billcoe

Nice job dudes! Always good to hear.

Possibly. Shuksan, do you have a real name?

Wow, first, I don't know why the West Face is closed. I think it might have started because of some climbing above the trail and went from there. A couple of those lines on that side have been done before. I bet we might have lots to agree with. I wonder if part of the separation some of us feel, might involve how to "work" (or not work) with the authorities going forward. My personal inclination (ie, the way I naturally am) is to avoid all contact with authorities. I want to be left alone. That tends to be a poor way to proceed generally, cause they can easily chop you off at the knees if you remain anonomys, but tend to be on your side or work with you if you look them in the eye occasionally, say hi, and work with them on what they want to achieve and address. At least that's what I've seen throughout my life in other situations. Might not apply here though. Using Smith Rocks as a model of what a State park can evolve into for climbers is an example. I (me) liked it better before all the rules, people, bridge and authorities showed up....but, it's not bad over there given the amount of people vs the amount of space. The state didn't just change that area in a vacumn, there was climber and park user input, and plenty of volenteers still are showing up for trail work and various discussion's and ideas that have turned it into what it is. I think everyone would agree that it's still a great place to climb despite all the changes and bird closures and other stuff. Beacon will never be Smith for a number of reasons. Overall it's a smaller area, it gets less stable weather, it has minimal easy routes and almost all routes need gear placements and a high skill level. But the question on how to proceed remains. If the game is "Deal" or "No deal". I think my natural tendencies of avoidance and not discussing may lead to a "No Deal" and just hoping things go our way could be the worse choice. For instance: I currently have a short section that I'd like to uncover the moss, dirt and loose rock on when it opens, and wonder if I should. What are the rules? How much moss and dirt is OK? Should I ask and do it, not ask and do it, or do what I'm thinking is the best choice now and just ignore the whole question and go elsewhere? I could ground up it with minimal disturbance and hope others show up and eventuall it gets cleaned off with mimimal loss of life. I've started up the thing twice solo and backed off cause it's so chossy, and had started some cleaning top down 1 time previously. Climbing with a belayer ground up like it currently is is out of the question as you'd most likely kill the person with loose rock. I would expect that climbing solo may wind up chopping the rope, assuming you don't kill some poor unsuspecting soul just walking on the trail. When cleaning top down, you can easily look around and see people coming on the trail and just stop knocking rocks off, climbing ground up....you're too busy with what's above you, like the loose rock and dirt, to see anyone walking below. Tsk Tsk Tsk: Whats a mother to do? I think like the folks who work there, we all love that place. Just being out there, by itself, really will warm my heart. At least 5-6 times this winter I've just gone out and sat on the ledge 15 feet up Boardwalk, hiked to the top via the trail or walked the south face base in the rain...........just cause it feels so...............right.

Ouch. BTW, I learned (not that painfully) that there is no reason to believe that even if your ropes hit the deck one year on any certain climb, that they will hit it the next. Ropes can get signifigantly shorter as they age. I had a Maxim shrink approx 20 feet one year as measured by 1 route. One year a single double rope rap was fine to do to get back on deck, like 2 feet short, next year, same exact rope was 10-12 feet short. I had started the lead assuring the 2 partners that that very rope reached the deck after one of them, wisely squinting at the distance, questioned if it would. As it was a route I'd FA'ed, they accepted my word on it. Fortunately - it was clearly seen that it was short before we got on it and I was only laughed at:-). DOHHH DOHHHH. Small price to pay, little humor and chance to work on the downclimbing skills. Glad you're still with us. Heal fast and well. A round for your health

Stewart, why not? There's some great stuff there. I believe the next gen would be cranking some of those amazing roofs. BTW, Gary Rall, Bob McMahon and I did a route 1/4 of the way up the east side called the Alan Lester Memorial Hiking Trail. There is one fixed pin on it which I slammed in to the eye - a Leeper about 30" up. Not all the routes over there need bolts. There does look like some ugly loose rock up high that could seriously bean somebody down low, but nobody goes there now. Bolts have their place, the NW face would be one such place IMO. I think there would be very few sport climbers, they are all headed another place I suspect......as you are aware. But thats me. I fondly remember the days when there were no rangers on site. Well, at least you didn't see anybody... like - ever. The overriding question and differences of opinion are how to proceed from here? It doesn't seem like that long ago when Dave, bob and I chunked some bolts into what we thought was a FA of a second direct pitch on Young WArriors only to learn 2 things. 1st) There was evidently some kind of climber committee already in place to approve fixed gear. (I wasn't on it or had even heard of it - DOOH!) I think that might have been one of the things Jim O had negotiated earlier but I really don't know that for a fact. Ask him about that. 2nd) That pitch had been done not long before without the bolts, there-by arousing the ire of the FA who proceeded to chop them! Leaving: The overriding question and differences of opinion are how to proceed from here? The West face looks sweet. I mean awesome crack lines (ignoring the poison oak). Unclimbed pretty much.

There are no stupid questions. I heard it was torn down. ................... Only stupid answers. See?

JF just dialed and I'm hooked up. Still like to get together if anyone needs a belay or a ropegun tomorrow call me.

Dude, you hanging out with Mazamas again? We need to get you on the one true path. It involves ropes.

Hi Mike: I will dial 1-800- rockhardclimberdude AND you will answer? What.? Sorry, don't have a number.

Mike or John, I'd like to hook up one day. Where would you be on Sat? Do you have a cell phone? Mines 503-869-5772 What do you think of doing the West face/North face (aid) of Monkee one day? I can do the crack part of those and you can do the bolt ladders to practice if you want. I'm flexable. Giant? Ivan? Take my cell number and call me.

I think I'm getting f*ucked into working on some rental houses in Redmond this weekend. Like to get a day free to do ANYTHING in Smith. I can probably follow 5.4 (Round river?) or lead hard 5.10 and most likely any aid route over there. Like to wander over, meet up 1 day, climb some routes and disapear. I'd by the beer first to achieve a "happy finish" though. I was thinking both the West face and North face of Monkey one day would be nice. Kunza would be the happy finish if you don't want beer. Anyone going to be over there and would allow some company - any term and conditions you lay out are fine with me.

Sorry - didn't see your rope. My cell phone # is 503-869-5772, maybe we can ring each other as opposed to wandering like lost Jews in the Desert for 40 years?

Didn't see you folks. Went bouldering on top and got a pump before the clock struck 7pm.

On a serious note, I agree with RumR here. Me too, spot on the money this far: but then he starts swearing, spitting, pissing and calling names online and I part company.

me I'll be good for a lap and a half anyway.

Yeah, expect that lots of people don't live and breath on the internet. I mentioned it to Ujahn (regular partner) like a week ago and he hadn't heard anything about it. Sooooooooooo, look for dimples on your friends racks, double checking your own as well might be a good idea. Look very carefully. I had counted 6 offsets in my house with dimples at one time but when I went to send them back I only found 5. I had a couple of pieces loaned out, neither recall or hybrids though. Theres a bad piece somewhere in my basement or under my bed or on a friends rack or??....? Things that make you go hmmmmmm..........

tonight?

Well, I might have been the only person to make that connection of a bunch of hunger strikers smelling a barbeque like odor.... ie: But hell yeah it's sad, and ironic as well. Things are getting worse in Nepal as well FAI.

Well, I might have been the only person to make that connection of a bunch of hunger strikers smelling a barbeque like odor.... But hell yeah it's sad. Things are getting worse in Nepal as well FAI.

Why sure you can. You calling Trask out or whats going on here Dru err...wet-spotter, errrr G-spotter.? I'm thinking of posting anomnomously as well. I've been brainstorming for some time and have come up with avatars of Wmcoe, WCoe, Bcoe and coeB. I think I need more work to assure anonymity though/

No, but I suspect that everybody here has already done your girlfriend and your mother at least once. They don't charge much either and have helpful promotional pricing as well. Whadda say about that?

Now you're talking! When I was a pup I use to take others gear just to get practice with excessive weight and see if I could still outclimb them. Great exercise when volentary. I'm sure your dad was appreciative, as I age I get a better understaning of this effect. Last time up Snake Dike, I let the pup I was with carry the rope and draws and he still outhiked me. All this talk of packs is getting me excited for more gear. I'm a gear whore, I'll confess. I happen to have an awesome wife who understands that and is quite the enabler: having bought me my last 2 or 3 packs. To those who see me with that ratty ol F*ed up Millet pack, well, I wouldn't want my new North Face or Kelty ripped off which I'm up on a route, so I leave that piece of shit at the base while the new ones languish in the basement. That Millets been up a lot of mountains with me, it would be lonely if I left it home alone.

Uhhh, Sorry Dude, now don't go stealing my lines. I've been using that one since last October. BTW, learning pre-climb warm up and tape ritual. Post climb ice and ibuprofen washed down with wine for relaxation effect.

We part company right there SIR. Chuck has a Napa version (Rutherford and another one too) which I like as well. I like all the Aussie yellowtails for everyday wines that are easy on the wallet and readily avail. Sometimes I'll trip over a French reds that rules and I'll buy a couple of cases and swill until they're gone, and then I cannot find it again or even remember what they were.

Well, thats a damn rude slap in the face Dru. So I'm an American. It's true. It's also true that we're lucky if we know where Kansas is (I don't know). Where is Scotland? Is that the little climbing area near the Gunks or that other one in S. dakota somewhere over by kansas I bet.