anchors away

[DPS]

I went up to Static Point for the first time to do Online. At the point where the trail meets the first slab, a large tree with a flat root ball lay across the trail. As I climbed over it I noticed a half dozen faded rappel slings tied around the trunk. I pondered (only for a minute) why folks would put rappel slings on a downed tree that was on the trail. (My thought process is a little slow ever since taking a rock to the head. Wear your helmets kids.)

Then I looked up and saw the obvious, root ball shaped rock scar, 100' up the slab where the tree once grew. Apparently the former rappel anchor had slid down the slab, hopefully under its own weight and not from some hapless climber. My partner cut off the slings to dispose of properly.

Has anyone else seen this tree? Did this tree fall down this winter? I find this a little scary and will test trees growing out of slabs from now on.

[mattp]

That tree fell over a year ago, during the winter 1999-2000, apparently having been taken out by an avalanche or rockfall. Every winter, things fall from the slabs and I, personally, worry much more about the sheets of rock that peel of these exfoliating domes than I do about a tree or a bush coming loose (even a quite small bush is usually very difficult to remove from a crack should you ever try to do so). However, carefully checking trees and bushes before you rappel from them would be a good idea.

[chucK]

It was there last year. There were no climbers attached to it that we could find. You should have left the slings there as a reminder.

When we climbed Total Soul at Three O'clock Rock last Fall, one of the rappel anchors is a tree with half of it's root ball exposed on slick granite probably from erosion caused by people standing under the tree when starting the rappell. Watch out on that one kids!

There's a ton of bolts on that buttress already. A couple more bolts for rap anchors might be prudent before that tree goes.

So did I read you correctly that you went up to Static Point this last weekend? How were the conditions up there? I guess the road must be open huh?

Chuck

[DPS]

road was open, rock was mostly dry. It rained on us, though.

[dan_e]

I was there last year and i don't remember seeing that tree, that's wierd, sounds like it's hard to miss.

[none_dup1]

Are you guys sure that tree didn't fall during the Great Earthquake of '01? I heard things were really comin' down at Index Town Wall.

[mattp]

Chuck notes that there is a rappel from a tree with half it's root ball exposed near the top of Total Soul, on Three O'Clock Rock in Darrington. True, perhaps, but the last time I was up there (July,

2000) the tree looked fine to me. If not, there is a very large tree just below, a tree over a foot and perhaps over two feet in diameter. Anybody climbing an eight pitch route oughtta have some extra slings in their pack anyway and if they don't like the smaller tree they could sling the big one (the smaller one is more convenient). A bolt station could be added to the rock nearby, and it would create a very comfortable stance for the switch-over, but I'm not sure it is necessary.

Note: a belay station on Fuddhat, on Static Point, was destroyed by rockfall during the winter of 1999-2000, and a party climbing that route in March, 2000, was very glad to have brought with them some extra sling and some quicklinks. Remember the old Boy Scout motto, and "be prepared."

[chucK]

Matt,

Sorry if my post sounded like I was bagging on Total Soul. It was not meant that way. When we rapped, I thought the tree looked good, but my partner whined about it a little. It just came directly to mind when thinking about the Static Point tree. Which by the way IS unmissable as you must climb over it to stay on the trail, and it is also about 2 feet in diameter.

Yes there are plenty of other places to rap from the top of Total Soul. You can even walk down can't you? It just seemed a little funny that this route with so much obvious work put into it (complete with signs at the top directing one to the rap route) would have this possible weak link.

But then where does it end? Fix(?) that and some bozo will find something else to gripe about. I guess I should just shut up now so as to keep from sounding like an and even more ungrateful whiner.

Chuck

[chucK]

Oh yeah...and with respect to Fuddhat...

does anybody know about the status of that route? Which bolts got wiped out? Whatta ya need to do now to get past those sections?

Chuck

[mattp]

Whiner ChucK - the whole point of a discussion like this is to report information which may be of use to climbers, I merely felt it a good idea to point out the obvious. As to Fudd: Fuddhat was largely restored in April last year, and the repairs were completed at the end of the season. I don't know if anyone has been up it yet this year. Also, I believe the last of the old 1/4" bolts on Shock Treatment have been replaced with 3/8" stainless steel. Static Point lives.

[Andy_Bourne]

I went to Static Point early last year like April or June and I definitely saw that tree lying at the bottom, right where the trail breaks out of the woods and meets the rock face. There were a bunch of rap slings on it, and yea, it was kind of freaky.

[mattp]

Somebody pointed out that I might have come off a bit snide in my previous reply. I don't mean to be offensive - the purpose of these forums truly is to share information, and that is exactly what ChucK's posts did. By pointing out "the obvious," I was commenting - in my snide way - about people I observe out on these climbs, not ready for what might happen to them. By the way, last Sunday we replaced some old 1/4" bolts on Silent Running at Three O'Clock Rock with new 3/8 stainless. No more meathooks on the crux pitch.

[Cpt.Caveman]

MattP,

Hey bro we all do that snide thing. Some us are just willing to admit it, and don't erase our comments.....

Nice work on new anchors and thanks for taking care of the routes. I will go over and climb some of them soon. I hate slab climbing but cannot resist those good routes!

-Cavey Wavey

[chucK]

I don't think he was being "snide". And even if he was, he was right. Who was I to ask someone else to put bolt rap anchors in? If I want a better rap anchor on top of Total Soul, I can do it myself with some webbing around a better tree (and I will if I climb it again this year).

I'll state again that Matt et al have done us all a favor by putting up a fun and very safe route. Thanks for all your work!

So Matt, it sounds like you were out there at 3 O'clock Rock last weekend. How are the climbing conditions? Is there snow all over, or is it all gone?

Chuck

[mattp]

It is a little early in the year for climbing at Darrington, and snow lingers at the base of the climbs. We found snow covering the bottom 30 feet of Silent Running, almost the entire first pitch of Total Soul, and assumed there are snow patches below the South Buttress of Three O'Clock Rock. There is still snow at the base of The Cone, and there is snow above the Granite Sidewalk approach to Blueberry Hill (enough that I would worry that it might cut loose on a warm day). We couldn't see it, but I bet there is still some snow in the gully leading up to Green Giant Buttress. Although we were there between rain storms on Sunday and the rock was a little slick, the normal words of advice would apply and I would bet that the rock on the Blueberry Hill or Green Giant climbs would be dry the second day following a moderate rain event, while The Comb, Three O'Clock Rock, and Witch Doctor (all NE facing) might take longer to dry.

The road is in pretty good shape and a regular car can make it all the way to the normal parking places, though you may scrape bottom on the extensions to Green Giant or Blueberry, and both of these have brush growing in so that you should not go beyond Three O'Clock Rock if you are one of those people who is paranoid about your paint job.

 

In addition to replacing some old bolts, we did some road maintenance (brushing and filling holes). I'm going to the Saint Elias Range for three weeks, but is anybody interested in helping out this Summer? The Washington Trails Association is going to work on the Squire Creek Pass trail again this year, and we hope to pursue some other projects.