Off_White

Great TR, you tell a good story.

I got ya covered buddy. I've got an ice screw if you need one too

Try asking the question over in the British Columbia forum too.

Nice report on a little known route, it's worth following the link and checking out the photos. I've been curious where this route actually went.

Looks like a great trip Gary, and those luscious photos are a subtle rebuttal to the grief you've gotten elsewhere for offering digital photo advice. Sorry Jay, a good shot starts with the decisions made when the camera is in your hand, and post processing can only make up for so much.

I'm really sorry Fairweather, but someone has to say it. Why do you hate America?

That's splendid, mondo congratulations to you both! Got a name in mind, or is she just going to be BG for awhile? Don't sweat it, I know folks who took over a month to figure it out, and those kids turned out just fine.

Marty, if you're trying to feed your family on the income from an eastern washington guidebook then I figure you folks could give the Biafrans some serious competition.

Three more pitches, with the 10d crux coming on the last pitch.

Climb: Darrington - Comb Buttress -Desire Date of Climb: 7/15/2006 Trip Report: Having only a single day for the next two weeks, Steve (lurker) and I headed up to Darrington for some adventure on the Comb Buttress. With a little effort we found the start of the direct trail to the 3rd tooth of the Comb as mentioned in Whitelaw's Rattle and Slime cd-rom guidebook to Darrington. A pleasant walk through steep forest took us to the toe of the buttress. We scoped out various features, translating the guidebook into the real world. Be aware that there are a couple errors on the topos for this crag in the guide for both route numbering and individual buttress labelling. Spotting the first anchor and friendly angle of the first pitch for Desire on the 2nd Tooth, we scrambled to the base and roped up. Pitch One: 5.10b friction and knobs takes one up left of a corner until it's possible to traverse to the anchor. This pitch was pretty nice, but could use just a touch of scrubbing. The anchor was comprised of 3 quarter inch bolts - it would be nice to see two of them replaced with 3/8 and outfitted with chains. Note that the 5.8 variation to the right likely has 1/4" buttonhead bolts on thick chrome SMC hangers. Pitch Two: Ambling 5.8 face and knobs with well spaced bolts for a fairly short pitch. When you grab for the tree at the end of the pitch be aware that it's a hooked cedar tree that detaches the dirt & pine needle belay ledge when you ratchet out on it. Anchor is a pair of tat-clotted 3/8 stainless bolts and could use a pair of chains. One 60m rap from here takes you back to the base with a decent rope pull. Pitch Three: Bushwack up the trees to a large hollow flake. Bolts mixed with cams and nuts takes you up a combination of liebacks and face moves to a decent ledge. This pitch was a little licheny, and would benefit from a good scrub. You wouldn't really want to fall on the gear you place, the flakes are a little sketchy. The anchor was a choice between a very small cedar tree or a dirt filled clot of loose blocks, both with old tat. We backed up the tree with a nut and red tri-cam. Pitch Four: Step up and left and climb a dirt filled crack. There are just enough spots excavated to provide placements, and upside down thumb and finger opposition jams on the outer lip of the crack. From a decent ledge, either place in the wide grotty detached flake to your right or tie off a small cedar bush and grovel up the dead snag, brush, and cedar bush to pull onto a dirt ledge at the dead snag tree crotch. A bolt next to the totally filled crack provides a moment of security. This bolt had a sling around the base of a cedar bush to provide a bailout backup. Looking ahead, it was 30' up the somewhat steeper fully filled hand crack with five 2' high bushes until the next bolt and the beginning of the 5.10 face climbing. If this crack were completely gardened we'd have the Washington equivalent of the Harry Daley route on Glacier Point Apron or that 5.7 slab handcrack next to Shannon Falls in Squamish. In it's current state, coupled with white hot needles in my feet from wearing silly single pitch sport shoes, I was inspired to back up the back up sling and bail back to the prior belay. Booty note: I ditched the locking biner I've been meaning to retire on the bolt. Rapping off the small tree on the third pitch belay, we left a stopper in the crack and a back up sling, as well as recycling the bailout biner found at this anchor on the way up. Rapping off the second pitch anchor, we removed two pieces of tat and added a new backup, along with recycling the bailout biner found at that anchor to backup the single rap ring. All in all, we were impressed by the vast swaths of rock up there. With some attention, the route we were on would be the equal of some of the long routes on 3 O'Clock Rock. The approach was great. More people should climb at this crag. Blueberry Hill from the Comb Buttress West Face of the 3rd Tooth, with Annihilator (5.11+) taking the steep swath of black knobs up the water streak in the center. Gear Notes: Pitches 1, 3, and 4 took Gear to 4". Should have had a knife to cut out tat from anchors, 12" chains with quicklinks to upgrade anchors, and bolt kit to upgrade first anchor and establish a fixed anchor at the end of the 3rd pitch. Serious garden tools and the time and willingness to use them would transform the 4th pitch completely. Approach Notes: Park at the second left hand turnout after 3 O'Clock Rock. Walk back down the road approx 50 yards to a trail with small logs and a rock across the ditch. Head uphill on boot built track through steep open forest until trail ends at base of the Third Tooth of Comb Buttress. At least as easy as the trail to 3 O'Clock.

Kix's kids are way cuter than you, and would miss him more if he died. Who'd miss you? Sorry, but you're a distant second.

You probably talked them up to one person too many! No, no, I didn't follow you around and pilfer them, but I think you have convinced me to go buy my own. I agree it's flat out bizarre to have gear disappear in the backcountry.

Gerber/Sink on Dragontail. It'll be a long day car to car.

He was probably put off by your tights.

Yup, too wet today.

Dru said:

It's been raining off and on, I'll go scope the crag and post some info around 3:00

I believe we can all agree that the sum of Dru's various personalities will rack up roughly eleventy billion posts by the time he expires. No one, and I mean no one, will ever contest him for the crown of Post Queen. Consider it a compliment if you will.

DeC, have you ever called someone by name "you ignorant slut" and had them stare at you in a blank and offended manner? I know I have... Sort of like telling the uncomprehending that you were born a poor black child.

This just in.... WATCHING PAINT DRY FORCES WOMAN TO POST ON CASCADECLIMBERS!

Scared Silly, do you still think in original stopper sizes, with the half sizes thrown in? I know I still do, and a buddy still hordes his old half sizes and hardly dares use them for fear of having to bail with them. I think I left one of the original very early RP's on the south side of Johannesburg on an uncharted descent. It's about 80' off the snow somewhere on a logical down lead skiers left of a big waterfall. Sounds like a project for John Frieh and his old gear obsession.

If it's the trail hike, Harry's got it right, it's just a simple 15 mile or so jaunt down the Bridge Creek trail, pretty much downhill all the way. You could make it much more interesting of course: Over Easy Pass, down Fisher Creek, up onto the Douglas Glacier (or slabs below the glacier) of Logan, over the shoulder into the N Fork Bridge creek, and down to Bridge Creek that way, much more alpine and scenic. There are other alpine traverses around Black and Fisher Peaks, Silent Lakes, and Fisher Pass. The trail is sort of like tuna on white bread, but if you're looking for more info on it you might do better on nwhikers.net

Nice to get a report and pics on something that doesn't get much traffic. Thanks

Time will tell. I took my stepson out climbing at various times since he was 2-1/2 years old. He found it fun enough, but not a passion, until he wound up in college back east and decided he wanted to be a climber, not just go climbing now and then. You know, learn to lead and place pro and go climbing with all sorts of folks, not just the old man. We did a day of education at the Little Smoke Bluffs in Squamish (excellent place for it) and he was off and running. Now he's swinging leads in the alpine, doing the occasional trad FA with the wire brush in his teeth, ice climbing, dry tooling, and leading at the same level as me. You've just got to play the long game, make it as fun as possible, and not push, just provide opportunity. You've also got to be prepared to be perfectly happy if he chooses something else entirely. Last weekend near the start of the East Ridge of Forbidden

Here you go Toad, the tag has to end in .jpg for it to work Oooh, looks like she's adjusting her gaiter belt, how sexy!