes and rack inside. Our gear is protected. And we wait. Since neither of us got more than a few hours sleep, we both crash. A couple hours later we wake and notice the clouds lifting, the air feels less damp, the rock no longer flows water. I pull the rack and ropes out from beneath the rocks and we scramble to the base of the route. The rock is wet, but drying. Good enough. The route follows a 1-inch white dike, up and left. It’s wet to the first bolt, but no slips. It’s damp to the second bolt, no slips. Then a long runnout….. not looking great. As I remain cool and work the dike for all it’s friction I encounter a small pod within the dike. I fiddle in a Green Alien, but it’s less than ideal, so I add a Yates Screamer; makes me feel better. I get the third bolt, then it’s up and left, ending left of the healthy bush. The anchors sit above a ledge, left of the bush. About 150-feet of climbing and 3 bolts, oh and 1 piece of pro. Yep, that’s Static Point. Alex steps up onto the smooth slab with the featured dike and enjoys sunshine on dry rock. Looking up at Pitch 2 which is also 5.8, ends on the rightside of the bush. Pitch 3 ends on the rightside of the tree. Alex climbs up the dike, passes an overlap, then 8-feet later gets the bolt. Two more bolts and Alex reaches a small ledge to collect his thoughts. Looking down, Pitch 3 ends on the rightside [climber’s] of the tree. Pitch 2 ends on the rightside of the brown bush. Pitch 1 ends on the leftside of the green bush. Alex beginning Pitch 3 which is 5.8, working up the dihedral then out right and finishing on rightside of the tree. The end of the route reaches a tree, which is on the Broken Band, also called Long Ledge. I scramble left along the Broken Band, reaching the anchors for the top of Fudd Hat. There are no anchors for the top of Besides Fudd, guess you would veer left on the Broken Ledge and finish Besides Fudd at the Fudd Hat anchors. These anchors also serve as the beginning for the most excellent 2 pitch route Kill Da Wabbit 5.10C/D, as well as the 2 pitch route Total Fudd 5.11D A0. Alex starts up the face, the first 2 bolts are common to both routes. Kill Da Wabbit heads right, towards the tree at top and Total Fudd heads left, towards the block at top. After 3 bolts and 2 pieces of pro, Alex encounters the crux of the pitch. You see the anchors far right. After the 4th bolt, he finds his solution, traverse 8-feet left, go up….. then traverse 30-feet right. The 5th bolt is new and gives the leader something to focus on as they’re moving right, moving right, to those anchors, so far away, to the right. The pitch concludes with a wonderful finger flake. Some people are wary this flake eats ropes. I don’t believe there have been any positive reports, and there are rappel rings at this anchor. So, maybe yes, maybe no. Top of Pitch 1 of Kill Da Wabbit, seen from beginning of Kill Da Wabbit on the Broken Band (Long Ledge). Looking up Pitch 2 There are 3 bolts, then a ledge. Then 5 closely spaced bolts. Then a long runnout to the anchors. Here, Alex is passing Bolt 5 on the steep rock with very little to grip. Approaching Bolt 6 with smears and a single crimp Past Bolt 6, the crux position 5.10D Reaching Bolt 8 and the jog to the anchors. The anchors as we found them at top of Kill Da Wabbit How we left them When rappelling you might consider hooking up with the middle anchors of Total Fudd. They are down and left. This would avoid the middle anchors of Kill Da Wabbit which has the finger flake beneath it. Alex is rappelling from the middle anchors of Total Fudd These anchors are below a roof, below the rock that sticks out above [the curious cube]. 3 bolt anchor. We reach the Broken Band (Long Ledge) and then rappel Fudd Hat, down to the Old Milwaukee Tree. Next we choose Fudd Hat. Alex takes the first pitch He was expecting 5.8 like the 3 pitches of Sparks which are all 5.8 but evidently not all 5.8 is created equal, at Static Point. The 5.8 on this pitch was mentally gripping and somewhat of a challenge route finding. He reaches the anchors on a ledge after clipping 4 bolts. Then I start up Pitch 2. Looking down part way up Pitch 2 The nature of Pitch 2 and Pitch 3 of Fudd Hat is sustained. Somewhat steep slab, almost nothing to grab, just smear and march upward. The crux of Online is discreet and short lived. The crux of Kill Da Wabbit is discreet and short lived. But these 2 pitches of Fudd Hat don’t let up, just keep on smearing We reach Broken Band [Long Ledge] and rappel the route, down to Old Milwaukee Tree. Then scramble down to Spencer’s Spaceport. A rappel from the anchors on the left side brings us to Lost Charms Tree. Further scrambling and we reach the trail at the route Online. This 5.4 slab to the first bolt of Online looks so incredibly easy I put on my rock shoes and sprint standing up to the first bolt. I do this three times, marveling at how my day of sustained 5.10 slab has recalibrated my mind to what is easy. I hope to see some people Saturday 9:30am (July 10) at the parking area to help with some trail work. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/967459/Static_Point_Work_Party_07_10_#Post967459 Approach Notes: After the two Work Parties end of 2009 there's no more bushwhacking. This crag is open for business. Fill out a registration card at the Olney Pass bathrooms / registration. Write in "climbing Static Point" under the "other" option.

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cross posted here, for those who might not venture into "Access" http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/967459#Post967459 Dave Yount

Static Point - Trail Work – Saturday 07/10 9:30AM ________________________________________ Static Point is a climbing area that has a longer season and better climate than many western Washington areas and it’s closer than Index. With 800-feet of clean rock, most routes are 6-pitches tall, including the celebrated route Online 5.10B 6 pitches. This awesome crag sits in a near-wilderness environment and needs some trail rehabilitation. DNR and Snohomish PUD know about this issue and they were pretty amenable to our going up there and cutting Alder trees from the abandoned road so as to maintain a walkable path. I will be headed out with a saw and extra gas. Another couple saws are helpful but mostly we need people to toss logs off the road and uproot small starting trees. Bypass loppers and hand pruners, also necessary. Dave Yount. East on US-2 to the town of Sultan. On the east end of town, 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) near Spada Resevoir. Drive through the Yellow Gate on the right. In about 3 miles the spur road is just past the bridge and is marked (blocked) by several large boulders (impossible to miss). Parking area on the right and left just a short distance up the road from the bridge. We’ll meet here at 9:30am Static Point - parking and hiking map My work notes from climbing there last week: At the always-raging little creek: Heavy Brushing, on the parking side, to daylight the trail up on the raised roadbed 100-feet after the wide dry riverbed: Moderate / Heavy Pruning in a small section Just before my 2009 chainsaw work trimmings: Very minor Brushing From start of 2009 chainsaw trimmings to the Culvert on Left side of road that encroaches halfway across road: Removing past chainsaw work and minor Brushing From Culvert on Left Side of road that encroaches halfway across road to Culvert Right Side of road: Heaving Brushing and some Chainsaw work From Culvert on Right Side of road to Hiking Trail: Medium Brushing and some Chainsaw work The Hiking Trail: Immediately needs Chainsaw work and Moderate Brushing

Trip: Static Point - Onlline, Black Fly, Right Line / Off Line Date: 5/16/2010 Trip Report: [re-posting, so it shows up in the Search function] Early to bed, which is good because the alarm goes off at 3:30am. I’m up, dressed, and finishing packing. Cheri’s fixing egg sandwiches for the road. We load gear into the car (I sure wish we had a garage, park inside, load all gear and extras into the car the night before, no fear of late night car prowlers breaking in). Just as we’re leaving home the phone rings. Uhm, okaaaaay. It’s just after 4am. Who could possibly want to talk now? Ahh, it’s Lee. He’s feeling lousy, he won’t be able to join. Sorry he’s feeling horrible. More sorry he’s going to miss out on a solid day of sweetass climbing. We arrive at Olney Pass and fill out a registration form. The form does not have a printed option for “rock climbing” as an activity, not does it have a printed option of “Static Point” as a location to visit. I fill in both. These Registration Forms play a role in future decisions and it’s important the state Department of Natural Resources and the Snohomish County Public Utilities District recognize that rock climbers need continued access to the Spada Resevoir / watershed. The big yellow gate is open so we drive the final 2.5 miles of dirt road to the pullout. When the gate is closed it adds 5 miles roundtrip to the approach, which I don’t mind in the early morning, but it sure does feel unwelcome on the hike out. A bicycle (commuter bike, cross bike, mtn bike) would take care of this smooth dirt road. But today we get to drive. 425.783.8605 ask to be connected to Dawn, she should be able to tell you when the South Shore Gate is Open and Closed. It’s worth knowing! Tell them you’re not a hiker, you’re a rock climber. We park and begin hiking 6:30am. The first part of the hike follows a logging road that was abandoned in 2008. It would be easy walking except when a road is abandoned they remove the culverts. They remove a culvert and deeply trench, allowing full and unobstructed flow of the crossing creek. Pulling culverts and re-contouring the road prisms helps minimize future blow-outs and can open up fish habitat on roads that will not be used in the near future. This creates a loose, steep sided, mini canyon. There are many of these, perhaps over 20. The next next part of the hike passes 3 large boulders across the old road. Significant trailwork in 2009 tamed the infamous bushwhack that thwarted the majority of climbers to ever reach the climbing. The first half is nearly completely finished (thanks Don Brooks) and the second half has been tamed such that there are only 5 small downed trees to step over. No more Matrix / Ninja tree surfing to make headway down the old road. We reach the steep climber’s trail 70 minutes later, traveling casually. This last bit of the approach is now the crux. The rarely used trail is slowly disappearing in places. There are increasing blow downs. Heavy wind storms litter pine cones and branches so thick the trail may be fully covered. Small chainsaws, bypass loppers and hand pruners could easily uncover this nearly forgotten trail. Until then, be prepared for some challenges. We arrive at the base of the rock at 8:30am. We’ll begin with Online 5.10B 6 pitches 3-stars, then take a look at the 4 routes that begin on Tombstone Ledge which is 3 pitches off the ground. I’ve climbed slabs in Yosemite. I’ve climbed slabs in Tuolumne. I’ve climbed slabs at Whitehorse in North Conway, New Hampshire. I’ve climbed slabs at Squamish. I’ve climbed Darrington slabs at Exfoliation Dome and at 3 O’Clock Rock. This is truly some of the very best. This is granite. This is clean, almost Bugaboo scrubbed clean. But, not so sterile. This has a summit. Though you never visit it, you could if you wanted to. When you just arrive at Static Point, if it’s cool temps and not overly sunny, when you look at the 45 degree clean granite it’s obvious you could climb this in your sneakers. And that’s exactly what the old skoolers in Tahquitz, California did. It certainly looks easier than the north face low angle ramp at the UW practice rock. You think, “I’ll just take off this pack, get my chalk bag, and glide up the first 40 feet to that bolt.” It’s beautiful. It’s compelling. Even with ridiculous foreshortening due to the ridiculous low angle, you can tell this is a very tall piece of rock. Online is the most often climbed route at Static Point. There are reasons for this. It’s the most hyped. All the belays are double bolted. You rappel the route to descend. It has some of the highest quality rock throughout the route. It’s the first route you encounter where the trail meets the rock (excepting a jungle safari adventure of low quality rock and no certain line named Epitaph 5.0-5.9) It’s the most hyped. But I think the reason this single line see upwards of 95% of all the climbing (there are over 75 pitches of climbing at Static Point) is simply because it begins with a 5.6, then a 5.7, then a 5.8 It makes the best warm up, by far. So, the start of Pitch 1 is near a black streak, beneath a thin overlap that tends up and right. Git yer slab face on and just start climbing. You don’t have any pro until you step above that overlap and clip the bolt 40-feet off the ground. If you start sliding don’t give up, try to arrest your fall. Often, this last ditch effort succeeds! And if you do slide out of control remember to lean in with your hips, ride your palms and toes. By leaning in you’re stable. Technical Canyoneering has an advanced move called Elevatoring; in a chimney, no rock shoes, no rope, no pro, lessening the force against the rock with feet, hands and butt until you begin to slip. And continue slipping until you reach the bottom. This demonstrates a form of stable sliding. A slab “fall” will be in slow motion, you’ll have plenty of time to think too much. Just keep you hips in and ride your palms and toes. If you don’t lean in while falling, your shoes might grab and toss you over backwards, traveling head first down the slab. When beginning a slab route I often feel sneaky. At least, I feel far less robust than when aping up an overhung 5.11 sport route (Steep Street – Nevermind Wall – Exit 38; Fear and Loathing III – Red Rocks – Vegas). I arrive at the first bolt; it’s the only bolt on the pitch. I’m glad to have it, but I’ve got 130-feet left to go in this pitch. I keep padding upward, sneaking. I place a small TCU. I continue upward. I place a very small Tricam behind a flake. The topos Darryl Cramer published in the 2000 Sky Valley Rock are excellent. I find the anchors exactly where I expect. I clip in, face out on the ledge and belay Cheri. That first pitch was over 170 feet. With 3 pieces of pro. Awesome. She floats up as fast as I can pull in slack. I look up at Pitch 2 (5.7), my first bolt is quite a ways out. I get 2 bolts on this pitch. I see a nice finger crack just 20 feet off the belay, but I pass it by for the bolt further up. The finger crack is in a thin flake of granite that would not necessarily hold a fall, and it might break off, sliding into Cheri. I got 2 bolts and I think I placed a small TCU. It ends with a sweet right-facing flake edge lieback. But to be fair, liebacking on this low angle terrain is anything but strenuous. Full length pitch and 3 pieces of pro. Cheri floats up. I smile looking at Pitch 3 (5.8 ) because my first bolt is not far away. This does feel a little harder but I’ve just traveled over 300-feet of consistent granite slab, I’m feeling the groove. A second bolt and a third bolt. Then a runnout and I’m at the anchors. Another pitch, another 3 pieces of pro. As I look at Cheri climbing it’s amazing how far away our packs on the ground seem. Cheri floats up. I’m not looking at a watch but I know we’re cruising. At the top of Pitch 3 I look left and see the rappel tree which sits on the far right side of Tombstone Ledge. We’ll be visiting that after finishing this route. Another 5.8 crux is Pitch 4, but this gets some of my attention. The prior 3 pitches I didn’t think, I just quietly smeared upward. I stared at my feet most of the time and smoothly, evenly ascended. Sometimes I would be up to a bolt but 5 feet left or right. No matter, make the traverse, clip the bolt, keep on cruising. Now I’m thinking of a game plan while still standing at the belay. I can clip the old 1/4-inch bolt with the home made bent sheet metal hanger and go left. Or, I can go straight up the black streak. Or, I can keep right of the right facing feature. None of them look hard. None of them look easy. I’m drawn to the right facing feature. Besides, only with this solution do I avoid creaming Cheri in the case of a fall. The right facing feature is fun, there is so much to grab on to, almost illicit on this featureless rock. Then I step left and smear up to the overlap, placing 2 small TCUs before stepping above it. The first bolt patiently waits, still a ways past the overlap. You can see it about 12-feet above the overlap; it’s 2-feet into the darker colored rock. Okay, maybe the topo isn’t perfect as it shows the bolt immediately after the overlap. I’ve got a final bolt waiting for me, up there, somewhere. It might be safest to continually scout as I climb, locating the next bolt as soon as possible. Problem is, this would interfere with my flow. So I just climb. I follow the path of least resistance, willing the bolt to intersect my chosen solution. Voila! Then the angle eases and it’s a long long way to the anchors. I had 4 pieces of pro on this pitch. Cheri floats it. I look down again to Tombstone Ledge, identify that rap tree and also the beginning flake for American Pie 5.10A 3-stars. I look up at Pitch 5 (5.10B), I can see bolts to my left for American Pie and bolts to my right for Right Line. Still, navigation seems non trivial. By navigation I don’t mean to imply that I might get off route and clip the wrong bolt. I mean that reading the subtleties in the nearly featureless rock is becoming challenging. I cast off, acknowledging to myself I don’t get pro for a long while. This climbing is a little steeper, but it climbs just like the prior 600-feet. I gently chug up to the bolt, there is a screw link from a previous party’s abandonment. Then I continue to the next bolt and it too is adorned with a screw link, another point of departure. Now it steepens significantly and it’s reminding me of the 3rd pitch of Total Fudd (also at Static Point) which I did October 2009. Last year my partner took 3 falls trying to reach the next bolt on Total Fudd and it was similar terrain as this. I sharpen my focus on identifying good material for foot holds and hand holds. I sort through all the material and begin to form links between the various holds. I look long run for the next bolt and re-consider my solutions. And I climb. As I approach the third bolt I slow down. Up until now I had a flow, movement, inertia, certainty. Now I am stopping consistently to solve the puzzle. I’m not sure where that 4th bolt is, but I can tell you my next bolt is only 6-feet away and it’s not looking like I get a guaranteed solution. Well, there’s nothing to gain by sitting still on steep slab. Even in these relatively pleasant conditions for slab climbing (mostly cloudy, temp about 55F, no wind) if I remain still on steep slab, I’ll feel my feet buttering off. Just the way it is. In the words of a Scottish mountaineer William Hutchinson Murray (1913-1996), from his 1951 book entitled The Scottish Himalayan Expedition “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.” And so it is, I launch! None of the footholds feels like I can pause, I keep dancing ever upward. A quiet internal chuckle ensues when my mind asks me the question, “What shall I do if there is no “stance” to clip from?” My mind wrestles the question. Like a Zen Buddhist Koan, this mental pondering actually empties my brain; I am thinking nothing. When I next take notice of the bolt I see it is by my head, and I’ve a stance of sorts to clip from. Oh sweet. Continuing on I’m excited to meet the crux of the route. The full route topo in the guidebook shows the 10B crux hits just after this 3rd clip. I think I’m good for it, but I admit if it’s much harder I may take a slide. And I float up without a pause. No worries. I clip the last bolt almost dejectedly, wondering where my challenge disappeared? As I watch Cheri motor past the 2nd bolt and then hit a wall approaching the 3rd bolt I await her solution. She dances up left, and down. Then right, and down. She tries straight up. But no, she leans back on the ropes, takes a rest. We talk, I don’t tell her my solution. She focuses and cruises the rest, taking a break just after the crux. Then up to the anchors. Four bolts for that pitch. We agree the crux of that pitch, the crux of the entire route, the crux hits just below that 3rd clip. Hmmm. Sure would be comforting if that bolt were located 6-feet lower; and, it isn’t. So deal. There is a Quick Link on the 1st bolt for parties to bail from. There’s a Quick Link on the 2nd bolt too. The last pitch is lower angled and provides absolutely no pro. Just go up and left. Run it out, scream and shout! The bolts at the top of Pitch 6 are not equipped with screw links and lengths of chain (as were the prior 5 anchor stations). Fastened to the two hangers are a few sewn runners and several biners. All in all not a bad setup but fully clogging the hangers, preventing clipping directly to the hangers with a carabiner. I always carry bulk webbing to add to or replace rap anchors that need some updating. I leave 2 of the original 3 biners. We rap with 2 ropes to Tombstone Ledge. As we’re pulling the ropes, the clouds scatter and full sun peeks out. It’s hot! Like lizards responding to a primitive urge we lounge. It took less than 2 1/2 hours to climb 6 pitches and rappel to Tombstone Ledge; we earned a break. Some time later I check out the 4 routes on the ledge. The left 2 routes are made serious runnouts by Static Point standards (!) if a certain missing bolt has not been replaced and a few fixed pins that were removed were not replaced. Without knowledge of these situations I deemed The Corner 5.8 and Cashman 5.10B presently not “in.” There remained 2 highly recommended routes. American Pie 5.10A 3-stars had a bit I had looked at while climbing Online. On the topo the crux of of American Pie was well beyond a bolt and labeled, “scary.” The sun was out in full force, my rubber did not have the pluck that it musters at the ideal temperature of 49F. I didn’t feel like tackling that “scary” 10A bit far above the bolt, with the consequences of a fall compounded by a large overlap that I would be sliding over. Black Fly 5.8 2-star 2 Pitches was made to order. Let me make one thing clear, please consider beginning this climb at the small tree, at the left facing corner. I followed the book’s description and felt certain my feet were removing granite “kitty litter” that had never seen a pair of rock shoes before mine. I arranged a Sliding Ball Nut #2 in a suspect placement, then added a Yates Screamer. Then I placed a Hugh Banner Brass Offset #3 and a #5, equalized with a double runner, and a Yates Screamer. I still didn’t have full trust in that nest of pro. Once I was higher I saw an obvious line up natural features that also provided adequate pro. Climb the left facing feature for 20-feet, trend right, to a right facing feature and up that. Then move flat left to clip the curiously placed bolt. The remainder of the route flows naturally. Moving from the second bolt to the third bolt is heady, but fun. It involves a significant traverse, to the right. Traversing on minimally featured slab is a skill that seems different than moving directly upward. To be honest, in all the slab I’ve done there wasn’t much traversing action. I enjoyed the spice. Further traversing reaches the anchors. Cheri made the opening (off route?) moves I suffered look reasonable, but she cleaned her feet off with every single move, to remove the exfoliated cat litter. She enjoys climbing a traversing line, she doesn’t like the thought of falling on a traversing line. She paused several times in the last 40 feet. This anchor on Black Fly is common to American Pie, and I look down at the “scary” bit on American Pie and agree that it would be scary. But, next time! We rap down to Tombstone Ledge, gather our gear, cut away the old weathered tat on the rap tree and replace with new webbing and rap ring. Rap to the top of Pitch 2 of Online, then down to the ground. We have only a little time before our agreed departure time so we chose to get on Right Line 5.10A 5 Pitches 2-stars. This route can also be called Off Line since many parties intending to climb On Line mistakenly do this route. You rappel the route, so we’ll stop when our time ran out. We were having so much fun we wanted to complete the entire route, but we’d stop when we needed to leave. The first bolt was way up there, and the bolt hanger is bent over a bit, I guess from rockfall. It also had a short length of webbing attached to it. At first I thought it was to make spotting the bolt easier. Then I realized it was probably a bail sling. A party realized they were on the wrong route, they very likely meant to get on Online. The first pitch was 5.7, had 1 bolt, and took us less than 15 minutes, so we got to climb up higher. The next pitch was 5.7, has 1 bolt and takes a TCU or 2 and took 11 minutes; we were most definitely in a groove. We didn’t really have time but we went up one more anyway. Pitch 3 is 5.8 with 2 bolts and with a few ledges and larger features much of the climbing goes very quickly. I think that took us 14 minutes. And these are long pitches. We had to leave already so the next 3 pitches will wait for another visit. The hangers at this stance are not equipped with Quick Links and chain. There are 3 bolts and about 5 pieces of webbing. None of the webbing is less than way too old. I only carried 2 lengths of bulk webbing today; I am out. I’ll replace this next visit, on my way to finish the top half of the route. We rap down, pack our gear and begin the egress. The steep trail takes 20 minutes less going downhill. The old road takes 10 minutes less returning to the car. I would have loved to arrive 2 hours earlier and stay 2 hours later. There are many more lines I’m looking forward to climbing. Gear Notes: 425.397.3000 ask to be connected to Dawn, she should be able to tell you when the South Shore Gate is Open and Closed. It’s worth knowing! If closed it adds nearly 5 miles round trip to your adventure. It used to be closed October 31 thru mid April, but in a conversation (06.30.10)with Bruce Meeker 425.783.1722 I learned the Gate will be open year 'round from now on. Tell them you’re not a hiker, you’re a rock climber. At the Olney Pass bathrooms, just before the Gate, please stop and fill out a Registration card. Write in that you are rock climbing. The two Work Parties near the end of 2009 accomplished lots. The worst has been taken care of. And it would be great to put a date on the calendar for a Work Party to finish the road grade and begin on the steep trail. Approach Notes: I made use of TCUs, Sliding Ball Nuts, Hugh Banner Bronze Offset Nuts. Oh! and Yates Screamers for the tiny pro and the older bolts.

Phone number has changed. New number is Snohomish County P.U.D. Water Operations 425.397.3000 Ask to be connected to Dawn, she should be able to tell you when the South Shore Gate is Open and Closed. It’s worth knowing! It used to always be closed October 31 thru mid April. But last week (in June, 2010) I talked with a Bruce Meeker and he informed me the South Shore Gate will now be open all year 'round; personally I'm not sure about this, though. Tell them you’re a rock climber, climbing at Static Peak, parking just before "Site #2." At the Olney Pass bathrooms, just before the Gate, please stop and fill out a Registration Card. Write in that you are rock climbing.