[TR] Darrington- Three O'Clock Rock- Big Tree 1 and The Kone 3/12/2005

[catbirdseat]

Climb: Darrington- Three O'Clock Rock-Big Tree 1 and The Kone

 

Date of Climb: 3/12/2005

 

Trip Report:

TrogdorTheBurninator and I headed out of town at 5:30 am in my beater truck. We found road 2060 closed with a concrete barrier. A determined off-roader could go around it, but we came equipped with mountain bikes, so we saddled up here about 5 miles from the trailhead. Fortunately, at this point, most of the steep grades are behind you. Even with my atrophied cycling legs it only took us 40 minutes. We did not see ANY evidence that work was being done on the road (Grrr!).

 

The trail is in rough condition as usual but there is almost no downed timber. We arrived at the crag at about 9 am and picked The Big Tree Route since it was the first one we saw. There was a small patch of snow at the base but that was all. This being the most easterly route it is a good choice in cool weather to do first thing in the morning while the sun is on it. In the summer it would be a good choice in the afternoon to escape the worst of the heat.

 

We found that Big Tree had the most opportunity for natural pro of the routes we saw, especially on the first pitch. By the time we reached the third pitch a breeze blew up from the west and made it chilly. We finished up on a 5.8 line of shiny new bolts, ending at an anchor below a big tree. We couldn't find this line on the topo. It run just to the left of an unprotectable groove. It is possible that we inadvertantly finished on the third pitch of Cornucopia. We might have continued upward for another pitch but opted to rap down to put more clothes on. Using our 60 m half ropes we were able to get down in to raps by dropping off the right side of the Great Arch and using the anchors from Til Broad Daylight on the way.

 

After some lunch we decided on The Kone. This route features mostly bolt protected climbing with a couple of natural placements per pitch. It has lots of delightful knobs for your feet except for a few places which are where the 5.9 sections are. We linked the second and third pitches and should have linked the fourth and fifth, but we had some issues with twisty ropes. We got down in three double rope raps via Tidbids. Those are some steep slab route (5.10b)!. There's lots of opportunity for the rope to catch on chicken head, flakes and trees, but we didn't have too much trouble getting down.

 

Trodorf had to be home for a party so we beat it down the trail, zipped down the road on our bikes and got him home in time by 6:30 pm.

 

I used my new B-52 in the autolock mode for the first time to belay directly from the anchor and I really liked it. It makes rope management much easier when you can free up your hands. I've used an ATC for several years and I think the B-52 is a better device. The only knock I have against it is that there is not quite enough friction on smaller ropes (8.6 mm). This wasn't a problem on the slabs, but it could be on steep raps.

 

Gear Notes:

The topo said light rack and it means light rack. A set of nuts and a few cams. I remember using green, orange and red Aliens and #5, #8 and #10 stoppers. 50 m ropes are fine. Doubles are a good idea, but singles are fine too.

 

Approach Notes:

Bring Mountain Bikes.

[mattp]

For The Kone, I think a better alternative is to climb the first three (short) pitches of "Till Broad Daylight, then switch to The Kone just before the long leftward traverse on the fourth pitch. This provides more varied climbing, and what I think is probably the best 5.8 pitch in Darrington. It often has a drip in the middle of what is shown on the topo's as pitch 2, but rarely is this a problem.

[mattp]

However, the link-up I described would not, properly speaking, be "The Kone." Catbird Trog may have just made the first "winter" ascent. Another one for the record-books.

[catbirdseat]

Technically winter, but the conditions were definitely spring-like. Maybe we should have gone for Exfoliation Dome? FYI, there is only a little snow on the "sloping terrace" below the big wall. The West Buttress and West Slabs all looked bare and dry. I'm not really certain whether the Granite Sidewalk was dry though. Parts of it looked rather wet.

[Indy_jones]

Thanks for the info...do you think you'd need a winch (or ?) to get around the barrier? I recently (and unwillingly) donated my mtn bike to (I think) a needy crack addict.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

You could probably do it in any 4wd with high ground clearance, however a winch would provide a little more confidence in avoiding getting stuck.

[hasbeen]

I went up to Three O'Clock Rock yesterday. I frankly cannot believe the road is closed. There is a bit of a washout on both sides of the road where they put up the barrier but the middle of the road seemed perfectly passable. The road was then just fine (OK, maybe a little rough in a few places) until about 150 feet from the Eight-Mile Creek trailhead. At that point, there was a washout on the left side of the road (as you are going up) but, again, the road appeared passable to me on the right side. I took pictures of the barrier and the washouts and the washout at the trail head and if I can figure out how, I'll try to post them.

 

Having said all that, however, I have to say that the bike ride up to the trailhead was quite pleasant and it was screaming fast on the way down! The climbing was also great -- it felt like spring, maybe even summer. It was warm, sunny, and there were only a couple of patches of snow (one of which made for an excellent water bottle refill source). We climbed Cornucopia and Under the Bored Walk. It was a fun day.

[catbirdseat]

I'd like to try Cornucopia when I go back. It looks like the first pitch is easy trad and the second two are somewhat harder bolted slab climbing? What did you think of it?

[hanman]

TurnOne, Myself, and friend James climbed Dark Rythm to the summit of Exfo yesterday. Chilly wind made for cool belays and excellent friction throughout the day. We made it down the granite sidewalk in (shall we say) low light conditions. It is March afterall...

 

 

Oh yeah- Cornucopia is, well, Cornucopia

 

MH

Edited March 15, 2005 by hanman

[catbirdseat]

Big Tree 1, Pitch 3

Big Version

The Kone, Pitch 1

Big Version

Edited March 15, 2005 by catbirdseat

[chucK]

That does sorta look like you climbed Cornucopia on your "Big Tree Pitch 3". Nice pitch huh?

 

Here's a pic from the belay at the top. Look familiar?

[catbirdseat]

See those slings to the left of the bush? I clipped that and from that point I was on Cornucopia. Yes it was an enjoyable pitch. So you could say I linked the third pitch of Big Tree with the fourth of Cornucopia?

[chucK]

I think Cornucopia has just three pitches (according to the official topo ) . Were there any signs of travel (bolts) above you?

[catbirdseat]

Nope, the route just appeared to end at that point about 20 ft below some bushes.

[mattp]

if I remember right, there are some old pitons in that seam nearby, and there were once some slings on bushes in the corners above, but I don't think there is much else that anyone would call a route beyond that point -- though in the old guidebook I think the route is shown as going on for a few more pitches up and right.

[ScottP]

No to throw a wrench in here, but that first picture looks a lot like the 4th (last) pitch of Big Tree One (Dick's Demise variation) and it looks like the climber stepped over the little corner/roof to clip the last two bolts on the 3rd (last) pitch of Cornucopia.

There is a 4th pitch of Cornucopia that reaches the Big Tree.

 

Either way, it looks like it was a good day.

[ScottP]

I'm sorry, was it something I said?