billcoe

I'm going to need to start wearing a helmet there? My son and I did a lap last weekend up that one to finish the (early) day. Are you going to finish that route before Eli becomes an adult Joseph? Ben, I have a great place to show you for Eli and Archer to do laps. Remind me next time we see each other.

IMO The best routes out there are the pinnacles and Excalibur Tyler. There are a few ways to skin a cat and get to the top of either, but the easiest might be the Salathe Highway, which is only the tip of the Witch and is also the only gear route out there. It's both absurdly easy and breathtakingly scary at the same time. Think panic point on Monkey with gear and no bolts kind of feeling. You've done a lot of those kinds of routes yourself so I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. That pic above is Ben and Scott on that route. There's a couple ways to work your way up to that. You can sus it out from the pic up above. Have fun!

Nope. Your skill and wisdom is appreciated Buckaroo. Thank you. PS, I thought the original Buckaroo had a fairly good point, seemed like a strange place to put it but it makes ya think and in some ways I agree with him. That is all.

I suspect your kids will drag you out there sooner than that Bryan LOL. I climbed out there with my boy: good times. He was the one who named the route "Runaway Weasel". I suggested doing the excruciatingly easy looking slab to the right of Runaway Weasel and he suggested a name of "Prancing Unicorn". Everytime he'd say it it, which was a lot, it would crack him up in a spasm of laughter for a couple of solid min. I'm like, dude, PLEASE! So we never did it, but it would be a great line for lil kids to get on. The words you note in the guide were put down as we were putting up new lines, and might not be applicable today. I think 4-5 ascents should get these mostly cleared off and most of the routes have seen that already or are close I'd bet. I have not been there this year though. We generally tried to get the loose crap off first go round, usually on rappel as you say, and feel that we succeeded in getting most of it. Certainly bruised my heel so bad from slamming it onto knobs that I had to take some time off. Of course you can't get it all. The other problem is that I weight @ 158 now, most of the folks I know are in that range someplace too, and when someone like big Ben Priestly or Scott show up later to climb, they go over 200 lbs somewhere...and rocks come off that held for us lightweights. Scott Peterson got off route on the 3rd ascent of the Salathe Highway heading over to a bolt on the Bewitched route and popped off a toaster sized rock, but he went right back up not long after for another lap with Ben for the 4th ascent as seen in the pic I took of them below, and I don't think they had any issues. So that route must have had a handful more ascents and should be plenty good to go by now I'd suspect. (it's the only gear route out here) You can see both Mt Hood peeking over the hill and Timber Lake CCC (the bald spot just up and left of Ben who is in the orange shirt there). Sooner or later all the marginal rocks will be gone, a process which is probably far along by now, and what will be left is some great and unusual climbing in a spectacular setting. Some routes are dirtier than others as a result of being in predominant gullies where winter water will bring down dirt. I left some wisk brooms at the bases for folks to haul up and help clean dust off if needed. A couple of the routes were done ground up, and about as worthy of climbing as anything in the state. However, I was asked nicely by a great guy who turned me onto the place to not to do that kind of long natural gear routes which although would have possibly been some masterful tricky and interesting (to a minority of us) pro, would result in screwing over those who followed. He further asked me not to not get hung up on bolts at all (unlike some other places - I did apologize to you for that- So some of these routes have way too much bolting already by my standards: but it's everyones place and if anyone wants to add any, just talk it over with the active climbers out there and do it. The routes done later in time had more bolts. One of Oregons old masters, known for no bolts and badassed high standard free crack climbs back in the day, suggested that more bolts were needed. So it was noted and done that way. That's just the way it shook out. I tried to do the right thing for those who follow and make no apologies. Again, if anyone wants to add any for any reason, talk it over with whomever the current monkeys are and do it. Simple. No confrontations or stress. I pulled this recent post from Mt Project and think it's about right on the money.

I see lots of facts Dave. Sweet irony:-) BTW, if anyone gives a rats ass on my thoughts, I'm fine with removing the convenience belay bolts on Blownout. Until then, of course I'll keep clipping them :-)

Hah hah! Make my point! It's back in force....

It sure seemed that was the exact case for Alex Lowe. By all accounts the guy was a training machine...never let up. He out trained and then out climbed about everyone. http://www.activelifestyle.info/index.php/link/article/10284/c/3008/Alex_Lowe_His_Legend_Lives_On This pic of Lowe in basecamp by Conrad Anker says the story quite well. John Bachar did the same thing. Out worked and out trained everyone. He quested for the science of training as it applied to his game, invented the Bachar ladder, initiated boxing in camp, trained on rest days and climbing days, did pullups and workouts all the time and then simply outclimbed everyone. Bachars training journals: http://www.garagegymtraining.com/2011/04/john-bachar-training-journal.html Yaniro, Croft, John Gill, Wolfgang Gullich, Uli Steck: same deal for all of them. http://www.climber.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=303 Steck trained for 3 years, included a lot of climbing as training, for his record speed ascents of the 3 great N faces. I thought that it was interesting that he monitored his heart rate on his speed climbs to hit his numbers and max his performance. Interviewer Q "How much did you push yourself physically when climbing?" Uli answer "I "raced" with a pulse monitor and constantly checked that I was working at the optimal cardiac frequency. I always do this to make sure I don't overdo things and work up lactic acid."

Than as you know had you bothered to have read a single jbot post, you need to start out with a personal attack on the "regressive loon" or regressive shill" you are replying too. Man, wheres the kid when these important lessons need to be handed out?

LOL, Scott, I wasn't trolling I swear! I make this shit up, I don't know - I was just tossing it out ....LOL!!!!! and that's a cartoon pic of what I suspect he looks like, not an actual representation of a "sack of fuck"... ROTFLMAO, he's too chicken shit to let anyone know his real name or picture. Probably doesn't even climb, all he does around here is argue politics. Funny stuff..."sack of fuck" heh heh..! Jbot should use that as his sig line!

I took 200-300 hornet stings rapping a new line @ 2 years back. Didn't look like that:-) BTW, not bees, wasps. Anyway, it gives you that favored "bad boy" look, you know, like you tried to cheap out on a prostitute and she smacked ya. Glad you are OK. Kill all those son of a bitches (hornets) every time you see them is my view. Otherwise, they'll get you at some point. You look allergic. I don't think it's an either-or thing, as much as it's a continuum....some folks are more allergic than others. The first 10-15 min are the times to watch out and keep that Epi pen handy, had you needed to head back to the car, think about taking a break and not continuing until you have sorted out how bad it's going to be. That is, after you are clear of the danger, sit down and see what will happen, keep the epi pen handy and stay closer, not further, from the car. But I don't even play a first responder on TV or nothing. But that's my thoughts. I get out with all kinds of strange medical issue folks, all I ask is honesty in advance, and I know you give it.

He must have quit his government job that allowed all that free time to post those important things here and become gainfully employed in some real job one possibility I can think off.... ...of course, there are many other possibilities:

Old news, Jon posted this to spray much earlier. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1030005/Re_Goat_in_need_of_lawyer#Post1030005

I'd figured that they were even lighter than Bros, so thanks for that heads up. The Raccoon has left the building.

Well, although I find it a refreshing change from your former "this is all Bush's fault"...but it's still not all Obamas fault. I'd give both of them blame for digging a deep financial hole. __________________________________________________________ If you check, you'll see that they didn't really do anything of substance. Still going in the shithole, if just slightly slowed it down, you will be paying a significant amount of interest on just the interest and the slide continues for the country. A quick check of what the TARP money did would quickly abuse you of any notion that government spending is better than government spending within their means. Look at other countries...say, compare Greece to Switzerland or Germany to see what works and what doesn't.

I wish I had something to share about Lyme, but a few things: I wish you luck on a positive outcome. Really hope you can share your journey and experiences here Tyler, it will add to the knowledge base. Ticks are one of our hobbies more common issues, and even if Lyme is not that common now, tomorrow we might all be hit and could use what you learn to help us or a buddy out when he's bit by a radioactive spider. I suppose that it's all a matter of time till we all check out, the journey is what is important. Regards to all and once again, get well soon.

Looks like big bros just got obsoleted Rudy, thanks for the heads up.

Hah hah! Sweet! ...When Chad mentioned 2 guys on ATV's doing all this I was dubious, that would be a MASSIVE amount of work for just 2 guys, and old ones at that. How do you keep the Ivy from growing back, or is that a trade secret? How long have you guys been working at this? I don't know, but I can say that the tradition is that climbers don't add bolts where they did not exist previously without buyin from everyone first. Historically there has been no anchors on that end as they are not needed there as you can set them up easily with gear. Every once in a while some show up and get chopped. The exception is the bolt anchors/rusty chains on Wisdom Tooth which have been there for years, but still no one climbs that superb route despite having a chain anchor and being easily accessed right next to Birds. You can do a search here on this issue. In fact, do a search for "lil Dawg" if you think everyone thinks like you...should lead to a lot of contentious posts. I think we had an earlier 26 page argument over some kind of similar issue that was never resolved. People don't change their opinions it seems:-) And that's just the folks who post online, probably a lot of people don't even touch a computer but still have strong views on the subject. The most interesting argument I've heard AGAINST bolted anchors was back when I was asking around to see if it would be OK to put a set in on the top of the magnificent route called Crack Warrior, where none had been before. There had been a large fir tree that had been a perfect anchor on top which blew over one winter and took a few years to rot away to nothingness. I went up there with 2 CC.comers to climb it (Crackman and someone else) telling them how awesome the line was etc etc. the belay tree had all but disappeared! I mean, all but a bit of rotting substance on the ground which indicated a tree had been there at one point. Smears for Fears located right there has always had some shitty assed steel chains although you could use this old tree then as well, but those don't work at all for Crack Warrior. It hadn't seemed like it had been that long since I'd been on that route....but it obviously was. So every time I'd go out that way I'd ask folks what they thought of the idea of putting in a set of chains there. Posted the same ? to CC too. Folks were pretty receptive as I told the story till one day I asked 3 guys who just blew up at me. In the emotional tirade that followed, I learned 2 things: 1st) The big one which stuck with me was they said that having bolts/bolt anchors by the cliff edge was causing most of the accidents up there. I'd never really thought of it before. The things attracted noobs they said, and no matter the skill set, anyone near the slick cliff edge was at risk of slipping and pitching off. I have since seen that is true....like over and over. People go right to the edge unroped and the result if often a bloody mess and a fire dept call out. Almost all of the call outs are where the bolted areas are. Having a bunch of Fire and rescue calls to the same place to rescue one climber after another (or haul them out in a body bag) is not productive to keeping access open for us long term. Climbers who set up a gear anchor always start by tieing themselves off to a big fir before they get near the edge, then build an anchor and incorporate the backup rope off the fir. SIGNIFICANTLY safer. Folks clipping bolts most often just reach right out with 2 draws expecting everything to hold and don't worry cause that stuff is thoroughly and constantly checked for them in the gym so they don't need to think about it. Anyway, the 2nd thing I learned, after quite sometime of getting yammered at, is that they didn't know where Crack warrior was, had never climbed it. They calmed down after a while as I repeated a few times I was only soliciting opinions, but they'd started out pretty pissed. Some photos. Smears for Fears chains with the rotten remains of that once stout Doug Fir. I figured you can back them up from the new Warrior anchor. I think I got rid of most of the rot when I cleaned up there. This is half way into cleaning it off. New chains on Crack Warrior and Lil Dawg close up, (they might be 2 years old by now, new is relative) you can see a lil Piggyback plant in the crack from lack of use LOL. I think that any replacements should be using beefy and quality materials which good longevity. These are 1/2 x 7" with corresponding SS chain. The location is sort of hidden too, you have to sniff around to get here. The sawn off tree by the cliff is the turn to get on the path. What the approach looks like. I've cleaned the crap out of this, swept the rock off with a broom. Added one here or there at a few other spots as well, this is Livewire on Video. This is a traditional rap point. Getting to the base is a bitch and this rap is pretty good. Saw a kid clip in and step out so that the pull was straight out (instead of down) my heart was in my throat watching this. Came back and put this ICC rated 1/2 X 7" stainless wedge anchor with SS chain in to back it up. Later, fella who posts as Lodestone here (Chad) contacted me via PM to see if I would replace the chains on top of Video Bluff. I went out to look at it, hauled my crap along, and Chad was also out there, he heard the noise and came on over and said hi. I had thought that it was impossible to pull out a 3/8" steel wedge anchor without destroying the rock but Chad managed to get one out and prove otherwise. I handed him the drill and we made it a 1/2" hole and banged in the replacements. Since I met him, we've been getting in some pretty good climbs together. One of those sets has since got jacked, the pretty (and expensive) Fixe stainless chains, which is strange as the studs were not disturbed but we'd red loctited them on. Chad noticed it on the TV news report when that Swiss guy died at that spot and let me know. I replaced those with just regular chains. Chad had replaced either the hangers or the bolts (as needed, some of the bolts were crap) on that 5.11 slab on Silver Bullet. If anyone wants to do something REAL constructive out there, go clean off the top of Stiff Fingers till you get to bare rock. I just noticed that all that dirt and crap on top keeps sloughing off with the rain and runs all over Vertical Therapy making it perpetually dirty. Finish getting rid of the poison oak too, these guys pulling the English ivy would dig that.

I'm good for the Playboys, Maxims and Penthouses. Good on you for recycling Matt!

Not as far as Ollie lake, (which is awesome) much closer to PDX. In fact, the drive to Bagby hot springs is maybe another 20 some odd miles further down the road from the Coethedral turnoff. Lots of Portland folks day trip to Bagby as it's so awesome and unique, great spot to finish out a day after climbing yer ass off here as you can get a free hot springs soak in an old growth tree about the time everyone is clearing out of Bagby at the end of the day. As far as a guidebook, Mountain Project is it for now. It needs @ 150 more routes, and they'll come. Tim will put them in his next book, so please let him know if you do one or more. Tims site: http://www.portlandrockclimbs.com/portland-rock-climbs. The standard pro as Chad mentions is the longer 1/2" stainless steel wedge anchors, and I can sell anyone those for $3.00 each and you can get hangers from Fixe for about the same $ although right now they are having a special where you can buy 100 of the 1/2" - 13mm) hangers for $240. Stainless! Woot! Everything up there is stainless. http://www.fixeusa.com/sale.htm If anyone wants to add bolts to existing routes, that's cool but you might as well go with the cheaper 3/8" if you are just filling a spot between 2 of the existing 1/2 inchers. Right now it looks like this: Getting There (just printing these off and following them will easily get you there, it's easy) From Portland, take I-205 to highway 224 towards Estacada. Go 22 miles past Estacada's only traffic signal, past mile marker 45 and make a right turn just BEFORE the road crosses a green bridge. From this turn, parking for the crag is just over 10 miles. After turning, in a city block or 2 you will immediately pass two turn-offs for Indian Henry state park; camping on the left and hiker parking on the right. They're well marked with Forest Service signage, currently the campground is closed. Keep straight. Go past milepost 2.5 where you will see an old beaver pond on the right. Good place to stop and pee, let the dog get soaking wet:-) From here you are about a mile, as the crow flies, from the cliff. By car, you still have another 7.5 miles to go. The paved road will turn to gravel, stay right at all forks in the road staying on the better/more obvious road. This will keep you following National Highway development road #4620 (also called The Sandstone road) until it turns into road # 4622. If you prepared you've printed out the google map for this area, but it's easy anyway. After 10 miles you will see a "road closed" sign on on a gate the right. If you miss this, the road ends within a mile, so you won't miss it for long LOL. The Forest service created a berm by the gate. Park and hike down the closed forest road until you come to a slash-pile and a view of the crag to the north. Chad has flagged it with orange tape, so follow that, but the directions, in the event someone pulls the tape, are hike into the woods towards the crag. Follow the crest of the ridge until the trail turns left and downhill continuing to the base. Go to this site, http://mapper.acme.com/ and copy and paste this into the find box in the lower right corner, N 45.07791 W 122.09965 you'll be right at the base. (upper right corner gives you buttons to switch from topo, satellite photo, road map etc etc. Left side zooms. Close up overview sketch: We seem to be lacking in any big cliffs in Oregon that resemble anything worth climbing on. Well, the Matterhorn still hasn't seen a 2nd ascent, longest rock route in the state, but I mean generally. Love to see folks get stoked on this spot. It's really pretty amazing. Close up of Adam (bit of a badass and totally fun to be with cause of his go for it attitude) seen here on the 2nd ascent of "The Salathe Highway". Same route Ben Priestly and Scott Peterson are on below but different spot. This is the only gear route out there, we all think that a big bro should fit in between the 2 pinnacles, but it just can't seem to find a good spot to stick. You don't really need it, in fact, it's nice to have it weight that runner and keep the runner fixed on the pinnacle as it's a great piece: that's why it's hanging there for Adam. I had 2 others and just dropped them via hanging them off a knob on the main wall thinking that the route would be going to the right (of Adam in this pic). (it surprisingly went left, very classic climbing and significantly easier than it appeared) ps, I think that the note in Chads pic "extra weight stuff in friends pack" might be one of my tricks (bad habits)...heh heh!

Hi Drederek: more info here: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/coethedral/106865073 Some sweet climbing. Routes go up to @400 feet high. All routes currently anywhere-anypitch you can get down with a single 60 meter rope. I had heard from someone I don't know that there are some new long routes behind the pinnacles on the main walls, but forgot to ask Chad about this. It climbs nicer than it looks. From the pictures it looks like shit...LOL! Here's Adam Winslow (CC.com sprayer name King Beatard) on the FA of the route Chad mentions "Excalibur". He's @ 100' up here, with another 100' to go to finish the pitch. Above this pitch there are 2 or 3 ways to keep going if one chooses although there may be more now. Kyle Silverman snapped this photo from the rappel point Chad mentions. I think that there are some better pictures. Search CC.com for Cathedral or Coethedral. CHAD! DUDE, AWESOME TRIP REPORT. (more pics needed LOL) THANKS. Chad's other community service was he also flagged the trail for folks so it's easier to find and stay on to get to the base. Sounds like a lot of downfall over the winter though. Sounds like it might need some sportin' wood hot chain saw action.

Big time good Karma points Eric. Thanks for the TR Off! How high are these rocks?

Sweet send! Thanks for sharing it!

Kind of refreshing....

I suggest that if anyone catches up to the prosecutor do NOT buy him a beer and then explain your displeasure. Just treating him like some of the dickheads around here that post mean stuff in spray should be far too much. The former alleged attempted murderer appears to be locked up yet for a bit.

Thanks Doug, to me, the buck on this misstep stops with McCain.