Beacon Rock Notice

[ivan]

tree ledge

 

does this mean the sling anchor that joe'n'the'brca put up on the tree as of a few weeks ago has been hacked off? i admit to being pretty swiss on the issue - it's a neat landmark and the ledge will be less w/o it, but clearly it'll have to go someday. so long as i don't know the person it takes w/ it, i'll most likely laugh my ass when it does- then i'll go all elessar on it n' shit and have to find a fresh sapling to plant in it's venerable scar! jim can stand in as mithrandir...nolse as frodo naturally and layton can play pippin and merry all at once since he's so fawking fast...mtnhigh as grumpy gimli 'course. oleg can play a savagely slavic legolas - he's got that kinda ageless young guy thang. boromir is too much of a political hot-potatoe for me to asign i fear, as is samwise, since they're such dumfawks...a man more crude than me will have to take them up - 'less someone wants to volunteer.

 

on a lighter note i hear The Man, like the unholy eye of sauron Himself, has occasion frequently to o'er glance our little shire

 

[JosephH]

Please do not do anything with the tree, no dirt, no slings, nothing, a sign posted saying please do not rap off of the tree on tree ledge on the kiosk or online is about all we can do. This is a unsafe place to rapell. In ten years of climbing there, everytime I have run across slings on the tree, I cut them off and will continue to do so. It might be morbid but if someone wants to rap on the tree and the tree goes bye bye, then its their time, they should know better. People who have the skills to lead up the that ledge should have the skills to recognize that this tree is on its last leg, either top out to the next rap station or go over to the Youngwariors anchor or dont go climbing.

And please never put a bolt anchor on this ledge. It is a gear anchor.

 

Do not remove the slings on the tree - we don't need a pissing war over the slings. As I've said over and over, this is the most heinous, suck-ass rappel on earth, but last year I saw a dozen people do it straight off the tree anyway; and those were just the ones I saw when I happen to be out and in view of the tree. You know, I know, and everyone should know not to do this rappel, but people do it regardless, and they do it at the expense of the tree every time. Ditto for using it as an anchor, dragging rope and webbing around it in the process. No one should use the tree for any purpose, but they do. The webbing and rings are there to protect it and a brass sign will be making an appearance soon. The [unpleasant] alternative to the slings is anchors up on the ledge and we'd very much like to avoid that. Doing nothing is not an option. Traffic over the roots is another totally human impact that needs to be ameliorated and we will be hauling gravel up to it for that reason.

 

If you'd like to get together and talk about the tree, either with the BRCA, the BRSP, or both, please get ahold of me or John Ernster of the park staff. Right now these are the joint plans of the BRCA and the BRSP Staff.

 

Joseph Healy

Beacon Rock Climber's Association

[ivan]

joe as denethor!

[Stewart]

Since the tree is the hot topic, thought I would add some observations. Was the soil eroded naturally or from 50yrs of climbers setting up belay's? My answer would be both, with the climbers speeding up the process by not allowing mosses, grasses, vegetation, roots to grow over the soil and in effect prevent erosion. When this soil (gravel, rocks, hummus, etc.) eroded or was kicked down I'm sure some climbers who were potentially climbing at the time didn't enjoy the dirt shower. I have had several dirt/rock showers out at beacon and continue to go out for more. However, the thought of getting a gravel or "native gravelly mix" showered down onto myself knowing that the soils were brought up by humans does not get me too excited to return for more. All this talk of saving a tree that isn't dying and has survived 50yrs of climbers passing by, wind, ice and storms is perhaps a bit much. Humans will always do whatever they want, so have at it. I would prefer that nothing be done, but it doesn't seem like that is going to happen so I guess my next choice would be a sign on the info board. My next choice after that would be myself camping up there, so that I can give a little speech to everyone who comes by. I would say "look at how amazing this tree is, please respect it, it is the only tree on this ledge and will be for many years to come, even after death it will be as amazing as the grey snag that you just passed down at snag ledge." Sorry I got a little carried away there. Peace, snoop

[JosephH]

My preference would be to do nothing as well, but having already seen one crag completely deforested of large, ancient Cedar trees over the years I can say that the tree is definitely at no small risk and in fact is in pretty tough shape around the roots from all the traffic. To some extent you have to ask yourself if you care whether the tree is even up on the ledge or not; because it isn't necessarily a permanent feature at all or one that can tolerate human impact indefinitely without ill-effect and eventual loss. You do have to actually look at it closely to see the ongoing damage beyond the rope groove in the trunk. Some of us would like to see the tree around for a good while yet and if that means taking some actions then we're willing to take them in consultation with BRSP Staff and the WA state biologist/habitat steward assigned to BRSP.

 

As far as "'native gravelly mix' showered down" on folks - welcome to Beacon, stuff falls there and has been coming down off that ledge forever, that's why it doesn't have hardly any left - people and rains have brought it down all along. Our replacing it between the roots won't be causing anything that hasn't been happening since the route was first climbed. Again, the issue is our impact and what can be done to correct for it and minimize it. One is to replenish the lost 'soil' and the other is to educate and/or provide alternatives to using the tree as an anchor. The slings are a compromise after much discussion and as a reasonable measure between doing nothing and installing multiple sets of anchors up on the ledge. They represent a reasonable compromise that does protect the tree and is, for the moment the decision that's been taken in association with the BRSP; please respect it and leave them in place. We will have a meeting or two before humping gravel up to the ledge and we'll post date/time here and you can all come discuss it.

 

We are attempting to find middle ground between doing nothing and the draconian slamming in of anchors. Again, doing nothing is not really an option as [clueless] folks have proven they will keep rapping straight off the tree.

 

Joseph Healy

Beacon Rock Climber's Association

[ivan]

i awoke from a dream to realize how stupidly i had forgotten treebeard! billcoe strikes me as thoroughly right for the part, albeit a bit short...

[John Frieh]

nolse as frodo naturally

 

Naturally?

[ivan]

nolse as frodo naturally

 

Naturally?

hobbit-sized freak on a continous quest to climb a dangerous mtn in ultra-light style? made sense to me...

[John Frieh]

I'll give you that minus the size. I would argue someone that fits that description including the size requirement (in perhaps more areas than one) is Layton

[billcoe]

nolse as frodo naturally

 

Naturally?

 

Naturally Frodo. Sorry but somebody has to be the ring bearer.

 

Check this out and see what you think, hard to deny it!

 

Err; treebeard here:

 

Like everybody I too have some ambivalence.

 

Sure, trees die on cliffs all the time without our help. The first climbers who did SE corner saw evidence of that when they encountered a dead snag at the end of the first pitch (snag ledge duh). Maybe it is this trees time. Maybe it's not. Like Joseph said, rain and people have diminshed the soil base over the last 50 years. People in particular. I may be more guilty of this than most. I remember having spent some time in 1973 purposely kicking off crap from this ledge so that innocents climbing directly below would be spared the braining sure to occur should one who was on the ledge have farted too strongly: such was the amount of dirt and rock on the ledge. 32 years of climbers has only compacted the remaing soil, this years below average rainfall contributed to the weakening as well. Kind of amazing that tree is still alive after all this.

 

 

So the 2 questions are: do you like the tree there? (I do). If affirmative, do you want to do something to amorialate the human presence? (I do). Whatever happens, I would not like to see any bolts put in on this ledge.

 

It never occured to me that others would not feel such as I about the tree. Thank you for sharing that Stewart. Would you be OK with some fertilizer application? Maybe some loose bullshit (not the kind found online) as well? Is it the rock idea you don't like?

 

Kevin, could you share with us why don't you want the slings there?

 

This will take some cognitive processing.

 

Regards:

 

Couchmaster - errr............Treebeard:

[ivan]

good enough bill, but to fit the treebeard mold that shoulda taken you 3 days to finish saying.

john, layton's already been assigned TWO hobbit roles and can't take a third - he's also far too deranged for a frodo. he's like samwise in the dumpster stage of a terminal whiskey n' sterno binge...a lethal stereotype defying a diaspora of desperate junkies on grounds of Being A Moral Authority

Edited October 11, 2005 by ivan

[JosephH]

===================

Beacon Rock Update - 10/11/05...

===================

 

Anchor Replacement Project

 

"Iron Maiden": Work on "Iron Maiden" is complete.

 

"Flight Time": Work on "Flight Time" is complete.

 

"Flying Swallow": Work on "Flying Swallow" is complete. The top anchor has now been outfitted with webbing and rings but some comments and precautions are in order relative to this route and rappelling it. First off, topping out to the tourist trail or going down "Flying Dutchman" are the best ways off the upper Grassy Ledges after doing any of the routes Between "Flight Time" and "Flying Dutchman". That said, the "Flying Swallow" top anchor is an excellent example of where equalizing webbing anchors are the deal; this anchor allows you to rap "Flight Time", "Flying Swallow", and "Iron Maiden" depending on what direction you leave the ledge - left, center, or right, respectively. But be forewarned:

 

- You need two ropes.

 

- Rapping center or right ("Flying Swallow"/"Iron Maiden") the rope goes over about 8' of rock and you will both need to pull very hard or bring a jumar and aider to pull the rope - one person can't pull it just with hands (and it more or less welds to the rock in the rain).

 

- Rapping left ("Flying Swallow"/"Flight Time") one person can pull the rope by hand, but you may still want a jumar to make it easier. That said, the rap down "Flying Swallow" is quite a journey in it's own right with those caveats. This is THE rappel to do of the three if you are going to do the rap.

 

Also, below and left on "Flying Swallow" about thirty feet from this anchor is probably the best bivy column top at Beacon; a truly spectacular spot. This ledge has no rappable anchor at the moment, however, so if you were going to do it you'd still need two 60's, rap off the left side of the top anchor ledge, and leave the ropes hanging during the night (and don't let those ropes go flying out of reach at any time).

 

P.S. Here is a shot of one of the FA anchors from "Flying Swallow" put up in '65 by Kim Schmitz, Earl Levin, and Dean Caldwell. The new anchor is immediately below this one and we left this classic for show and tell...

 

 

[Note of thanks to Jim and Larry for helping out on Sunday...]

 

"Flying Dutchman": Currently has a 9mm haul line fixed on it for the Anchor Replacement Project; if you rap or climb this route please make sure when you're done that the end of the haul line is accessible from the ledge of the lower of the two trees where you walk off the rap, thanks. The area at the top of the climb has been cleaned up a bit and the blue safety line from the big pine tree is cloved to the "Flying Dutchman's" old anchors; please clip this safety line if you are going down to check out or do the rap and please leave the safety line biner and clove hitch as you found them, thanks once again.

 

"Upper Grassy Ledges": There is currently a safety line across the top of the Upper Grassy ledges to allow us to safely traverse them with the haul bag during the Anchor Replacement Project; if you use it to go check out the upper ledges - great - but on returning, use it to come back down by the very small pine tree right where the trail ends at "Flying Dutchman", which would put it on the left, or West side, of a rounded rock outcropping. Do not use it to come down on the right, or East side, of this rock towards the line up to the "Land of the Little People" ledge as it is needed out by the edge for humping the haul bag up after the hauling.

 

"Next Up": We've replaced thirty four anchors to-date and there are still eleven anchors West of "Flying Dutchman" to do before returning attention to the stretch to the East on over the Lower Grassy Ledges to "Little Wing". This will take one or two more good days and then probably four or five work sessions for the fifteen anchors in that latter stretch to finish up the project. Some of these will be hauling jobs, some will be hiking up and rapping down from the tourist trail; as always, any volunteers are greatly appreciated.

 

Safety Issues

 

Grassy Ledges Safety Rockfall [repeating]: The recent rains have been bringing rocks down and the area at the start of the "SE Corner" has obviously taken multiple hits. We don't know where these rocks came from but we suspect the blackberry retaining chute that crosses the Grassy Ledges. Add this to last weekend's rockfall of football size rocks on both days onto the area just as you come up to Tunnel #1 and you get conditions that pretty well dictate wearing a helmet. As always - be extra careful of each and every footfall and rope movement when anywhere up on Grassy Ledges. For that matter just clip rock, bushes, anchors, or anything else if you're traversing the ledges roped - try not to let your rope drag at all...

 

General Issues

 

Central Columns Route Adoption [repeating]: We're working hard with the Anchor Replacement Project to set the stage for ressucitating all the routes across the columns in the middle of the South face. But there is a problem. After years of folks mainly climbing around the SW and SE corners, the columns have become badly overgrown. However, once the anchors are all set we should be able to safely clean out and restore the South face column routes. This will probably be the post opening thrust next year. All of you interested in climbing these classics, or freeing some of the remaining aid pitches, might consider working together on restoring these routes. If everyone adopted two or three lines, cleaned them up, and revisited them each year we could probably get this all done in a month and then just be able to relax and enjoy climbing these routes the rest of the year. Keep it in mind anyway and we'll probably put together a meeting over the winter.

 

"SE Corner" Tree Discussion: See post earlier in this thread and any continuing discussion in another "Oregon Cascades" thread titled: Beacon - SE Corner Tree Discussion , thanks.

 

 

Joseph Healy

Beacon Rock Climber's Association

[Ireneo_Funes]

Can't believe no one wants the Smeagol/Gollum role.

 

Nassty Hobbitses, with their camses and slingses and bolt anchorses! We hates them, yes we do, my precious!

 

No, we loves them! Smeagol loves the nice hobbits and all their shiny hardware!

[John Frieh]

[billcoe]

Can't believe no one wants the Smeagol/Gollum role.

 

Nassty Hobbitses, with their camses and slingses and bolt anchorses! We hates them, yes we do, my precious!

 

No, we loves them! Smeagol loves the nice hobbits and all their shiny hardware!

 

 

______Hey get to work Fuenos:-)___________________________

 

 

 

 

I'm still at recuperating in awe and wonderment over Ivans Sauran comment.

_____________________________

Joseph, nice anchor pic! 1/4" bolts no doubt, ancient sling and no rap ring! Classic!

[crimper]

This email is for Joseph.

 

Joseph, I have been following your endeavors this season at Beacon, and I've read all your updates. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and the energy and care you have put forth. Anchor replacement at Beacon is patently a worthy goal. That being said, I have to take exception to your plans for tree ledge. I have to agree with Kevin and Stewart - and in my opinion, the silent majority as well - when I say that it is inappropriate to either add rap slings to the tree, or add a fixed anchor to tree ledge.

 

Adding slings to the tree will only encourage more people to rappel off the tree, and if your "rehabilitation" process does not bear immediate fruit, you may be sending someone to an early demise who would not otherwise have rapped off the tree.

 

Drilling a fixed anchor on that ledge ought to be out of the question. Enough said. I won't be the one to chop it, but we both know it wouldn't last long.

 

And because I sincerely want to keep my message positive, I will offer at least a partial solution, as I appreciate your concern for the tree. I would support a small and tasteful sign stating something like: "tree is unstable; use at own risk."

 

As you elsewhere in your online commentary (which is prolific, to say the least)espouse keeping the risk inherent in climbing alive and well, I think you will appreciate that a fully informed climber who still chooses to use the tree also should accept the consequences. Neither you nor anyone else can or should try to eliminate every single risk out there.

 

Finally, I read your allusion to a pissing match, Joseph, but be aware that you are the one who - however benevolently - is initiating such a match. I hope that my words and those of others will help you understand the mentality of the many, many other Beacon Rock climbers besides yourself so that you can continue to successfully navigate the treacherous terrain of public opinion and private action.

 

Be careful out there, and thanks for your unselfish efforts - Bryan

 

Good luck in your efforts, thank you for them, and please do not equip the treewith slings.

[kevbone]

Bill, I dont think we should add slings to the tree because. It shows people "hey there is a rap station here". You are going to get a hell of a lot more climber rapping from the tree with sling than ever before. Its encouraging climbers to rap. If you do nothing then you might get the occational climber rapping either on webbing they leave or directly from the tree. It will be alot less impact than fixed webbing inviting everbody to rap from there. A sign on the trail sign by Young warriors will do just fine. Every climber that comes down the train will see it. As far a gravel and soil on the ledge, I think it is funny how some people tryed so hard before the rock opened to sweep off ledges ( thank you by the way for doing that ) so we would not get as much crap coming down on us, and now people want to haul it back up to save a tree, just so we get showered on. On the most popular route out there. That seems alittle redundant.

 

"If it aint broke, dont fix it"

[billcoe]

I'd like to thank both Bryan and Kev for the input: and the well spoken way you said it.

 

Kev: I think it appears that the rock clearing might fall under the catagory of "No good deed shall go unpunished". So you know though, the loose stuff this year was higher up. There had been many close calls of people knocking off rock from the last pitch of SE corner which tended to land right at the base of Warriors. As warriors gets more and more popular, it just needed it. I had heard stories and then one day I was standing down there with Jim O and experinced it myself.

 

Josephs been out there a lot and has similar stories of grassy ledges rockfall this year. Interested in cleaning it off next year?

 

I find it hard not to agree with you all: like to hear Jim O's and Josephs views as well in light of your well presented comments.

 

-bill

[JosephH]

Ok, We can talk about the tree here I guess.

 

[Crimper:] As you elsewhere in your online commentary (which is prolific, to say the least)espouse keeping the risk inherent in climbing alive and well, I think you will appreciate that a fully informed climber who still chooses to use the tree also should accept the consequences. Neither you nor anyone else can or should try to eliminate every single risk out there.

 

I'm definitely not trying to eliminate risk out at Beacon, to the contrary and to be somewhat blunt, my concern is primarily for the well-being of the tree - not climbers. If you are stupid enough to rap off that tree and it cuts, well, bummer all the way around. My priority is the tree. Every rap straight of the tree counts and collectively they will kill the tree. Again, people are rapping regardless of whether the rings are there or not. I'm all for a sign and we are in the midst of having one made up, but my [somewhat pessimistic] opinion is it will not stop folks from doing the rap. So the rings were installed after discussion with BRSP relative to helping protect the tree. Again, this is to protect the tree, not climbers. The rings are installed, but I'm open to talking with BRSP and backing off to just a sign and a warning tag (on the tree) and seeing what happens. But if people are seen doing the rap after that then the solution is likely going to either be webbing or anchors. I for one definitely do not want to see anchors on the ledge, but again, doing nothing is leading to the loss of this tree due to direct human impact.

 

Finally, I read your allusion to a pissing match, Joseph, but be aware that you are the one who - however benevolently - is initiating such a match. I hope that my words and those of others will help you understand the mentality of the many, many other Beacon Rock climbers besides yourself so that you can continue to successfully navigate the treacherous terrain of public opinion and private action.

 

Be careful out there, and thanks for your unselfish efforts - Bryan

 

Good luck in your efforts, thank you for them, and please do not equip the treewith slings.

 

I appreciate all your comments and understand quite clearly their are many opinions on the issue and some of them strong opinions. I'm glad for it, but together we are only part of the decision making process, BRSP is also involved and has a lot of say in this and other decision about climbing at Beacon. Bill Coe and Jim O. can attest that the relationships with these various agencies is on the mend and that we are lucky that BRSP staff is enthusiastic about there being climbing at Beacon. We could just as easily have had staff that wasn't, but also be aware that we are better off showing we can tread lightly in our verical travels. Our impact on the habitat and level of cooperation is watched both short and long term by numerous groups and agencies. The loss of the tree due to our traffic will not enhance our standing with anyone and our impact on it is patently clear to all. The "pissing match" or "sling war" I'm referring to is doing a SE Corner tree sling version of a "bolt war" where we spiral down a loop of putting slings on and removing them. If the BRSP staff picks up on that it will also not help at all. The slings are installed and need to stay installed unless we work it out here to remove them and coordinate that removal with the BRSP Staff.

 

So to say it again, we're looking for solutions that prioritize protecting the tree, not climbers or our sensibilities. What can we do to prevent further damage to the tree? Do nothing and the tree will die from our impact; signage, may prevent some rappels but not likely all; slings and you may encourage more raps, but will prevent more grooving; anchors, offend everyone, but again protect the tree.

 

[Kevbone:]... If you do nothing then you might get the occational climber rapping either on webbing they leave or directly from the tree. It will be alot less impact than fixed webbing inviting everbody to rap from there.

 

That depends on whether you believe the impact is greater from the stress of the rap or from the grooving in the bark and traffic over the roots. My opinion is both have significant impact, but cutting down through the outer bark is and further trampling of the roots does more direct damage. There is also significant wear and tear from just using the tree as an anchor which is also something the slings/rings cover as well.

 

A sign on the trail sign by Young warriors will do just fine. Every climber that comes down the train will see it.

 

I think here we just disagree, and I don't think a sign on the trail will stop folks from rapping the tree. I'm not opposed to giving that a try in conjunction with a warning tag on the tree. But again, if people continue to rap, stronger measures will need to be taken.

 

As far a gravel and soil on the ledge, I think it is funny how some people tryed so hard before the rock opened to sweep off ledges ( thank you by the way for doing that ) so we would not get as much crap coming down on us, and now people want to haul it back up to save a tree, just so we get showered on. On the most popular route out there. That seems alittle redundant.

 

Part of the pre-openning work was related to loose rock and that will be the primary focus for next year's pre-openning work session. But let's make a distinction between loose rock and some fairly fine gravel sans rocks. No one is talking about hauling rocks up there, small gravel with fines is what is planned. Will some inevitably come down, yes, but it won't be doing anyone any damange and again, I'm more concerned with the health in the tree in this instance than I am with a tiny bit of gravel or dirt coming down occasionally.

 

This is a case of deciding this tree is a landmark feature of the route and Beacon as a whole, recognizing our impact, and putting some effort into reducing it. Signs, slings, and anchors all suck along with having to deal with the issue at all, but for the tree to survive some level of insult to our collective sensibilities is likely going to have to be endured.

 

"If it aint broke, dont fix it"

 

Unfortunately it is "broke" relative to our impact on the tree and doing nothing, while convenient for us, doesn't do much for it.

 

Joseph Healy

Beacon Rock Climbers Association

[iain]

I don't really have a strong opinion on this whole tree business(surely there are more important issues at Beacon?), but considering what the tree endures during the winter in an armor of rime ice and brutal winds, and the fact that it has survived growing straight out of the rock for so long, I don't think a pile of dirt is going to make a scrap of difference, apart from a symbolic gesture to the state park officials. I personally would just let it be, as it has been for years.

 

I also agree that rap slings only attract rappellers, just the same as footprints in the snow are followed under the assumption that the person who put them there knew what he/she was doing.

 

If there is some political reason for the sling perhaps I can understand that.

 

It would be nice to avoid "over-cleaning" an area that has a reputation for being a bit of an adventure climbing destination. I don't like rockfall, but I expect it at Beacon, and I wear a helmet. I don't expect all the ledges to be swept clear each season. I also find it hilarious when un-helmeted climbers at the base yell up in anger whenever so much as a pebble falls down near them. Wearing a helmet is a choice we all make, but don't get angry when you get it in the head.

 

That said, thanks for all the work that has been done out there.

[layton]

i haven't read a single thing in this thread yet, but i think the tree should go b/c then it would end any further discussion.

[ivan]

i haven't read a single thing in this thread yet, but i think the tree should go b/c then it would end any further discussion.

awww, mike, you should go back and read the rest - i had a good casting call for you and everything, but given the dourness of your last post (no further discussion = no further humorous bitching) i think maybe i'm gonna have to kick pete out of his post as gimli in favor of you. or maybe you'd prefer to be shelob?

 

why not just hire one of them methhead's i always see hanging out toting little ceaser's signboards to picket our humble ledge? i never bought meth 'fore, but i hear word it's cheap - really only need the guy there during hte summer anyway (might make for good belay conversation too)

[kevbone]

The only reason the BRSP is involved is because you got them involved, if you would just never tell them about this sort of thing, there would be no problem and we (the locals who climb there regularly) would fix the problem. Joe, you told me you and the park rangers wanted to get "all of the webbing off of all of the trees" and now you want to put webbing on a tree. I agree with IAIN, the tree has withstood us (climbers) for a long time and I think it will withstand us for a long time to come. I mean its not like the tree moves everytime you lean on it. Its a pretty sturdy tree.

And bringing in outside evirmental groups, whether it is good for the tree or not is BAD FOR BEACON ROCK. Your going to get the rock closed. Bringing unwanted attention to our hidden jewel is not what we (the locals) want. If you involve the state, if they see a problem, there best interest is to close the rock.

My thought would be to not tell the BRSP or any other group anything you dont have to. I mean think about it, if you make a problem out of it, all it can do is bring bad press to beacon and the climbers.

Lets be honest I very much thank you for your service and hard work out there, I know your heart and thoughts are in the right place, but talking about this place online all the time and telling people that its safer to climb there because this ledge is clean and that ledge is clean and this anchor is better will only draw unwanted attention to what once was a secret (beacon).

With the tree subject, I think we ( the climbers )can figure the solution out without the help of outside (people who do climb or have never been to the ledge in reference) help.

Joe, the reality is I have been climbing at Beacon for about 10 years now, every year without taking a break. Jim O taught me to climb and is one of my best friends. I have never seen so much drama until you started posting everything you do online about beacon. Please stop posting everytime you go there. Not everbody needs to know how to traverse grassy ledges.

Edited October 12, 2005 by kevbone

[JosephH]

Well, Kevin, since you bring it all up this is a good time to talk brass tacks about climbing out at Beacon.

 

The only reason the BRSP is involved is because you got them involved, if you would just never tell them about this sort of thing, there would be no problem and we (the locals who climb there regularly) would fix the problem.

 

I've been climbing at Beacon for a long time and let's get real here; what's been going on out there for over a decade is a train wreck of misunderstanding, miscommunication, inneundo, drama, lies, and behavior on par with Peter Pan and the Pirates with us playing the role of the Lost Children while casting everyone representing any type of authority charged with managing Beacon as the Pirates. Personally, since I've been climbing there I haven't seen climbers - me, you, or the collective whole of us "fix" much of anything. Hell, the deteriorated state of the anchors and the total neglect of all the South face column routes (with the exception of Blownout) and lower SE Corner routes alone speaks volumes more than my paltry fair here on CC.com could ever say.

 

The result of a decade of bad relationships and antagonism between climbers and everyone else involved or interested in Beacon Rock has served no one's interests as witnessed by the total shut down of route development on the NW face and no cooperative interaction relative to monitoring the Peregrine nesting activity for early openings. Now call me a complete asshole, but I've been through some of this before elsewhere and I don't want my climbing at risk out there and don't have any problem saying up front my actions and motivations are completely selfish - and to be honest, I'm not really a community service kind of guy.

 

In that selfish context I took it upon myself to start a dialog with pretty much everyone currently involved with climbing at Beacon and decided I personally and we as a [beacon] community had better get half a clue and something resembling a act together before one was imposed on us by outsiders. To that end I've been working for over a year with Bill Coe, Jim Opdycke, Erik Plunkett, John Ernster, David Anderson, and various other groups and agencies with an interest in Beacon and I can tell you up front that the days of playing cops and robbers are over, we either operate transparently or things will continue to go against us everytime an incident occurs or a regulatory decision point arrives. And there are lots of other players out there, in and out of the climbing universe, that aren't "locals"; all of them better organized and funded than us and more than willing to step in and set agendas for us if we want to keep playing games [of denial] instead of getting real.

 

And Kevin, it's not like the routes, partying, or any other climber activity has actually been successfully hidden from, or escaped, the BRSP staff notice over that past decade - hell, I could get a better party ledge schedule from them then from you guys. And you know what - they don't care that you want to bivouac and party up on the ledge - they like it - it gives the place a little cache. Trust me, all the drama whipped up about "us" versus "them" is strictly coming from us queens - not them; we're simply part of a job they love and if anything they find us pretty f#cking entertaining on the whole.

 

Joe, you told me you and the park rangers wanted to get "all of the webbing off of all of the trees" and now you want to put webbing on a tree. I agree with IAIN, the tree has withstood us (climbers) for a long time and I think it will withstand us for a long time to come. I mean its not like the tree moves everytime you lean on it. Its a pretty sturdy tree.

 

The "webbing [anchors] off the trees" quote was in reference to trees on the columns and elsewhere by substituting pins or anchors as in the case of the Dodd's Jam tree. The SE Corner tree is somewhat of a special case and paradox because I think we can all agree we don't want to see anchors on the ledge and we don't want the tree to die. But as I said earlier, I've already seen and entire cliff top of bigger and better-anchored Cedar trees completely die off from climber traffic/rappelling and the corner tree is looking exactly like those did on their way out - it is not "withstanding us" at all, rather it is showing some real signs of decline due to our impact. Unless you've seen the cycle played out somewhere else already it's no doubt hard to recognize that it's really happening, but it is.

 

If I was strictly following the "webbing off the trees" I would have whipped two anchor sets up there, one for belaying and another for rappelling, but I haven't and instead we have been working with folks (including you here and now) to figure out a way to protect that tree with minimal impact on all our "sensibilities". For me the issue is lots of folks do this rappel - when there is no webbing on the tree at all; that webbing might atract a couple of more folks with the sensibility of lemmings who can't read a warning tag would hardly amount to a significant increase in rappel traffic over the damaging level that exists now.

 

And bringing in outside evirmental groups, whether it is good for the tree or not is BAD FOR BEACON ROCK. Your going to get the rock closed. Bringing unwanted attention to our hidden jewel is not what we (the locals) want. If you involve the state, if they see a problem, there best interest is to close the rock.

 

No one is bringing in outside environmental groups, no one is "getting the rock closed", and let's get straight up about one thing: Beacon Rock isn't a secret, and never has been a secret, or a "hidden gem" - what has kept folks away, and keeps them away (other than the poison oak), is the fact that it's a trad area in a predominantly sport state [courtesy of Smith]. Fixed pro anchors have a long history at Beacon, but the reason more folks have been showing up over the years is actually because bolted routes like those by tunnel #1, Young Warriors (overbolted), and Rythmn Method attracted them. And to be completely honest your personal propensity for placing protection bolts (even though you've been admirably restrained at Beacon) does nothing to assauge my fears about more crowds showing up if you were to get as randy with your drill out there as you have elsewhere. Keep it trad and the crowds will go to Broughton and Smith - let fly with protection bolts like some of the lapses that have already occured out there in the past and it will end up a tall, crowded gymfest no different than Broughton or Smith. It really is that simple.

 

My thought would be to not tell the BRSP or any other group anything you dont have to. I mean think about it, if you make a problem out of it, all it can do is bring bad press to beacon and the climbers.

 

Again, anything I or the BRCA does at this point is going to be completely aboveboard and transparent. As for press, the BRSP Staff is currently writing up an intra-agency newsletter article on the turnaround of the relationship with climbers and the special [and desirable] role climbing plays in the park so all the press isn't bad.

 

Lets be honest I very much thank you for your service and hard work out there, I know your heart and thoughts are in the right place, but talking about this place online all the time and telling people that its safer to climb there because this ledge is clean and that ledge is clean and this anchor is better will only draw unwanted attention to what once was a secret (beacon).

 

Let's be clear about another thing, there is nothing "safer" about climbing at Beacon - it's an inherently dangerous place to climb. No amount of cleaning will make it safe, but we can try to eliminate some of the conditions that spawned the football-size rocks that came down on the trail as you come up to tunnel #1 on both Saturday and Sunday last weekend. And from what I can tell, new anchors or not, I'm not sensing any great goldrush to climb the columns on gear. But I want to climb them, and almost all have been abandoned so long they deparately need to be cleaned - "Flying Dutchman" took four hours to minimally clean after the anchor work. The idea here, being selfish again, is if folks know the anchors are there they might actually consider adopting a line or two in the columns and cleaning them so it doesn't take another year to get the job done and get back to just climbing.

 

With the tree subject, I think we ( the climbers )can figure the solution out without the help of outside (people who do climb or have never been to the ledge in reference) help.

 

Again, those days are over and we are actually damn lucky to have the BRSP Staff we do, Erik Plunkett's brother is a climber and John Ernster is an alpine climber once badly injured by rock fall (and he has been on many of the routes there including up to the tree ledge). I've dealt with land manager staffs that don't know climbing, don't like climbing, and don't want climbing - we have the opposite going here and we are damned fortunate to have them...

 

Joe, the reality is I have been climbing at Beacon for about 10 years now, every year without taking a break. Jim O taught me to climb and is one of my best friends. I have never seen so much drama until you started posting everything you do online about beacon. Please stop posting everytime you go there. Not everbody needs to know how to traverse grassy ledges.

 

I know your climbing history, and we both know Jim O. Jim would be the first to admit to being a drama queen along with more than a few of us. All the "drama" is completely manufactured by us largely for our own consumption. We'll have to disagree on the postings - everything I do in a role perceived by any agency as pertaining to the BRCA will be done transparently in cooperation with the BRSP staff and posted. As for people "traversing the Grassy Ledges" - serious climber-initiated rock fall is one of the real threats to access out there from the perspective of accidents, damage to the habitat, and damage/obstructions on the tracks. We either start policing ourselves, including making sure less experienced climbers are informed about how to operate out there, or we are at risk.

 

Kevin, I appreciate your passion for the place, and there actually is no shortage of things to "fix" anytime you or anyone else is out there if the desire is genuine. Lots of them are small things: trash, loose rocks, marked up routes, eroded trail sections; others are big like next year's pre-opening work session, reclaiming the South face column routes, or Peregrine monitoring. Once the anchor project is done there will be more BRCA organizational work going on - again, feel free to jump in anywhere along the line and the same goes for anyone else...

 

P.S. We can also start a thread on the Peregrines and closures if you want to get into that [deep historical well of resentment for many]...

 

- Joseph

[crimper]

Joseph:

 

1) My concern has been confirmed: the opinions of others do not affect you. Like fuel to the fire, you will isolate my sentences and refute them, as you are far too invested in your Beacon Rock "improvements" to ever acknowledge that you could actually be wrong about any of them. Rather, you just think of the best response that will once again validate your past and future actions. It's like talking to a really smart wall.

 

2) Nobody has seen you at Beacon Rock before the last two years. Who gave you the authority to unilaterally make yourself the spokesperson for an entire climbing area? No, don't answer that question, that's just what you want to do. It's a rhetorical question. That means you ought to think about it, for once.

 

3) Have you ever even considered that through your admittedly selfish efforts and prolific online commentary you are de-mystifying Beacon, revealing its secrets, and changing its character? Who are you to think you have ALL the answers to a problem YOU have defined? Do you think that you are more important than other climbers? (those are also rhetorical, don't answer them)

 

4) By the way, MOST OF THE CLIMBERS AT BEACON DO NOT READ THIS WEBSITE. YOU ARE ONLY WRITING FOR YOUR OWN GRATIFICATION, AND SPREADING INFORMATION FORMERLY EARNED BY ACTUALLY CLIMBING AT BEACON. YOU ARE DEGRADING AND CHEAPENING OUR PAST EXPERIENCES, AND THE FUTURE EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS BY SPRAYING ALL OVER THE WEB.

 

(PS they are going to start reading it now, as they become concerned, through word of mouth and that thing called the telephone, of the detrimental impact your actions may be having)

 

5) WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE AT BEACON? WHY ARE YOU POSTING COMMENTARY AT 3 AM ON A WEEKNIGHT?

 

SERIOUSLY!

 

6) fyi: the anchors (or parts of them)at the top of dastardly crack, both pitches of blownout, bluebird, pipeline, and blood sweat and smears were all replaced within the last two years without any email commentary and without your help. and you know what? those anchors work, and nobody needed to post about it on the web.

 

7) You seem to want all the credit for the changes you are creating at Beacon, but are you prepared to accept the blame?