Mt. Erie

[Bill_Simpkins]

Mt. Erie Climbing Gradesrated stiff by old mountain hardmen (i.e. 5.6 is Sqaumish 5.8)You suck Bill! Your just rusty and need to get out more.Rock is just different. Grades seem "normal" when you've adjusted to the rock.

[Sphinx]

Kinda hard to vote when you forgot the 'poll stop'.

[Bill_Simpkins]

ok..ok... thanks

unable to edit post, here it goes again.

 

 

 

 

 

[catbirdseat]

Bill and I were there today, as a matter of fact. I was topping out on a route when grabbed a hold. I felt something gritty and loose. I looked down and saw this yellowish material filling several pockets in the rock. It looked like ash. On closer inspection, one could see very small particles of what looked like bone. I have a sneaking suspicion that I was climbing through human remains, or "cremains". I think someone decided it would be nice to toss their loved one's ashes over the cliff. The only problem is they didn't dispurse. They went plop. Anyway, it made me think I should be careful and not have an accident lest I end up like a little pile of ash on the rock.

[EWolfe]

catbirdseat said:

Bill and I were there today, as a matter of fact. I was topping out on a route when grabbed a hold. I felt something gritty and loose. I looked down and saw this yellowish material filling several pockets in the rock. It looked like ash. On closer inspection, one could see very small particles of what looked like bone. I have a sneaking suspicion that I was climbing through human remains, or "cremains". I think someone decided it would be nice to toss their loved one's ashes over the cliff. The only problem is they didn't dispurse. They went plop. Anyway, it made me think I should be careful and not have an accident lest I end up like a little pile of ash on the rock.

 

That's the least of your worries - I was climbing there once when a beer bottle shattered above me, sending shards over me and my partner.

Another time, I thought a jumper was going off above me and I took a whipper. Turns out it was a paraglider, but scared the shit out of me.

 

Too much time in "Anal-Clitoris" (as a rude friend calls Anacortes )

[Sphinx]

So why climb there?

[EWolfe]

Sphinx said:

So why climb there?

 

Exactly my point.

[Sphinx]

[catbirdseat]

I probably wouldn't recommend the place on a weekend, but it is nice and quiet on weekdays. We didn't see any beer bottles soaring over our heads.

[Norman_Clyde]

I've only been up there once, just hiking to the summit with my kids, in a very pleasant mood which was made quickly less so when I read the engraving on the fancily prepared polished monument by the parking lot. I figured I was going to read a little local history, maybe about someone called Erie that the mountain was named after. Instead I get to read about some poor unlucky or unwise teenager who went up there for fun, and fell off it to his death. Sort of a cross between memorial and public service announcement. Some people may need gentle reminders that a high cliff is dangerous, but I sure don't.

[ketch]

catbirdseat said:

Bill and I were there today, as a matter of fact. I was topping out on a route when grabbed a hold. I felt something gritty and loose. I looked down and saw this yellowish material filling several pockets in the rock. It looked like ash. On closer inspection, one could see very small particles of what looked like bone. I have a sneaking suspicion that I was climbing through human remains, or "cremains". I think someone decided it would be nice to toss their loved one's ashes over the cliff. The only problem is they didn't dispurse. They went plop. Anyway, it made me think I should be careful and not have an accident lest I end up like a little pile of ash on the rock.

 

CBS I was there late last week. I am sure that your right. Were you on a short pitch a little east of the nose (i don't know if it has a name)? I was during a little diheidral and came across the crematory tag layin in a crack.

I know of a couple deaths up there. Mostly local kids and the parents all like the ashes from the top thing. The rock is not high grade but it's good for a quicky. The routes I know of wern't sandbagged. I had a local point me at a .11 sport route on the north side but I didn't have time to check it out.

[j_b]

the main reason to climb at erie is the good weather. it is often the only dry crag in western washington.

[catbirdseat]

ketch said:CBS I was there late last week. I am sure that your right. Were you on a short pitch a little east of the nose (i don't know if it has a name)? I was during a little diheidral and came across the crematory tag layin in a crack.

I know of a couple deaths up there. Mostly local kids and the parents all like the ashes from the top thing. The rock is not high grade but it's good for a quicky. The routes I know of wern't sandbagged. I had a local point me at a .11 sport route on the north side but I didn't have time to check it out.

That rock is unlike anything I've seen elsewhere (not that I have been to many places). It's blocky and the fracture lines are totally random. Some lines protect well and others are nightmarish. My guide book should have had the "death heads" of Viktor Kramar for some of the routes.

[PONCHO&LEFTY]

the main reason to climb at erie is the good weather. it is often the only dry crag in western washington

The past 2 or three times I have been down there it had been raining in Bellingham and the way down, but Erie has been dry.

Plus it is a short drive from Bellingham with a ok variety in routes (relative).

[ketch]

catbirdseat said:

ketch said:CBS I was there late last week. I am sure that your right. Were you on a short pitch a little east of the nose (i don't know if it has a name)? I was during a little diheidral and came across the crematory tag layin in a crack.

I know of a couple deaths up there. Mostly local kids and the parents all like the ashes from the top thing. The rock is not high grade but it's good for a quicky. The routes I know of wern't sandbagged. I had a local point me at a .11 sport route on the north side but I didn't have time to check it out.

That rock is unlike anything I've seen elsewhere (not that I have been to many places). It's blocky and the fracture lines are totally random. Some lines protect well and others are nightmarish. My guide book should have had the "death heads" of Viktor Kramar for some of the routes.

 

Your right , I saw a flyer nailed to a tree about a new guide for that rock. It is blocky with random cracks. Most all of it is climable it just won't always get you anywhere. I am goin to track down the new guide and see what is already put up.

[chucK]

catbirdseat said:

My guide book should have had the "death heads" of Viktor Kramar for some of the routes.

 

ALL guidebooks should have the Victor Kramar death heads. They !!!

[Bill_Simpkins]

Yes, I agree. Erie is dry most of the time when others are not. Plus, if it does rain, the wind blasts the rock dry pretty fast.

 

Some of the routes though are somehwat sketchy, even an easy grade can get you. I spent way too much time dilly-dallying up a couple "easy" routes because of bad pro and no clear route in sight. The adventure factor was kind of fun though.

[bunglehead]

was during a little diheidral and came across the crematory tag layin in a crack.

 

Yikes!!!

 

 

Reminds me of this:

"Is there a Ralph's around here?"

 

[whiplash]

Anybody climb zig zag lately? Last time we were up there it looked like someone has been putting up a bunch of new routes, just wondering if there any good.

Shady Hallow area is worth a visit if you haven't been there before, nice 5.7/5.8 corner crack along with some sport routes.

[dryad]

I was just at Mt. Erie and the ratings are WEIRD. We didn't have a guide book, but there were some other people there who had the Smoot book and we took a brief look at it. It had Leaning Crack (the one with all the salal in it) and Psycho Crack (just left of Leaning crack) both as 5.6. Leaning Crack is MUCH easier. I'd be willing to believe that one's 5.6, but Psycho is more like 5.8. I'm not just saying that because I suck. The 2 guys I was with thought so too, and they're both better climbers than me.