Leavenworth, Icicle Creek Area (I'm venting)

[Jamie]

4/18/ and 4/19/2009 Both Saturday and Sunday the Everett Mountaineers had a half dozen of the local roadside crags all locked up with, I would guess, 50 or more people. They made it clear both days that they got there early and were not leaving anytime soon (4:30 was mentioned on Saturday). I don't know what the climbers code is, but I would say this is just plain bad manners. I have always heard the Mountaineers were too regimented for some people's taste. At least for me this kind of behavior takes away from the independence and freedom I like in the mountains. It looked like a mob scene to me. For each his own I guess. We hiked back a ways from the road and the Mountaineers' crowd and found some great climbing so our weekend wasn't ruined by the throng. And I'll be damned if I will tell anyone else where exactly we climbed!

 

[Crillz]

We hiked back a ways from the road and the Mountaineers' crowd and found some great climbing so our weekend wasn't ruined by the throng.

 

Yeaaaaaay.

Chill out. There are only a handfull of good climbs just outside the car anyway.

[Choada_Boy]

They did warn you, and, they offered to pull their ropes.

 

Quit whining.

[DirtyHarry]

This is the way it was and the way it shall always be.

[Bishopp66]

I think I drove by R&D 4 times and never saw anyone climbing it. A true classic with nary a mountie to be found...

[tanstaafl]

Climbed in the Icicle on Sunday and while there were plenty of cars about, we didn't see a soul on the routes we did. Plenty of people hanging around on the edge of the road though.

 

Hey Pete how was Rainier?

[Off_White]

Well, I went climbing at Fossil on Sunday and there were a ton of people there. What's with that, don't they know it's despicable choss and no one should like that place? I'm pretty sure there were some Mounties in the woodpile too, not to mention some military sorts. I guess I didn't have to wait for anything, I climbed until I couldn't hold on anymore, and everyone was insufferably pleasant and easy going, but still, I just want to complain in this important thread!

[shaoleung]

Love 'em or hate 'em, the mounties'll always be there. In terms of critical mass and opening the outdoors to more people, the mounties certainly get them out there.

 

The great thing about the Icicle is that even with the mounties there in full force, it is still easier to find quiet crags than other more popular areas in the country.

 

 

[counterfeitfake]

Wait, you're saying that crags with a 30 second approach were crowded on a sunny weekend?

[tomtom]

Hell, I skinned up to Muir on Sunday. When I got up to the Public Hut, THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE INSIDE. WTF? They were snacking and chatting, not a whiff of pot was detected. One was wearing shorts over polypro so he must have been a Mountie. At least for me this kind of behavior takes away from the independence and freedom I like in the mountains. It looked like a mob scene to me.

 

And when I got back to Paradise, THERE WERE TOURISTS IN THE PARKING LOT.

 

[Jamie]

Actually they didn't warn us and they didn't offer to pull their ropes. They did offer to let us get on one of their ropes, but they all had people on them at the time. But I agree with all the other posts here, there is plenty of good rock further from the road and I will stop whining.

[Off_White]

Oh, I'm sure we all appreciated the opportunity to get up on our high horses and pontificate, thanks for the Monday entertainment. No hard feelings I hope.

[Choada_Boy]

Actually, they did warn you, and in the warning they said they'd pull their ropes, and you're still whining, even though you said you were stopping.

 

"The Everett Mountaineers will be out running classes this weekend at the roadside crags - Barney's Rubble, Bruces Boulder, Rotowall, Lower Clamshell and Alphebet Rock.

 

If there's an open route you'd like to climb, just ask and we can pull the top rope if there's one dangling."

 

That's what they said.

[rob]

No, they warned some people on cc.com. Obviously, Jamie did not get the warning, so it isn't accurate to say they warned him, is it?

 

Also, it sounds like they did NOT pull ropes for him after he asked.

[rob]

Were they wearing gaiters, btw?

[Choada_Boy]

No, they warned him personally by posting information he probably wouldn't read on a website that he didn't read then they behaved counter to what they tried to say to him they would do that he didn't read they would do if he'd read what they'd wrotten. Claro?

 

The Lesson: When the snow melts off the carcass, The Maggots return to feed. Surprised?

[DirtyHarry]

I doubt they had any ropes on anything harder than 5.8. If you can't climb 11worth 5.9 than that is your problem.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Were they wearing gaiters, btw?

 

Did you?

 

 

[Drederek]

Well, I went climbing at Fossil on Sunday and there were a ton of people there.

Well, I went climbing at Fossil on Saturday and there were a ton of people there, three people showed up besides us, they climbed one route and left. Guess they figured it was despicable choss! Definitely not Mounties! I guess its all a matter of perspective.

[G-spotter]

posting warnings on cc.com is not enough. some people might not visit this site every day.

 

clearly, they should personally warn every climber in the PNW. show up at your door like J-Ws

[Jamie]

Thank you.

[Jamie]

No, but I'm sure they had their 10 essentials with them.

[Off_White]

...three people showed up besides us, they climbed one route and left. Guess they figured it was despicable choss!

 

I think there were a good 20 others there besides us , which given the popularity of the Boyal Bobbins area made for a real mob scene.

 

 

[Peter_Puget]

Ah suckers...I was at work all weekend. All by myself! Not a Mountie in sight.

[newdawnfades]

Let me know if there was an area that didn't pull ropes for you. I didn't make a specific announcement to our station leaders about other climbers in the area, though they are pretty good with general courtesy. We hung more routes last weekend than we usually do.