Plaidman

Loose caulk. Not a caulk ball.

I had a typo. Now corrected to 1/18/09. It was last January 2009.

That Windy Day at Beacon Rock 1/18/2009 Ben and I decided that we needed to get at least one more accent of Beacon Rock done before the mandatory closure for falcon nesting. This really means the end of our rock climbing season for at least 5 months or maybe as long as 6 months depending on the birds. Ben and I chose Dod’s Jam as our route up Beacon Rock. It is a fairly easy route. That was well within our abilities. The first pitch goes at 5.7 which would be my lead to start off. It would be a good warm up for the harder sections above. We did not even consider that it was January and that it could be cold and windy. We felt up to the challenge. Besides if not now, we asked when we will have another chance. I got up at 4:00 a.m. All my gear had been packed the night before. Upon awaking I realized that my toe nails needed to be trimmed as long toe nails can be felt when jamming your feet into cracks. It can be a bit distracting. I searched for the toe nail clippers and could only find a pair of scissors. While trimming a particularly thick nail I slipped and nipped the end of my ring finger on my left hand. Blood dripping I grabbed a towel and stanched the flow. It may have not been a good idea to trim my toe nails when half asleep. I grabbed a Band-Aid and the Neosporin and climbers tape. I thought that I had successfully bandaged my ailing finger. I thought I don’t really use that finger anyway and put the ailing finger out of my mind. We headed up the road on our way to Beacon Rock on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. We noticed that it was a bit windy and we had a difficult time keeping the car on the road. Never mind that we had important things to discuss. Like the route, who would lead first, the hardest move and other details. Never mind that we had hashed these topics into the dirt several times. We arrived at the parking lot at Beacon Rock, Washington. We were greeted by howling winds that reminded us of a freight train. The trees were dancing and waving their branches to the wind thrashing them with extreme malice. We were shocked at the violence we were witnessing. But not enough deter us. We grabbed our gear and started down the trail. When on the trail we were sheltered from the wind and were able to talk to each other with out having to yell at the top of our lungs. We got to the base of the route and started gearing up. I was leading first and Ben suggested that I not take all of the gear I was racking up to take with me. I thought well he is more experience and he may be right. I always take too much gear. So I conceded to his suggestions. Upon starting up the route he told me to make sure that I sewed up the route as it traverses a bit. In the case of traversing routes it is important to make sure that enough gear is placed so that the climber following does not swing in a pendulum swing. Now considering that I had less gear on me to place it would be difficult. I started off up the route and noticed right away that the wind was really pushing me around. I had to make hand jams in the cracks just to stay on the rock. I started placing lots of gear just for myself as I felt like I was going to blown right off the rock. I had no idea how strong the winds were but they were definitely a factor in how I was going to proceed up the rock. While making one of my hand jams I pulled my hand out of the crack and watched my bandage pull off my damaged finger and fly away with the wind. Immediately there was a gush of blood that ran down my arm and onto the gear. Blood on the rope ,on me, on the rock. It was everywhere. There was so much blood it caused my hand to be slippery when making the next hand jam. I could not lose focus so I continued to climb trying not to rely on my left hand. Eventually it ceased to flow and I continued to look for gear placements and worked at maintaining my balance against the battering wind. I was about 2/3rds up the route when I looked at my dwindling rack of gear and cursed Ben and then myself for listening to his advice. I climbed higher and started clipping directly into ring laden pitons of an ancient vintage that may have been placed a decade before I was born. I used my gear sling for girth hitching a hollow flake and came up with some very inventive ways of securing the rope to the rock. I was not very confident about running out the route with out gear. The wind was starting to blow even harder. I looked over my shoulder and saw in horror that the Columbia River resembled the tempest tossed Pacific Ocean more than an inland river. Back to climbing. I need to figure out what to do. Go up with out gear or go down. I had my cell phone as communication with Ben by yelling was useless. Ben answered. I screamed I am out of gear and I’m not sure I can get to the anchor. He told me that there was another option that we could get to a rappel station just to the left at the top of the Wind Surfer route. He asked can you get over there. Yes I replied with more confidence than I believed I had. With a direction to go and an escape I rallied my inner reserve of courage and moved up and through the gap and onto the shelf at the rappel station. When I clipped into the bolts I was elated. I called Ben to let him know I was off belay so that I could build the anchor and take in the rest of the rope to put him on belay. He started climbing and I took in the rope. I looked at the river in terror as the wind tore at me. The Columbia River had swells the size I had never seen before. The mist off the tops of the waves had rainbows whirling above them. The wind was so full of mist it made me feel cold to the bones. I was determined that we were going down. I was willing to fight if need be. I was almost in a state of panic. Finally I looked over and saw a puff of smoke. But it wasn’t smoke it was chalk from Ben’s open chalk bag. As his head came over the lip I yelled close your chalk bag. It was a welcome site to have him get up to the shelf I was sitting on. I felt hypothermic and yelled to him we are going down. He was in agreement. We set up the rappel. Ben told me I could go first since I had been sitting the longest. Instead of trying to throw the rope down the route, we knew that was useless, Ben gave me just enough rope to rappel with. Then at about 50 feet he had to let go of the rope. When he did the rope snapped out at a 90 degree angle from me. It did not even flutter in the wind. It stood straight out to the side. There was a fixed line on another route to the left of me and the rope seemed to grab it and whipped around it several times. I gingerly pulled it back to me as a rope sometimes will cross itself and tie itself in a knot. I was able to get the rope back and continue my decent. I made it to the ground and waited for Ben to rappel off. I held the end of the rope so it did not repeat it’s rope knot tying trick. We made it down safely and headed to the car. As we were moving down the trail there was another group of climbers starting up the Southeast Corner. I thought at the top going around the corner it is windy on a calm day. Boy they are in for a real treat. I felt very lucky to have successfully gotten off the route with out too much of a problem. Ben and I found out later that the wind had been measured at 105 mph at Crown Point Oregon 20 miles South of Beacon Rock. Here is a YouTube video documenting the event. Many people may wonder why we climbed in such a wind storm. I count it as training. I can now say in future climbs “Well it is not as windy as it was that day on Beacon Rock.”

I liked this part. If you got a rope to back up the jug, USE IT! I have been making sure that the fixed line that I have been leaving has a least 4 or 5 feet of slack so it does not saw on an edge. But not so much slack that the wind can grab it and lodge it in a crack. Great job guys. Plaidman

Our own forum to fuck up! Right on! Plaidman

Heading out with Jim O. today to do the corner and the first pitch of YW. Maybe Windsurfer if I am feeling badass. IT's my b-day and my wife bought me a new 70 m rope 10mm. Wha-hooo. Plaidman

I can't wait for you to go climb at beacon so i can piss on you from land of the little people. GO KENNY GO!!!!

Thanks dude. That is a great story! LOL LOL

Trip: Solo Aid Trip Smith Rock Oregon - West Face - Monkey Face Date: 10/30/2009 Trip Report: Solo Aid Trip I finally finished a project started last year. I wanted to solo aid Windsurfer at Beacon Rock. The first attempt was aborted about 30 ft. from the ground by a bomb threat at the bathroom in the parking lot. What that had to do with me on the other side of the rock was never explained to me. But I was required to come down to be interviewed. I didn’t get back to finish the unfinished business till this year. It looked like it would rain on Sunday and I thought well I am aiding, rain wont change that too much. Except that when placing gear over my head with the rain running down my arm could be cold. But I don’t get cold so that is a bonus. Must be the Scottish blood running in my veins. I did look into buying a kayaking paddle jacket with rubber grommets on the sleeves to keep the water out. It may work. I set off down the path to my nemesis with all the gear I own. Quite a load of junk that I would only use half of on the route I was doing. Hauling all that stuff around keeps me in shape. I think. The route took me 6 hours. 100 ft. Solo Aid. I spent a lot of time on the anchor and placed a whole lot of pieces to keep me off the deck. I am slow I know but I am still learning. Solo aiding is really great for the head. I am totally consumed when I am on route. Time just speeds by. I have got to get faster though. Practice perform apply and execute. I was told to speed up, get higher in my aiders and place as high as possible. I finished that project and thought to myself what next. I had wanted to do the West Face of the Monkey Face so I drove down to Smith Rock on Thursday night and camped woke up at 3:00 am and got on the trail at 4:00 am. I had all my gear again. Except no gear over 2 inches. I saved a little weight. Not enough. Two ropes, 6 pounds of water, and all my junk. It was almost as heavy as the three wet ropes I hauled out earlier in the week. Wet ropes are heavy. Just in case you were wondering. It took me 2 ½ hours to trudge over to the Monkey Face. Stumbling around in the dark I missed a key split in the trail and ended up taking the wrong long way. It was a little detour. It was a bit disconcerting as I wondered where the hell I was. I was fairly certain I was in Oregon. I was encouraged though as the trail was not as steep on this detour. Made it to the Monkey Face and started looking for the 5 bolts for the start of this route. It took me a while in the dark. I could not see the crack so which set of bolt is it? Hmmm. I figured it out and started racking up. I was not moving real fast. But finally I was ready to fire off on this route using slow bullets. My buddy told me to just tie a figure 8 on a bight on a locking biner for the first bolt and then leave some slack and do the same on the next two bolts. I thought I would do one better and equalize the 2nd and 3rd bolt with a 48 inch runner. It took a lot of time but the anchor for a solo aid system is kind of important. If nothing else it assists in be able to move up at all. No confidence. No movement. At least that is how it works for me. I was using a modified Gri Gri and tying in short every so often to back that up. Well it took an hour for me to get to the crack. I was not getting up in my aiders third step was the best I could do. I had a cheater stick. I was using my telescoping walking stick with duct tape. I would tape a biner to the stick with the gate taped open with the aider in the biner. I can reach a long way with that cheater stick. It’s not really cheating if you are aiding anyway. Anything goes. Except like doing something stupid like chipping or bolting right next to the perfectly good crack. I didn’t do that. I had to use the cheater stick once on the lower section of bolts as the person that set up the bolts must have been 10 feet tall. I am a stubby 5 foot 7 inches. The total reach of my cheater stick itself is 4 feet 6 inches. That makes up for the height of the 10 foot tall person that put these bolts in. I got into the 5.11 crack and started plugging gear. I used Small nuts, hexes, tricams, and brass nuts. I love placing gear. I put in a lot of gear to start off and equalized several pieces to keep me off the deck. For the whole pitch I used only 3 cams. As I got about half way I was able to get up to the second step of my aiders consistently. Three times I got up in the top step. The top section went much faster. One of my buddies from Beacon Rock showed up and took some pictures and was climbing the West Face Variation. So I had a little company on the route. Hikers would periodically come around the corner and gaze up and ask a few questions. One guy came around the corner and was so shocked to see me up there he almost fell down. I had the route all to myself not another soul. I took my time and was going for milking the learning and experience. That is my excuse for going so slow. I got up to the bolts at the top of the pitch and saw that I would maybe have to make a free move. It looked like a mantle up on a ledge system. I was aiding so no free move for me. There was a bolt to the left of the anchor so I got out the cheater stick and performed the cheat by putting a 48 inch runner on the biner and then placing a biner to attach my aiders to the runner. My telescoping walking stick was completely extended and I was in the second step on my aider. It only took me 5 ½ hours to do the first pitch. I was smoked and hot by that time. I bailed off by setting up a rap with my haul line and lead rope. Cleaned the route on rappel and caulked up the outing as a bench mark to train against. I wouldn’t have to work too hard to improve that time. The Huber brothers could have climbed El Cap twice in the time it took me to climb that one pitch. At least I know what gear to bring and what to leave behind. I had fun I think and I learned a lot. Next time bring faster bullets. Monkey Face West Face Videos: Monkey Face West Face Start Monkey Face West Face Firing Off With Slow Bullets Monkey Face West Face Last Bolt On Bottom Monkey Face West Face Get To Bolt Monkey Face West Face Almost At The Top Monkey Face West Face Post Report - Last Move Gear Notes: Too much gear always. Only had one offset nut. Didn't use it. Only use three cams. .3 Rock Empire, Yellow Alien, red #1 Camalot Had hooks. Could have used them on last move. Used cheater stick instead. Approach Notes: Follow trail in the dark. Bring brighter headlamp so I don't miss turn off.

I want to drive up from PDX. Can I get a ticket before hand so that I get in? Don't want to drive up with out a ticket. Plaidman

That would be him.

There is Lost Cam Kenny and Crazy Kenny Jim O.'s friend. I am talking about older Crazy Kenny that just got back from Colorado.

That's why they call him Crazy Kenny.

I am really liking that first pitch of Young Warriors. Got the on sight. But I don't think it counts as Jim Opdycke was telling every move from the bottom. Sure is a fun route. Plaidman

I agree....so can we have one for Beacon? You go Kevbone. Kevbone Jake has a point in that Index doesn't have it's own forum. But I don't see as much posted about Index. I looked at the list of forums and crags don't get there own forum on CC. Bummer. We do burn the space on the Rock Climbing forum. Rock on Beacon Climbers! Plaidman

I agree....so can we have one for Beacon? You go Kevbone.

WOW! Did you spend all night cutting up the script. That was good. Real good. Plaidman

Hey Backclipped - I have admit that I just got into some shit with my lunatic X-wife and I was a little steamed about that when I read your comment. Sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut when I am pissed off. Sorry dude.

The hardest 5.8 anywhere? Riiiight. Let me guess, the opening moves on Nine Gallon makes it the hardest 5.9 anywhere, right? A grade is a grade is a grade.... Fuck off you jackass "Fuck off you jackass"...well, it's like this Plaidman. One might want to spend some time "free climbing" in multiple areas before he/she starts spouting off delusions of grandeur about their home crags. Ever climb a 5.8 at The City? How about 5.8 in the northeast? I've read a portion of your Valley manifesto--I mean trip report--so there is evidence that you've climbed outside of Oregon...so you should know better. dude, don't be such a dick... it's his opinion and he's entitled it and i don't believe he was speaking on your behalf. plaid is a cool guy out having fun and that's why we all like to climb in the first place. i do believe he's from colorado where i'm certain there are some pretty stout 5.8's. it's all subjective anyhow, i'm sure your a cool guy but jeebus "the city" out "east" get real dude it's all about having fun and not exploiting what u love. WOW thanks Pink.

The hardest 5.8 anywhere? Riiiight. Let me guess, the opening moves on Nine Gallon makes it the hardest 5.9 anywhere, right? A grade is a grade is a grade.... Fuck off you jackass Here is the list of my climbs and climbing areas: South Platte Colorado several crags including Turkey Rocks and Buck Snort Slab. Too many others to mention. Eldorado Canyon Several Routes including Re-Written Rocky Mountain National Park - Petit Grepon Lumpy Ridge - Several Routes including Kor's Flake. Perhaps you should read my trip report on the Wolf's Tooth. Shelf Road Garden of the Gods Castlewood Canyon The Flatirons Clear Creek Canyon Golden Cliffs Vedauwoo Wy. Colorado National Monument - Independence Monument Indian Creek 4x Yosemite 3x Squamish once Oregon and Washington Crags: Smith Rock Trout Creek Pete's Pile Bulo Point Broughtons Bluff Carver Rocky Butte Beacon Rock Index Exit 38 Lyle Crag Ozone So based on my list I am of the opinion that Little Wing has one move that is a little harder than 5.8 That is my opinion and opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink. Plaidman

The hardest 5.8 anywhere? Riiiight. Let me guess, the opening moves on Nine Gallon makes it the hardest 5.9 anywhere, right? A grade is a grade is a grade.... Fuck off you jackass

Went out yesterday and solo aided Windsurfer. It took way too long. finished it in the dark. Placed over 30 pieces. No rain. Plaidman

That's the one

I know the one. It gets me every time. About half way up. It makes it the hardest 5.8 anywhere. Plaidman

Monster Mega Prayers to Paul and his family.