My crag pack stolen from Minne today

[pindude]

In 20 years of climbing at Minnehaha in Spokane, I've never heard of anyone running off with someone's crag pack. It happened to me today.

 

Place was crawling with peeps today, including our Mountain School class, and when teaching activity died down late in the day, I took the opportunity to set up a TR on Ron's Climb/Bat Crack, right in the middle of the Main Wall. I set my pack down at the base of the climb, as we all normally do, and took 3-5 minutes out to walk a newly arrived gal toward where her boyfriend was, "around the corner." Came back and immediately saw my pack wasn't where I'd left it--I instantly knew it was ripped. I'm sure they saw me when I walked away, grabbed it and immediately ran to the road to a waiting car. As soon as I saw the pack was gone, I sprinted to the road. They were long gone.

 

Like I said, normally the place is crawling with climbers. I'm sure whoever took it was lying in wait, saw the opportunity, and went for it. No witnesses, nobody saw nothing. Probably a drug head; I doubt it was a newbie climber in search of a new rack, but who knows.

 

Pack was my well beaten up, 15-year-old Wild Country crag pack (can't remember name), about 2500 cub in or less. Color was Husky purple, with 2 yellow daisy chains running down the outside. Contained the following:

- wallet w/ DL, cards

- wedding ring(Gold "Comfort Ring")

- Sprint cell phone

- one set Camalots, 0.1 - 4.0, mostly newer single stems (# 0.5. 0.75, 4.0 were older double stems)

- one set mostly older WC Rocks

- original, old pair of LaSportiva Megas (white w/ purple laces)

- newer pair of LaSportiva successor to the above (can't remember name, no longer made, a light red in color)

- 15 quickdraws on purple Spectra 11" slings, and a few Petzl bones

- half dozen-plus locking biners for TR set-ups

- half dozen runners including 4 newer yellow Mammut

- 3-4 lengths of TR webbing

- old Grigri

- couple older BD daisy chains

- couple older 6-mm x 25' cordelletes

 

Almost all the biners were newer BD: Mostly Neutrinos, a bunch of HotWires, 6 Positrons (BD's standard keylock that came out new last year), 6 or so OvalWires, 6 or so lockers.

 

All gear is marked with WHITE-BLUE-WHITE electrical tape. I had just re-taped everything. I was thinking about engraving things, but too late now. Most of this gear was newer stuff I had replaced in the last 1-2 years.

 

I immediately canceled the lone credit card (actually a debit card), and service on the cell phone. I reported it to the cops, and will look up the phone serial number of the phone and report that. Of significance in the wallet other than my debit card and DL were my auto and health insurance ID cards.

 

Right afterwards, and not expecting much, I drove down main roads leading away from Minne, looking for the pack on the side of the road, etc., but no luck. I'll be checking the area pawn shops, mainly to get my ring back, but am not holding out much hope. I've got homeowner's insurance, which will cover at least the climbing gear.

 

We've had problems in the past with basher-and-dashers with our cars parked near Minne, but like I said, taking a crag pack at the base of the climbs is a new one. I blame myself for leaving it for someone to take, and want the rest of you to beware out there.

 

If any of you see what you think might be my gear or pack, don't hesitate to do what would be appropriate, and get in touch with me ASAP.

 

I haven't had anything ripped from me for about 14 years...anybody have any special advice?

 

Thanks, Steve Reynolds

[sk]

that is suck dude sorry to hear it

 

F&*king thieves

[minx]

pindude, i feel your pain in the worst possible way.

 

one problem i had was that theives were able to get my ssn from my health ins. card. if your card had your # on it be extra vigilent w/your credit report. wish i could help w/the gear. can't believe someone did that. if it's enough $$$$ you might consider a claim on homeowner's or renter's ins. to help you replace the gear.

[genepires]

man that sucks. Chances are they will dump all your climbing gear as it is too hard to sell. There is a chance you might get the climbing gear back if they dump it all together. I got some stolen stuff back once when the thieves dumped the stuff they didn't like in some bushes. They were probably hoping to get things like your ring and maybe cameras and other fancy electrical stuff.

 

Come to think of it, I gotta congratulate the thieves up in squamish. Maybe being typically canadian, they have broken into my car a couple of times and taken only those nice electrical/sellable items, and left the rest of my climbing gear alone. Never any broken glass and they even locked the door! Very professional!

[Dave_Schuldt]

Never leave your walet in your pack. always carry it on you. If you hurt your walet will be with you in the hospiital.

[kurthicks]

man that sucks. i was up there last weekend and i put my pack at the base of that crack while i was aiding it. as soon as i got off the ground, people started wandering around and checking stuff out. I kept a watchful eye since that place gives me the 'crackhead' vibe sometimes. I'll keep an eye out for your gear.

 

Kurt

[pindude]

Yeah, Minx, thanks, I feel for you too. I'm taking your advice re. the identity theft: that's what I'm most worried about. Work tomorrow is shot, as I've got a big list of things to do to resolve some of this.

 

The more I think about the theft, the more I have a gut feeling it might have been a HS or so-aged kid or two who I earlier saw cruising around. Not climbers, but obviously fascinated by what was going on. It's very possible they took the pack for the gear, and will try to make the most of the other goodies. --So I appreciate you all being on the lookout for it. I would love to do some Dane-style justice (that's a story ) on these (*@#%$$#%.

 

--Steve

[pindude]

Nothing positive to report yet, but I thought the #$%@heads who stole my pack might try to use 2 tickets in my wallet for last Saturday's "Radical Reels" show in Spokane. It was non-reserved seating, but I knew the ticket numbers. They didn't show, maybe because they were too lazy, or too smart to know that I had several climbing buddies including a city police detective waiting for them to pass the tickets. Thanks everyone who helped out. And at least the show was enjoyable.

 

Others who were at the rocks that day confirmed there were a couple 18-y-o white boys, non-climbers, watching the action that Saturday afternoon. It's most likely them: they were noticed to be gone only immediately after my pack was ripped. Obviously they either took the gear to sell, or to use themselves.

 

What I'd really like to get back is the wedding ring. I've personally contacted all 20+ pawn shops in the Spokane-Spokane Valley area in the past week, plus emailed my list of stolen gear to all the Play It Again Sports Shops in the four NW states.

 

If they took the gear to use themselves, I'd appreciate people keeping their eyes open. They likely were local, but could have been from outside the area, as they didn't show up at the crag until Saturday afternoon. Shop owners and employees: If they are wanting to climb some vertical, these guys still need a rope, 2 harnesses, and one belay device. They did get a grigri and two pairs of shoes (one pair older La Sporty Megas and one pair La Sporty Focus, both needing resoling). If they sell or try to use the gear, I doubt they would take the time to pull off all the electrician's tape I used to mark it, which is in a white-blue-white pattern.

 

I should mention that I found out about another Spokane climber ripped off the same weekend: one of the Wild Walls gym employees had his gear broken into outside his home, with his indoor climbing gear taken--it might be noticable because he engraved designs on some of his gear like his grigri. One of the items ripped was a brand new pair of red 5.10 shoes (Moccasyms?).

 

I'm not holding out much hope for my own stuff, but appreciate the support and awareness I've received. I'll certainly be talking to more of the folks I don't know--climbers or non-climbers--at the crags from now on.

 

--Steve Reynolds

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Hope you get your sheez back, man. That's some serious bunk, 'specially the wedding ring. This Doctor would be mucho and furious if his man band got sniped (not to mention the passel of other goods ya lost).

 

Fire an' brimstone 'pon heads of dem bomba clots!

[mneagle]

One reason not to cancel credit cards too fast is the paper trail they leave by using it. When our house was broken into, they got my wallet and my wife's engagement ring (my great-grandmothers diamond). They used 2 credit cards all day and were recorded on 3 seperate video tapes (2 clothing stores and a Kmart). They also bought some rims for their Suburban at a tire store and the guy who sold them recognized one of the guys with them and gave us his number. However, despite all this evidense the pathetic excuse for a police dept we have here in SLC couldn't be bothered to raise a finger and nothing has come out of it. I guess it's not surprising as theirs months of head scratching in the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping was upstaged by a little girl and her father.

 

Also, this is a great example why renters insurance is a good idea. I had a policy in Seattle that covered me for $30k in my apartment and $3K anywhere else in the world with a $250 deductible for about $120 / year. It gave me piece of mind when leaving a wad of gear in basecamp down in Bolivia or in the car in Canada (I wish my license plate could indicate that my wife is a Canadian citizen).

 

By the way, anyone know what happened with the exit 38 bandits after someone got their license number and descriptions and all that?

Edited April 13, 2004 by mneagle

[high_on_rock]

I take it as even more of an affront that pinhead was ripped off while he was helping someone else. While giving of himself, someone steals from him. Is there no god? Good luck Steve, let me know if you want to borrow any of my old crap gear until you can get it replaced. Eric C

[fastcj]

Man, this sucks. I second the comment about making sure there aren't any Social Security numbers on anything in your wallet. Also, you should contact the three credit bureaus (Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax) and place a fraud alert and a consumer statement in your credit file. Your statement could be something simple like "must show two forms of picture ID to obtain credit," or "grant no instant credit." This will prevent someone from opening up new credit accounts at department/electronics stores in your name. It can take you years to clean up your credit record...