pindude
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Eighty acres which includes Big Rock and a few of the other Rocks of Sharon were purchased yesterday as conservation and non-motorized recreation land by the Dishman Hills Natural Area Association. Big Rock and the Rocks of Sharon have been a popular climbing location for Inland Northwest climbers since the 1940s, and is located just south of the Spokane Valley.
Some of the routes are listed in the older Loomis guide to the Spokane area, with a few more in the more recent Bland guide to the Inland Northwest. Many routes, both sport and crack, have been developed since and now that the property is no longer in private hands, climbers are no longer technically considered "trespassers"--a concern only in the past few years. Now climbers are welcome, and the newer routes can be publicly shared.
Big thanks are in order to principals and members of the Dishman Hills Natural Area Association and the Spokane Mountaineers. I am likely missing some names, but local climbers Chris Kopczynski, Bill Fix, DHNAA President Michael Hamilton, Spo Mounties President Jeff Lambert, and recent owner Bob Hamacher all deserve praise for this effort that was many years in the making.
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"Conservationists get Big Rock," by Rich Landers, Spokesman-Review front page from this morning (source):
A Spokane conservation group has acquired 80 acres in the Spokane Valley near Tower Mountain, including a popular climbing area known as Big Rock and a granite-studded ridgeline with lofty views toward Steptoe Butte.
After more than three years of negotiations, the Dishman Hills Natural Area Association closed a deal Wednesday to swap a similar acreage near Hallett Road with Spokane Investors, LLP.
“Trading our conservation land off Hallett Road was not taken lightly,” said Andrew Ashmore, Dishman Hills association board member. “But Big Rock, which offers southern access to the Dishman Hills area, is a keystone.”
The area has been known as the Rocks of Sharon for decades.
Spokane residents used to ride an electric railroad line that ran south of the Spokane Valley, unloading at a stop called Sharon and hiking up to the rocks for picnics, said Mike Hamilton, DHNAA president.
Since 1994, the association has acquired about 500 acres in the Tower Mountain-Big Rock area, Hamilton said.
The Rocks of Sharon area adjoins Spokane County’s 875-acre Iller Creek Conservation Futures Area, which extends uphill from the Ponderosa neighborhood west of Dishman-Mica Road.
Wednesday’s deal creates about 1,300 acres of Dishman Hills and county land dedicated to natural-area protection and public, nonmotorized recreation, Hamilton said.
Big Rock – which towers 230 feet above the ground to an altitude of 3,576 feet overlooking the Palouse – has been a popular climber training hub for roughly 50 years, said Chris Kopczynski, of the Spokane Mountaineers.
He recalled learning rock moves there as a climbing upstart who eventually topped Mount Everest. The climbers have been trespassing on private land, he said.
The deal also provides access from the south side of Big Rock through a 40-foot easement off Stevens Creek Road.
“There’s little room for parking there, but we’ll work on that later,” Hamilton said.
“We have to do these things in steps. We’ll also have to get a handle on the motorized use that’s going on in there.”
John Bottelli, who administers the Conservation Futures Program for Spokane County Parks, agreed.
“That’s a big point: The motorized use will need to stop,” he said, noting that the county and DHNAA generally share the same management policies.
Spokane County made an unsuccessful bid to acquire the Rocks of Sharon in the mid-1990s.
“It’s been on our radar since the beginning of the Conservation Futures,” Bottelli said.
At that time, Bob Hamacher, spokesman for Spokane Investors, told The Spokesman-Review that Spokane County would be the perfect steward for the land, but he could not agree to the appraised price, which the county could not exceed.
Hamacher could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Jeff Lambert, of the Spokane Mountaineers, partnered with DHNAA and the Inland Northwest Land Trust to work out conservation easements that will restrict development along a stream that runs through the property Spokane Investors acquired from DHNAA.
The deal went through years of complicated legal issues that cost the association of fewer than 300 members about $55,000 in addition to hundreds of hours of volunteer effort, Hamilton said.
“We are a nonprofit group, founded in 1966, that exists through the generosity of donors,” he added.
The association and several other local groups are trying to piece together conservation easements that would secure a wildlife habitat corridor and a recreation trail from Big Rock north through the Dishman Hills to Appleway, Lambert said.
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The below was just sent to me by my Canadian relatives. I don't have a source other than that, but knowing the quality of stuff that comes out of Nelson, this promises to be a great new guidebook.
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Subject: FYI: West Kootenay Rock Guide
*West Kootenay Rock Guide has been completed*
Nelson, BC June 14, 2009 - After two years of researching, writing, and literally climbing the walls, the West Kootenay Rock Guide has been completed. Co-authored by Aaron Kristiansen and Vince Hempsall, the rock climbing guidebook will be launched at a party at Elephant Mountain Gallery on Friday, June 19.
West Kootenay Rock is a 160-page, full-colour, perfect-bound book that includes summaries of 24 rock climbing areas and over 400 routes around Nelson, Castlegar, Salmo, Kaslo, Rossland and the Slocan Valley (including the Valhalla Mountain range). It also includes the work of professional photographers Melissa Welsh and Steve Ogle featuring the beautiful scenery of the region and action shots of local climbers on some of the area's best routes.
"Aaron, Melissa and I have put a lot of blood and sweat into this guidebook and I'm really impressed with the final product," says Vince Hempsall. "It's beautiful - cliff topos, accurate route descriptions and access information all interspersed with amazing colour photographs."
West Kootenay Rock will be distributed by Mountain Equipment Co-op, which plans to sell it in their Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton locations, as well as smaller outdoor retail stores in Squamish, Revelstoke, Canmore, and Spokane, Washington. Locally, the guidebook will be available at Valhalla Pure Outfitters and Gravity Climbing Gym.
"We've been amazed at the hype surrounding this guide," says Vince. "On a daily basis people approach us asking, 'Is it here yet?' I think its launch is perfectly timed because we're starting to see a renewed interest in route development in the area and more and more tourists are coming to the West Kootenays to climb the spectacular rock here."
The guidebook was produced by Nelson publishing firm Wonow Media Ltd. and will retail for $26.95.
The official launch party for the book will be held at Elephant Mountain Gallery, 535 Baker St. in Nelson on Friday, June 19 beginning at 7:00 p.m. The event will feature slideshows, wine and cheese and a meet and greet with the writers and photographers.
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Anyone interested in contacting the author, PM me, and I'll pass on the info.
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A Fine Kind of Madness
By Laura and Guy Waterman
Condition: NEW - $8
Mt. McKinley Climber's Guide
(West Buttress, Western Rib, Cassin Ridge, South Buttress, Muldrow Glacier)
Good Condition - $7
Map of Mt. McKinley
Edited by Bradford Washburn
Vintage: New and sealed $5
Freezerburn, I'd like to buy the above. I live in Spokane: please PM me so I can arrange possible pick-up or shipping.
Thanks, Steve
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[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGh2mRLE1O0
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Also, in Coeur d'Alene, there's bouldering on granite at the west base of Tubbs Hill, near shoreline. Parking and TH at or near the CDA resort.
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Another vehicle break-in at Little Si last Thursday, June 11, but with positive ID on the thieves:
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Quite the event, Paul. I'm glad for you that, overall, it turned out okay. Just so you know, your little guy can cook for our family anytime: by your description, he's already a better cook than my wife. I'm opening one for you right now.
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My wife is hot. I hope she reads this. Unlikely...
does she climb hotel room walls?
Appears to me her bean IS covered.
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Hemp and Rob: I'd probably still climb with you guys. Have to return the digs when the opportunity exists. After all, this is cc.com.
On that note, Ivan, I do have a lead.
And I have a #11 Hex just for you. 
Hoping the Boise cops are better than The Dude's cops.Hemp, I can understand the skepticism. That list I posted on cc.com was the first one I put together when I was still ragin', spittin' mad, and wasn't meant to include every single little item. That crag pack was absolutely stuffed with a ton of gear including shit for multiple TR setups as well as a big lead rack. Even the more fleshed-out and detailed list I submitted to the cops and insurance (2-page spreadsheet) missed quite a few individual items, biggest of which were my gray, purple, blue, and yellow TCUs--which I realized soon afterwards.
Any real climber should know their gear about as well as the back of their hands. Amazing how photos of it will open the floodgates of memories. I didn't have real identification photos back then, but now I try to take photos of everything for insurance purposes.
Jim, thanks for the offer. I'll let you know.
Thanks again to Bug and everyone for the support. We really are a fairly small community in the scheme of things.
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Just got back to the webs after a full day of work with a little intermission to take care of this personal business--glad I didn't see any of these replies until now. Judging by the posts here, I've got a good idea of who I'd like to climb with and who I wouldn't. And I'm damn glad I didn't follow most of this "advice."
Off and Jon were the most right on. On the other hand, Hemp and Rob, what can I say: you guys deserve each other.
I live in far eastern WA. I do some work on the west side, but it's only a few days out of the year. By serendipity, I got a call early yesterday evening from my boss to do some last-moment work on the Olympic Penninsula happening early tomorrow. Means a travel afternoon today and taking the Kingston ferry. Later yesterday evening, I also got a heads-up to check out Bug's post on cc.com.
Long story short, the craigslist seller is a good, honest guy. I stopped by his place on my way to the ferry. He just graduated from college, and bought the gear on the way back to his boyhood home where he's just visiting for a few days before heading out to job-hunt. He has good reasons for not re-taking up climbing and selling what he bought from the Boise pawnshop--reasons which I respect.
Most of the gear the seller had was indeed mine. He readily gave my stuff back to me, and in turn I gave him a modest financial reward that at least covered his costs.
The climbing world really is not that big, and I thought that some day I'd see at least some of my shit. Didn't think it would take 5 years and then the stars would suddenly align with the timing such that I had to go out of my way by only a few city blocks like I did, 300 miles away from home.
I also received from the seller a copy of his receipt from the Boise pawnshop. I have at least one or two detective friends, and am following that up--I'll let you all know.
Meanwhile, I'll be engraving all my gear with my initials at least so others know it's mine. I knew most of the gear in the seller's photos was mine not just because I could recognize individual pieces, but the mix of those individual pieces: O-P oval and REI anodized locking screwgate from mid-80s, 2004 Camalots (there was a whole set of BRAND NEW ones from 0.1 to 4), the TCU, the Alien with the tweaked lobes (tweaked from my own use), and the belay device combo of the Reverso, Gri-Gri, and silver-anodized ATC. One biner still had some of my original tape on it.
What I got back from the seller was just a fraction of what I lost with the crag pack, which was stuffed. I don't expect to get any more back, but I'll at least follow the current lead with the possibility of tracking down the original thief.
Like I said, the craiglist seller is a stand-up guy. If any of you know of any available jobs suitable for an intelligent, honest Journalism major, let me know. And he still has to sell some well-used but servicable Camalots (2-#3's and a #2), and a couple BD stoppers.
--Steve
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Heard the place was crazy wild with folks last weekend. I know a couple handfuls of climbers who were up at Aasgard, and put the query out to them.
Thanks for asking, and good luck getting the cam and pix back to the owner.
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And you have very good reason to be. Each individual item in those two pictures brings back a flood of memories. Without question, that is just some of the gear stolen with my crag pack five years ago from Minnehaha: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/331327/Searchpage/1/Main/22928/Words/stolen/Search/true/Re_My_crag_pack_stolen_from_Mi#Post331327
Bug, thank you very much. Not sure what course of action I can take, or should take, if any.
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Nice TR Tim. Yes, it's the Tooth, but good on you for not only doing it but showing others too. Cheers.
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It's true - I've seen him. He's the guy with glasses that used to climb.I'm just an old guy.Used to?!
Bet I can still out-climb you! 
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Same for me as for dreder: started using "take" when first clipping bolt lines in 80s, then started using it for getting held on trad as well. "Take" is actually short for "Take me."
Keep your commands basic and simple. The command "slack" has always been used to communicate to the belayer to give rope, not take it in. If you want rope taken in, then better to be saying "tension."
But what do I know. I'm just an old guy who's lucky to get out of bed nowadays. And I don't know what secret language some of the younger climbers like to use with each other, especially those coming out of the gym.
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Sometimes not a bad idea to change the subject line/headline to the present tense, especially for those of us with friends currently on Denali.
My condolences to the friends and families of Tatsuro Yamada and Yuto Inoue.
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Wow. I missed this when it happened. What an incredible read. I personally don't know any of the principals, but hats off to Pax, Dave, others who helped, and most of all blessings to Sam and his bride!
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I was involved in a body recovery, once. Rescuers were jostling eachother for position so they could snap a picture of the body with their personal cameras. People suck. That's just how it is.Rob,
I think that is how people are when they are inexperienced with the situation. Unfortunately I work in a place where dead people are not uncommon and that is not how it is. Just a counter view sticking up for humanity!
Having some SAR experience and being surrounded by family members in medicine, I have to second kevino. People are generally very respectful around the dead. Any gallows humor-type statements are typically made to ease the gravitas of the situation, not out of disrespect. Yours was one incident, and not a seemingly normal one at that.
Eating food over the guy and saying “good riddance” – I’m not sure how that can be defended in any context, whether it really happened that way or not. If it didn’t really happen that way, why put it in the book?I guess you haven't read John Long.
Rescuers find dead guy. Rescuer1=>Rescuer2: His jacket looks like it might fit you.
The two stories may well be as similar as apples and oranges. On one side I don't want to support a book that is untruthful and disparaging, and on the other I'm intrigued. I'm going to have to read author Bree Loewen's actual words in their entirity before I form my own opinion of what she expressed, although I sure don't have the inside knowledge it seems at least a few of you here have.
As far as Gary's reference to John Long goes, I don't recall Long telling that particular story, which, if I have it right, is a true but tragic one that's been retold many times since it originally happened in the Valley.
Steve Roper tells the original one (read his "Camp 4"). Roper first climbed the Lost Arrow Spire when he was 18, and subsequently met young Irving Smith, who, especially once he spoke to Roper, wanted to become the youngest to climb it as a 17-year-old. In early 1960, Irving somehow fell from his rap rope near the notch and ended up 500 feet down the chimney, coming finally to rest on a chockstone. His body was considered inaccessible by the rangers, who out of respect closed the route for a year. In 1961, Roper and YC were the next to climb the Lost Arrow Chimney route from the bottom. There was much trepidation among them not knowing what they would find. Roper was on lead when he came on the desiccated remains, and to break the tension, yelled down to Chouinard, "Goddamn it! His parka doesn't fit me!"
Thanks, dawg, for posting this one up and starting it.
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Hey! Any monkey knows a 9/16" wrench fits a standard 3/8" nut. Uh, what's the whole point of this thread? Sheesh, you guys need to broaden your horizons.
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Amazing. I was just working there, on the same block on 6th Ave So, for a client Monday and Tuesday. Looks like this happened Wednesday. Hope none of the many employees I know there were any of this guy's victims.
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YEAH!
Palouse Falls in spring:
I'd been waiting to see this video: been working too hard and didn't know it had hit the intertubez yet. Thanks for posting John. Lots of folks including me at first couldn't believe this 186-foot drop, and certain reporters, including the local ones, initially held off reporting it without photos or video. Hope Tyler Bradt is making something from it.
This drop is so far beyond what was previously done, it's into outer space with the astronauts on the Space Shuttle. Previous record was 127 feet done just the month prior, by Pedro Olivia in Brazil--that was a huge deal at the time because Olivia had just "shattered" Bradt's previous record drop of 107 feet done in 2007. I remember when Seattle kayaker Tao Berman about 10 years ago dropped off Johnston Falls (of Johnston Canyon ice climbing fame), at 98 feet, and that was a big deal then.
Sign at Palouse Falls says it's 198 feet, so it's somewhat possible Bradt's drop could be longer than the 186 feet they measured by dropping a rope, then "stepping it off" (according to Bradt) after they pulled it up.
A few years ago I helped to clean off some used-to-be-prominent graffiti on the rocks to the left of the falls as you're looking at it from the tourist's main view: Palouse Falls (pronounced "pah-loose," not "pay-loose") is such an awesome drop I can't imagine even a second person attempting it to survive. Unlike Olivia, who rolled over 180 degrees and landed smack on his top deck, Bradt entered in nose-first with his torso as close as he could get it onto his front deck, like a diver. The force was so great he slammed his back against the back deck of his boat and had the wind knocked out of him for about 90 seconds, but he survived with relatively no injuries.
I hope we don't see any more record descent attempts soon, for obvious reasons.
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If you dont like using the ATC you can try it with a figure 8. That might work.
Might work? NOT.
Please don't speculate to newbies if you're not sure. A fig-8 has significantly less friction than an in-line device. A fig-8 is designed more specifically for rappeling, which requires much less friction than catching a fall--especially that of someone on lead. While popular to belay with at one time (years ago after fig-8's were introduced), there have been accidents due to using fig-8's to belay lead climbers.
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Yes, the 75-year-old Everett Ruess story is an amazing one, and he was only very recently really found and positively identified. Billcoe, while this is a good version of the whole story available online, the original story including the fascinating research and first-hand finding is climber-author Dave Roberts', and appears in the current issue of Adventure. Unfortunately, the real, first-hand account does not appear in its entirity online, and is only readable presently in the printed mag. But Roberts' story is still worth it.
Regardless, this thread is about the missing climber John Rosholt. Four years later, still no word on him that I can find .
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Re. Chris Olson, I must have been typing too fast ( a.k.a. not comprehending). Thanks for looking, Mike.
FUCK... THIS... SHIT
in Oregon Cascades
Posted
Rocky Joe, judging by your post, I'm sure you'd learn a lot from the Mazamas. Most people who call themselves climbers know well that Mt. Hood is the most popular mountain to climb in the US, and the south side route can be a zoo during the main climbing season--all this ain't because of the Mazamas. It's been said on this site before that the May 31, 2002 Hood tragedy will be repeated due to the popularity of the Hogsback route by your average joe climber. My hat's off to the Mazamas for their education, and trips where they get folks out to other routes and places to climb we have in the NW.