DCramer

I think you are speaking of the drawing on page 113. In the attached photo the 5.8 is the scruffy corner on the left. The red is a route that climbs up, traverses right and then up the face. The blue is a crack that to my knowledge has not yet be freed.

For what it's worth rockfall at the Town Walls is always worse during very dry periods. I always assumed that this was due more to the fact that "dry" is a change from the normal and that really anytime there is a big change in conditions the rokfall danger increases.

I happened to be the guy who called the “hero” on Sunday night. The Parks Dept called me around 9pm and asked for help in rescuing the dog. The Parks epartment did not feel it had the technical skills needed to perform the rescue. After being turned down by other groups they called me. I was not able to get out in the morning but said I would make a few calls. The ranger gave me his home phone number and when I asked how late I could call he responded, “as late as you want.” The Parks Department clearly was trying their best to get the dog rescued safely. I say thumbs up to the hero and thumbs up the Parks guys!

As usual Index is ahead of the curve! Sky Valley Mead

If someone was ambitious and has a chainsaw there are two trees (c. 15” diameter) across the Upper Wall trail that could be cut.

It's the side window of a canopy. The other side is just out of the frame. A piece of the canopy wall is in the Lower Wall parking lot. If you look closely you can see that the base of the dead tree near the top of the picture has been cut with a saw. The tree was cut and then thrown from the top of the wall. It is possible to drive almost to the top of the Upper Wall with the right rig.

The State Parks guys were working yesterday to clear brush along the RR tracks. They may be there again today. Here is a picture taken yesterday at "ground zero" at the base of the upper Wall - Directly above (well 300' above) the trash is this great knob pitch -

Bump!

INDEX WORK PARTY 9:30AM Saturday April 30,2005 (Meet at the Lower Wall parking area) Come help maintain our park! Trail maintenance, trash removal and brush clearing are planned. The projects are a combination of climber and Parks Department generated ideas. The Parks Department will be hauling away any trash collected and will be able to provide a limited numbers of tools For more information/comments go to: washingtonclimbers.org

I hate to point out the obvious but perhaps this is God's way of saying climb at Index!

Sloe Children was originally rated 5.10c. Before small cams and sticky shoes the final corner provided more of a kick. Check out the third pitch of JG. It is similar to SC but a bit harder - maybe .11-

I am involved with the WCC although I have been out of the loop somewhat. I know that sometime ago there was a problem with the website - I guess that there still is one. Thanks for posting. Matt Perkins (Mattp on cc.com) has been coordinating email lists and such. Sending him a pm would probably be the best way to get in touch.

I am 99.9% sure they have been replaced. The rock is very solid - the problem was 35yo 1/4". I have had several break, so maybe I am a bit gunshy. IIRC, bigger than a #4 friend. It is almost squeeze size.

All the routes mentioned, with the exception of 10% are free routes. You might want to look at the top of Shirley p1 just to make sure there is an anchor available so that you don't have to leave a piece, if that is all you want to climb. If there isn't an anchor, it is easy to swing over to NA Direct but if you are by yourself it would be a pain. Edit: An anchor does exist.

What about: Iron Horse (p1 to ringing flake) or 10%(p1) or Narrow Arrow Overhang (right variation)

Offwhite: When will you learn, if a route is of sufficient quality it doesn’t have to be longer than a pitch: 1 - Bobcat Cringe 2 - Japanese Gardens p1 3 - Technicians of the Sacred p1 4 - Godzilla p1 5 - Heart’s Desire

Me thinks you mean Kramar not Cramer (or even Crammer)

I would hope that the WCC does advocate for climbers! I for one would like to see Peshastin Pinnacles open during the winter months. As I said before I do not think that there is a hidden agenda to change bolting restrictions in the wilderness. Spray on!

I a have been somewhat involved with the WCC and can honestly report that as far as I have seen the WCC has no official position regarding “Wilderness Bolting.” The WCC is still forming and encouraging more climber participation so that it can find its voice. Before the first meeting I attended Matt encouraged me to moderate the presentation of my own views and in hind site I am glad I followed his advice. At the meeting I did state that intensive development such as that at Exit 38 is not a pattern I would like to see presented a “model” or typical way for climbers to develop crags. I wasn’t called an “anti-bolter” and I have had several subsequent discussions with people considered “pro-bolters” about the issue all in a friendly and constructive manner. The WCC isn’t Matt and although I believe he is an effective representative for Washington climbers I hope he becomes less and less the face of the WCC – not because his involvement lessens but because others increase their involvement. Several months ago when the WCC first appeared there were two CC.com posters who gave Matt shit for not “representing them.” My personal counsel to Matt was to ignore the internet sprayers. His explicit rejoinder was that he wanted them involved. He tried to engage them and encouraged them to participate. To date neither of them have attended any meetings or signed up on the website. The WCC is simply what we make it. As far as wilderness bolting I can’t imagine any way that the WCC would ever support anything other than climber adherence to the existing rules, regulations and policies that any land manger creates.

I would only add that I am not acting in any "official" capacity as a member of the WCC but rather responding to ideas brought up in another thread and trying to get a discussion going.

Now that I have had time to think about it, I thought I’d throw my 2 cents down. The WCC represents a great opportunity to form an organization with a built in legitimacy derived from the Access Fund. This does matter! From my interactions with State Parks Department officials Andy has done an outstanding job in developing cordial and respectful relationships. Sometime ago I contacted the State Parks and offered to (subject to price) pay for portable toilet rentals at the Index Town Walls. The offer was declined due to ownership/access issues but while replying they suggested I work with Andy and the Access Fund. One the surface this was a clear endorsement for the AF; however, the subtext was clear – it is much easier for land managers to deal with one group. New developments aside the WCC will be a good opportunity to meet our responsibilities in helping to maintain what we have already created. At the cragster level I am thinking of trash removal, maintaining crag trails and anchor replacement. Alpinists who never go to a crag may want to help out with general trial maintenance and other things. Local fundraisers can be held and the proceeds use for various purposes. My point is not to list every possible good thing but that there are lots of good things to be done and I would rather show up for a trail project as a WCC volunteer than a WTA volunteer. I ran a few “google” searches and found local associations for a wide variety of outdoor sports – mountain biking, snowmobilers, kayaking cross country skiing, dirt biking. It seems as if Washington climbers are a bit behind. In the “Urgent Mt Garfield” thread there seemed to be a fear that the WCC was a secret cabal. This left me wondered how could an organization be developed without at some point being the direct creation of a small group of individuals? I don’t think it is possible. The real question is once a seed group has been gathered how can involvement by the climbing community be increased/encouraged? Any ideas? I think that this very access forum can be of great help in building one. Mattp got a lot of grief last week but how many who were angry over being excluded sent him their email asking to be on the WCC mailing list? DC

It was simply a tragic accident. It is no different than most other climbing accidents. We are all human. There is no big secret to be learned and what can be learned is available upon inspection and requires no detailed analysis. Be careful. I would (and have) without reservation rope up with any of the climbers involved in the accident. DC

The DNR has nothing to do directly with Mt Garfield.

From AF's first post. There is going to be a meeting today (Thursday, 5/26/04) involving the newly formed "Washington Climbers Coalition" (WCC), the Access Fund, the National Forest Service, and the Alpine Lakes Protection Society regarding the climbing route "Infinite Bliss" on the west peak of Mt. Garfield. I believe that the WCC was actually formed under the encouragement of the Access Fund.

Clearly there was no desire to notify the climbing public at large that such a meeting was taking place. If there was an interest in doing so this website would be an obvious place to post such a message. Rather, it would appear, a small group of individuals chose to limit knowledge that such a meeting was taking place and, with all probability, tried to pass of their objectives and opinions as the of climbers as a whole. Thats pretty friggin weak! Some of the people who apparently attended are pretty adament about insisting that all climbers get more involved with land management. Yet when the oppurtunity arised they kept mum in an attempt to control the dialog. Thats actually really friggin weak! When first informed of the meeting I too was irritated that it appeared as if discussions over serious issues had been ongoing. After going to the meeting it became clear to me that that was not the case. The meeting was a heads up to many people developing new routes across the state and the initial attempt at developing a broader coalition. Everyone agreed that greater participation was needed. Any attempt at creating a long lasting group must necessarily begin with a small group. No one claimed to speak for Washington climbers and there was no attempt to develop a climber’s position on any issue whatsoever. Virtually the entire meeting was dedicated to discussing the need for a state level climber’s group and how to get one started.