hanman

Bump for an awesome trip with Chris recently- http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1107725/TR_Squire_Creek_Wall_Grand_Tou#Post1107725

Chris was a great friend, amazing father, and a superb climbing partner. I met Chris in 1998, and have shared a rope with him on many outstanding trips over the intervening years. He was a true dynamo of positive energy, always encouraging and rock solid in his devotion to family and friends. I’ll truly miss his companionship. Friend and past climbing partner Duane Constantino said upon hearing the terrible news that “Chris walked through life beautifully”. I certainly agree. My families’ heartfelt condolences go out to Chris’s family and friends in this time of loss. Mark Hanna

Looks like a nice climb Otto- I'm going to try to get up there this season MH

Damn, that thing always needs a hanger. I swear I've replaced 10 on there since the FA, + a couple stations. Maybe we should bring some hilock nuts or sumptin...It would be fun to have a webcam up there to catch some avy action and the eventual detachment of the Blueberry Route as we know it. Welcome back to DTown, there are many great pitches to be had- Cheers! MH

60 mm rope? Is there a new standard length I don't know about? Sounds like a fine project- MH

Excellent climb!! I love that dihedral down low and the pure friction on P5 (I think). Oh yeah, and everything between. Hoping to stabilize the first wash with some well placed concrete. People really punch it through there, I have found slow going on the left margin to work the best with low clearance. MH

Trip: Squire Creek Wall Grand Tour - UpNOver Date: 6/9/2013 Trip Report: Over the last 15 or so years, I have been out on some outstanding “Grand Tours” in the Darrington area. Most have been instigated by Chris Greyell, who has a passion for discovering all that the area has to offer. Some memorable prior trips have included a complete circumnavigation of Exfoliation Dome, Chrome Dome circuit, Wawetkin Dome, and a nice foray up the Clear Creek/Green Giant headwaters up over Squire Creek Pass. As could be expected, all of these share some common features, like beautiful knobby granite, wonderful views, impenetrable cedar thickets, and a healthy dose of moss. When Chris called a few weeks ago with the plan, I knew it would live up to all previous expectations. The chosen route encompassed a large portion of Squire Creek Wall and flanking Illusion Wall, with a planned descent of Slab Daddy. While not technically difficult, it did have some unique features and much travel over some thousands of feet of moderate slabs and ridgeline in the alpine. I believe the whole trip was about 13 hours car to car. Thanks Chris! Here are the specifics for a 12 step success plan- 1). Biked in, dropped bikes at Slab Daddy approach 2) Hike up to Illusion Wall near Holy Grail start 3) Climb 1st pitch of Excalibur (5.9), trend left for a couple rope lengths of 3rd/4th class traverse under The Page 4) Walk around the Engineer’s Buttress to gain the Chickenshit Gully connector slabs, approx. 300’(5.6) 5) Traverse into Chickenshit Gully, climb about 1000 feet up to the top of Illusion Wall (5.0) 6) Climb Dick Ridge (5.7) near the chasm, about 300 feet 7) Descend into little saddle, wrangle cedars and occasional slabs to the true summit of SQW (D2+) 8) Climb and downclimb tricky gendarme ridge for an exposed ½ mile to final tower just south of Slab Daddy (D3+), protect your follower carefully. Gear opportunities magically appear like wings of a unicorn. 9) 30M rappel to slabby ledge system in the basin at a saddle below the tower 10) Traverse north several hundred yards to the top anchors of Slab Daddy (4th class) 11) Rappel Slab Daddy’s 22 pitches, hike to the river, fiord frigid late day runoff 12) Easy bike ride back to beer. Disclaimer: Photo onslaught looks to be somewhat reversed cause I suck. Just pretend you're traveling backwards in time I think....Sort of. Gear Notes: Small rack to 3, lotza exteno draws, 2 60 M skinny rope Approach Notes: Up Squire Creek Valley, Down Squire Creek Valley Matt Perkins overlay photo credit

True indeed.......

Anything by At The Drive In, and most Mars Volta.

Nice crag- are there some other domes up in these parts? MH

Great that the road's open now! The blocks that Matt refers to are WAY too extensive to trundle :: , and will likely affect a lot of surrounding rock. In most places on Exfo, the layers are arranged like onion skin, hard to tell what's stuck or not when big rockfall happens. Strange things can happen in all directions when the next layer is decompressed. The GF or any others in any path below the sidewalk would be in a bad spot, all the way down to the road. Luckily, it seems most of these spontaneous events happen in the winter months. Let's hope the trend continues- MH

Awesome Hulk- How did you get something to push against as the largest one was the most outboard? Must have made for quite a trundle to the creek. Well done! MH

Quarry- This was a route started by Greyell and myself many years ago, we never finished as the road was closed for a few years. Over the last couple weeks, I have started to work on it again, and am currently into the third pitch which is going in ground up, so will take some time to work through the veggies. We scrubbed the first pitch and the second is still in need. Glad you liked it. It will be set up for 35M raps, as you noted. MH

Loose blocks AND dirty? I guess that's what happens when roads get closed for a few years. I'll be focusing on the area this summer- any help would be very appreciated. Thanks Mountainsloth for the block removal. On a good note, Danny checked out the Romantica area last w/e and found things not too mossy, much the same conditions as the FA period... MH

Anyone else putting up routes out there? PM me and we can share scrub brush stories- M.Hanna

Probably a bit early for Squire Creek wall due to approach hazards. I did send an email to Mr Mitchell of the FS about 2060 block. Spring Mtn is real nice right now- MH

Sad to say Clear Creek Rd is currently closed about 2.5 miles in where several boulders fell out of the roadcut. 10-15 tons each likely by my guess... In better news, FS 49 is fully open to the climbers camp. Spring Mtn Crags would be quite nice Tues or Wednesday Wish I didn't have to work. M. Hanna

Bump- Put it on your Dtown list. It's a good 'un. Anyone grab the second ascent out there yet? Sounds like the approach road was spared this year. M. Hanna

Crazy thing- It's been 76 degrees and sunny for several months up there, and they recently paved all the way in with a magical avy resistant polymer concrete. Where have you guys been? (emerging from dream state) ........ Uh yeah, I'll head up this weekend to discover what mommy nature has delivered this season, fingers crossed MH

I can honestly say that Mr. Perkins is THE energizer bunny w/ regard to access advocacy. Thanks Matt for the diligence and hard work!! MH

I was up for a hike about 2 weeks ago before this last storm cycle. The snow got deep about 2.5 miles in, just after Pender's canyon. This last cycle may have brought avy debris all the way down to the road at Penders (just after NF Sauk Falls trail). I wouldn't anticipate driving up there in anything but a monster truck. MH

I have an older eureka exo single wall that has seen some very stormy conditions with great results. Mh

The Granite Sidewalk is calling. I've often fantasized about a runner sled on that thing, until you hit the frog pond, ouch!

Caught again... Gotta say, that place is quite beautifu in november. I'll see what I can dig up... Mh