Explorer

When Tyson.g posted that back in July, 2014 I thought his comment about a cess pool was an analogy. But with Choada Boy's plan for his power dump, maybe Tyson.g's comment was closer to reality than I knew. You knarly climbers do have a unique culture! Don't be put off by the flamin that we give. As in most things inter-nutz related, when you meet even the most violent mouthed spray lord, they are good folk in person. I personally know Choada (Justin T) and he is a reall cool, helpful and interesting person. I bet you two would get along. Forget about the past and just share what you got. We all really appreciate the cool things others do. This is a social media site after all. Would be cool to meet you at a pub party some time. I have thick skin and the flaming doesn't faze me. The more time I've spent on this site the more I understand the culture and humor here. In a much milder way, Cascade Climbers reminds the wild culture we had when I was a young Marine in Vietnam. That culture would not be accepted in a civilized society today... I am way older now, have mellowed out some and I have learned things like "restraint." And I know it would be fun to down a few brews with you guys someday!

[quote=Tyson.g No kidding, with the recalcitrant hive mind around this place, it is a wonder anyone posts anything. Sad. Best of luck and glad you have stoke......maybe that is the cause of all the hating? Lack of passion and stoke by the others? Who knows but yeah, flee this cesspool. When Tyson.g posted that back in July, 2014 I thought his comment about a cess pool was an analogy. But with Choada Boy's plan for his power dump, maybe Tyson.g's comment was closer to reality than I knew. You knarly climbers do have a unique culture!

Yea, I definitely learned my lesson on that!

More here: http://registerguard.com/rg/sports/outdoors/34007966-80/divine-discovery.html.csp http://registerguard.com/rg/sports/outdoors/34008086-80/safety-key-for-those-who-plan-to-visit-valhalla.html.csp My take on the hype that seems to be the main focus of this thread on Cascade Climbers: I have looked through some of the trip reports on this site - the stories and photos about the places you guys climb really are incredible! Putting that into perspective it's not hard to understand why you Dean Potter type adventurers are not very impressed with my discovery. It sounds like some of you might even find slot canyons routinely, on your way to the cliffs and mountain tops that you climb. But for the average non climbing member of the public, seeing photos and a story like Valhalla is exciting. If you watch the story Thursday night on Oregon Field Guide, you may even know some of the climbers that are in the film. The producer or no one else told them how to act or what to say, but you will see that they were pretty excited with what they saw in Valhalla. Once you have been there its merits will stand on their own and you can decide whether or not it lives up to the hype. If I ever find anything else, next time I will see if Ivan wants to be my publicity manager!

Have you seen SOME of the people who pump gas in Oregon? Would you really want those people out and about with no job?

You read my mind. I don't know anyone on this forum, but reading through this thread and other threads on Cascade Climbers I have an observation about Ivan. Most of his posts are very concise and his humor is on the mark. And he seems to make these short comments at just the perfect place on a thread. I bet he would be a fun guy to have a beer with someday!

Water, thanks for putting into perspective. I am still learning about this strange climber culture. I have learned a few new terms here like "beta", "stoked" and "SUPER STOKED!!!." I haven't learned what "spray" means though. As far as neutering some of the flippant people, from their tone and the way they pile on, I would bet that they have already been neutered which explains the way they are.

Gene is awesome and it would be awesome to name it after him, but I'm glad Hyberbole Canyon was found. What a great discovery! What are the coordinates? I can tag it on Google Maps and start a petition to make sure no one tries to tag it with some Norse nonsense that has already been over used. http://www.summitpost.org/valhalla-peak/800488 http://www.summitpost.org/valhalla-range-british-columbia/538347 http://www.summitpost.org/mount-valhalla-hail-peak/152731 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Valhalla_(Alaska) http://www.scci.org/preserves/valhalla/ I could go on.... I have agreed several times in this thread that the words in my original post were overly enthusiastic and hyperbolic (let go - move on). I thought people would be glad to hear about a place like I found. But I've since learned that on this site, unless you give out photos, details, coordinates, and in a certain way (and right now), that many members here will pout, ridicule and criticize every possible aspect of the whole story, including my motives for bringing it forward. I get it that you hard core climbers have your own culture (I wonder if some of you have ever experienced anything really hard core). I know there are many cool people here, but at times this forum reminds me of petty Jr. high school BS. And now, Oly Climber, with no part whatsoever with any investment in this discovery, wants to start a petition to name it something else.

In my original post I never said it was 8 to 9 miles. I said it took 7 hours (not miles) to get to our base camp. From there it takes another three hours to get to the slot canyon. On that first trip we tried a different route on the way back out from the base camp and that way was much better, in fact it cut four hours off of the hike.

Is that the same as being stoked? Or "SUPER STOKED"? In climber jargon, is there any state higher than being SUPER STOKED?

Wow, over 16,000 views here and another thread following this one over at NW Hikers! With so many people who must have already been into the depths of Valhalla I am surprised that no one has posted any photos that they took there... Even Mr. Waterfall Survey Sorefeet hasn't posted any close up photos of the waterfalls there (but he has seen it on Google Earth). If Sorefeet is correct (and I am not saying he is not), and from the topo map posted at NW Hikers; if that is Valhalla there is a road only a mile or so to the northeast. That's the same road that goes to Breitenbush Lake, where thousands of people have been. It looks like a person could just start from that road and hike straight down and through the canyon. Just a few more days and this mystery will be over.

I bet you have deeper issues going on besides being upset about my bringing the story of Valhalla to Cascade Climbers. My best advice to you is that you NOT watch the Oregon Field Guide episode on it.

Long time lurker here, but this thread drew me out so I'm chiming in late here, but yes, OPB would definitely have still had interest and no, disclosing the location would almost certainly NOT have resulted in droves of people visiting. When I first saw this thread several months back, I made an educated guess about where this mystery canyon was, and the trailer for the episode of Field Guide that OPB has released confirmed my suspicion (I will not be a dick about it though and will keep quiet for now). It's definitely remote and inaccessible enough that few people will ever try to get in there. But it's not nearly as unknown as you may have thought. I've been aware of a couple of the waterfalls on the river in that canyon for several years now, thanks to Google Earth. The scope of the canyon and the uniqueness of the geology certainly appears much better than expected, but yeah...definitely way more hyperbole than necessary. Yes, OPB does many shows on well known sites in the northwest (the Oregon coast and Mt. Hood to name a couple). During the initial meeting with them, after seeing my photos one of the first things the producer said was that they would be excited to be the first film crew in there. Would they still have filmed it had it been covered before? Maybe, but the prospect that it may be previously unknown certainly piqued their interest for taking on the project.

What may be rubbing people the wrong way is your perceived sense of ownership over the "discovery" and the hyperbolic descriptions you laid on us without any details to back them up. So the snarky comments you're getting are a result of BOTH your own behavior AND the reactions you've elicited in the posters. This is the bed you've made for yourself. Yea, I get the over the top hyperbolic description from my original post in 2014. I re-read that post recently and even I was surprised how many times I used the word "amazing." I made that post two or three days after setting foot in the slot canyon for the first time. After my first (failed) expedition I was really "stoked" (as you guys on this site say) when I finally made it all the way there. I should have chilled a little before writing that post. As for my perceived ownership, probably guilty as charged there too. It goes back to being stoked and trying to figure out the best way to share a cool place with people. That, and I still feel some burden of responsibility because I realize that because of me, some people will find tragedy in Valhalla. Some people on this site have inferred that I did this to get attention for myself. If a person finds something cool that other people will enjoy, and shares the news with the world, is it because he wants attention or is just enthused about the discovery? I am not aware of any great need for personal attention. Maybe if someone here is a psychiatrist they can analyze whether or not I let the story out the way I did is because I am a narcissist in need of attention. When I first met with the producers of Oregon Field Guide I told them all that I expected was maybe to someday be a footnote in a geology text book. But from that first meeting, it was their idea to include me in the story for human interest. Whether I needed or wanted attention or not, it's coming. I am sure this won't be the last time my deplorable behavior will rub people the wrong way. I survived a year in Vietnam in the Marines, as well as many other experiences and adventures, and I can take (and give out) a little heat from the bed that I've made for myself on this internet forum! At any rate, I hope most people will enjoy Valhalla, whether by watching the documentary or by exploring it.

When did we find out it has been discovered by possibly many people before, some of which frequent here? While sarcasm can be hard to see through the internet, dbernika's hyperbole canyon may have been a commentary in jest on the 'amazing' discovery. Maybe dbernika can clarify but I have my doubts, just my 2cents. Coming from someone who believed this was a troll (and it appears perhaps a touch over-stated in significance of magnificence) but it's still cool. I understood that dbernika's Hyperbole Canyon was sarcasm and took no offense (pretty good by the way, maybe I should have named it that!). So maybe Genepires took it literally that Valhalla and Hyperbole are one in the same and many people have been there before? Genepires, if you get a call from someone with a foreign accent saying that they are the IRS and you need to send them money or go to jail, just hang up, it's a hoax!

Do you think that if I had first posted details, photos, and the location on an internet site, and then dozens of other people had gone there, photographed it, and posted it on more sites; that Oregon Field Guide would have invested the funds and effort to create a high quality documentary about the site? If many people have been there before would there be no published photos or reports of it? Unless someone produces photos of the site taken prior to my photos, we may never know if anyone has been there before. Of course I know it is possible but if someone did find it the word didn't get out too far. And you have zero idea of the level of research that myself and others did on researching the site. Do you believe that OPB would have just taken my word that no one knew about it and left it at that with no additional vetting? If not for my decision to make it known, I doubt that YOU would have ever had the opportunity to someday visit it. As for the name - Valhalla, in Norse mythology, was described as a deep, narrow hall where slain Viking warriors would spend eternity. It seemed like a fitting name for a deep, narrow slot canyon. I decided to call it something and that's what I came up with. It remains to be seen if the name will stick. Maybe you have been there before and if so we can rename it "Genepires Canyon."

"Hyperbole Canyon indeed. Even the Grand Canyon would have a hard time living up to this." That's what I am afraid of too! And all because I overused the word "amazing" in my first post on this site in 2014. What kind of monster have I created? !!!

This week Oregon Public Broadcasting starting running ads for the upcoming Oregon Field Guide special about the geologic discovery that I named Valhalla. They are running commercials (channel 10 in Portland) and they have issued press releases. There will be radio ads too. There is also information on the Oregon Field Guide Facebook page. I can post more details in a few days to coincide with information that OPB releases. For now though, here is a photo that I shot of Valhalla during the third filming expedition with OPB. Valhalla has more than one feature, including this part of it that is a slot canyon. I don't know how to make the photo larger than the thumbnail photo in this post. In the tiny photo it's hard to see the person standing in the stream at the bottom. If a mod or someone can help, I will post this photo so that it is big enough to see.

As you found out, the first (unwritten) rule of cc.com that giving people a hard time is mandatory. The second is that it is you never apologize. The third is to never take yourself too seriously, otherwise you'll run headlong into rules one and two. We're a strange and cantankerous bunch. Glad it all worked out and that you found the right audience. Maybe I'll go hurt myself there someday. I am surprised that after a year and a half since I started this thread that there are over 10,000 views and it is still being discussed. If I WERE a troll or a hoaxster, this site would be an easy mark!

The local land owner is the federal government. Since it's in a designated Wilderness Area many protections are in place by law. As I said it is a big site and I am not too worried about human vandalism. I am more concerned about future natural events that could destroy it (floods, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, etc.). That's one reason why I am glad it is being photographed and documented while it still exists.

The plan is to include the location on the Oregon Field Guide episode. I don't know if they will zoom in on a map or just describe where it is. I have maps, GPS waypoints, and tips on the best routes that I will share after the broadcast.

A friend let me know that my post from almost a year and a half ago was still being discussed here. That initial 2014 post was made just days after I had successfully made it to the geologic discovery that I had spotted from the air. I was "stoked" as you guys say, and that contributed to a writing style that wasn't well received here. I am sorry for that as I never intended to piss off people. I did follow advice from this forum and a week after posting on this site, I contacted Oregon Field Guide. After they saw my photos of the site that I named "Valhalla", they were exited about it, and the episode will air this coming February. In my posts from July, 2014 I believed that once Oregon Field Guide took the story; they would have it on film by November of that year. I had no idea how long that process would really take! I read through the replies from my initial posts here. Someone mentioned the "OPs web site" (a caving site). I don't have a web site and know nothing about the site that was attributed to me. After my posts here, I received some interesting emails from members of this site. The general themes were "this is a hoax", "you are a troll", "you are trying to profit over this", "we've probably already discovered your site", and "if you disclose the location (except to them) the public will ruin the place." It was pretty amusing to read one guy's email saying that I was "full of shit", and in his next paragraph, his offer to get together and talk about my discovery! I did give much thought about how to proceed with the discovery. My biggest concern is the realization that people will be hurt or killed in the Valhalla site. People die in our mountains, rivers, and even on our coastal beaches, almost every month of the year. What might kill us also enriches our lives. Hazards of the outdoors are worth the risks, at least to most of us. Even so, I dread someday hearing about tragedies that will occur in Valhalla. In my earlier posts here, I gave examples of small, unique sites that I've found but would never publicize. Valhalla is a big site. Hard to access, and protected as much as it could be by the regulations of a designated wilderness area. I believe it is a significant enough geological wonder that it deserves to be shared and appreciated by people who love the outdoors. With that said, after this I won't be defending or justifying my decision to take the story to Oregon Field Guide. After three expeditions to the site with the Oregon Field Guide crew (the final film shoot last July lasted five days), I know they will produce a stellar documentary on Valhalla - just as they did with the Mt. Hood Glacier Caves, Mt. St. Helens glacier caves, and the Salmon River kayaking episodes, to name a few of my favorites. Someone has already posted a link to Oregon Field Guide's initial notice of the upcoming Valhalla episode. They will be publicizing more about it between now and the date that it airs in February. I have agreed to let them give out the details as they see fit; therefore I won't be posting photos or other details. I hope that most of you will enjoy it and that it will be worth the wait!

I DROPPED SOME LOGS OFF WITH YOUR MOM THIS MORNING NOT PETRIFIED YET THOUGH G-spotter, Here are two photos that I took of petrified logs hanging from the roof of a cave here in the Oregon Cascades less than two hours from Portland. I took these photos with a film camera, long before digital cameras were on the market. I still have the original 35mm slides, but today I used a digital camera to take photos of the 8”x10” prints that I have of the petrified cave logs. The first photo shows a petrified log hanging from the roof of the cave. It is approximately 14” diameter and 18” long. This photo shows a smaller and shorter petrified log (in the same cave). A Townsends big eared bat is hanging off the end of this petrified log. [/url ] Petrified logs hanging from the roof a cave is a rare thing. A geologist co-worker studied the cave. Her explanation was that thousands of years ago, a mud flow buried some standing trees, leaving them in their upright position. Then many years later molten basalt flowed over the earlier mud flow. Eventually the old mud flow under the basalt eroded out, forming the cave. The exposed petrified logs now hanging from the ceiling of the cave were in the old mud flow that eroded away. As I said before, I understand the skepticism about my new discovery, and I expected some flaming. But I am beginning to think that posting anything about my find on this site was a mistake. My best approach might be to contact Oregon Field Guide, or some outdoor related magazines, one at a time until I find one that will be interested in covering the story. The only reason that I posted this story in the first place was that I was hoping that someone could recommend a good regional outdoor related, or climbing related magazine that would be a good place to share the discovery with the public.

Water, and everyone else interested in this thread; I completely understand your doubts about what I have posted. I would feel just as suspicious if I were reading a story like this from an unknown source. I didn't post this story to tease people. My dilemma with the discovery is how to inspire enough interest so that hopefully people could point me to the BEST magazine or other media source to show this to the public - while at the same time, not giving it away until I have time to put the story and photos together in a way that it deserves. As I mentioned in my first post, it has been four years since my unsuccessful expedition to reach the site. One of the main reasons that I haven't attempted to go back until last week, is that I am away on wildfire assignments every summer (with just a few days home between assignments). Last winter I realized that if I were ever going to organize another attempt to get to the site, I would have to stay home for at least a week, right in the middle of wildfire season - and that is a loss of income for me. As I write this, wildfires are burning all across the west. Today I am unpacking my backpacking and photography gear, and packing and getting my wildfire gear together. In a couple of days I will let my dispatch center know that I am ready for assignments, and after that I won't be home much until wildfire season winds down in late September. Deer and elk season takes up most of October. This is why I know that I won't have time to get this story together until November. Myself and my two climber friends who were with me on the successful expedition last weekend all promised each other that except for doing a little homework (such as this thread) on how to proceed with publishing the discovery; we would not release it until we have it ready in November. All three of us have time, money, sweat and even some blood invested in this discovery. So I will not be posting coordinates, photos, or details until we have the adventure ready to publish. So unless you think this is a total hoax, bear with me until November. The wait will be worth it! And there will be an added bonus at that time: Although we successfully made it to the heart of the geologic discovery; we only saw about 1/3 of it. We were stopped from exploring all of it by a 30 to 40 foot vertical cliff. I am not a climber, but my partners who are climbers said that it would take drilling bolts into the rock to get past that obstacle. Would that even be legal in a wilderness area? I am happy, no, ecstatic (!) that I was able to see as much of this incredible place as I did. After I publish the full story, photos, maps, coordinates, etc., I know there will be some of you serious climbers who will be able to get past the cliff that stopped us last Saturday. I can't wait to see YOUR photos of the wonders that lay beyond that obstacle! One more thing I will offer for now: If for some reason I can not get this story published in November, if someone on this site wants to arrange a meeting place such as a conference room (or climbing club?), I would be willing to give a public presentation, and I believe that the two friends who were with me would be willing to participate too.

My GPS is a Garmin 78sc loaded with Garmin's 1:24,000 topo maps. This is my fourth Garmin GPS. Every few years as technology improves, I upgrade. The 78sc and other models are light years ahead of the ones made just a few years ago. My old Garmin 76S was a work horse, however the 78sc is much better in several ways, especially with it's internal antenna which locks into satellites much faster, and even under a canopy of old growth timber.