Marco Falken

Ilias, you have a Harrowing Tale of Horror in the Mountains. I'm itching and swelling up just from reading. If Allie goes back up with you, she is mas macho. Or insane. I was 4th classing a Cascades summit block and a flock of evil mosquitos bit through my shirt, and I reflexively let go to slap em. I barely caught myself--nearly took The Big Ride! Then I painfully weighed whether to let go to kill them and die myself, or let the bastards keep injecting their itch poison... And once -only once- I made a small smudge fire above 5,000'. That's how much I hate mosquitos.

Thanks for posting the nice photos, Waterproof! You must have hauled a hella lens up Sahale. It was cool seeing your crevasse photos before we summited Eldo on Sun. [Daytripper, could not get permit] Oh here's a more closeup view of the same big crevasse on the E. Rigde.

Thanks for your interesting TR. In your photos those conditions look about as expected. You and "a lot of day hikers" you mentioned might have been playing avalanche roulette. Glad there was not another sad accident report. Maybe most of it had had already released?

"Vibrant experience"...yes... Your fotos 6-9 remind me of my approach today to The Tooth N.Ridge scramble from Denny Creek. I appreciate your mental condition that makes you seek this out -- me I was desperately hoping to god to avoid this kid of perverted hell!! Just to reach the exalted stone and sky above. But let's compare dirt techniques & tips. The ice ax was more reliable in the live firs than rotten logs. And thwacking dirt with the ax can give surprisingly good placements -- long as there's not rock underneath (bzzzfingers!). Kicking steps in the steep dirt and slippedy fir needle duff? -- iffy; I would have shat myself if not for the lifesaving slide alder grab.

Found crampons in the lowlands E. of Seattle (huh?) in Sept.! Pls describe the cramps and location details, and claim. I'd prefer to give back to their owner, but will keep if forced to.

"Enhancing", not me, more just pounding the slag and burrs off the existing holds. A few more hands on it would speed the smoothing & cleaning. I was just back there again, and this wall really is worth bouldering, for locals. The variety and relative naturalness of holds has me thinking that the constractor who shaped it must be a climber who sneakily designed it to be climbed, -- whoever you are, thanks for an inspired job.

Might one inquire as to the location of this fabled, rare West WA boulder? thanks

Yes, I think so. But that's a personal preference. Anyhow for now it's quiet.

Trip: Renton WA - Coal Creek Wall FAs Date: 5/24/2009 Trip Report: A welcome new bouldering wall has been discovered convenient to Renton. I'm no geologist, but this formation appears to be very recent, and of stone similar to gray concrete. There's a suprisingly good variety of holds, including a lot of fun diagonals and edges, even pockets -- I'm not sure if the Creator meant it to be climbed, but it almost looks like it. The wall tops out at around 18 feet in the middle by maybe 100 yards long. It's vertical. I began bouldering right at the south (upper) end; the climbing continuesa all along the wall. So far I've done just easy stuff, with trail shoes, but there's more potential. It's peaceful now as the new Coal Creek Pkwy is closed for construction; when it opens it'll get noisy. The downside is very rough concrete; this will toughen your fingers. I use rocks or tools to beat down the sharpies on new routes. Also some loose crumbles on FAs, this wall is just weeks old. More hands cleaning off the slag should result in a fun little bouldering crag in the Renton & Newcastle area. Some degenerates may even want to "enhance" holds. Maybe I'll post a photo. There's a similar-looking wall on the Newcastle side of May Creek, I haven't checked that out yet. Gear Notes: Climbing shoes optional. Brush might be handy, and optional old hammer to dull sharp burrs, or I use rocks found around the base. Approach Notes: Jogged over from the house after work with the Maggie the dog. The wall is on 138th Ave. SE (Coal Creek Pkway), in Renton, starting just N of SE100th St. or just uphill from May Creek bridge. It's currently a construction site. Hazards. Construction junk. I don't know if local Authoritahs will get irate with climbers once the road opens.