billcoe

My mom made a comment about Grandma sewing Quantrills black shirts. So I thought I'd check in and update my civil war knowledge. The Civil War (do I underline or quotation, confused) by Shelby Foote was excellent. Spoiler alert, the South loses. However, they do so in magnificent fashion. This is an excellent book and the writing is enough to make any history hater enjoy learning what occurred. I'd give it 5 stars except it doesn't even mention the battle Great grandfather was in (the Battle of Goods Farm) when he took a Reb bullet. Yeah, my ancestors fought both sides and the border war as well. Grandpa was a Pennsylvanian volunteer of the 42nd regiment, the Bucktails. The book is a great read, but my main criticism is that joe average is barely more than a small statistic which was the way it was I suppose: regardless........ That led me to Black Flag: Guerrilla Warfare Western Border 1861-1865 which focus's more on the terrible Kansas/Missouri border war. You can read this book or watch Clint in The Outlaw Josey Wales to get a feel for what a Jayhawker, a Red Legs or Bushwacker's are. Basically it's horror story after horror story starting with John Brown and his band of abolitionists all but going door to door and murdering pro-slavery men in their front yards in 1856 and it goes from bad to worse from there. Just when you don't think it can get worse it does. Much of it recounted first hand by the victims. Neither side gave any quarter, and the stuff we read ISIS is doing often seems laughably weak in comparison. Probably best to stay away from this otherwise solid work unless you want to wind up totally hating those fu(!$^ng G###da&&&ed low life Jayhawking Yankees and buying a rebel flag for your pickup truck window. If you have a bad opinion of Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson then maybe this is a book you should pick up and read. It's been said that some of the worse college sports team rivalrys to this very day are between Kansas and Missouri. I can see why. Lastly: The Battle of The Crater by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. I'd wanted to read their work "One Second After" but this was on sale cheap and that wasn't. They write well, but pass on this if you dislike disappointing stories. This is how the assholes in charge could screw up a wet dream. The Northern soldiers, hard rock and anthracite coal miners from Pennsylvania had all but locked this battle up with a brilliant plan to blow the hell out of a key southern fort after tunneling under it. The Civil War would literally be all but over except for some mopping up. The miners should have seen the writing on the wall right off when they only got a portion of the explosives and material they needed and requested. The attack was to be led by a black regiment that had gone through weeks of extensive and brutal training. It would be their first battle of the Civil War. They were psyched, trained, tooled up and were unquestionably going to kick Reb ass when on the very eve of battle Gen. Meade (they named a fort that is headquarters for the NSA) forced a change in plans for whatever reason. The trained troops would be last in if at all. !!!!!XXXX????? Decided to send in untrained, unmotivated white veterans of many battles. Bad bad idea. The death, destruction and horror of that order will all but turn a strong mans stomach. The movie Cold Mountain-Battle of the Crater has a great visual shot of what the explosion must have looked like. Spoiler alert, the Yankees light the fuse @ 1 min in. [video:youtube] Even after this, the south won the battle by a large margin. The reality was that the miner/soldiers didn't get but @ 1/4 of the gunpowered they requested. They didn't get the proper fuses either. They had to do like 51 or so splices to the POS fuse they did recieve. They lit it, and the explosion didn't come at dawn like planned. They waited a bit and then some poor bastard had to crawl back into the tunnel and relight it (hoping the fuse was truly out and not crawling slowly along). Thus, the entire Northern attack was on hold till it blew. Then when it blew the white troops that had subbed for the well trained black guys didnt' have either the equipment or knowledge they should have had. It was a Turkey Shoot due to near unparalleled stupidity on the higher ups part. BTW Ivan, I want to trade you a book for your Vanderbilt book so don't discard it if you still have it sitting around. We need to start tying in together again and getting on it soon now that winter is all but gone away. My son swng through town recently and asked if I'd read "The Martian". When I replied negatively, he said "I've got the E-book, I'll leave it with you", and then he didn't. LOL

Nice shot Steve. Yeah, I was just teasing Pink cause he was so prickly on the 2nd ascent/renaming of his Barney rabble route by Ivan and everyone. It's good you are outing your lines Andrew, otherwise these kids will bolt them, get the FA, and name them again for you:-) I have a lot of shots of Ivan on the (second) FA:-) Here's one sorting our shitshow. Somehwere up there the lines diverge for sure. But who knows. That's why folks need to document it. BTW, at Jim's birthday party, Jay Kerr, Jeff Thomas and I wandered over to the N side and Jay pointed out a line he and someone else did back in the day. Micah, THERE IS NO WAY I would have seen that line if Jay hadn't pointed it out. In fact, Jeff and I were staring at it and barely able to see the potential. Anyway, Jeff remembers names and dates if folks tell him (prod prod) so have him point that out and give you the details if you are interested. Theres some lines on the west side that have been done and disappeared from history. I was standing there with JO years back and pointed out a possible line, "Oh, Avery did that one." At that point Avery had been gone for many years....sigh. We'll never know a lot of that history with folks like Avery and Jeff Walker passing away. Folks like Wayne Wallace moving out to bigger and better things etc etc. That big ass 5.11 multi-pitch line that Tim Olsen use to have in his book he called the "Mystery Trail", was a Beacon route starts just right of Lost Warriors. Sounds like Josephs Lost Warriors route may climb part of the upper part of it from the description I got. So speak up and share Andrew.

I'm not able to post. Hmmm. Short version, wish you and your group well Ben. Wonder why I can't post my words? I tried twice. Leaving that one blank then. Even though it was full of words and links. Here's a link with details still up: https://www.mountainproject.com/v/re-bolting-corroded-hardware-in-the-dominican-republic----playa-fronton/111666751

Hey Ben, good on you folks for attempting something positive. A lot of folks around here are use to just paying for things like this by themselves, however, bolting with Ti ain't cheap, good on you all for doing it right. I didn't even know Dom Republic had climbing, bet a lot of is didn't, so thanks for sharing that as well. https://www.generosity.com/volunteer-fundraising/re-bolting-sport-climbs-in-the-dominican-republic

The extreme spray will re-commence exactly 25 seconds after it's announced that The Donald has been elected. Put me in the pool for a 10 spot. ps, group hug for bob.

I'd like more gun ads please. Haven't seen a one yet and am feeling discriminated against. Want more sex ads too. As long as they don't involve horses, I've heard things about you Washington folks ya know, I don't live in a cave. And as long as we are putting in requests, no more Retirement homes, Geritol, Adult Diapers, Walkers or False teeth ads and I'll be good to go. Otherwise, good job with the site guys!

Us metrosexuals with 'baru's toss one of these manual chainsaws in the storage space. Actually, ever since I saw that 4' diameter tree fall across the road (on the way in fortunately), I have 2. http://www.amazon.com/Chainmate-CM-36SSP-36-Inch-Survival-Pocket/dp/B002EDAUO2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1454617767&sr=8-2&keywords=manual+chainsaw It will cut through a 1' diameter tree (softwood) in a few min. Take your time to get it started and then chips starts flying. Best of all, there's no gas all over your vehicle and as it's lightweight it means that you can pack it in on your trail to the wall and clean up the recent blow down as well. There's a few models, I've been doing the Chainmate. Less likely to have a tweaker put a hole in your window to get it too like they would a motorized chainsaw if you left it and hiked in someplace.

Hey man, you are welcome to show up and troll us anytime. It will make us mental, but we all will be going crazy with or without your taunts:-) Seriously, several times I've realized that I am in a location where no human being has ever stood before. EVER, including natives. It's a rare and special feeling most will never know, and we love it when it happens. So the next time you're all: or all You BRING IT RIGHT OVER BEOTCH!!!! Congrats again on the Hyperbole Canyon discovery, it lived up to the hype and then some. Can't wait till we finally get some coordinates and we can go there to soil it up good and proper.

WOW! Great writing and photography Radek!! You and Shirley look like you had a world class amazing time both climbing and seeing the fantastic local sights. WOW! Thanks so much for sharing that. WOW! That's excellent in so many ways.

The plan is barely started. Nothing has changed from last year, but not for want of trying by all 8 of the climbers on the committee. Hit the bureaucratic wall. Sorry. We expect the plan to be completed early summer, keep hope alive for next year.

REI has a couple on sale now both are $104.93 Edelrid Ibex 10mm x 60m Non-Dry Rope and the Maxim Equinox 9.9mm x 60m Dry Core Rope ___________________________________________ If bicolor is your thing they have the Edelrid Boa DuoTec Bi-Color 9.8mm x 60m Non-Dry Rope for $132.93

CaNadiENZ RUL! Holy smokes.

Keiths stamina has been nothing short of Homeric. Looks like he's got the win this time (I know that's been said before). I'd bumped into Keith a few months back and he was talking like he finally might have it done, depending on ABC and D. I bow down in awe to the mans superhuman stamina for working to make this happen for over 18 years. http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/285976-162537-madrone-walls-88590-clackamas-county-grant-to-construct-access-road-parking-lot

Hi Kevin, George passed on City and went to Moab and then even further south to Arizona is what I heard. Looking forward to a trip report if and when he comes back. He's probably getting in lap after lap. He's missing nothing. All we've been getting in is rain...and more rain. He'll probably be back with tales of warm granite and long crack routes in time for Christmas I bet.

HOLA AMIGOS! Well, I didn't get any negative comments via email or PM on the fixed rope idea. Then again, it's been close to raining nonstop and looks to be not slowing down anytime soon. Nice we are getting record rain, and some of it is sticking around as snow. The fish give that 2 fins up:-) But with the holidays and the rain, I'm not putting a fixed line up anytime soon. If anyone is feeling spry and wants to put up my rope let me know and I'll figure out a way to get it too you. It's a beefy close to 12mm line that will just barely (but will) fit into a standard ATC. I'm planning on getting some ski time in in the next few months, and maybe pick up a corner lap after a ski day if the weather finally cooperates and I can connect with an afternoon partner.

You could improve the thread up with some Dolly photos, she's get a lot of votes. It would be in a new political party called the Wig (Whig) party. I'm sure they'd be willing to let The Donald in as a founding member. Hillary too. It's all about style over substance though.

Thank you all, good points, and I'd apprise the rangers. I'll give it some more time for any non-enthusiastic comments and if everyone reading this can share the question with friends and climbing partners etc, and report on any adverse thoughts it would be appreciated.

I have a phat 70M in perfect condition/slightly used near new static that we could tie off at the oak tree at the base of the Dutchman Ivan. I'll gladly donate it as it would make ascent easy for Skamania SAR to grassy ledges in the event a rescue is called during a winter storm (god forbid). Sometimes I wonder why people get caught out in shit weather, but they do, over and over and over -usually in the mountains. 2 recent examples on this site, it's sad. Hope we don't have anything like that occur during this short window we've been allowed. If so, it would be nice to have a way to get rescue folks up safety and rapidly through the lower difficulty's and onto grassy ledges. It's a yellow rope and will be visible though. Lot of (other folks free solo the corner, they can climb with a harness and belay device - grassy ledges would be a good stopping point. The worst thing about it is trying to stuff it into a belay device. But it goes, you just have to work it. Can folks post what they think about that idea? (ie, dropping it down the Dutchman for the next 2 months till the annual closure occurs) If there's any push back or anyones even a tad ambivalent, I won't put it up and won't be upset at all, just say now.....I'm not into pissing anyone off and losing a good (but used) static line. One of you can pull it off for me in Feb. (hopefully) Be honest please.

I think we tend to be explorers and people who like challenges. Valhalla seems to present both. I've read this thread many times but this is my first post to it. I'd like both thank Explorer for putting it up, and also to catch the OPB special and maybe later go see what's so interesting with my own eyes at some point. This is good stuff. Not as good as a new burial chamber being found which may or may not contain queen Nefertiti, but damned good for sure. Thanks for sharing it. You must have been so stoked.

Can't suck in the gut anymore, too much there:-) ..and it was EVERYONE that did it. Adam gets a bigger piece of congrats of course, Kenny started the seriousness ball rolling, give them some attaboys as they were standouts in a crowd where everyone mattered: everyone. I'm not sure, that would be much better for the folks gonna get stuck with the job of making it disappear. It looks like the upper switchbacks somewhere. I was thinking it may be a switchback or 2 above the uprising topout (photo below). But could be real mistaken as well. Maybe someone will recognize it. Edit, relooked. And relooked. I'm thinking you may be right about that. The wood walkway is a clue. Edit again, the river below must mean they took the photo looking south? Which would make it south side? I was unable to spot the damage but that was before the boat area was reopened. A quick recon with a spotting scope would nail it down pretty fast.

Please don't thank Adam and I. It was you all, all the Beacon Climbers who wrote or called in... the Kennys, the Micahs, the Josephs, the Tappet bros, the Jim's, and the multitudes of others who pitched in with their viewpoints and support....etc etc etc etc (along with the Park folks having an open mind -fortunately) that got this open. I'm serious. Having a large solid group all moving in one direction makes for a force. Randy said: (Heath told me something similar) What we need to do now is, as a mass and again that's all of us, is respect the parks request and to keep anyone from stepping over the lines which the park drew or tripping over their shlong and messing this up for us. They asked us to not climb under the crap they are going to be knocking off (at some point, I would suspect that they don't even have a proposed timeline yet I think they are working on financing still), and to stay off the trail. Seems simple, and we need to respect that in a big way. So lets all work to keep other folks aware of those things. If you see some new folks you don't recognize out there, maybe have a Jim style quick friendly conversation to make sure they are up to speed. This stuff in the pic below is pretty much right over the South face. I didn't take the photo and haven't been up there yet but I understand there are several other big issues. I'm glad its not on us to get it off without putting the rails of the railroad below at risk, but it does give me great respect when I reflect on the folks who put the trail in way back when with limited tools. I'm not sure what the free soloists will do as downclimbing in the freezing cold/damp is gonna be much harder now. But I'm pitching this out there, I have a couple phat 12 mil ish static ropes in good condition I'd volunteer to leave fixed so that: A) You can get off easy. or B) A rescue is needed ground up due to marginal weather conditions. I'd want consensus on it first of course. I wouldn't expect many of you crazy's getting on them anyway as it's so cold and wet (predicted ice storm out there today), and a few of us have Season Passes to the mountain and will be elsewhere most of the time anyway. Hate to dumb the rock down though. In fact, this event has made me (almost) get over my earlier mental opposition to the Jills Thrill rap anchors in a big way. Jim reminded me last night that the Uprising anchor that starts with the slings around that smallish tree, is also a single rope rap to the ground. Last time I did that with Jim he was middle age, and it's been so long I have almost no memory of the specifics. Anyway, HAPPY CLIMBING BROS!!! back to arguing:-)

Must be that big crevasse up on the north side route? Probably some soft new powder snow over ice or old frozen corn was conditions and the crevasse should have been exposed and visible. Be interesting to hear the full story of how it rolled. Condolences to the mans loved ones. That's tough stuff and I'm sorry to read it.

Depending on your uses some lights will be better for you than others. Timetraveler got me turned onto the Black Diamond Spot. I've been very happy and bought several when they went on sale. The storm has the same rating on gearlabs, longer battery life but not as good proximity. For taking out on a multi day effort, that would be reversed. As I car camp a bit, the Spot is better, then I bought an Icon to climb a vertical hole and being old needed a lot of light. As it turns out, Plaidman bagged that route without me:-( but I still have the headlamp and it will wake up the owls in the treetops it's so powerful. As John says, Petzl makes good lights as they have been involved in reliable caving lights for many years so are very trustworthy. The Black Diamond Ion has been the tiny headlight I've kept in my chalkbag for "just in case" times. Until I found the Petzl e+lite. The thing is shockingly tiny (in a good way), but otherwise not as good in most regards as other lights. For it's usage for me, that is 99% of the time being in a chalkbag and only pulled out when I screwed up and got benighted, it is perfect. Good info here to help you decide. http://www.supertopo.com/reviews/gear.php?cat=1167&c=headlamp They have the Coast as the best deal. I've never handled one but would trust their review. Just remember that they didn't test or verify battery drain which some BD's tend to have and Princetons and Petzls don't. (generally)

Sorry for the late notice on this. There will be a Beacon Rock work party/cleanup this Saturday, Dec. 5th. Come one come all if you are available and wish to volunteer to clean up the windstorm mess.

LIMITED OPEN ANNOUNCED. REMEMBER THAT THE DESCENT TRAIL IS CLOSED, YOU MUST RAPPEL TO THE BASE AND HIKE OUT THE CLIMBERS TRAIL, YOU CANNOT TOP OUT. Please reference the above photos. There will be work occurring above and that stuff is going to slopping over the edges. This is the latest from Randy Klein. "Hi All, Thank you for your patience and the information you provided related to emergency services. Over the last couple of days we had a chance to speak with emergency service providers and they indicated that they are comfortable with a bottom-up rescue scenario. Based on this fact Beacon Rock will be open for climbing beginning on Thursday December 3rd - however climbing, at this time, will be restricted to portions of the south face. Please note the following: The south face will be open for climbing from the SE Face Route Young Warriors west to Ground Zero. This limited opening is based on the potential for rock and tree fall in the vicinity of the hiking trail. Please note that climbers will need to rappel down since the hiking trail will be inaccessible. As clean-up and assessment continue, we are working towards opening the entire south face as soon as possible. The west and northwest sections of Beacon Rock continue to be closed due to risk associated with rock and tree fall. Many of you are aware that we received a number of emails and park phone calls related to the temporary closure. Frustration by climbers who are not receiving current information is to be expected and your help minimizing this frustration is much appreciated. I will include a discussion item on our December 9th meeting agenda so we can debrief this situation and determine if there are ways we can better address similar temporary closures in the future . . . Best wishes, Randy" Thanks I had received several pictures and the trail took multiple hits and looks like it needs a lot of work. The park wants it closed and us off of it till they can get it fixed and finished. The limited climbing opening is contingent on us staying off the trail and away from the fall zone underneath.