catbirdseat Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 I'm there, providing the weather forecast improves. I expect it will.
willstrickland Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Yo Matt, Â Where exactly is this shindig, specifically the camping?
mattp Posted August 21, 2007 Author Posted August 21, 2007 Yo Will: Â We plan to be camping along the road toward Exfoliation Dome, which forks left from the main Clear Creek road about five miles from the Mountain Loop Highway. About a quarter mile after it crosses the creek, there is a clearing on the right (the second of two such clearings). You'll find us there, at the swimming hole, or on the rock. Â Matt Â
willstrickland Posted August 23, 2007 Posted August 23, 2007 i'll see you there Matt, probably be there tonight as well. In transit from PDX now.
willstrickland Posted August 23, 2007 Posted August 23, 2007 i'll see you there Matt, probably be there tonight as well. In transit from PDX now.
mattp Posted August 23, 2007 Author Posted August 23, 2007 Right on. You can claim the spot for us. By the way, one of my Darrington buddies is afraid of the forecast and says a couple of possible raindrops sounds too scary for him. I'm still game to go as long as anyone else wants to, though. There have been at least a couple others who've confirmed their intent to show up...
hanman Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 Ok Ok Ok I aint skeerdt of a bit of liquid sunshine. Going up Fri evening despite my inner skeertidness. Â MH
mattp Posted August 24, 2007 Author Posted August 24, 2007 Here's one of the easier routes at Three O'Clock Rock and one of the first established in Darrington - in 1970. Big Tree I, 5.7. Â Â Take the Clear Creek road about five miles from the Mountain Loop Highway, and turn left on a fork that soon crosses Clear Creek. We'll be camping at the second of two campsites on the right, about a quarter mile beyond the creek. You'll find us at camp, on the rock, or maybe fishing down at the creek. Â I'm headed up either just before or just after rush hour tonight; that Strickland guy is already there.
Alpinfox Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 i'll see you there Matt, probably be there tonight as well. In transit from PDX now. Â Holy crap. I thought I recognized that guy in the white scubaroo as I was driving out yesterday.
Alpinfox Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 The Trogdor and I did silent running including your bonus peach. Â Nice climb. Â Then we did some easy slabby thing under the "great arch" (edit: "Charlie Chan's Number One Suspect"). Too hot then, so we left. Â Saw Joe Cattellani and partner on the big tree route.
mattp Posted August 24, 2007 Author Posted August 24, 2007 You guys get any good pics? Â I hope to replace a couple of bolts on Silent Running tomorrow and then maybe try the Stolbi face first method of descent. Do you think I ought to try it with or without a belay?
TrogdortheBurninator Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 Those leepers definitely add some excitement to that silent running pitch. Seemed there was a lot more lichen on the 6-7th pitches than the lower route. Are some people turning around when they see the manky orange bolts? Â I think the other route we did was the 5.9 on the left side of your great arch topo (http://www.seanet.com/~mattp/Darr/pdf/3south.pdf). Fun climbing, but all on button heads. Those button heads look pretty good, but I still wasnt looking to fall. What do you make of those things? I was quite happy to find a massive new bolt at the 2nd anchor.
mattp Posted August 24, 2007 Author Posted August 24, 2007 Just about every one of those buttonheads - I think those are the 5.16" ones, aren't they? - are a real bitch to pull and hence I think they are much stronger than they look. However, I think that route or perhaps the anchors there are ripe for some replacement as well. Â The upper two pitches on Silent Running were never part of the climb. Earlier climbers had the good sense to stop before entering the jungle. Â Â They were more interested in this kind of thing in the old days: Â
mattp Posted August 24, 2007 Author Posted August 24, 2007 I'm thinking we can gang up on some of these climbs this weekend. Maybe we could get some shots like this: Â Â What do you say? Yeah: you? Don't like slabs you say? Spend a couple of days with us and maybe you can get the hang of 'em. And we can find you some climbs there that have a lot more going on than "just a slab climb," too.
TrogdortheBurninator Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 On that particular 5.9 route, the crux, for me, was right where shown on the topo. Just replacing the one bolt before the first anchor, and one bolt at the first anchor would make the route safe and fun. It is a good route, and not sustained.
mattp Posted August 24, 2007 Author Posted August 24, 2007 Cool. That sounds reasonable. Now: what flavor potato chips should I get? The new Thai Chili ones are pretty good!
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