Terminal_Gravity Posted July 31, 2003 Posted July 31, 2003 As some of you pdx'ers know, I travel the incredibly soporific stretch of interstate between Pendelton & Hood River quite often. The vast majority of the basalt cliffs along the way look climbable. But really are of marginal quality, at best. I've stopped and cragged several times and mostly just been dissapointed. I had pretty much resigned myself to just looking at the cliffs for entertainment on the drive. The other day I noticed, for the first time, a band of curvey columnar basalt that looks alot different from the rest of the gorge choss. It appears to be very very solid; believe it or not and it has a reasonable cap. The only problem is that it is on an island just east of The Dalles. Any interested party??? I'm getting off probation soon and am willing to tresspass again if it is on private land. I have no idea really, it may even be public. The climbing looks great. Quote
Fejas Posted July 31, 2003 Posted July 31, 2003 If I remember corectly, there is a large island in the river that has some decent looking walls, but it also has a vacation home on it. of course I don't remeber if it was east or west of The Dalles. It would be cool if it was public though, every thing in the gourge that i've ever been on is loose and chuncky.... everything between the the blues, and the cascades seems to be that way, at least in the northern part of the state... No boat. although I'm interested as I usta live over that way for a couple years... Quote
lummox Posted July 31, 2003 Posted July 31, 2003 should be pretty easy to find out if its public land or not. just check a river navigation chart. check a bookstore for 'Evergreen Pacific River Cruising Atlas - Columbia River'. be forewarned that law enforcement types are much more prolific on the river now. especialy around the locks and shit. Quote
MATT_B Posted July 31, 2003 Posted July 31, 2003 I think I know what you are talking about. Its a large island near the mouth of the Deschutes? Unfortunately I don't have a boat that will get us there. I do know of a few other places that may be worth checking out. I don't remember the name of the town but it is on the Washington side very close to the island. There is a good looking chunk of rock on the west end of town. You can see it from 84. I have a friend who said he has climbed there. He said he did several good TR's in the 5.10 range. Another spot is near the town of Lyle West of The Dalles on the Washington side. A couple miles east of town the road goes through a tunnel. 100 yards west of the tunnel are a couple of short but fun cracks with some pocketed face climbs between. To the west of Lyle a few miles is another crag. There is a pond on the north side of the road and the crag is on the west end of the pond. There are a half dozen or so climbs most with bolts at the top. There is the place just east of Hood River that you can see from the freeway. I have not been there but I hear it is kind of scary. Nick Dodge also talks about a place just East of The Dalles. Acropolis Needles or something like that. I think it is just some crumbly towers but I'm not sure. Finally there is always Horse Thief Butte, I'm sure you know about that. I'm sure there are more places out there if you look hard enough. Quote
rbw1966 Posted July 31, 2003 Posted July 31, 2003 If its the island I am thinking about its just west of Mosier and has a house on it. It was for sale a few years ago--the entire island--so most likely private property. There are the Wooly Columns just outside of the Dalles but way too close to I-84 for me to waste my time climbing there. THere are also those columns I talked to you about. Still havent had time to investigate further. I got a canoe we can paddle over and check them out if you want. Quote
Terminal_Gravity Posted July 31, 2003 Author Posted July 31, 2003 Could you tow me on an inner-toob? Quote
Terminal_Gravity Posted July 31, 2003 Author Posted July 31, 2003 RBW, It's not that island w/ the house. The wall I've seen is bigger than that whole island. The island that it is on is really large and looks like it has an old quarry on it. It also hase some dunes. It is close to the washington side and the wall faces NE...so from I-84 you can only see it for about 60 seconds traveling east bound. State 14 is way above at that point and I expect that it the wall is not even visible from the road. A canoe is fine with me! Quote
lummox Posted July 31, 2003 Posted July 31, 2003 could it be: Government Cove 4 miles upstream on the Oregon side. Anchorage with no services. Great protection, good holding ground, and your own rock quarry to explore. Enter almost from due north, keeping about 15 yards off the rock jetty to the east of you. Excellent holding ground in 8-15 feet of mud. Quote
cj001f Posted July 31, 2003 Posted July 31, 2003 From topozone that would look to be Miller Island http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=5056835&e=663123&size=l Pics here: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/ColumbiaRiver/columbia_river_miller_island_from_maryhill_2003.jpg http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/ColumbiaRiver/miller_island_from_washington_hwy-14_2003.jpg Quote
Terminal_Gravity Posted July 31, 2003 Author Posted July 31, 2003 cj001f said: From topozone that would look to be Miller Island http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=10&n=5056835&e=663123&size=l Pics here: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/ColumbiaRiver/columbia_river_miller_island_from_maryhill_2003.jpg http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/ColumbiaRiver/miller_island_from_washington_hwy-14_2003.jpg Your my hero cj. I guess I'm to dumb to find a map. I think the wall is right at the "4" on the 747' elevation mark. Quote
Fejas Posted August 1, 2003 Posted August 1, 2003 one word of warning, if the there is a quary on the island, then its probably state land, and although you can usualy get away with going onto state land, being an island where patrol boats travel back and forth might increase the trespassing factor... although that area is not patroled by coper boat as much as other. I think that if you went during the week, you would have nothing to worry about.... Quote
shapp Posted August 1, 2003 Posted August 1, 2003 Fejas, by defenition state lands are open to all non-motorized travelers, except if they are specifically closed for safety, such as a quarry site, or if certain uses are specifically prohibited for a particular site, such as non-motorized only. Since the crag appears to be at the opposite side from the the quarry I am sure access is no problem. Quote
rbw1966 Posted August 1, 2003 Posted August 1, 2003 It has to be posted if its public land and closed to public access Quote
Terminal_Gravity Posted August 5, 2003 Author Posted August 5, 2003 I'll do my very best to make it a non-epic, non-hairball crazy, non-sensitive thoughtful introspective TR. Quote
ryland_moore Posted August 6, 2003 Posted August 6, 2003 So, according to the web, Miller Island is owned by the State of WA, but I see many sea kayaking tours offered that go over to the island to look at a rare species of cacti, petroglyphs on therock walls, and hike the sand dunes. Also, I found this info on the geology of the rock in that area. Maybe you geo buffs can decipher what quality of rock this will produce. If you go west along the bench and SR 14 for a couple of miles toward the beginning of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area, you will see Miller Island in the Columbia River. There also is some unusual gray rock on the hill and on the island that is not like Columbia River basalt. This is a very young lava flow, about 900,000 years old that erupted from a volcano that sits directly on top of the Columbia Hills to the north. The lava flowed down the hillside, across the bench and down into the river and the island. The 900,000-year-old lava is part of the Simco lava field that produced lots of cinder cones around the Goldendale area. A lot of the “red rock” for gardens in the Tri-City area comes from these cinder cones. The young lava covers the Columbia Hills fault zone and doesn’t appear to be faulted suggesting that this fault zone hasn’t moved since that lava flow covered it. Also, in the image it appears as if there is an awesome cliff band coming up out of the water on the Wa. side. Can you say Thailand boat climbing in the Gorge? Quote
billcoe Posted September 14, 2003 Posted September 14, 2003 TG: did you ever make it out to the water? I've been waiting to see how it went. BTW: Don't you live in Enterprise? If you are lookign for places to climb, ever climb at Angel Basin by Anthony? The old Lute Jerstadt bolted area or the nearby cliffs? The best 5.6 IMO in Oregon runs 3 pitches up solid granite right up out of that basin, protects 100 percent with nuts and hexes. I've never run into anybody who did it besides me, but my brother says he thinks Mead Hargis and Kim Schmitz probably did it @10 years before I climbed it in 1977.. Another place I see off the freeway and have never gone on it the diheadrals just east of the Dalles: visible from the freeway. Should be lots of great routes there. Have you tried those? Also, there is a tiny practice area real close to you out of Elgin. Might be the only climbable sandstone in the state of Or. Quote
retired Posted September 15, 2003 Posted September 15, 2003 I paddled out to millers Island to have a look. the tall cliff is choss but the lower gray & black cliff looks very good. i was surprised to see the cacti and sand dunes, quite an unusual place. hunters obviously frequent the island ther leavings were everywhere. I will be back. Quote
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