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Darrington bluegrass festival and crags


dryad

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Ok, here's a little trip report...

 

Met rr666 at 6am in Lynnwood. Got to the trailhead around 7:45. After a slight navigation error and what we affectionately called the "alpine variation" to the approach with some scrambling and bushwacking, we were at the base of the South Buttress at 8:30am.

 

We started on "Til Broad Daylight" with rr666 leading. We did 2 full pitches until just before the long traverse and decided to rap down because we had just 1 rope and it didn't look like there were enough anchors to do single rope rappels down the Tidbits route. And in the words of rr, "Traverses suck anyway". Then I lead up "Under the Boardwalk" (1 full pitch), and it really was as easy at MattP said. Love those knobbies. We were pretty much done by noon.

 

Overall, a super-fun pretty mellow outing on some great rock in a beautiful setting. I'll definitely be back. Thanks MattP and GregW for all the beta, and rr666 for the great company and rope gunning!

 

Tips:

1. If you're heading to the Arch area on 3 O'clock rock, look to your left shortly after you enter the clearing on the main trail. There's a pretty decent rocky side trail that goes straight there. We walked right by this and got to the North Buttress then made our way back south along the base of the wall. Not a big deal, but nice to avoid it if you could.

 

2. Get there early! Boy were we grateful we did. By the time I was halfway up "Boardwalk", the rock was getting so hot that you couldn't hold on to anything for more than a second or your hand would start burning. Good thing it was super-easy friction climbing that only required fingertips for balance. As we were packing up to leave around noon, another party showed up looking to do the same routes we did. pitty.gif

 

3. Don't miss the great ice cream at the Shell gas station just outside Darrington on the corner of that road that leads to Whitehorse Mtn.

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Yeah, we did too. One pitch up on Blueberry hill and the skies opened up. Man that "granite sidewalk" can be interesting in the rain. We did about 6 double rope raps to get down. That area is beautiful though. I half wish somone would put in rap anchors down the sidewalk. Rapping off trees is pretty hard on them. Kinda weird to down climb a route then rap off the approach though.

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erik said:

where would you put the anchors? the reason the "sidewalk" is so clear is that it is a slide path. and the anchors could be damaged every winter.

 

you can descend in the trees, i think to the skiers left.

 

Yeah, you are right. I wonder how high the shear forces would be? I would think a couple of goos 5"x0.5" stainless bolts and those large metolius hangers would stay put. Maybe not. I gotta say the decent was an adventure. Kinda fun actually. But we did a wee bit o' damage to the local foliage.

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Hakio-

Erik is right. If you found the Granite Sidewalk to be too slippery, you could have descended via the woods on either side and there would have been no need to rappel (the woods to the north are slightly more friendly and, if you take the right path, you can get all the way down without getting scratched up). Bolting the granite sidewalk would definitely fly in the face of local ethics and it would deny the adventure for those of us who like sliding down the sidewalk in the rain. Further, I am not sure that even 1/2" bolts would withstand the creeping snow/ice (we think greater forces seem to be applied by slowly creeping masses of snowand ice than actual avalanches).

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Did the following climbs:

Boredwalk, Til Broad Daylight (finished on last two pitches of The Kone), When Butterflies Kiss Bumblebees, and The Chain Route on Sat & Sun. Short traversing section near the top of The Kone is attention-grabbing. I got a .5 or .75 camalot in a crack midway between two bolts, which was the only gear I placed on the whole climb. I don't know why the description says "gear to 2"", plenty of bolts. I think the chain route, listed as "5.9?", is more like 10a. Steep friction slab. The first bit of "Butterflies" has a lot of small salmonberry bushes in the crack which could be cleaned relatively easily (bring some gloves). All around good climbing. A little hot, muggy, and buggy, but beautiful clean granite! Not many people out there for a nice July weekend. Next time I want to do Tidbits, looks like a great route.

 

Bluegrass on Saturday night was ho-hum. They don't allow alcohol hellno3d.gif ! The Navy String Band annoyed me by playing Lee Greenwood's anthemic "God Bless the USA".

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Quote:"*The views and information expressed at this website are not mine and may be goofy, stupid, just plain wrong, or possibly offensive to various parties. I HAVE NOT met all the people in these bands and can not confirm that they actually play the instruments they say they do, nor can I confirm that the music at the festival will by true-bluegrass THEY MIGHT SNEAK SOME COUNTRY OR (EEEEK!) FOLK MUSIC in there. Remember, attending music festivals is serious business they may get your drunk, entertained, or even hooked on the banjo! Use this information at your own risk. "

 

Well, I must say...It was a good Bluegrass festival. I jammed from Thursaday night until Sunday morning with little bouts of sleep, eats and walks down to the creek to cool off. What was really the cake was when I would notice some of the folks I was jamming with were also on stage. The new mandolin picker from Country Current was awesome. Steve from Crossfire was my favorite fiddle player. Tim from 78RPM was also fun to rip it up with.

 

The best was the kid Josh Tharp playing his own hand made banjo in the band Harmony Breeze. Only 20 years old and smoking hot!

 

If you don't think Darrington is traditional bluegrass, you have never been. It is the most traditional Bluegrass festival in Washington. The best in the traditional sence as well. They would never allow Yonder Mtn String Band or Old & in the Way to perform. Folks like Doyle Lawson or Sawtooth Mountain Boys are the typical folks who participate. There is no country music but there is plenty of Gospel. All instruments are accoustic. No elecrtic steel, bass or guitars. Most guitars are Martin, Collins or Gibson. The mandos vary but I think you will see a few Nuggets, Gibsons, Webers, Flatirons, etc. Banjos are a majority of Gibsons, Deerjing, Gold Tones, ODE's etc.

 

My favorite were the fiddle girls... smileysex5.gif

 

Good Times bigdrink.gif

 

 

 

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dryad said:

Get there early! Boy were we grateful we did. By the time I was halfway up "Boardwalk", the rock was getting so hot that you couldn't hold on to anything for more than a second or your hand would start burning. Good thing it was super-easy friction climbing that only required fingertips for balance. As we were packing up to leave around noon, another party showed up looking to do the same routes we did. pitty.gif

 

Darrington is at low elevation and there is almost no shade on any of the climbs, so the sun can be brutal. But the sun leaves the climbs on 3:00 rock at about 3:00 p.m.

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Jacob's Ladder looks to be in the shade 'till almost noon.

 

What is it with 3 o'clock and Washington crags anyway? That's about when the sun goes behind Persis and Index gets shady, and there was another post today saying Si gets shady around 3.

 

What time does Dreamer (or Green Giant Buttress) go out and in of shade?

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What is it with Washington climbs? Many of them face east.

 

Dreamer faces southeast, so it is a little later before the sun leaves it -- 4:00 or maybe even 5:00. That is a little late to start that climb unless you have the route fully "wired."

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philfort said:

hakioawa, were you the two we met at the base of the route? We wondered how you were doing descending the wet sidewalk... heh heh.

I guess the late start paid off for us.

 

Yeah. We bailed early. Too bad. The decent was, lets say "sporting"! We rapped a bunch and other than some tangled ropes, no problems. I pulled so had once to get the rope unstuck that when it did I fell backwards. Luckily there was a bunch of vegitation below me, not a cliff. By the time we got down to the the little cliff above the pool (where that little cedar tree makes a nice ladder) the route was mostly dry. We were a but pissed by that point.

 

How'd it go for you guys?

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hakioawa said:

Yeah. We bailed early. Too bad. The decent was, lets say "sporting"! We rapped a bunch and other than some tangled ropes, no problems. I pulled so had once to get the rope unstuck that when it did I fell backwards. Luckily there was a bunch of vegitation below me, not a cliff. By the time we got down to the the little cliff above the pool (where that little cedar tree makes a nice ladder) the route was mostly dry. We were a but pissed by that point.

 

How'd it go for you guys?

 

We actually had a good climb in the hot sun, but started after the "rain delay" around 1:30! Pretty neat to watch all that water evaporate in ~30 minutes, but it probably wasn't so neat for you guys. wink.gif

 

The crux pitch felt really different in its post-flake state. Thanks to whoever excavated the corner and added the bolts to that pitch. We rapped off from the terrace the same way catbirdseat did. Seems like some wacky old route went up there? I noticed several 1/4" bolts, including a ladder coming in and exiting the only hanging rap. Anyone know what that used to be? Regardless, it made for a pretty easy way off on mostly 2 and 3 3/8" bolted anchors. Jacobs ladder may be a nicer way down though, because I assume it has chained anchors (?), where as this was all webbing (thanks catbirdseat) and single rap rings.

 

Exfoliation dome rockband.gif!

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dbb-

That sounds like the best way down from the Blueberry Terrace: 4 raps, all with decent ledges, and all straight down, to the big sloping terrace between Rainman and Jacob's Ladder ? Yes, JL, Rainman, and Dark Rhythm all have chains at the stations, but they involve some diagonal rapelling and more of them.

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Well, maybe the rappel from the slings easily visible below the Blueberry Terrace is no better than other options, then. But my questions is: WHY DOES EVERYBODY RAPPEL FROM THERE? This is like the tenth report in the last two months where they bailed from the Terrace. What's up? The top of the Dome is cool, and the rappels from there have the advantages of being very straight forward (notwithstanding a report to the contrary last year) and depositing you right back at the top of the Sidewalk. Do I scare everybody off by noting that there is some run out 5.8 up there or that the first couple raps from the summit are messy??? I'm questionning your manhood (and womanhood) here.

 

 

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hakioawa said:

Yeah, we did too. One pitch up on Blueberry hill and the skies opened up. Man that "granite sidewalk" can be interesting in the rain. We did about 6 double rope raps to get down. That area is beautiful though. I half wish somone would put in rap anchors down the sidewalk. Rapping off trees is pretty hard on them. Kinda weird to down climb a route then rap off the approach though.

 

hellno3d.gif Bushwack dude.

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mattp said:

Well, maybe the rappel from the slings easily visible below the Blueberry Terrace is no better than other options, then. But my questions is: WHY DOES EVERYBODY RAPPEL FROM THERE? This is like the tenth report in the last two months where they bailed from the Terrace. What's up? The top of the Dome is cool, and the rappels from there have the advantages of being very straight forward (notwithstanding a report to the contrary last year) and depositing you right back at the top of the Sidewalk. Do I scare everybody off by noting that there is some run out 5.8 up there or that the first couple raps from the summit are messy??? I'm questionning your manhood (and womanhood) here.

 

 

I agree, in general people should go to the top of the dome. I did on my first trip up there and it adds ~2 pitches of nice slab climbing which, along with summitting, makes the overall climb have a different and more alpine feel. The West Slabs descent was great (relatively speaking), especially with Westward Ho's anchors, and like you say, it puts you right back at your packs.

 

Our lame excuse? We bailed off early due to the late start... hopefully my womanhood is still intact blush.gif

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