Rocky Butte Quarry

[SmokeShow]

Last night at the bar some dude told me that RBQ is a meth factory for the NW and local hoods nab your gear from TRs while you're climbing and chuck bottles down on you? Is this dude blowin' smoke?

[layton]

yeah, uh.....umm...sorry about that. I swear I'm through with that poison.

[Winter]

It ain't that bad. I've climbed there a lot during the summer and never had a problem. But I wouldn't leave your gear at the top and watch out for the used rubbers at the bottom.

[willstrickland]

I've been under a rain of PBR cans and pistachio shells at the Butte before. Don't leave anything up top, watch out for dirty needles and soiled underwear at the base, and wear your helmet. There are some fun climbs there. Enjoy!

[iain]

The main risk is if you use any of the established bolts as your top rope anchor because they are liable to be chopped as you climb. But don't worry, they might be back again by the time you top out.

[b-rock]

It's true, it's all true. Rocky Butte

[catbirdseat]

There was a really long thread about Rocky Butte awhile back. I'll be damned if I can find it. It talked about the needles and the chopped top rope anchors, etc. , ad nauseum.

[scratchandsniff]

Last night at the bar some dude told me that RBQ is a meth factory for the NW and local hoods nab your gear from TRs while you're climbing and chuck bottles down on you? Is this dude blowin' smoke?

 

Yes.All true except for the meth lab part. Gear is stolen frequently. Porn can often be found. Sadly enough, often too gummy and stuck up to be used.

 

None of that shit happens at Broughtons Bluffs though, and the Bluffs tend to be warmer when us weak pussy weekend-hackers need it most, early spring. More and better routes as well.

[rr666]

Looks like a great wholesome place to get in touch with the outdoors.

 

Such a shame. We need to find some old abandoned warehouses, and just let the druggies have it. they are going to do it one way or the other, we should just control it...

[b-rock]

Ah, whatever, when the Butte is 4 miles from your house, ya can't complain.

[bunglehead]

I haven't climbed there in a while, but I loved it when I did. I always liked driving by the dude's house with the Mercedes in his driveway that has the vanity plates "For U GOD" God loves german engineered cars. I know cause he talks to me all the time.

Ahh, the Butte!

[texplorer]

The "butte" has got to be one of the worst places I have ever climbed. The rock seems to always have a layer of dust, there aren't that many climbs there, there is always the drone of the interstate, getto latinos always hangin out given you the "I want your rims" look, add in the used condoms, needles, and bible thumpers across the road and you have the crappiest crag in Portland. If it wasn't so damned close.

[rbw1966]

Yeah--it sucks. I highly recommend never climbing there.

[bunglehead]

The "butte" has got to be one of the worst places I have ever climbed. The rock seems to always have a layer of dust, there aren't that many climbs there, there is always the drone of the interstate, getto latinos always hangin out given you the "I want your rims" look, add in the used condoms, needles, and bible thumpers across the road and you have the crappiest crag in Portland. If it wasn't so damned close.

 

Yeah, that sounds about right, Tex. Where else can you have so much of that thing? Okay, okay, it is dusty, and yeah, you can hear the interstate, and yeah there's needles.

the Madrone Wall or even Frenchie's is obviously much nicer.

[Hal_Burton]

Tex sez

getto latinos always hangin out given you the "I want your rims" look

 

 

So thats what they were looking at! I was always wondering what was on they're mind. I'll be more carefull there in the future.

 

Thanks for the tip!!

 

HB

[Mtguide]

Yeah,ain't it cool?

 

[Billy]

C'mon Hal, you know what they were really looking at, the rims on you car aren't that great. What they were looking at was your bumper sticker from the Cayman Islands.

[billcoe]

After 30 years, I still love that place. That story in Outside mag that Talbot did @ 20 years ago about those kids unclipping my gear while I soloed, although true, was over dramatized. That stuff does happen there. I knew a guy had some jackass pull his rope up and STEAL it!! What do you do with somebody elses used toprope?

 

As far as the trash goes, sure it's there, but there is a silver lining too. In 1967 Bruce Litchfield and I found a working slot machine up there( which we attempted to see how it worked and turned into trash). I know some guys who were picking up some of the trash bags some dickhead had thrown off the top of the cliff last year and found some home grown pot in it. The trash I dislike is the glass everywhere. I can't stand getting the glass shards in my hands while climbing. Why do all the idiots toss beer bottles down below to see them break? Some kids from the college were throwing rocks down at my friend Kelly, who ran up to the top and caught up with them. They were unrepentant till he started reading them the riot act. Sure it has some problems but I chose to overlook them. Tex, that loud freeway noise can be imagined to be wind whistling throught he trees. Just have to have mind control.

[MtnHigh]

Bill, you obviously have history and a sentimental value of Rocky. I respect your comments.

 

It's easy to be an armchair cynic and bash Rocky, but in reality, most PDX climbers take in a few Rocky climbs every summer and enjoy the experience.

[Winter]

Shit, that huffy bike we found down there last summer was SCHWEEET!