billcoe
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Posts posted by billcoe
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Thanks and good luck!
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Somewhere in a 5 day timeframe you are saying a climber might have dislodged a rock? At the very tail end of the climbing season where there are a bunch of folks out there trying to get a last lap in? Not likely but it could have occurred I suppose a rock had already fallen half way off, landed on a route and was teetering. Start of the season there is always fresh rockfall here or there on the climbing routes that might get knocked off. End of the year, not so much at all for man made rockfall.
There are 3 fresh and very huge recent rockfalls (multiple rocks) on the East Face from @ the last month where no climber or human ever treads. The rocks rolled all the way down from near the very top to the hiking trail on 2 of the falls, big stuff. All natural rockfall. Maybe it's just that time of the year that the natural rockfall occurs more frequently. Rocks fall off all the time, rarely off the climbing routes and rarely due to an active climber. (I've done a bunch of pre-openings where the park and Railroad folks co-ordinate us tossing rocks off before any climbers show up to help minimize those kinds of issues)
Those times they do encounter it, climbers try not to knock off the loose stuff as they never know who is below you that you might kill. Thats why when rocks fall off from up high and land on ledges that climbers frequent, you'll often see loose rocks towards the cliff where they cannot be accidentally dislodged, climbers push they away from the edge. Climbers I know will only toss rocks there if they feel that not doing so will most likely cause an unplanned rockfall later that might do more damage. For example, if a rock is about ready to peel off, and it picks it's time, it might kill a couple hikers and hit the RR 10 seconds before the next train (a train full of 90 percent liquid sodium hydrochloride roaring towards PDX 20 feet from the river for instance). So in that instance I could see a climber nudging it after the train has cleared the area.
You can see the fresh rocks that came off on there own on the East (not the RR side) side still, although climbers and hikers have been moving them back off the trail.
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Wish you well on your quest. Not germaine to the conversation, but noticing your user name I have to ask - are you any relation to Dan Graff (from Ellensberg I think)? Expert skiier, I did some climbing and getting out with him in the 70's: good dude. Good times.
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It's nice to see that Judges are still about justice. Congrats Ivan, but I suspect that tomorrow the bad actor Rangers at Beacon Rock will be picking on someone else for something equally dumb. I keep hearing these stories, and the judge tossing out these stupid tickets. Yet it appears that it in no way slows them down. It's probably about time we started getting political and get some of these bad actors, like Vivian and whomever the new guy who's suppose to be worse than she is, who consider their "work" at Beacon Rock to be harassment of ordinary citizens for the slightest provocation, fired. Park workers shouldn't be so acrimonious.
Karl the head ranger is a good park steward and good person but doesn't seem to ride herd on the rest too well it appears. We repeatedly see and hear of these other screwballs dealing poorly with good people and doing stupid things. We pay for that more than just their salaries, as your court case which was tossed out demonstrates. It's the kind of stupidity that usually leads to million dollar lawsuits that the taxpayers get stuck with while these knuckleheads keep their jobs and keep acting poorly. It would be nice if Erik Plunkett the former head ranger would come back as he was so good at the job and so fair in his dealings with park users. To Erik, a criminal was someone breaking into a car, not a normal park user who got back to their car 10 min late or didn't hear her and didn't run over to Vivian to give up their cell phone on her alleged mumbled order. Erik helped keep workers like Vivian in check and elevated everyone else's professionalism: but sadly I don't think he'll give up his (well earned) promotion to come back and help out.
Erik and I were once standing on the East trail talking, and he noted that the overhang on the East Face was closed. Having taken refuge there once during a heavy sudden spring rain, I didn't know this and was surprised. I asked him why there wasn't a sign indicating such. He shook his head and said: "if we put in too many signs and pretty soon nobody is paying attention to any of them and it's just not the way a park should be". He pointed out that it was a rare time that anyone ever went up there anyway. He had only ever seen one guy up there, a local Native lad, and he had walked up and had a nice conversation which included kindly letting the kid know of the closure. He indicated that the conversation was respectful both ways, and he said he learned a lot as well.
There was a guy who knew what the parks mission was and why we have parks.
[/shakes head, ends rant]
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Darn. Sold already.
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I'd email Oregon Mountain Community and ask what they have. They have a pretty good selection (not saying that they have all the boots you list) and had this deal where they would match an internet price. I walked in to get my TC Pro rock shoes there and they sold them to me for less money that I expected: and that was the reason they said. Told me they were matching some internet price. It's worth a few extra bucks to support local folks IMO, and sizing a boot may take a while and you want it right. No sense saving a couple bucks buying off the net and having shipping issues and getting blisters on your heels when you are climbing.
But that's me.
They have an 11 and 13 Weisshorn GTX on sale for $369 right now. http://www.omcgear.com/lowa-weisshorn-gtx-boot-men-s.html
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Valley Uprising is the new Sender Films movie of the climbing in Yosemite Valley back when. http://www.senderfilms.com/dvds-downloads.php
I'll bring the beer and we'll all show up to watch the movie, nosh popcorn and piss off Geoffs magnificent deck! Woot! ps, not me yet Geoff. I did kickstarter or prefund the Fred Padilla video to DVD conversion of El Cap, you can borrow that anytime you wish.
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I have them on Mt Project but thought someone I know might want them. I'm in PDX.
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/black-diamond-raptor-crampon-new-70/109971280#a_109973085
Email me direct at billcoe@gmail.com and post an "I'll take it" here or there.
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nice n' dry then?
No, didn't say that. It was better than sometimes. I figure you'll do a cordless lap so let me sus it out some for you. I don't want you to have false info.
1st pitch, minimal wet spots low easily avoided, traverse moss was wet of course.
2nd pitch - perfect. Mostly in the sun for us @ 1pm ish I'd guess.
3rd - 1st and 2nd steps the crack only is wet, but the face to the left is dry.
4th - the stairway steps below the chimney were running water. Chimney dry.
Uprising pitch and walk off were great. We belayed the walk off (never done that before) just to make getting off safe cause the wind was ramping up. Once we got moving it was good, getting off the ground was the typical contest of wills between the warm car back in the parking lot or the wind and cold above. I suspect you've freesoloed it in worse, I remember blowing it off last month (last month?) to go hiking and seeing you in the parking lot and it was better than that yesterday - but I didn't say it was dry. They are calling for dry and gusts to 37 mph today, so if the wind direction is the same it will be slightly less wind and as theres been no rain slightly drier too.
Have fun, dress warm.
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What a great day. Great day! Played hookey from work to get a lap with JT. Great company.
The weather was not predicted to be the best with 40degree temps and steady 20-30 MPH winds with up to 40 MPH gusts, but a couple of layers of coats seemed to blunt it a tad and it worked out. The windiest spot was the uprising top out and the weather man called it on the money at 40MPH we thought. Pretty much had it to ourselves as Adam and Timetraveler rapped off to get a stick in the eye attended to in the clinic (torn cornea, should heal up). We heard that the kids who started to follow us bailed off after the first pitch. At least, thats the report we heard from a boat ramp report -bless cell phones:-).
BTW, kids, that sling and 2 biners that were left behind after the traverse were only cause we're old and decrepit and someone *cough* cough * spaced out and forgot them. In our day, that was ALWAYS called "bootie". Small price to pay for such an excellent day climbing. And since you missed the climbing, the gear is a consolation prize for you all. So congrats, shits essentially brand new and totally yours now- no worries and enjoy.
Figured Ivan would show, but he might have been caught in traffic as they were doing work on uphill rock cliff by Cape Horn on the SR14 road that necessitated hour long closures...in fact, I think we hit only 50 min of it and were glad to listen to the oldies I'd uploaded on the Iphone whilst the day warmed up to the eventual high of 42 degrees or so.
2 massive shoulder surgeries back to back in the last year, close to healed now - nice to not whining about the pain now ...... too much:-) Just nice to get out in (somewhat) decent weather with decent company again before it gets closed.
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True dat Ivan. Plaidman? Right Gull?
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Found Red Water Bottle at base of North side of Beacon. Tell me the graphic on it and it's your's.
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Lots of sweet options will be available to the lad. Good job dad. Congrats to you both Rudy!
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The other fatality of the midair plane collision was Captain Thomas Weiss of Roseburg.
Tyler's aeronautical videos posted as "Chosstronaut"
https://www.youtube.com/user/chosstronaut
7 more secret CC.com avatars also gone. I knew of a few. There was "The Ospray" where he pretended to be a very experienced big wall climber who had climbed El Cap many times. Alpine glower, who he pretended to have just moved back here from Illinois but he pretended that he had already climbed all those new routes in the Sweet Home area and not gotten FA attribution for was another. Then there was Cordroy Man, Tyler pretending to be a newbie climber was the most polite and gracious of the lot and hard not to like (for a pretend person). jack herer and Pass the Chongo Chongo were a couple of his pretend people on Supertopo. I heard that he had 7 pretend people he played on Cascade Climbers, but I only know these for sure. Guess we'll never know all of the pretend people he played now.
None of us know how long any of us have left on the clock although I would have believed I'd have much less than Tyler. A reminder for all of us to treat others with kindness and generosity: and to live each moment well, for all too soon, this will end.
Regards to all, and thanks for the heads up Wayne.
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Jeff Thomas asked me to post this up for him:
"Hey Tyler thanks for trying and occasionally succeeding in getting this old goat back on the rocks. You were the only 20 something that actually cared what the 60 and 70 somethings had done and had to say about it, and yes, you even sometimes listened to us. FIP - fly in peace - and RIP - rebolt in peace. Jeff Thomas"
Photo title: Tyler Adams and Pat Callis on the summit of the Hen, Menagerie 2013
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Yup, Steves got it, route goes fine that way and in fact that's the way the route use to go in the early 70's. Trend left and up, right up under that roof was a bolt or 2 for belaying 5.6. Next lead stepped right onto the slab and up the dihedral crack. Jim cleaned out the slab so you don't have to stay in the corner. You'd leave snag ledge, traverse and climb the crux @20 up to that belay to the anchors in one 40M pitch. I went out with JT last year and lapped it that way to get a bootie cam (unable to pull it) and it's still good to go with one exception (PAY ATTENTION IVAN). Where the bootie cam was looks like it might be a bit of an expanding flake. I was thinking that a 3/4" angle hammered in there would flex it and the cam would pop out. Both Jeff and I were concerned that it might pop the whole flake off, Measures @ 1-1/2 feet x 6-9" thick. Looks like a nice crack for pro, but I think it's an illusion. So we passed on doing the work and left the cam. Might be a great fixed piece for beginners.
Per JT the route, when first done, was led off the ledge we all know and love. Don't know when the lil 1/4 bolts were put in, probably soon afterwards. I think Jim cleaned the current version out and put in the anchor currently there on the ledge. It's a heck of a lot better now, but ask him about that. Anyway, instead of going up and over, just keep to the leftish @ 8-10 feet more, then step right onto the slab. Once you figure out the moves it's gonna seem simple, but if you get your sequence screwed up it's gonna seem a lot harder. The flake is entirely avoidable I believe from poor memory. The pro isn't as good either but you can make it work.
My rotator cuff surgery repair is coming along...slowly. I hope to get my first corner lap in this year @ late October in what will be poorly remembered, if at all, as the season of supreme suckage.
xoxo
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Graham didn't want to sell me one of his lightweight woman's panty weight thong-style packs when I told him what I was going to do with it. He came up with the Hauly, an amazing beast instead, which I have not been able to kill yet, despite trying very hard by dragging it over too many rough rock for years: The wall pack, sets up to haul in a few seconds, carry's all kinds of weight. Backpacking in the Wallows I wound up having 4-5 days worth of crap in it -full, and then strapping my wifes pack onto the top (aka same as a rope would be strapped on). God he makes great product. You won't be able to put a crampon point into this easily if at all.
http://www.cilogear.com/65lwallpack.html
In that picture above, when I dumped it out, this is what was in there (except for the pry bar). That's a 10lb drill barely visible under the pile in the back
Another time I had all my gear and 5 full sized m10 x 60 meter ropes in or strapped on it. (50plus lbs of rope alone, the pack weight a tick over 80 lbs when I got home). It was still comfortable even though just standing upright from a boulder stop to catch a breather was a total bitch cause I'm a lightweight of sorts.
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Looks like that might be a game changer.... Thanks for that post and the heads up Dane.
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Wow! Heads up and sharing here. Tim Olsen has started to put some of the more recent climbing area on the web as E-guidebooks and the stuff rocks. If you haven't been checking this stuff out and perving on it while at work, here's the link. http://www.portlandrockclimbs.com/ebooks
There's no charge right now but you may need a reader depending on how old your computer is. There are several format choices, if you use Mozilla Firefox they have an E-book extension you can download so that when you click on the link to an area it just loads as a viewable book seamlessly. I think that getting it to work with your smartphone and taking that is the wave of the future.
What he has so far:
Rock Climbing Ebooks
The Rat Cave
French's Dome
Salmon River Slab
Coethedral
Jimmy Cliff
Rooster Rock
Scrambling Ebooks
Angora Peak
Little Angora
Elephant Rock
Bouldering Ebooks
Orchard Cluster
Larch Mtn
BOGB
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Thread revival!
Waiting for my boy to wake up surfing the net. He's insisted I do climb something with him before my physical therapy this afternoon. Then he sleeps in. Beacons closed and everything is wet. Looks like an ascent of Ujahns garage wall via the keggerator variation might please and be the only thing available.
Ivan, did you ever climb anything with Tyler? (The Osprey). That dude was running like 5 or 6 different avatars and then just checked out.
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Hey, GGK, while you're worried about how offensive Vlad is to ya, what have you done to roll back the world's most sophisticated and invasive surveillance state in history right here in the good ole U S of A?This was established already after 1917 soviet revolution, so if you are so worried about NSA, you should thank vladimir for breaking the trail and showing NSA how it's done. So by this way of thinking even one more reason to remove this mother fucker. BTW, this continues to this day, by installing cameras in hotel rooms and even bathrooms in Sochi, so GRU can spy on visiting foreigners.
BTW, by your mentality why not built a monument to bin laden in NYC?
Yes, this syphilitic mother fucker is offensive, as a large part of my family was deported in 1939 to Kazakhstan, and my grandfather spent several years in prison .
Yeah, and my peeps were persecuted by the English, but you don't see me wasting my time burnin' effigies of Oliver Cromwell. I wasn't there. Neither were you.We only have the present and the future. The past is gone. Trying to make right what cannot be made right is an impossibility - and the revenge such a mentality often calls for is a formula for perpetuated human misery. Look forward, Angel. Plenty of shit to do right now to try to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again. There are things that piss you off, sure, but then again there are things that constitute very real threats to a free society - the one we supposedly live in right now. Insults and Threats are two very different things. One chooses to be insulted. You choose to be insulted by Lenin. Many do not. Same damn statue.
One does not chose to be threatened. That's the end of the playing field where the most action is needed. I can provide some specific actions you can take, today, that will substantively help prevent totalitarianism from growing right here at home.
Trash, I applaud your efforts to keep this country free from extraordinary government intrusiveness, however, a touch of sensitivity should be a consideration. Should a black person be angry if the town council of Atlanta erected a statue of a white pointy hat wearing Grand Dragon on a beautiful white horse in the town square? "Hey, it's art" you'll tell them, and that's in the past. Brush it off, the past is gone." Or a statue of Hitler erected on the South Lebanese border looking south into Israel? "Hey, youse Joos can just choose to not be threatened, that's the past."
That's not the way it works. The fact is Trash, you can be insensitive and glib because that shit didn't directly hit you. We should be considerate and sensitive to those far too many who were not so lucky or blessed as we were to not get the raw shaft they did. Regards to you and yours Bob. The past is NOT gone to be forgotten. Never forgive. Never forget.
Never.
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Tim has 6 gorge cams all lined up on his site, some have current weather noted. Awesome idea, check it out and bookmark it for 1 click ice pervin: http://www.portlandrockclimbs.com/webcams-col-gorge
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To the young dudes climbing yesterday in the rain at Beacon. I grabbed your bail gear for you, email me for it: Billcoe@gmail.com. I was the old dude with the umbrella that passed you on the trail to the base in the deluge.
Lost White Prior Splitboard off Hogsback on Hood
in Climber's Board
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Double check with Timberline Lost and found? Good luck!