The Beehive

[spotly]

A couple of us did the scramble route from Harrison Lake over to Beehive Lakes on Saturday (nice!) and I was looking at the Beehive near the Harrison Lake trailhead. Looks like alot of bushwacking to get to the base but some fun slab climbing. Anyone here that's climbed that before? Looks like pretty low angle slab - is it protectable or even need pro? Is there a walk-off or better to rap the whole route? Thanks

[mccallboater]

It's been 30 years, but I remember nice grade III climbing that would be lots of fun in the approach shoes I have now, but not so easy in the waffle stompers I had then. I don't remember that much brush, but then I have a very selective memory.

[drater]

30 years ago it was probably still burnt out from the big fire of '67.

 

 

There's no rock in the Selkirks.

 

These are not the droids you are looking for.

[mccallboater]

And Dan Krumpotich already climbed them all decades ago with wailing high school kids from Rocky Mountain Academy in tow. Too bad he died suddenly this year from a motorcycle accident without anyone acknowledging the pioneering climbs he put up on most of the N walls in the Idaho Selkirks. He just refused to tell anyone about it.

 

I meant Class III, not Grade III in my earlier post. Whoops. There is a pretty stiff N wall on that peak though. Randal Green is alive and well, but not around Sandpoint any more I've heard.

[drater]

And Dan Krumpotich already climbed them all decades ago with wailing high school kids from Rocky Mountain Academy in tow. Too bad he died suddenly this year from a motorcycle accident without anyone acknowledging the pioneering climbs he put up on most of the N walls in the Idaho Selkirks. He just refused to tell anyone about it.

 

Got beta? Or the name of anyone still living round Sandpoint that would know such beta.

 

If your post is true, props, that's f'n sick.....however,...

 

N facing walls in the Selkirks do not exist, these are not the rocks you are looking for.

 

 

[sobo]

Are there any technical routes on Roman Nose? I love the rock quality of Harrison Peak, and was wondering what it's like on RN.

 

I know, I know, these aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along... move along.

[Jake_Gano]

There was a write up on a route on the Roman Nose in an AAJ in the 70s. gIII, 5.7 I think?

[Weekend_Climberz]

At least post the pic:

 

[drater]

If the thousands of bolders calved off underneath the N face of Roman Nose are any indication of the rock quality up top, there have got to be many mega classics awaiting ascents or ascended sans spray or not known by me.

 

If I wasn't too lazy to go recover photo's from my old mac, I'd post them up to show how good the rock isn't.

 

If the north face of roman nose existed, it would be really good rock. The other faces are really good b/c snowboarding and snowkiting, fyi.

[sobo]

JG: Thanks for the info. I'll see if I can look it up sometime.

 

WC: Nice screen capture pic.

 

BB: You just don't want us kickin' around your backyard, huh?

[Jake_Gano]

I have a copy of the aaj article back home. I can check it tonight and post details.

 

[sobo]

Thanks, Jake.

[drater]

BB: You just don't want us kickin' around your backyard, huh?

 

Naw, come on up. Lots of room for everybody.

 

Somebodies got to play the uber-secret-localist who doesn't want the masses to know how good their goods are.

 

Besides, climbing in the Selkirks is fairly well documented (at least I thought), the area's I don't want peeps kicking around I just don't post online.

 

Also, ropes are aid and most of you are aid climbers so have at it...

 

[drater]

No rebar?

[mccallboater]

One guy who can comment with authority on Dan Krumpotich's adventures is Rich Landers at the Spokesman Review in Spokane. He doesn't post on this list though.

 

Dan was very circumspect about what he accomplished with those Rocky Mountain Academy students back in the 70's. He wanted to keep the first acsent feel for the next guy. But for many of those N face routes in the Selkirks, there hasn't been a next guy that anyone knows of. Well, maybe stealth ascents are the pattern for those mountains.

 

I suspect the same is true in many other mountain ranges. Some few individuals spend many happy days putting up routes where no one has gone before, but they arn't the least interested in documenting the occasion in the AAC journal.

 

The only reason I am aware of these trips is that I took a 4 day ski traverse from Pack River to Trout Creek with him. He pointed out several faces he had climbed. I was amazed, and badgered him into telling me more. Only the fact that he is deceased made me mention these at all. The first ascent feel is still there for the next guy, since no one will ever get the beta from Dan now. As it should be.

 

Still, I hope any new "first ascenders" will honor him during their own adventures. And perhaps follow his "leave no trace" example.

[drater]

One guy who can comment with authority on Dan Krumpotich's adventures is Rich Landers at the Spokesman Review in Spokane. He doesn't post on this list though.

 

Dan was very circumspect about what he accomplished with those Rocky Mountain Academy students back in the 70's. He wanted to keep the first acsent feel for the next guy. But for many of those N face routes in the Selkirks, there hasn't been a next guy that anyone knows of. Well, maybe stealth ascents are the pattern for those mountains.

 

I suspect the same is true in many other mountain ranges. Some few individuals spend many happy days putting up routes where no one has gone before, but they arn't the least interested in documenting the occasion in the AAC journal.

 

The only reason I am aware of these trips is that I took a 4 day ski traverse from Pack River to Trout Creek with him. He pointed out several faces he had climbed. I was amazed, and badgered him into telling me more. Only the fact that he is deceased made me mention these at all. The first ascent feel is still there for the next guy, since no one will ever get the beta from Dan now. As it should be.

 

Still, I hope any new "first ascenders" will honor him during their own adventures. And perhaps follow his "leave no trace" example.

 

Awesome. Thanks for posting this.

 

There is supposedly a new guide book out (or coming out) by a guy named Thad for the Selkirks, hopefully he did his research and gives early pioneers their due.

 

I've boldered extensively at the Roman Nose area for a few years now, really amazing rock, Toulomne Meadows style with less knobs, lends itself to either really easy or really hard problems, the intermediates are all crack/seams.

 

Spent a lazy day boldering out of the lake and scoping the walls flat on my back with my binocs, I could not a single trace of climber passage on that entire north face under the lookout.

 

Hope it stays that way.

 

 

[drater]

Well, make it easy enough for me to get up then.

 

Below average snowpack, might be an early season up there.

[drater]

Your signature is spray!

[spotly]

We went up the Bee Hive yesterday as part of a high traverse along the Selkirk Crest (TR later, but this was the funnest part). Staying right we kept it around 4th class till about halfway up where it kicks back quite a bit. We avoided dragging out the rope by traversing left towards the center. Other than a few avoidable 5.0 moves, it stayed 4th to the top. Didn't see any place for pro - exposed but scramblisious. Really fun 1200' of granite but I'd hate to be on it in the heat of the day - even at 8am, it was pretty hot.

 

[sobo]

So that's what the rock/slope on BH looks like. Thanks, spotly.

[kevbone]

Where is this place at?

[sobo]

For proper grammar, please omit the preposition.

 

Oh, it's in Idaho.

[drater]

Really fun 1200' of granite but I'd hate to be on it in the heat of the day - even at 8am, it was pretty hot.

 

No shit, it was 103 in the shade yesterday at my house, about 10 miles east of said face.

 

How was that HT? I was thinking about running up there with my dog and trying to send it in a day? Doable, and what about the dogger? Could it trail along below or is the ridge way rocky and exposed?

 

Thanks for sharing.

[spotly]

The complete traverse would be undoable with said doggy. The next summit west of the Beehive went 4th/low 5th on the ascent and the same on the downclimb of its north ridge. That peak could be bypassed on easy ground by cutting northwest from the ridge between Beehive and Little Harrison lakes though - west of the lakes. The Fin was kinda crappy 5.6-5.7 (crispy lettuce and loose blocks). We wound up off the main crest at one point and had to regain it just south of The Fin with some easy 5.2 climbing. The 2nd pitch of The Fin (1st if we had stayed on the crest) is very exposed and narrow 4th. The last pitch we did (one short of the summit) put me on top of a table with no options for an anchor. Plus I screwed up on my placements and had too much rope drag to move on to look for something else. Wound up downclimbing half the pitch. By then, we'd had enough and bailed to the basin on the east side and traversed over to above Harrison Lake and back to the TH. It's a fun route but not doggy friendly without a cutting out alot of the crest. I have done the low traverse on the east side of the crest before and it is an exceptional off-trail romp through meadows and some good scrambling. The new guide book says only fit and fast parties should attempt the route but we managed it just the same. About 11 hours including a lengthy lunch and gawking from the top of the various bumps along the way. No water on the route but it would be easy to drop a hundred feet off the crest about halfway through and pump from the runoff (still some big patches of snow hanging off the east side).

[mccallboater]

Nice job! That's what I remember from way back when. I also remember having an ice ax with me for some odd reason, and camming it in a few cracks to get up the harder stuff. I think the ice ax went along 'cause I didn't own any other climbing gear at age 20, and I thought it was cool.

 

My dog can climb around 5.5 to 5.6 for a move or two, then 4th classes everything else, but I think she's a little out of the ordinary.