Andy_Fitz

Where: Frenchman Coulee (duh) When: October 19, starting at 9:30 a.m. To follow up on last month's trail project, the Frenchman Coulee Climbers' Coalition is going to work on revegetating old trails by planting sagebrush starts and spreading native grass seed. We'll also be installing some LOW PROFILE trail signs to designate "official" trails, per the request of the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife. All volunteers are welcome! We'll meet at the Sunshine Wall parking area. It would help if you can bring garden rakes, packs for carrying in the seed and some concrete mix, and containers of extra water for mixing the concrete to secure the signs. Hope to see you there! Andy Fitz Washington Access Fund Coordinator/FCCC member

A couple more thoughts... Richard, you make a point about not having more bolted routes at RC or the Bend. I agree. (With room for a potential future exception!) I said the same thing in my post above. I also REALLY don't want to see more routes squeezed in established sections of the sport cliffs upriver, e.g., in the spaces between Casting Stones and Aboriginal Design at the Cave, or between any of the routes on the Lava Wall at Lava Point (now "filled," in my view, with either completed routes or active projects). These routes currently enjoy their own sense of space and individuality. I bolted the majority of them, and they are deliberately spaced. I wish cliffs like Nevermind had been left alone when they reached the same density, instead of... OK, that's my last word on this thread. Unless I change my mind.

I agree!! The climbs I have in mind are Imperial Master and Columns Holiday (both of which I FA'd) and Thriller Pillar Direct, which I bolted but "gave" to my partner to FA. All have 5/16" hand-drilled bolts that I want to remove and replace with better hardware, using the same holes.

PP: Stress Management was originally protected by 3 fixed pins and something like a #2 RP at the crux. Someone unknown added the two bolts (one of which is in a totally weird place) a year or two after Matt Christensen's first ascent. I agree it's 5.10. I also agree a lot of the fixed pro at the Colums could use a face lift. As for the funk, there are a couple explanations. First, most of the bolts at the Columns were hand drilled and I endured enough struggles with bound bits to keep the drilling minimal. Second, the bolting style was definitely influenced by the period (1987-89) and my concern to not "overbolt". Mr. Head: The Columns and the Bend have never been strictly "traditional." Nearly all the bolted routes at the Bend and Columns were put up before there was a SINGLE bolted route at Frenchman Coulee. House Rules was one of the earliest routes at the Bend, put up at the same time the cracks around it were cleaned. As to whether they are prototypical "sport routes," I'll let others decide. We just thought they were "face climbs" when we did them.

Steve is right on with his information. And Patricia Murphy is the owner of the private portion of the Lower Wall. She doesn't own the parking area, though; that's Burlington Northern land. State Parks was preparing to make a purchase offer to Ms. Murpy earlier this year, but she insisted that the commercial value of all the talus boulders be included in the appraised value of the land. To arrive at such a valuation is apparently costly. With State Parks also needing to deal with BNSF for the parking area and a legitimate RR crossing (i.e. an easement), they decided to let Ms. Murphy cool her heels a bit and work on the other issues first, then come back to her. Meanwhile, the Access Fund is waiting to make a contribution to the acquisition effort. I don't know what "development" Ms. Murphy is talking about, but it's not from State Parks. They've held off on making any improvements until they resolve the private hole in the middle of their holdings. Andy Fitz Washington Access Fund coordinator

If people are planning to show up for the trail days this Saturday and Sunday (9/21 & 22), they aren't letting me know. I NEED PEOPLE!! PM or email me at fitlan@attbi.com to volunteer for a day (or two) so I can rest easier!

Some Tieton thoughts: Fire raged through the lower canyon recently. I haven't seen it yet, but from what I understand the Bend was totally scorched. I'm checking into whether there are any official restrictions. Even if there aren't, IF the damage is as bad as I hear, I'd encourage people to avoid the Bend for the rest of the year. With the ground cover gone, it could turn into an erosion nightmare. In particular, walking around on top of the crag (like a lot of people do to get off Ed's Jam, Local Knowledge, etc.) could lead to a lot of dirt washing down those nice cracks! There is a new Tieton-only guide in the works, in the very early stages. Although Jeff Smoot's book has some errors (what guide doesn't?), his guide can get you around the Royal Columns, Bend, Moon Rocks, the Cave, Lava Point, Rainbow Rocks and Wildcat (except where a photo was pasted over some text). The idea of a new guide brings real mixed feelings for me. On one hand, I'm psyched to have more people enjoy the work my friends and I have put into our routes over the years. On the other, the Tieton is--as others have said--a special area where you can often have a whole crag in a mellow, scenic setting to yourself. It's always been inevitable, though, that more people would (re)discover the area and another guide would come out. With that in mind, I have some things to ask: 1. Treat the area with respect. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stay on the trails and in the established belay areas. Drop your pack on dirt or a rock, not on the grass or on top of a bush. Don't travel in a posse where everyone will mill around chewing up the ground like a herd of cattle. This area shows impacts easily and doesn't recover well. If you see rock art (which you probably will at one area), LEAVE IT ALONE AND DON'T EVEN TOUCH IT! 2. If you're thinking about doing a new route: With the exception of Lava Point, the cliffs in Smoot's book are not "new cliffs"; they are all established areas. At the Royal Columns and the Bend, if there's a line you see that's not bolted, I guarantee you're not the first person to have seen it and thought about it. It's been purposely left alone. There's no ethic against bolting in the Tieton--I've bolted a good 70 routes there myself--but we don't want squeeze jobs or pointless 3-move variations. By the same token, please don't clean a new crack at a place like the Bend (where a LOT of cleaning is required) unless it promises to be a true classic. There are enough other, established routes that go unclimbed. With that said, here are some of my Tieton favorites: Royal Columns: Mush Maker (5.7 handcrack) Little Known Wonder (long 5.7 stem box) Inca Roads (classic 5.9 finger crack) Orange Sunshine (.10b gently overhanging fingercrack) Paul Maul (sustained .10c fingers) Columns Holiday (.10c old-school sport, can supplement w/ gear) Price of Complacency (.11b overhanging arete, sport) Morning After (.12a arete, sport, great finish) The Bend: Private Passion (5.7 handcrack) Ed's Jam (5.8, long hand crack) Treatment Bound (.10a fingers) Salmon Song (.10a roof) Intent to Deliver (.10b stemming, thin pro but solid, a great climb if it's still clean) Pure Joy (.10c fingers, balance) Ambient Domain (.10c stemming) Tragically Hip (.11b/c true arete liebacking, 1988 bolting style corrected in 2000 [i.e., I retrobolted it]) The Cave (all sport): Recreational Jugs (.7) Where's the Cave? (.9) Cave Walk (.10a) Caven Image (.10b/c) Mark's Window (.10c) Children of Chaos (.11a) Aboriginal Design (.11b, long) Middle Passage (.11b, long) Stones in the Pathway (.11b/c, long, need #1 Friend and #0 TCU) Abandonings (.11c, long, I think it's four stars) Bloodstone (.11c/d, I wish it was longer) Rainbow Rocks (all sport): Black Celebration (.11a) Ice Cream Girls (.11d, exceptional) Angle of Refraction (.12a) Lava Point (all sport): Artificial Instemination (.9/.10a) Lavaland (w/ alternate start on left) (.10b) Saint of Circumstance (.10c, bulge pulls) Get a Job (.10c) Tangled up in Tie Dye (.11a) Solid Froth (.11a, interesting crux) Vesicular Homocide (.11b/c, 2 routes left of Solid Froth, my favorite) Igneous Journey (.12a or .11c if you cheat, current leftmost route, 1 route left of VH) Honeycomb Buttress (all sport): Honeycombs (.11a, unique) Land Down Under (.11c, unique) Anaphylactic Shock (.11d/.12a, unique) Wildcat: Wildcat Crack (long .10c fingers) A Flake Worse than Death (.10c mixed, stemming) Rhythm & Sorrow (.11a, mixed route, hand/finger crack & bolts) Colonnade (.11a/b, mixed, finger crack & bolts) Casual Detachment (.11b sport, bearhug column, toe hook to clip) Turn to the Vices (.11c sport except #1 Friend for end, stemming) Reservoir Wall (above Rimrock Lake): Drawdown (.11b/c, sport) Have fun!

Between my job, marriage, 2 kids under 5 (one of whom put our PC in the shop this summer) and my need to climb once every three weeks or so, I’m sometimes slow to keep up on the latest cc.com posts. In looking back, I’ve come across some recent threads on the theme of “What’s the Access Fund ever done around here?” As the Access Fund’s regional coordinator (RC) for Washington the past seven years, I thought I’d recap some of what the AF has done in the state. First, I should explain a little about the Access Fund. It’s a national, non-profit organization supported by individual members (around 10-11,000 the past few years) and corporate sponsorship. Aside from a small paid staff in Boulder (usually around 7 folks) and an occasional contract consultant, all the work is done by volunteers such as myself. I don’t get paid a dime for what I do. In fact, over the past year I’ve spent more than $600 out of my own pocket on mailing costs and burned a week of vacation days taking time off work to attend meetings. I mention this not because I’m fishing for kudos or sympathy, but because it illustrates the constraints on how much I can (or am willing) to do. I became an RC in 1995 because the person who did it before me was moving, knew me, and pleaded with me to do it. Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time talking with land managers and organizing projects to mitigate impacts. If you think both the Access Fund and I should be doing more, you’re right. However, the ability of the Access Fund to become more effective is dependent on the support it receives from climbers. I’ll get back to that a bit later. So, has the AF actually done anything in Washington? Here are some examples: 1. Washington State Parks: In 1995, State Parks set out to develop climbing management regulations for its lands, which include some of the most popular climbing areas in the state (most of Index, Beacon Rock, much of Exit 38, Peshastin Pinnacles, Deep Creek, much of the granite at Banks Lake). The agency called on the Access Fund for examples and I was a climber representative on the agency’s rulemaking committee. I was successful in encouraging the agency to adopt a regulation that left it to each park to develop its own management plan to fit the character of its area, and I’ve worked with Parks staff on the plans for Beacon Rock, Exit 38, and Peshastin. Washington now has one of the most climber-friendly state park systems in the country. 2. Little Si: Climbing access at Little Si was in serious question as recently as 1995 due to the area’s land management aims. The state DNR land managers were concerned about the sudden influx of crowds, social trails and erosion. I approached DNR for permission to create a sustainable trail system. The trails today to Repo Rocks, the Woods, and WWI were built through projects I organized with AF money for design and construction oversight (more than $4,000 spent). Has this made any difference? Here’s what the DNR’s South Puget Sound regional manager wrote in a letter of thanks to the AF in 1997: “Access Fund leaders have been responsive to working with the land managers and meeting the conservation goals from the beginning. [...] This area [the Mount Si Natural Resource Conservation Area] was set aside to protect natural resources and provide low impact recreation where it does not conflict with conservation goals. Rock climbing can be detrimental in some areas, but together we have determined that, with mitigation, the impacts are within the low range at Little Si." 3. Exit 38: Those who remember the trestle area before the current trail appeared will remember the awful eroding “paths” that led up to the railroad grade. This erosion was one of State Parks’ primary concerns with climbing at Exit 38. The current trail from the trestle parking area, from the point where it enters the open area below the trestle to where it meets the railroad grade, was built through the AF paying a professional trails contractor to design and oversee construction (approx. $2,000) and my organizing of volunteer trailbuilding projects. 4. Frenchman Coulee: Frenchman Coulee may be everyone’s poster child for climbing conflicts, but the area remains open. I’d like to think that’s partly due to my involvement. I’ve been working with state Fish & Wildlife since 1995, when I first called up the land manager to talk about addressing climber impacts. Since then, I’ve organized (and the AF has funded) projects that built the trail from Sunshine Wall to the Powerhouse (which eliminated two social trails leading to the same place); the trail from Sunshine Wall to the M&M Wall (eliminating a rapidly eroding downhill plunge); the information board in the parking area (it looked better with the original shake roof, before it was dismantled for firewood); and the rock retaining walls around Satan’s Tower at the Feathers. I also tracked down and, with AF money, purchased two porta potties (down to one after OzzFest a couple years ago). And finally, the state is starting to entertain discussion about some serious improvements at Frenchman Coulee. There’s obviously much, much more to do there. You can help by giving up a day for the project weekend on the 21st-22nd! 5. Tieton River: OK, I have to admit some bias here (I’ve spent a LOT of time climbing in the Tieton over the past 17 years), but erosion was a growing problem at the Bend that created the potential for problems with state Fish & Wildlife. The trail system and cliff base retaining walls now at the Bend (nearly complete) are the result, once again, of AF money and my project organizing. 6. Index: The AF has been working with Washington State Parks since the early ‘90s to aid public acquisition of the Lower Town Wall, which is mostly privately owned. When title problems posed a roadblock, the AF paid $1400 for title research to verify the primary landowner’s title. Thanks to a major benefactor, the AF has a significant sum pledged to help with acquisition and/or improvements once acquisition occurs. Acquisition is currently stalled due to the landowner’s negotiating position. 7. Peshastin Pinnacles: In 1991, the AF contributed $10,000 toward State Parks’ acquisition and reopening of Peshastin. 8. Castle Rock, Leavenworth: The trail to Castle Rock (which replaced another eroding mess in 1993) is thanks to another AF project, with design and construction oversight paid by the AF and project organization handled by an RC (Elden Altizer, my predecessor RC once removed). This list is not exhaustive. I’ve also worked on (or am currently working on) issues at Beacon Rock, Mt. Erie, Newhalem, Banks Lake, and a number of cliffs on private land around the state. I expect some will take issue with what I’ve done, what I’ve left undone, and the priorities I’ve set. I don’t carry any illusion of covering everything or satisfying everyone. I need help. What would make a huge difference is to have climbers step up to take “ownership” and become stewards of individual areas; to make regular contact with the area’s land manager(s) and look proactively for opportunities to address potential problems. Matt P. has already doing this at Darrington and is a great example; Matt has done the legwork to organize two great trail projects to rehab the Squire Creek Pass trail up to 3 O’Clock Rock. Leavenworth is an area with a crying need for someone similar to step forward; I know from direct discussion with the Leavenworth Ranger District that they’d love to have a regular climber “contact.” In addition, the AF needs more members. The money for the above projects came from climbers around the country. With more support, we can do even more. We also need more strength in numbers. It’s hard to influence a national issue like fee demo without more support. So far, I’ve been disappointed with the response to my call for volunteers for the Frenchman Coulee project. You can bitch, or you can do something to help out. I hope more folks will get in touch with me to volunteer for the trail project, and I hope folks will turn out for the Kurt Smith fundraiser. Your support of the Access Fund has made a difference in Washington. Andy Fitz

Hey all: You may have seen this on the cc.com home page, but just in case... With some help from the Vertical World, we're having an Access Fund/Frenchman Coulee Climbers' Coalition (FCC) event at Frenchman Coulee on September 21 & 22. We'll be doing trail work by day and throwing a party at night! Here's the scoop: Project: I'd love to get 20-30 people to volunteer for each of the two days. Send me a PM or e-mail me at fitlan@attbi.com to volunteer; please let me know in advance so I know how many to plan for. We'll meet at 9:00 AM at the parking area and work until 4:00 or so (or until we decide it's time to climb). We'll provide all the tools; all you need to bring are work gloves, lunch, and water. If we get the land manager's blessing, we'll be building a new trail to the Far End that also takes people off the top of Sunshine Wall without wanding on the multitudes of paths up there. (The land manager has approved the concept and wants trail consolidation, he just wants to see the layout on the ground first.) If the land manager wants to go slower, we'll work on roughing up most of the multitudes of paths for a revegetation project in October. Party: Starting at 6 PM the night of the 21st, Kurt Smith will kick off his "Kickin' Access" music and slide show at the Frenchman Coulee camping area to benefit the Access Fund and FCC. $5 gets you "in" the event and buys you one ticket for a cool gear raffle; everyone is welcome. There may be pull up and dyno contests for fun. The Vertical World is bringing burgers, hot dogs, etc., and I've gone through the proper channels to be permitted to SERVE BEER, all for a small donation. Of course, we'll also be hustling to sign up new Access Fund/FCC members! Why care? Well, believe it or not, things are moving positively at Frenchman Coulee. The state land manager is willing to work on a comprehensive management plan for the whole coulee that will address climbing, camping, and all the other recreational and land management issues. This is a necessary first step to putting in real toilets, getting a handle on the camping area, etc. Joining the Access Fund helps this effort. (Access Fund dollars are already at work for this project and, among other things, have paid for the projects resulting in the trail to the Powerhouse and trail to the M&M Wall.) Contributing to the FCC pools climber dollars to help fund improvements such as a toilets when we get the eventual green light. (Cost for a single vault toilet = >$13,000!) So, you can spray or come and help out! Hope to see you there. Andy PS: Check out the cc.com home page for other Adopt-a-Crag projects in September.

FYI, my partner and I were hit a few years ago while climbing at World Wall I at Little Si. Our wallets were in our packs ON LAUNCH LEDGE near the bottom of Aborigine and someone rifled through when we were around the corner on Rainy Day. (This was before the new approach trail made access to WWI easier and more obvious.) They didn't take all the cards and I didn't realize anything was missing until I got a call from the bank that they'd charged $1500 on a credit card and tapped out my debit card. (Fortunately, a dude working at a car stereo place in Mt. Vernon thought something was fishy, refused to accept the credit card, and called it in.) Anyway, my point is you're not just safe taking your wallet with you; you can get ripped off at the crags, too!

The bolted routes were done by Mark McGuire around 1990 or so. Mark may still live in the Yakima area and could give you info.; I've never climbed them. I know Craig Sundquist poked around on some of the cracks up there around the same time, but I doubt anything was ever recorded.

I'm out there...just not home very much due to a remodel that's had me living with my in-laws for the past FIVE WEEKS. The Bend and Royal Columns were both closed this year because a golden eagle nest site moved west. John McGowan, manager of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area (where both cliffs are located) e-mailed me today to let me know the closure of the RCs and Bend is lifted for the year. (There's still a restricted area near the nest site.) So, THE CLIFFS ARE NOW OPEN. Here's what John says about future closures: "For future reference, WDFW will keep the entire area along the river closed from FEB 1 thru APR 15, or until such time in the spring that the active nestsite selected by the eagles can be determined. We will then move the closure signs appropriately and open up the remainder of the area to activity." Please respect these closures. We've managed to climb in the Tieton for a lot of years without trouble, due in no small part to climbers complying with the (relatively short) nesting closures. Andy Fitz Washington Access Fund Coordinator

I attended last night's public meeting regarding proposed park closures, testified before three parks commissioners and the agency director, and had some of our questions answered. I would have posted last night, but my house is undergoing a remodel and I'm temporarily displaced at my in-laws' place. Bottom line: 1) Exit 38 is part of Iron Horse State Park, NOT Ollalie State Park. The closure of Ollalie should not affect access to the 38 crags, nor--as I understand it--services associated with the 38 crags (i.e., toilets). Ranger presence from Ollalie, to the extent it discouraged break-ins at parking areas, etc., would be eliminated. 2) Wenatchee Confluence State Park is on the list. Rangers from this park maintain Peshastin as a satellite park. I confirmed, however, that the closure of WCSP would NOT result in closure of Peshastin. 3) As Darryl suggests, Wallace Falls SP is linked with the undeveloped State Park-owned lands at Index (basically Upper Wall and The Country). A Wallace Falls closure wouldn't result in direct impacts to climbing at Index, since there currently are no facilities there. However, I've been working with State Parks for the past 6 years to get ALL of Index in State Parks ownership; a good portion of the Lower Town Wall is private property. A Wallace Falls closure might threaten State Parks' commitment to this acquisition. GIVEN THAT, I ENCOURAGE THE FOLLOWING: WRITE TO STATE PARKS AT http://www.parks.wa.gov/budgetcuts.asp AND TELL THEM: *YOU'RE A CLIMBER*YOU'RE AWARE STATE PARKS HAS BEEN EVALUATING ACQUISITION OF THE LOWER TOWN WALL*THE LOWER TOWN WALL IS A VITAL RESOURCE FOR CLIMBERS IN WASHINGTON, AND BEYOND*A CLOSURE OF WALLACE FALLS S.P., WHETHER TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT, SHOULD NOT RESULT IN STAT PARKS ABANDONING OR DE-PRIORITIZING PURSUIT OF THE INDEX ACQUISITION Please, if you write, be courteous to State Parks. I know from a LOT of direct experience that, on the whole, State Parks has been incredibly supportive of climbing, more than any other land management agency I've dealt with. We owe them our respect. Andy FitzWashington Access Fund Coordinator

Well, the boulders are one thing. A certain overhanging wall with no routes yet is another...

Faust: The place near Rimrock Lake (and up a logging road) sounds like an area called The Caldera. It's up a side road the branches off on the way to the Wildcat cliffs. There are a good number of boulders with surprisingly good rock (welded tuff, I think), but only 3 or 4 have legitimate bouldering. Of those, only one has anything harder than V0 without contrivance. But, the one boulder with harder problems is cool and the area may be worth checking out for a few minutes if you're in the immediate area. There are some other scattered boulders around Rimrock Lake, including some just off the Tieton Road between Rimrock & Clear Lake that I've played around on some. (They're metamorphic rock--probably greenstone--not the typical Tieton volcanics.) If someone were to put in a little time cleaning, there'd be some fun, moderate problems, but with their location and limited potential, they'll probably stay dirty.