shapp

You are in luck, I lived in Everett for 10 years and just moved away recently. Darrington crags is your place to go, including Spring Mt. Watch out that fido doesn't become cougar bait.

Small rocks falling can also be very serious. You hear a lot about the big stuff, “I pulled off this big block and holy shit……”. I nearly cratered pulling off a very small rock about the size of a marble on the right hand first pitch start to the West Face Variation on Monkey Face about 15 years ago. I had climbed this pitch maybe 6 or 7 times before, usually climbing about 25 to 30 feet up for the first piece. This time, I wiggled in a stopper on the slanting crack, couldn’t really see it from my stance, just feel/blind placement, a good tug and it seamed stuck. I quickly gained the terrain above and was foot shuffling in the slanting crack and balancing with knobs above on the traverse. About half way over to the end of this little traverse I pulled on a knob and it popped, which sent me off balance backward, and my feet were firmly on the track and stayed put, the result being me falling backward and upside down. The blind stopper caught me upside down about 5 feet off the deck. Right in front of a couple hiking tourists watching the affair. I quickly got up, started climbing and fired the pitch. Only reflecting at the belay. We finished the route in good style, but I always take the left hand first pitch now

Me too! Rad – It looks as if you have taken my Big Moss Raper photo from my gallery and made it your avatar, maybe you should pay me a $2000 royalty for its use? This chaacter is a Darrington Super Hero and would not even think of touching a road cut, or miniscule boulder pebble in the Oregon coast range. He is unleashed several pitches up after pounding a tallboy and slaming in a 1/2 inch bolt with a 28oz ballpeen penetrator, on off days he looks a lot like hanman, ben murphy, riley81, or several other Oso rodeo bronk riders (goats that is)

Not much help on the limestone, but if you crack climb, there is a not-to-miss single pitch crack up the salmon river not too far from Riggins. Head up the salmon river from town like you were going up towards Vinegar/Carey creek boat ramps. There is a big old steel bridge in a granite gorge that crosses from the north to south side of the river. Just before you get to that bridge (traveling east) look north up the hill 50 yards or so you will see what looks like a sweet splitter finger crack, which is in fact mostly a hand crack. Park and walk up and snag this classic 5.9 or so. It is a long pitch, so full rack with stoppers up to #3 or #4 cam, with a few extra green and red sized camalots, maybe at least 2 or 3 of this size, and a couple golds. I wish my camera was working when we climbed it. There would be lines at Index and Leavenworth for this one. Not sure if you can rap on 1 rope, should bring 2, there were rap hangers on top. After you run out of the great clean crack, the last 20 feet or so are a little mungy, ends at a ledge with the rap hangers http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/943247/Re_Salmon_River_crags_near_Rig

Holy goat turd and sheep excrement! Have a look at the big block on fgw's pic on the left side next to the white rock fall scar. Next freeze thaw cycle and I bet that thing is a goner.

pitch 3 makes me cry for mommy, on second no less

It is a miniscule crag, mostly crappy rock, highly over documented in another book (the Oregon weekend rock book and Rock n' Road) and a couple climbing mag articles, although there are a couple nice (but very short) lines. But what is really funny is that it is a northwest oregon climbing guide, with two areas in NE oregon, high valley and spring mt. Spring mountain has a lot of routes and would be worth a drive over from NW oregon. The only reason to go to high valley is if you live within a few miles and it is a nice sunny afternoon in winter or spring when other climbing options are not available or if you don't have the time to drive to Hells Canyon. Before I lived out there, we tried to find the crag when passing throgh on our way to Nevada, and never actually found it becasuee when driving up the canyon we passed right by the wall but never stopped because all we saw was miniscule choss basalt walls, and thought the book must have been wrong. this is an example of about 1/2 the routes there:

Tyler is one the most amazing climber characters I have ever met and puts up adventure routes and does a lot of exiting route maintenance with no thanks or want for payment. He is not a deusch trying to compile info from others for his own self grandization, and turning around and trying to sell it back to you.

With all due respect, I fail to see how high valley has made it into yet another climbing book/publication even though I have enjoyed many winter and spring sunny afternoons at this crag.

That last pitch is the bomb! Glad to see you made it back from the sand box!

Yo Tyler, cawcawcawcawcawcaw!

You are a Pimp! nice work!

Can someone embed these videos, I am electronically challenged My First look at the Chetco The Magic Canyon just downstream of the putin Brian exiting one of the first long Class IVs

Dam it Dam it, son of a bitch!

Bring a bike, it isn't that far to the TH from the MT. Loop turnoff.

I didn't fall or hang on the traverse so it must be 5.9 or less, I fell on the step right off library ledge so it must be 5.10d

Brain is getting a good start on his Chetco story of our trip http://riverlog.blogspot.com/2012/06/wild-and-scenic-chetco-day-1.html http://riverlog.blogspot.com/2012/07/wild-and-scenic-chetco-day-2.html

Damn, nice suggestions, I could defenitely pull of the harder route leads, but will probably have to actually do some upper body exercise to pull my lard ass up those. I can usually off the coach complete 5.9 to lower 5.10, but the harder 5.10 might require some pre-planned workouts to reduce the hangdog time!

Bunches of photos with comentary, check out some of the rock with emerald waters below for deepwater bouldering

Going to be up there in latter summer for work trip, going to hit up Chimney Rock in the Selkirks. Any recommendation an a really fun route in the low 5.10 to 5.9 range or less, hand cracks would be nice!

No, that was a portage and un-runable at that flow with a boulder seive at the bottom with no way through. We fully portaged 2 un-runable rapids at that flow, and partially lined 2 more.

No, Allen hasn't guided that river since the bisquit fire in 2002. I have never beenon a guided trip. If you have the skills to paddle this section (solid class IV) then you don't need a guide. Also, there is currently no guide with a forest service special use permit for this run.

a few pics from my camera, which is crapy, waiting to get pics from those with the SLR.

Trip: Kalmiopsis Wilderness - Upper Chetco River Date: 6/9/2012 Trip Report: Just got back this morning at 1:30 am from an unbelievable trip through the Kalmiopsis wilderness. Traveled to the Baily Mt. Trailhead on June 9, packed in June 10, June 11-14 decending the river, took out about 2pm June 14. Six of us horse packed our boats in 9 miles through the bisquit fire burn area (3 boats per mule) and all our other stuff on our backs, paddled IKs from Carter Creek to the Steel Bridge about 25.5 miles through an incredible series of Class IV gorges. There was probably 150 to 200 individual rapids rating Class III to IV+, with about 30% in the Class IV range. Awsome turquoise blue crystal clear water, cliff jumping, excellent fishing, great deep water soloing potential, even some good looking single pitch rock climbing. Might need a few stitches on a gash my shin from a nasty little swim yesterday, waiting to see if it permanently stops weeping. This is a very wild place seen by very few. The full story, many photos and vids to come in the next few weeks. Gear Notes: Aire Lynx I kayaks, mules Approach Notes: mules, 9 miles on the Babyfoot Lake/Baily Mt. Trail