andyf

Let me know how your research goes.

True, once you find it. Nice TR, Marty.

I linked Cry Baby with Ginger Snap in one pitch this year, while taking my bro-in-law for his first time climbing. I downclimbed and unclipped the pitch when I didn't find a rap anchor on top and had no one to second it. I don't think it's 5.9. Pretty fun pitch, though.

This could be a photo of me two years ago after breaking my ankle. Same leg, same boot, took the same approach in the gym. Led to 12 mos. of rotator cuff trouble and lots of rubber tube exercises. On the bright side, I got pretty good at one-footed gym climbing. Found it was easier than using two feet on some steep stuff.

For the life of me, I can't figure out what all the furor over SS is about. I remember the bottom being slab climbing (no cracks whatsoever), using little edges and an arete. Sure you could do it without bolts...but as a free solo. There's a corner higher up approaching the first anchor, but I remember it being pretty damned blank (and I have a fair amount of experience protecting routes with RPs). Maybe there's a bolt close to where you transition to cracks above the first anchor, but I certainly don't recall any bolts protecting the cracks directly, including the final crux traverse. All in all, I thought it was one of the better routes I've done in Leavenworth, period. My caveat: I climbed SS two or three years ago and I am over 40, so I don't claim my memory is perfect.

As would Straight Street...if I remember correctly.

Generally very tolerant, unless designated wilderness is involved (not an issue with BLM lands in Washington, except for Juniper Dunes, which has no climbing). Shelf Road and Red Rocks are both on BLM land. At Shelf Road, the BLM has been amazingly supportive of climbing--witness the first-class camping area, trail work, working with the Access Fund on land acquisition, etc.

I think there are 12 pitches, with the last pitch being the crux (and only 5.11 pitch). The last pitch reminded me a lot of the final pitch of Monkey Space at Smith: bouldery power moves out of a cave, stiff .11b with big exposure. A fair bit of easy 5.10 to get to that point, with one pitch being .10+, I think. The route more or less follows the prominent water streak (dry yet?) going up the center of the wall, starting kind of on the right and ending kind of on the left. 15 draws should be plenty. The route is a blast. Even though the rock isn't limestone, it has a blue calcite patina and is pocketed in places. Have fun!

Maybe not so fast... I don't know for sure--I haven't been to Nason since early '06--but someone told me the alleged "Forest Service" property with the trail is posted now, and that access is as sensitive as ever.

Excellent, thanks Lucky!

You're welcome. New bolts on Blue Moon, too; much nicer than the old buttonheads. The Moonstruck, Comeback Crack, and Bloody Knuckles cracks are all re-cleaned, and Ages of You and Straight Talk are partly re-cleaned.

Between Ashford and Packwood? Should be snow-free, but I'd heard from someone it was flood damaged last fall.

In the late 80s, I climbed 4 or 5 crack routes on the big column wall on the northwest side of Kloochman. The last one was three pitches, I think. We all swore we'd never go back after that route. I never have. The place is a deathtrap. Different rock from most Tieton crags--incredibly chossy and weak.

I first climbed it in the late 80s. I don't remember very clearly, but I seem to remember you had to weave back and forth between disconnected cracks and flakes and use a bunch of long runners. A good exercise in placing pro for sure, but I remember thinking it was a little too much hassle off the logical line of ascent to make it worth it to climb again. I didn't climb it again until last year, in the same group ascent Darryl mentions. I thought the direct bolted route offered higher quality climbing. Just my opinion.

Spokane: Near Nature, Near Perfect.

I have a message in to WDFW. Will post what I find out.

Mark's Wall has some fun routes, but the Middle Wall has the goods.

Mark's Wall is the first wall of short columns you reach at the Cave, with routes including Children of Chaos, Mark's Window, Bloodstone, etc. The wall is named after Mark McGuire, who put in the first anchors and started working on the first route (Cave Driller). While hanging on a rope cleaning Cave Driller, Mark watched his truck getting broken into in the parking area below. You can still find pieces of his busted window 15 years later. "Mark's Window" honors the incident.

Last year (spring 2006) I re-cleaned Moonstruck (.10a), Bloody Knuckles (.10b) and Comeback Crack (.10c). All three should be as good as any comparable length of crack at the Bend. I also cleaned the huge bushes (and in one case, a small tree) growing out of Lunar Rover (.12a) and Ages of You (.11c R). I replaced the two mank fixed pins on Ages with bolts (gasp!). Before anyone blows a unit, this was my FA twenty years ago and from the looks of it, no one else had climbed it in the twenty years since. I still have a little more work left to do on the route. Moon Rocks should get more attention. There aren't many other crags in Washington where you can so easily set up topropes on 100' sustained 5.11 and 5.12 cracks.

Having grown up in Yakima, I have many memories of winter hiking up Umptanum Canyon and Umptanum Ridge with my late dad. A typical father-son bonding conversation: (Me) "Look at that deer track." (My dad) "[Pause]...Yep." It's a cool place. Only barren if you don't know what you're looking for. In a couple of weeks, the three-nerved violets and yellow bells will be out.

Based on my Gunks experience (all of two days' worth): Ant's Line--seemed more like 5.8 than 5.9 to me. Bomber gear. You can TR a nice 5.11 on the left wall from the anchor. MF--seemed more like 5.10 than 5.9 to me. Coexistence--seemed more like 5.11 than 5.10 to me. Quality, athletic moves. High E w/ direct start--second pitch has maybe the pumpiest 30' of 5.9 I've ever climbed. Birdland--very nice face climbing (steep slab), a little spicy in places. Was maybe my favorite route.

Add South Fork Cliff, Tieton. Just wait...

I was just thinking about Vern last week. We climbed together a bit 6 years ago or so when he was teaching at Whitman. He was making regular trips from Walla Walla to the Tieton. We lost touch until last year, when we traded emails again. We talked about getting together to climb, but it never happened. I was going to make it a point to hook up in '07, hoping to tap into his infectious enthusiasm. My heart goes out to his family, especially his young son.

I flew from SeaTac to Spokane and back two weeks ago. Not even really thinking about it (I was on vacation and away from the news when things went down earlier this month), I brought a carry-on gym bag with my harness, shoes and chalk bag (plus extra chalk) for a quick trip to the crags after work. No problem at all getting through morning security at SeaTac, but they held me up for quite awhile in Spokane. They ran my harness through x-ray three times and asked a bunch of questions about the chalk (which was still liberally pasted all over my hands, to boot). Eventually, they let me through with everything.

OK, not to distract too much from the DonnyBaker files, but I SWEAR TO GOD I'm going to be car camping with my family at Curlew Lake S.P. next week. Anyone know of any bouldering nearby, like up along the Kettle River? Anyone willing to meet me for some nearby cragging, like at China Bend if it's not too hot? Please post info, or PM me if it's before 11 AM tomorrow (Friday). I'm thinking a week in a tent with an 8-year old and 5-year old might make me want to get away and climb some.