KirkW

Learn how to aid!

You will not find any climbing (worth a shit) really close to Corvallis. The bolts on the TR slab at Mary's peak have been chopped and those bushes are gonna take only so much abuse. Harlan is...interesting. Some climbing out by Sweet Home but most of the good stuff (I hear) isn't in that guide. Google "bouldering at the Garden" or something similar and start sorting through the crap. I've never been to the Garden but I know lots of people can't get enough of the moss covered boulders. Bunch of other suggestions over at Mt. Proj. If you find anything worth a shit please let me know. Good climbing in the Menagerie but that's a bit of a drive and approach if you're looking for something after work. All kinds of climbing but no one would accuse that place of being over bolted. PM Checat for all the real good top-secret beta. He'll share that shit with anyone and probably needs a belay slave. Good luck!

I would NOT recommend getting involved with the Mazamas or any of those other groups around here. The sketchiest shit I have seen on the volcanoes has been, without a doubt, done by the Mazamas. If you like jugging fixed lines up 4th class terrain I would highly suggest their Mt. Washington group climb. They do it nearly every weekend all summer long. Or you could run across the street and jug 3FJ with them.

They probably figured it was cheaper and easier to just call for rescue than it was to leave a couple of their shiny new cams behind. I'm sure we will soon hear from the media how smart and well prepared these dudes were.

Pick up Freedom of the Hills. I hear the 8th edition just came out. Read it. Read it again. Start buying gear and using it. Have fun.

Thank you so much Peter. Next time I come across a posting I don't like I'll be sure to PM you so you can edit it for me so that I find it more to my liking. I didn't realize the mods were doing this now! Great job. Keep it up and you guys will be right up there with summit post!

Was wondering the same thing myself. The blabbering drool of this little shit isn't spray but my suggestion that he learn something before he kills himself or worse yet one of his partners is considered out of line now? I would have agreed with shipping this train wreck of a thread off to spray but selectively editing out comments that don't show our young padawan in a favorable light is bullshit. Fucking weak.

"I'm prepared for all types of rescue"

So what happens when I'm doing something "wrong" (whatever the fuck that means) but it doesn't have anything to do with their climbing wall?

On the Oregon choss scale I'd rate it mostly solid. Everything we climbed was pretty good. I think it's actually similar to tuff. Super grippy and juggy fun. Take a wrench if you go. We found several loose hangars. But they were all shiny and new!

Kirk- My point has nothing to do with managing our public lands/campground etc. But thanks for trying to call me out on my ignorance in that aspect. My point is the Grasslands/Skullhollow turned into a shit hole becoming over run with squatters who try and live their lives on public lands in their RV's. Shit was getting stolen, and it became a worry to leave your tent and stove up for the day. The place was on a downward spiral. Something needed to happen, and now it looks like that something is happening. And obviously it doesnt jive with the climbing community, hey when does it? Plain and simple. Yes it sucks, I definatly had some fun partying there from time to time for sure. But you wouldnt catch me dead out there the past few years due to it's sad state of affairs. It's great you have the time and energy to fight such causes, and I applaud you for your efforts. I personally don't have the time nor energy to worry about such things. And I wish you the best of luck with your quest to make a difference and fight for those of us that can't. As we all know this is never an easy task. Sorry Tyler, I took your post to be in reference to the entire issue. This isn't just about Skull Hollow to me. As many have pointed out it's not exactly deluxe lodging. My concern lies with the fact that this is just another fine example of the powers that be overstepping their bounds. If we don't speak up how can we expect to be heard? If we don't hold our government agencies accountable who will? At what point does charging for use of public lands become illegal? All over the state public lands are being sold to the highest bidder and you and I are the ones that pay the profits for these private, for profit organizations. It's not a cut and dried issue and every campground, trail head, and shit house that we don't argue about just seems to justify their actions. In this case many people did argue about it and made some very valid points. This was all ignored and policies in direct conflict with public input were implemented. If this decision isn't worth the time and energy it would take to get reversed, what would be worth it?

So how would you feel if the next time you arrived at Wolf rock you found it gated with a camp host? Sound impossible? This issue isn't about two acres of cow shit and junipers it's about the slow but steady privatization of these public lands that you are telling us to go use. I wish the issue was as simple as you claim but your statement really shows your ignorance of the issues at hand. It's too bad you aren't more interested in doing something about this. Perhaps once Wolf starts getting more traffic and they decide to require a parking fee or charge for sleeping in the dirt out there you will start to care.

Giving up ice climbing to focus on being the master of karate and friendship for everyone?

So how long do you think they're gonna let you just park outside the camp ground and shit in a hole? I camped outside the fence the last time I was there too but the damage from the extra use is pretty obvious all ready and by trampling more ground out there we're just giving them reason to impose further restrictions. Which you can bet your ass are coming if we continue to camp outside the fence. For once I decided that rather than just get pissed and spray about this issue I'd try doing something about it. I contacted Kitty Benzar (the author of the email in the OP) today and she gave me some very useful information that I'm in the process of looking at and forwarding to an Environmental attorney friend of mine who is interested in looking into the possibilities of a lawsuit. This issue, if put in front of a judge, is gonna be real hard for the FS and the Citizens Advisory Group to defend. They did not make this decision with public consent which they are required to do by law.They received a large amount of input on Skull Hollow from climbers specifically who were adamantly opposed to any fee but they instead chose to categorize us as "druggie climbers" and made the decision on their own personal opinions rather than public input. Kitty feels (and I agree with her) the the FS has handled this whole thing poorly and the imposition of the fee in the first place is a violation of federal law. Not to mention the move to privatize the camp ground which I'm told they have all ready done with a company from Utah. Any one else got any better ideas or wanna get involved in this should shoot me a PM. My atty. friend is gonna do as much as he can, this kind of issue is exactly why he became a lawyer, but it's gonna take more than just one dirtbag and a lawyer to get this turned around. Thoughts?

Looks like it's gonna be a busy weekend on Washington.

The first pitch rap is this long... http://www.summitpost.org/image/62838/150570/dkantola-rappelling-the-first.html

Yeah I once brought 30 ft of 8mm cordelette with me to climb Mt Yoran "just in case". Luckily no ropes are needed for Yoran but the stupidity of carrying that rope with me that day became self evident when I realized that I'd need 30 ft of cord just to wrap something big enough to serve as an anchor. More recently I climbed Thielsen this spring with a bit of snow and ice on it. We brought a rope with but found out at the wrong time that a 30 is pretty worthless on Thielson for getting down unless you wanna fix it and leave it. It got my buddy back down to the notch but I couldn't live with the shame of leaving a rope on Thielson so I rapped to a good ledge and then downclimbed through the one awkward move because of the conditions. Spicy! Now, I'll take a 60 or nothing at all for the volcanos.

If I remember correctly (and I probably don't) we downclimbed from the summit to the last rap station because it looked like rapping would bring down all kinds of choss when we pulled the rope. I thought this was kinda standard on Washington . The climbing was easy and the exposure pretty mild other than the first pitch which was the only one we rapped. It too could be downclimbed but it looks scary from above. I'll check my memory for you as I'm headed out there this weekend.

3 Raps? I'm pretty sure a 30m will leave you wishing you had brought at least a 50.

Good question. Not current but interesting read about how the fees got implemented in the first place... http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/News_SkullHollowFees.htm Anyone got any other current information on this winter closure? Something other than what the duder in the RV said. Not doubting the truth of his statement but he's probably the last to hear about use decisions and I'm really curious to know who makes these decisions and what jurisdiction they have and who gave it to them? I'll camp outside the fence just like I did last time but these fucking fees are getting ridiculous and completely out of control. Every goddamned time I want to go for a walk in the woods some asshole thinks they should be able to dip into my pocket. And those of you prone to calling me a tight ass for not coughing up the 5 bucks a night can go fuck themselves. I, like many others, don't usually just stay one night. I like to stay several and I often go midweek. 3 to 4 nights several times a year and you are approaching the value of my rack. Which means if I wasn't spending it on a place to lay in the dirt I could double my rack. It's really too bad we can't all be rich.

Like I said...1800+ routes. Not 500. I'm pretty sure it says that right on the cover. I'd be going too but mother wants me to clean my room and help her dye her hair after we get her weekly sponge bath over with. Gonna be a long weekend for me. Regardless...have fun at Smith this weekend. Sorry to ruin your day with my jackass behaviour. My apologies.

You're right. Alan Watts doesn't know shit about Smith Rock. The locals are keeping all of the good shit for themselves. Those 1800+ routes and 500 pages that took him over a decade to compile are just for the tourons and jackasses like me.

:lmao: yeah... you might wanna get the guidebook

...until you touch it. While it is a ridge, that pile of rock is highly unstable until it becomes marginally so when somewhat glued together by ice and snow. Trying to climb on Yocum Ridge right now would be kind of like playing "pick up sticks". Sorry I didn't use the little sarcasm smiley.

I hear Yokum Ridge is the shit this time of year...of course I've never been up there myself but it's a ridge so it should be free of rock fall. Good luck. http://cascadeclimbers.com/trip-reports/alpine/mt-hood-oregon-yocum-ridge-3-19-2010-4797/