Darrington

[rr666]

anyone been out there this year? How are the roads? or is it just a big wet mess and we need the sun to come out for more than an hour and dry the roads and rock off.

[Szyjakowski]

rr666 said:

anyone been out there this year? How are the roads? or is it just a big wet mess and we need the sun to come out for more than an hour and dry the roads and rock off.

dtown is nice...but, i didn't make it to the crags yet....I bet the rock is very dry.

[mattp]

Two months ago, the road to Three O'Clock Rock was fine and several of us are waiting for it to dry up a bit so we can go check out the winter's damage. There are always surprises in store each year and we know, for example, that a large (like maybe sixty feet tall) flake on the West Buttress route on Blueberry Hill has completely fallen off, and it may have taken out part of Dark Rhythm.

 

If you do head up there in the next few weeks, bring a saw and be ready to find a tree accross the road somewhere. Also, expect snow in the woods and along the bottom of the crags -- there are likely to be steep, hard snow "aprons" at the base of the routes and water dripping from snow patches up on the crags into May and possibly June. Also, realize that lingering snow patches on the rock have a habit of cutting loose in a spectacular fasion sometimes, so you may want to avoid routes that have these on the approach or above the climb itself.

[rr666]

Thanks for the info Matt. Good things to keep in mind.

 

mattp said:

that a large (like maybe sixty feet tall) flake on the West Buttress route on Blueberry Hill has completely fallen off, and it may have taken out part of Dark Rhythm.

 

Man, Dark Rhythm is a great climb too, hope it ain't too badly damaged. Does that also completely change part of the West Buttress Route? The joys of Darrington, its a new place every year

 

[dberdinka]

mattp said:

we know, for example, that a large (like maybe sixty feet tall) flake on the West Buttress route on Blueberry Hill has completely fallen off, and it may have taken out part of Dark Rhythm.

 

Exfoliation in action!

 

That's scary stuff, the west buttress seemed like some very bomber rock. Can't wait to see the scar. Which pitch disintegrated?

[mattp]

The large flake that you sit on to belay at the top of what I show as the third pitch of the "Blueberry Route" is gone. This same flake formed the "crack" system that one formerly climbed to get to that belay. It'll be interesting to see what we find when we go up there this spring.

 

By the way, the approach to Blueberry Hill, and the climbs on that side of the dome, are particularly worriesome in the Spring if you don't like the idea of getting beat up in a climax avalanche.