JosephH Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Today, Saturday, is the last climbing day out at Beacon for the season. It will be closed to climbing starting tomorrow, Sunday Feb. 1st, on through until July 15th (or until it can be verified the Peregrine chicks have been flying for about a week or so, or until we can prove our year-round pair are nesting somewhere other than on the South Face.) Quote
ivan Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 never thought i'd have such a personal sense of vendetta against a bunch of dumbass birds... Quote
JosephH Posted February 1, 2009 Author Posted February 1, 2009 Well, at least now there is a park ranger staring at it everyday wishing it was open right along with us whom, I suspect will be helping out with the Peregrine monitoring... Quote
JosephH Posted February 1, 2009 Author Posted February 1, 2009 As Ivan points out I should have said the South Face is closed as of tomorrow - the NW Face is always open and there are good lines there... Quote
denalidave Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 Maybe we can start a bird monitoring program where we go out and climb up some of the rock on the south side so we can get a close up look at the bird activity? Seems like a much better way to get first hand data on exactly what and how the birds are doing. Quote
JosephH Posted February 1, 2009 Author Posted February 1, 2009 That option was essentially offered to climbers in 1996 and rejected out of hand with the mantra "tourists go to the top, we go to the top"... Quote
kevbone Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 or until we can prove our year-round pair are nesting somewhere other than on the South Face[/i].) When we will be able to prove that the birds are not endangered anymore? Quote
ivan Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) or until we can prove our year-round pair are nesting somewhere other than on the South Face[/i].) When we will be able to prove that the birds are not endangered anymore? when jets taking off at pdx start sucking them into their engines, making dramatic splash-landings near bonneville Edited February 1, 2009 by ivan Quote
JosephH Posted February 1, 2009 Author Posted February 1, 2009 When we will be able to prove that the birds are not endangered anymore? Well, we could do it yesterday if you wanted to work under the same standards of environment, law, and opportunities for your own children as the Bush administration. Maybe you should have put in for one of BushCo's 'last-60-days' environmental rule change specials to get rid of the closure and the Peregrines. Kind of all falls under the "damn straight I'm for the environment so long as it feels goood, is convenient, and doesn't affect me in the slightest way" sort of deals from my perspective. Quote
denalidave Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 Last day at Beacon with Ken... I'll comp you a new DMM locksafe Boa if you grabbed it for him, not kidding I have 12 coming in soon from the REI supersale: gear whore to gear whore direct like:-) My only critera/stipulation is that you have to leave the sale tag on it till you get after something super sick and want to spare the weight of the tag...just to give it some "Cachet!" Hey BillCoe, still have the tag on my locker. I was pretty gripped leading that burly 5.7 and thought about pulling it off to save some weight but managed to pull myself together and not remove the tag just yet. I also got out and did my first roped solo climb on Friday with your Silent Partner. Like any new belay partner, I was wondering if it would actually catch me. Seems to work though. Thanks again Bill! Dave Quote
JosephH Posted February 1, 2009 Author Posted February 1, 2009 Have been in LA checking on my parents so couldn't make the last day - glad to see you guys had a relatively nice day out there... Quote
denalidave Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 Have been in LA checking on my parents so couldn't make the last day - glad to see you guys had a relatively nice day out there... Not just relatively nice, but fantastic. Especially after all the suffer fest windy/cold days we've had the past month or two. Friday was most excellent, sunny, dry, warm and no wind at all. The sun came out for a while Saturday and also no wind to speak of. Quote
kevbone Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 When we will be able to prove that the birds are not endangered anymore? Well, we could do it yesterday if you wanted to work under the same standards of environment, law, and opportunities for your own children as the Bush administration. Maybe you should have put in for one of BushCo's 'last-60-days' environmental rule change specials to get rid of the closure and the Peregrines. Kind of all falls under the "damn straight I'm for the environment so long as it feels goood, is convenient, and doesn't affect me in the slightest way" sort of deals from my perspective. Haven’t we been down this road before? Didn’t we come to a conclusion that I am right and you are wrong? Just kidding. I suppose at the end of the day I am just looking for equality. For the land managers to treat ALL user groups the same at Beacon. When candy bar wrappers and coke cans get found in the nest, it is a good indication that they were thrown there from daily hikers, not climbers. This would indicate that the 600,00 hikers a year that climb up Beacon’s hiker trail would potentially due more harm that the 50-100 climbers that climb their yearly. It is not good when the land managers state openly in a public meeting that “they do not want anyone within 300 of the nest”, and the trail to the top comes within 200 of the nest. If that is the case then by his own definition of “boundaries” for the closure……he needs to CLOSE THE ENTIRE ROCK. The hypocrisy is astounding. I love Beacon Rock. I love Peregrine falcons. I do not like scapegoats. Equality is what is lacking in this particular drama. Quote
ivan Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 holy fuck, ex-walla-walla-ken in the motherfucking joint! what was the occasion for him to make the pilgramage? oh wait... hey kev, when's jim doing the beacon-closing party again? Quote
ivan Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 When candy bar wrappers and coke cans get found in the nest, it is a good indication that they were thrown there from daily hikers, not climbers. uh, you haven't seen what i eat when i climb surely! hey kev, ain't it fun to feel like an oppressed minority sometimes? we can't be honkies all the time, right? Quote
112 Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 I waffled back and forth about coming down due to the weather forecasts, then Sat morning I decided it was a go. Dave and I met Jim and Larry on route; the first and only other party to climb it that day. First time climbing for me in 3 months, since my knee surgery that resulted from a previous excursion with Dave. Seems to me the park service could at least wait until Monday; closure starting Feb 1st or the first weekday after kinda thing. I mean they had the closed sign up by 5:30 pm on Sat!!! And, it looked like Ben was coming to put the sign up around noon, when we were just getting started. Oh well, I had blast!!! Quote
ivan Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 bummer ken - didn't know you had been laid up - gotta get you on the new aid line off lolp when the summer comes - killed me not to be out there, but my folks were in town for the first time in a year so i couldn't have done it w/o risking disinheritance how'd you hurt yourself w/ dave? Quote
112 Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 I thought I could hang skiing with Dave and his friend Mike. Which obviously I couldn't. Lesson learned! I will be in full force by spring so come on up then if you want! I have a place where you can crash if needed... Quote
JosephH Posted February 2, 2009 Author Posted February 2, 2009 Haven’t we been down this road before? ... Equality is what is lacking in this particular drama. Yep, we go through this twice each year. And every year I explain why it is that the WSP, and especially the WDFW - despite the fact they'd like to shut it down more than you - can't close the tourist trail. So, as it stands now, proving the Peregrines aren't nesting on the South Face remains the only way of lifting the closure - and why I'm out there every spring attempting to do just that. Who knows, maybe this year; they've been showing a strong affinity for the East Face for the past 18 months... Quote
JosephH Posted February 2, 2009 Author Posted February 2, 2009 Anyone have a 3 foot wooden owl? They tried that already, too... Quote
JosephH Posted February 2, 2009 Author Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) Not just relatively nice, but fantastic. Especially after all the suffer fest windy/cold days we've had the past month or two. Figures! And there was ZERO surf in LA while I was there to really rub it in... P.S. Ken, glad they've put you back together again well enough to get out for the last day. Edited February 2, 2009 by JosephH Quote
billcoe Posted February 2, 2009 Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) Kenny in Da house! Hola Ken, glad to see you around, hope those Seattle dudes aren't kicking your ass too hard and you're getting some great laps in. I think we're all just shocked into stupidity that Dave put you in the snow... You SURE it was Dave? ps, you people really climb that choss? Edited February 2, 2009 by billcoe Quote
billcoe Posted February 2, 2009 Posted February 2, 2009 Hey BillCoe, still have the tag on my locker. I was pretty gripped leading that burly 5.7 and thought about pulling it off to save some weight but managed to pull myself together and not remove the tag just yet. I also got out and did my first roped solo climb on Friday with your Silent Partner. Like any new belay partner, I was wondering if it would actually catch me. Seems to work though. Thanks again Bill! Damn that's a good lookin' Boa Dave! It definitely upgrades your rack:-) Now you have to look at accessorizing and change out to a green rope, chartreuse shoes and blue hot pants. Great to hear the Silent Partner is getting pressed into service too. BTW, In my opinion, I think that's so wrong that the trail to the south side is getting closed....for no apparent reason. I was going to hike down there yesterday coming back from skiing just to feel the vibe and got cock blocked by something like a massive "ROAD CLOSED - GO AWAY OR BE ARRESTED" sign. Quote
denalidave Posted February 2, 2009 Posted February 2, 2009 Hey BillCoe, still have the tag on my locker. I was pretty gripped leading that burly 5.7 and thought about pulling it off to save some weight but managed to pull myself together and not remove the tag just yet. I also got out and did my first roped solo climb on Friday with your Silent Partner. Like any new belay partner, I was wondering if it would actually catch me. Seems to work though. Thanks again Bill! Damn that's a good lookin' Boa Dave! It definitely upgrades your rack:-) Now you have to look at accessorizing and change out to a green rope, chartreuse shoes and blue hot pants. Great to hear the Silent Partner is getting pressed into service too. BTW, In my opinion, I think that's so wrong that the trail to the south side is getting closed....for no apparent reason. I was going to hike down there yesterday coming back from skiing just to feel the vibe and got cock blocked by something like a massive "ROAD CLOSED - GO AWAY OR BE ARRESTED" sign. The Boa already matches my green/blue Mammut rope. I have some old green Boreal Aces to complete the garb. Well, make that ONE green Ace and One Purple one. I lost one and then a few years later contacted Boreal and the sent me just one shoe but it was a newer model. They are like brand new if anyone is interested in them, size 10ish. Yeah, Ken and I were talking about what an in your face, over the top sign they have. Complete with all kinds of legal speak leaving one feeling the threat of life in prison if you even reach your arm onto the other side. Quote
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