Beacon

[stevetimetravlr]

You guys still think fixed pins are a good idea for pro out there?

 

http://www.bolt-products.com/Glue-inBoltDesign.htm

 

"A piton can only be trusted on the day it was placed and only the climber who placed can give an opinion on its reliability, anything else is only a guess.Reports of pitons found on the ground below climbs or being removed by hand within a few years of placing are commonplace and give a fair indication of their unreliability, as does the number of serious and often fatal accidents involvingin-situ pitons."

 

I trust pins out there about as much as I trust the Lisa Lantz/ St. Of WA certified anchor bolts that have begun blowing out around the place. If clipping the retro anchors at Beacon, weight em and make sure they are not flexing, as there are several blown already in some bad locations. But then that's why the Park has so much time and money to micro mange these things that we shouldn't worry about it, it's all taken care of and out of our hands.

Hold it, isn't that what they said when they started closing Beacon basically In its entirety to climbing, and artificially established a peregrine rookery on the south face, bringing in tons of bags of river stone onto Big Ledge, moving the peregrines from their long established rookery on the East face where no one ever climbs? And all so a biologist and his cronie could sit In their vehicles at the boat ramp and watch the birds thru binocs, instead of having to get off their and get out of their vehicle and actually do something? But hey, that's what our taxpayer dollars are for, and if these public servants want to squander our money and shut down resources and access, they know best. It sure makes the Rangers job allot easier....not. And it really helps with the parks revenue....again not. Unless you count the revenue for ticketing Kenny,for public indecency for being a dick a crime. That's not right!!!

Hey, what else am I going to do when it's the middle of the night inChina and I can't sleep, besides get all long winded at cc.com. I'd rather be climbing. Hope you guys are getting some.

[ivan]

peregrines = george w bushes of beacon?

[stevetimetravlr]

Speaking of someone on the public Dole bob, why aren't you in class, or at least half way up Jensens?

[ivan]

bday party for mike's boy w/ the kidz this afternoon, then out to the bacon-wand for a bit, then the party at dave's i reckon

 

i prefer to do jensens when i can wear long pants comfortably - goddamn oak just at the trail

[JosephH]

Look, if you don't want me posting, don't post up complete bullshit you have no direct experience with and know nothing about. I.e. stop just making shit up.

 

However, being complete assholes is fine, I'm never going to attempt to stop you from that as it just keeps points out exactly how lunatic it is inside the Beacon reality distortion field ("where everything is exactly the way we wish it were"). And here is Lisa Lantz - the WSP SW Resource Steward:

 

 

Note the 'Steward' in here title - i.e. she tries to do right in protecting the state park's natural resources - something you clearly don't understand, don't appreciate, and think is worth vilifying. Bummer given she's all for encouraging climbing in the park system. But hey, don't miss an opportunity to shoot yourself in the foot.

 

I trust pins out there about as much as I trust the Lisa Lantz/ St. Of WA certified anchor bolts that have begun blowing out around the place.

 

Well, I trust her opinion on fixed pins way before yours given you don't have the slightest clue about the state of pins at Beacon. Every single pin on the south face was inspected and either deemed good, reset, or replaced with pins off of Middendorf's ebayed spare pin rack. Also, given both bolts were spinners in 58 of the 74 anchor sets replaced out there it's impossible to come to any other conclusion that the pins placed at Beacon far, far out performed the bolts. In fact, the worst, underperforming bolts were placed in the 90s.

 

So exactly what anchor bolt has "blown"? Name them...

 

[ P.S. the two most dubious pins at Beacon are the first pin on p1 and the angle on p4 of Young Warriors, both are pretty much vanity clips as the odds are better than average either would blow on you. ]

 

If clipping the retro anchors at Beacon, weight em and make sure they are not flexing, as there are several blown already in some bad locations.

Seriously - exactly what pins have "blown"? Name them, or STFU with this bullshit.

 

Hold it, isn't that what they said when they started closing Beacon basically In its entirety to climbing, and artificially established a peregrine rookery on the south face, bringing in tons of bags of river stone onto Big Ledge, moving the peregrines from their long established rookery on the East face where no one ever climbs? And all so a biologist and his cronie could sit In their vehicles at the boat ramp and watch the birds thru binocs, instead of having to get off their and get out of their vehicle and actually do something? But hey, that's what our taxpayer dollars are for, and if these public servants want to squander our money and shut down resources and access, they know best. It sure makes the Rangers job allot easier....not. And it really helps with the parks revenue....again not. Unless you count the revenue for ticketing Kenny,for public indecency for being a dick a crime. That's not right!!!

Hey, what else am I going to do when it's the middle of the night inChina and I can't sleep, besides get all long winded at cc.com. I'd rather be climbing. Hope you guys are getting some.

 

People who are not locals should take posts like this - and it is entirely indicative of precisely how and what these guys really think - as a clear indicator that they don't have the slightest interest in managing climbing at Beacon, working in good faith with the land managers ("cocksuckers", "cops", and "whores"). Just the opposite, they have one and only one obsession and in that they do everything possible to insure nothing changes in that regard.

 

P.S. Yep. Dropzone rap line cut four times. Believe it, because only one of the two of us is continually just making shit up out there and it isn't me. On the other hand, that makes you chief-heir-in-line to that pathetic legacy.

[pink]

Look, if you don't want me posting, don't post up complete bullshit you have no direct experience with and know nothing about. I.e. stop just making shit up.

 

However, being complete assholes is fine, I'm never going to attempt to stop you from that as it just keeps points out exactly how lunatic it is inside the Beacon reality distortion field ("where everything is exactly the way we wish it were"). And here is Lisa Lantz - the WSP SW Resource Steward:

 

 

Note the 'Steward' in here title - i.e. she tries to do right in protecting the state park's natural resources - something you clearly don't understand, don't appreciate, and think is worth vilifying. Bummer given she's all for encouraging climbing in the park system. But hey, don't miss an opportunity to shoot yourself in the foot.

 

I trust pins out there about as much as I trust the Lisa Lantz/ St. Of WA certified anchor bolts that have begun blowing out around the place.

 

Well, I trust her opinion on fixed pins way before yours given you don't have the slightest clue about the state of pins at Beacon. Every single pin on the south face was inspected and either deemed good, reset, or replaced with pins off of Middendorf's ebayed spare pin rack. Also, given both bolts were spinners in 58 of the 74 anchor sets replaced out there it's impossible to come to any other conclusion that the pins placed at Beacon far, far out performed the bolts. In fact, the worst, underperforming bolts were placed in the 90s.

 

So exactly what anchor bolt has "blown"? Name them...

 

[ P.S. the two most dubious pins at Beacon are the first pin on p1 and the angle on p4 of Young Warriors, both are pretty much vanity clips as the odds are better than average either would blow on you. ]

 

If clipping the retro anchors at Beacon, weight em and make sure they are not flexing, as there are several blown already in some bad locations.

Seriously - exactly what pins have "blown"? Name them, or STFU with this bullshit.

 

Hold it, isn't that what they said when they started closing Beacon basically In its entirety to climbing, and artificially established a peregrine rookery on the south face, bringing in tons of bags of river stone onto Big Ledge, moving the peregrines from their long established rookery on the East face where no one ever climbs? And all so a biologist and his cronie could sit In their vehicles at the boat ramp and watch the birds thru binocs, instead of having to get off their and get out of their vehicle and actually do something? But hey, that's what our taxpayer dollars are for, and if these public servants want to squander our money and shut down resources and access, they know best. It sure makes the Rangers job allot easier....not. And it really helps with the parks revenue....again not. Unless you count the revenue for ticketing Kenny,for public indecency for being a dick a crime. That's not right!!!

Hey, what else am I going to do when it's the middle of the night inChina and I can't sleep, besides get all long winded at cc.com. I'd rather be climbing. Hope you guys are getting some.

 

People who are not locals should take posts like this - and it is entirely indicative of precisely how and what these guys really think - as a clear indicator that they don't have the slightest interest in managing climbing at Beacon, working in good faith with the land managers ("cocksuckers", "cops", and "whores"). Just the opposite, they have one and only one obsession and in that they do everything possible to insure nothing changes in that regard.

 

P.S. Yep. Dropzone rap line cut four times. Believe it, because only one of the two of us is continually just making shit up out there and it isn't me. On the other hand, that makes you chief-heir-in-line to that pathetic legacy.

 

 

 

 

[stevetimetravlr]

Joe,. Pretty filthy mouth you got. You may have tricked Liza Lantz but you are not fooling anyone else with your false flag rhetoric and hate spew. I don't speak for anyone but me, but I know many people are finally getting to see your true colors.

Sorry buddy, I will not STFU. I am not part of the BEacon Rock Climbers Association currently but I fully support their efforts and the 100 or so people who comprise what is a sincere attempt to work with the State Park. Your attempts to sabotage and derail any open discussion or conversation are well documented. In this thread alone over and over again, let alone all the behind the scene crap you pull. Yes, your Lisa Lantz approved bolts are blowing out in multiple places on the rock. However you are the last person I care to discuss the matter with. Pretty serious liability guaranteeing pins are good as well. As Nate stated previously, all are suspect. And NO, I do not believe your rope has been chopped 4 times at Dropzone, but it sure makes you sound like the victim to everyone now doesn't it?

[christophbenells]

The nut on the bolts at the top of Jill's thrill need to be tightened down, was up there this morn, tightened em best I could with my fingers, but they're still loose.

[stevetimetravlr]

Thanks Chris! Good job. If we all work together out there, it's a bright future for Beacon climbing. Especially with all the new crop of enthusiastic people climbing at Beacon, along with the old regular crew. Stoked to climb!

[Dennis H]

(WTF) We were all hoping JH would keep up with his Meds , but no here you are again, posting more crap about how you managed Beacon Rocks pins and whatever else he thinks he needs too stick his dirty little nose in. Joe again, your Not a Local climber, and Not a member of BRCA and never well be part of that group, your posting more Psycho Babel. You call the Rangers and stir up trouble , things well change and what ever you try too do to stop it well not work!!!So keep posting your Psycho bull shit ,and let everyone see just how much you want too under mind everything. Take your meds and crawl back in your hole!!!

Edited July 20, 2014 by Dennis H

[ivan]

1/15/14 - day 1 - what better way to mark mlk's berfday (and my inaugural beacon ascent of this foul year of our lord two-ought-fourteen) than to "climb to the mountain-top?"

 

the national wedder service promised portentous skies, a bold moon, a hero-ascent, but mike n' geoff n' i settled for much less - cloud murk on the evening drive - a shaft of bright sun at cope horn, than all gone, sucked down into a cloud vortex, a river of moist, cold air motoring on down to portland

 

the rock super slobbery gob-smacked wet n' drippy n' perspiring beads of putrid moss-muck - soon full dark and just cans of flowery beer n' bike-bottles of sweet-wine to pass the time waiting for one warrior-poet-god-king or t'other to Put the Rope up there

 

to the new season and to the storms that will not settle until they have shit all they have to shat upon us!

 

1/21/14 - day 2 - my first solo lap of 2014 and the first maybe for me ever in the month dedicated to that dolorous diety, janus, the god of fortune n' gaudy expectations for the gaunt future - exam week for these ersatz earthlings, they don't seem to deem it of much import - quaint conversations with a curious few in my office hours, some felicitous graduates even stopped on by, delaying me w/o thought as the daylight ticked away and we dispensed w/ the troubled history of the Temple Mount

 

a savage head-wind on the drive in - not warp 9 mind you, but we've definitely made the jump to light-speed - the big bulk of the durango barely making head-way it seemed - the lot w/ two rides of climbers, and good-ole kenny one of them - i froze as i fumbled into my high-tech war-gear and spritned down the trail, croc-shod, just to stay warm - trees down all over the place - folks bailing down young warriors - kenny n' arent just casting off up the corner, all glistening dry n' clambery after last week's sodden adventure

 

climb 50 feet to a stance - thrust fingers against my bare belly to bring back the feeling, then 50 feet more - blasted through the distance w/ dispatch, eschewing uprising n' opting for the longer exit - both peregrines flapping n' screeching n' flyign off as i surprised them at the top by the pin, me deep under 3 layers of hat, head down and figuring what's the worst case scenario should they dive-bomb me?

 

happy, happy day - 1 month of winter dispensed with and more sun for a good long pull still predicted - half the school year done with and we head for the long downhill that bowls us merrily out into summer in the Big Ditch n' anything else mis amigos can propose for diversion

 

1/22 - day 3 - lap 2 of the new year - beacon all alone, nary a soul on the south side - solid grey gloom all day in camas but sunbreaks and inspirations on the drive in, cooled by camels n' a can of rolling rock - cold but much less wind than yesterday, the ranger flag barely flapping - an uneventful ascent n' an easy ramble on down, discoursing w/ a few tourists n' sopping up the views of the dappled river n' dim, setting sun

 

1/24 - day 4 - truly, a january hat-trick, such a stretch of weather so close to our tragic shut-down i can't recollect - warp 5 winds at cape horn, helm's a lee and shuddering at the next road-cut, truly wing n' a prayer conditions on the drive-in

 

kenny's ride in the lot, i crawl into my war-kit n' cast off, scudding down the trail w/ my top-masts unfurled, screeching down the thing before my tits freeze off - race up the corner in the hurricane wind, my hands down my pants every half-pitch, hand-job from a stranger it feels in the forceful breeze - my breath grabbed from my lungs before i can suck it in, panting

 

beers n' butts down by the boat-launch, fuckers passed out in the sweat-lodge again, rocked by the endless gales gusting over from the island - plans to make plans w/ adam n' kenny n' geoff for the what-have-you on hood soon hereafter

 

can this mad season manage to continue?

 

1/31 - day 5 - the dying day, beacon about to be banned and gone till the sun of summer grows high in the western sky - i dreamed that this stretch of winter-dry might linger, but it was not to last- rain all week, not a chance of a solo - friday the final desperate hope, the signs all set to be cemented into place - fuck off you unfeeling fumbling freak

 

no partner could i prepare - mike too molested - kenny contaminated - adam all a'hoo - so i drove out in the growing dusk, gunmetal gray all around, a fresh pack of poison n' a wondrous hip-flask of you-know-what - i lusted that i might arrive to an ecological aberration, a monstrous monolith undamaged by the falling damps of late; slut-dream i deemed, and damned so it turned out - the lot besodden n' me too it seemed - no courage at all to contend w/ the dripping cliffs - i settled instead for a romp up the retard trail, rope in tail

 

a pleasant rappel it shoulda been, but my belay device turned bitchy, and i tossed it into the trash-heap after - hurk n' jerk n' force-feed, the 'biner all besmirched w/ rope-shakings - a smoke n'a few-fingers on the ledge, then continued on down, the day dying and the golden globe breaking out in bold shafts of light at the last minute - finally at the base, in the dark, i trod along the way w/ bottle n' soaked in the scene so soon to be denied - up the trail at last, i found the preternatural phucks had already posted their signs closing the fucker down!

 

to summer, may it soon come!

 

2/22 - day 6 - calm n' chilly - snow in the trenches of the north side - busted burritoes - bad black-ass coffee - a ringing crescendo of a half-baked hangover - siege tactics - lawn chair - hammering - beer(s) n' satan smoke - red rover red rover - calm at the end of day

 

bryan hanging on the big-green-big-boi

drippy drippy drippy

crept back into the deeps of the glistening cave

 

3/8 - day viii - a pre-pour cascade chevauchee - mike, the jovian giant, rides the road to greet me there - weeds and whimperings - a gift of gods, road-smokes - the sodden trail so soon it climbs - waterfalls past whispering volumes - the cobble-stone cliffs a proper place to puff a butt n' down the dregs of harsh ales - rain upon the return to the road - vivian savaging the scofflaws

 

3/16 - 9th day - a sunday stolt - sad rain predicted, but not so grim it ended - geoff at camas right at the crack of nine, me awoke on the couch, gob-smacked, not a few minutes before - reborn in beer stench and debasement

 

went adventurneering - hiking up to the top, then scrambled down to big trees n' fixed a big long rope to a tree, rapped down, conquered n' crooned, then jugged back up - fun times - the big old log sent down 2 falls ago found all bound-up tight to a tree anchor - mental lines drone over dreary block-land

 

later did some adventure rapping down the west side, then clambered back up the alpine route to 3-tree ledge, finishing w/ a funky-sad rap for geoff back down to the ground

 

4/25-27 - days 10-12 - the long awaited hollabahoo - infernal plans pondered n proceeded upon even as mudder-earth pissed relentlessly all over them - friday mike, geoff n' i hike 6 ropes up to the summit, hop the railing, n' fix from there to the ground - bursts of sunshine here and there - the work quickly over and we head over, swingers-style, 3 of us in 3 cars to discover the whereabouts of the secret rebel base

 

a fine evenign drinking all kinds of things as the rain came and went - yer lebowski lebowski, etc, etc

 

saturday not so terrible at first w/ sun and scudding clouds - strangers assemble - the party grows by leaps and bounds - eventually a few of us head off to jug the lines - some wierd spots here and there and i nearly killed unknown tourists by kicking off a few good sized stones - at the summit i drank a beer than promptly damn-near broke my ankle by turning over on it while walking down the stairs and dodging the tourons - sigh...

 

saturday evening too epic to attempt description - dogs n' kids, raffels, ole'opdycke, speeches and salutations, the savage post-amniotic scene splayed out - rain builds upon rain, the beers go deeper and deeper, and soon the day rode out of me

 

sunday really quite nasty w/ wind and sheets of steel rain - a slow stumble-fuck back to the summit after breaking camp n' making our farewells - felt tempted to turn back from the recovery operation at the moment of truth but luckily geoff dissappeared over the edge and it was too late - not too tough to get it all back, thanks to help from geoff n' dave - strong weather once we hit earth, but then the weekend was over and it was time for wine n' school work n' hbo-fare

 

happy 70th old man

 

may day! #13 for the year (holy sheeit muslims, should i've known that, i'd a been a mit more skert!)

 

lovely wedder, wicked hawt for spring - crunchy moss - many tourons - birds bitching n' circling n' crying all over the place

 

hum along fellow travelers, hum along

 

Stand up, damned of the Earth

Stand up, prisoners of starvation

Reason thunders in its volcano

This is the eruption of the end.

Of the past let us make a clean slate

Enslaved masses, stand up, stand up.

The world is about to change its foundation

We are nothing, let us be all.

This is the final struggle

Let us group together, and tomorrow

The Internationale

Will be the human race.

 

5/7 - #14 - a rare may-day 24-hour wedder-window - bright sunshine n' light wind - the river runs full - lions abound, loll n' leap, embayed, the waves lap over them - damn near cock-blocked by bastard choo-choos way back at the dawn of day

 

5/12 - #15 - piercing sun, a soothing, steady breeze, and balmy skies - no time for cheap heroics, just an hour between bothersome obligations - a quick blitz and off i wandered - beautiful, sloe-eyed ladies on the trail, so very nice

 

5/14 - day sixteen - hell of an evening for a hike, the lot stale and empty near dusk - a bitter day of bickering w/ the man and waging holy jihad on behalf of my perplexed polity - all is fair in love n' hate, no?

 

5/15-6 - days 17-18 - awful bickering w/ vicious bastards across an itty-bitty table followed by lunar ambulations followed by a day of drooling, dumb-founded by dipshits, done at last with a pleasant stroll up a sunny trail into the soothing sky

 

5/20 - number 19 - after strong storms sunday, all is clear and bright and dryish and balmy - a billion boaters sucking up the salmon on the main channel, no doubt the source of the strong salmon stank in the bathroom - the n side in groovy, groovy conditions - peregrines pirouetting n' screeching piss off despite their confusion on which side exactly they have for their private privations - summer's breathe subsuming all

 

5/22 - day 20 - strange storms brewing, vexing vapors rise and seethe at the setting sun - a quick run up the well-worn trail and back for politics n' pissing matches before the working-man's day was even done - a mere month till the sweet solstice, then california dreams and soon that southern bitch will be blossomed-up n' street-legal once more?

 

6/4 - blackjaaaack! - choking, guttering, drowning in my own bile doing battle w/ these bilious bastards - no space to see, no air to breathe - jesus christ man, the weasels have built condos 'round this mother-fucker they've been camped out here so long. fled in horror in the middle of a meeting and slummed me way out, nipping on luke-warm stale keg-beer on the short cruise. a quick rattle on up, sleazy tourists in tattered tee's abiding everywhere. will it never be dawn?

 

D-Day, 70 years on - Day Double Dos for the Year - geoff rolls into the bk a tad late, all tricked out in his curvaceous corvette, me sucking down rapidly warming swill in the shade and puzzling over my biblical tome regarding the life n' times of that cornelius vanderbilt motherfucker

 

a true rare day, how often do you climb something new at beacon? last year i saw them old fellers working out their labor of love near the spike route and today was finally the day to give it a go - wow, what a wonderfully unusual bit of stone it saunters up - the second pitch the most slab-tacular out at beacon - amazingly crisp and clean rock w/ millions of microscopic curious cross-hatched horizontal lines that make smearing oh-so-sweet - geoff got that lead and suffered for it - i followed and couldn't figure out how not to cheat at one point in wierd pod, feet all askew and off-line

 

we rambled on up to the trail after a sesh at rancho relaxo - those upper pitches so super stupid it's a wonder i do them even once a year - oceans of oak, and me in shorts like i've not an iota of an idea what the fuck i'm at

 

3 days of damned seniors left to suffer through - the rock n' roll types clearing out the pipes and set-ready to start belting out "schooooooooooooool's ooooooooooout foooooor daa suuuuuuuuuummmmmmmer!!!!!!!"

 

6/11 - day 23 - mighty prime - another day of gentle ambulations, alcohol-adled, on the north side on sublime slab routes i'd not yet done - sailed out swiftly in the hms revenge w/ first mate swabbie silverman - fun n' games n' all that shit, up-down-n-all-around - allergy attacks for the lot of us n' shaping out to be a shitty season for the mozzies too ta boot - a sleepy drive home, my all slumber-stupid after awaking in the awful dawn to get the familias on that far-flying plane on back to the old dominion - 3 more work days till we say fukit to the welter-weight blues

 

7/14 - die XXIV - opening n' bastille day bitches, there's new baguette-muff on the field - rumors were of a rock wicked-hot, yet arrived mid-afternoon to cool temps n' pleasant breezes - shot up young warriors w/ geoff n' saw no sign of that kurious kev-bone feller, yet i was sure he'd have been up n' at it long afore we arrived - jim n' kenny did the corner about the same time and was glorious to see ole'jim giddup the route w/o a hitch despite his big what-have-you of a few months back - beers n' bullshiting at the ledge, not a fucking cigarette between the whole dirty lot of us - i felt so healthy and like a herpes-ridden cock-handler at the same time

 

7/15 - day 25 - 20 years ago this night i finally got into the good graces of the woman i've been w/ ever since

 

dodd's w/ a spot of wind-surf'n in the morn w/ ben n' his boy, then afternoon jill's w/ kenny after a head-swim'n sesh out at the no-bo-trifecta w/ smoky jim, a new stranger n' plenty wierd - kevbone thrown'n down on the warrior - american teenage spirit permeating through the day - the no-bo circle complete - wine n' ginned up neighbors - a plan for the morrow crafted and curved to fit the needs of a world on the crest of a true and beautiful wave

 

7/16 - #26 - last day alone for the summer - woke in fog and tempest in the mid-morning - sleep w/ dogs, wake w/ fleas, confirmed - wine n' breakfast n' tidying up - long pull to bonneville by 1 to fetch young kenneth - lightning ascent of warriors and good fun in the breeze n' shade - down just in time to sprint out to pdx to bring the magic home - gardening n' gabbing - pizza n' parlor tricks - mid-summer satisfaction

7/26-27 - days 27 n' 28 - saturday morning doldrums, drifting along on drink and dregs of home-chores - afternoon ambulations camas-ways - bday parties for little bitty peoples - robots and addled adult ramblings - felicitations to the family-folk and fumbled east-wards as evening set in - galloped through the gorge w/ gutfuls of pabst n' crawfuls of camels- emergency core-breach at st. clouds - beacon in the gloaming - geoff in the h.m.s. revenge - giddy-upped the good old corner, passing near a dozen dawdling just below the tip-top - 11 minutes trail to base, pouring sweat and huff-puffing like a wounded fuck

 

party at the no-bo moon-tower soon thereafter - 'skitters n' grill-fare - kids n' cosmo n' numerous curious-fucks - slide show n' half-hearted heckling (i should try harder ) - the evening wore on n' geoff left to Defend his Castle (flush w/ glory after getting hisself a new-gem that day) - Many Beers - the bridge well after midnight, brush and brambles at my half-shod heels - passed out hard near 2 a.m., my sleepign bag for a pillow yet somehow i was well within it by sunrise

 

sunday half-bright and broody - the auold-folks awake - a quick exit even as the weasels wiggle in - out to beaocn for a days-gone-by lap - jibber-jabber w/ jihad-joe as i suck down a pre-noon pabst - the Long Highway home - hashbrowns - helluva time to take a nap

[pink]

ivan, where is your annual Yosemite TR? Did you not head down this year?

[ivan]

ivan, where is your annual Yosemite TR? Did you not head down this year?

i did - just been marinating on it long n' fully so as to not let down my adoring fans

 

short version - stormed off half-dome from a bivy on pitch 6, then it got wicked hawt so we spent a week up in toulomne doing all kinds of good things (though regretably i couldn't talk anyone into kidnapping and torturing a jmt-backpacker w/ me )

[JBC]

Well poison squirrels, this is the last cc.com post I'll be making.

See ya...

 

 

Promises, promises, we should be so lucky.

 

But, since it appears that you have decided to stay and spray in any case maybe you can answer something for me?

 

You continually defend WA State Parks closure as being based on scientific principals regarding the nesting habits of the falcons on the one hand, yet on the other you blame some climber's here for delaying the opening via their actions?

Which is it Joe, you can't have it both ways.

 

Is the closure to protect the Peregrines, or is it to punish alleged climber misconduct?

Edited July 21, 2014 by JBC

[crimper]

I wish we could stick with the fixed pin comments made by Eldiente (Nate), which I think built on my comment that there are 2 pins on Sufficiently Breathless that are the only things between you and the ground when you are in the last 15 (crux) feet of the route.

 

Kenny, i love your tough guy attitude, but "not clipping the pins" on SBreathless would mean soling the top of a 10a out there. In the middle of an alpine route put up on lead and in the backcountry, yes, dangerous runouts happen because the FA party had no means to install fixed gear and never went back - but that's asinine on a single pitch climb off the deck that could easily be equipped with a bolt instead of a pin.

 

If someone decks because a pin fails you can bet there will be a closer look at all the pins at Beacon... Would it not be more reasonable to have 2 bolts instead of 2 pins?

 

Also, since the question was raised about bad pins: I watched Arent pull out a pin on blood, sweat and smears with his bare hands about 10 years ago. He retreated to the anchor. I doubt the pin has been replaced, and has anyone seen how neglected that proud and beautiful line has become? That's what happens when you don't - as a community - maintain fixed pro on your classic climbs. they fall into anonymity. (Which i think most of you want for Beacon anyway, though...)

 

so yeah, i don't really trust the pins at beacon, no matter what Joe says. i'd rather clip a bolt anyday, seems a fair statement to make whether you are at beacon, ozone, broughton, smith, leavenworth, j tree, etc.. i'd rather clip a bolt than a pin.

 

I can't unsee watching Arent pull out that pin...

Edited July 21, 2014 by crimper

[stevetimetravlr]

Hey Brian,

Not sure where you get the idea that Beacon climbers want everything to fall into obscurity? Kind of a strange thing to say. I think that the climbs you speak of have fallen into disrepair because for the last 15 years Beacon Rock has been closed half the year. Myself, I like to climb, not clean out the moss and weeds. I do it when I have to. I personally cleaned up the Flying Dutchman and Physic Wound last year' as well as Ground Zero, and also some cracks on the West face. I know Kyle put a tom of effort into some rarely done south face climbs, and many other people do what they can when they have the time. But let's face it, it's a loosing battle on many of our climbs due to the closure. The closure has also dismembered the climbing community of Beacon, hard to keep the stoke and comradery up when it's closed half the year. But people have been making a effort. Did you participate in the Volunteer days at Beacon where the climbing.community volunteers came out and did rock and trail work with the Rangers? Really successful and tons accomplished, even in the rain. Check out the amazing new platform at the base of the corner composed of enormous boulders the crew chain ganged in. I think we had at least 30+ people show. People are trying to do their best.

As far as Sufficiently Breathless, why not ask the first ascentionist Scott Wollums if he doesn't mind if you replace the pins with bolts? That's the standard method. Maybe first go out and check the pins if you can replace them solidly or if it will take gear in that spot once you pull them, that to me seems the sensible thing to do, don't you think? Ask Arent his opinion, I imagine he will tell you the same thing. Everybody is stoked to climb, me included. If you want to clean Blood, Sweat, and Smears I am right there with you, on belay brother!

[crimper]

Steve, I don't really think people want beacon to be obscure, but let's face it, would you rather climb on Tuesday by yourself or a weekend? I was there Saturday and there were 6-7 parties on the routes under 5-10 (you know those routes), and 2 parties down by the arena of terror. (I was there Tuesday and saw only Kenny and Ivan, for contrast) So when it's crowded it's great to have more routes both open and clean, but that requires US to get out there and spend our time cleaning them after the closure. And for those with families, etc, it's hard to justify spending a day out there just cleaning, not climbing. Nobody goes to Smith or Ozone and spends the day cleaning the classics, right?

 

So I agree that the closure is the main reason routes get dirty. It takes all summer for them to slowly get cleaned, then all the hard work is erased during the closure.

 

Last July I battled my way up Suff. Breathless, cleaning as I went, then got scared at the pins when i realized my lowest gear would be useless if the pins both pulled. (And trust me, I didn't skip a single placement i could excavate or find) I have no pride and I hung on the top pin so I could rest and do my best to avoid actually falling on the pin - but that would never have happened if there had been a bolt there, or a pin that had recently been checked.

 

Anyway, this is apparently my personal drama with that route, so does anyone here have contact info. for Scott? I will contact him if I can. Thanks!

 

(and don't get me started on p3 of young warriors, with those useless pins at the bottom of the dihedral - splat! even if they hold, splat splat if they don't)

[Cobra_Commander]

I don't live in the area anymore, but last time I was out there I couldn't believe the overgrown nature of many excellent climbs compared to just a few years ago. JH&co did a nice job cleaning a lot of those up. And they got climbed regularly, for a time, because of that effort. If I'm not mistaken it was several beacon climbers working -gasp- together to make that happen! Thanks JH&co!

 

It's amazing what can happen when you can set aside the ego-fueled male mating dances at a climbing area.

 

The closure has a bit to do with it but a lot of them clearly don't see traffic regularly. There's no reason S. Breathless or Bluebird shouldn't see daily traffic for their quality, grade, and ease of access. Does the regular beacon-going crew just suck now and burn all their energy figuring out who is better buddies with the rangers?

 

I have fallen a few feet on at least one of those pins on SB and I'm not a small guy, so there's a bit of anecdotal evidence. I'm sure the old pins on BS&S were friggen ancient, just like the old ones on Fear of Flying. The FoF ones were horrific but the new ones Joe put in were very inspiring last time I was on it (a few seasons back). Fear of Flying would probably feel like a sport climb at the start if those were bolts. Not sure why the pins make it feel more "real" but they do for me.

 

Good pins seem totally solid for a few years and are easier to check than a bolt. I think they are particularly good in the rock at Beacon if set well.

 

I'm never one to spit on a shiny new bolt though :kisss: baa and since I'm not contributing to the work it's not my place to spew about it. There seems to be plenty of spewing already to go around at Beacon.

 

Who won the "I heard about the opening first" popularity contest this season?

[pink]

Beacon is about due for a new generation of "New School" seeking "Old School" dudes who wanna pull down and have fun together…. This place has lacked this dynamic since Mark Deff and Co. have moved on….

 

 

 

[eldiente]

The point of this topic (for me) was that in most places people should really think about getting rid of fixed pins and replacing them with bolts. (Or if good natural pro is available just get rid all of the fixed gear)

 

Why? Fixed pins can and do blow, if you can't trust the fixed gear enough to fall on it than it just litter anyway. (much in the same way that fixed tat has 20 slings on it and all of it is trash)

 

Yeah it is exciting to get above a manky fixed pin and feel brave, but if that's the sensation you want there is plenty of heads-up climbing at Beacon with no fixed gear that'll shrink your balls right up.

 

I don't live there but one thing to think about is maybe next season after the Winter thaw check the pins on the popular routes and if they are at all suspect (they probably are all suspect) replace them with a bolt and paint the bolt black to hide it.

 

-Nate

 

[ivan]

digging old-growth lichen out of your eye-balls is half the fun of climbing any old-skewl beacon route

[pink]

digging old-growth lichen out of your eye-balls is half the fun of climbing any old-skewl beacon route

 

i agree! every year it's like scoring a first ascent!

[LostCamKenny]

Kenny, i love your tough guy attitude, but "not clipping the pins" on SBreathless would mean soling the top of a 10a out there. In the middle of an alpine route put up on lead and in the backcountry, yes, dangerous runouts happen because the FA party had no means to install fixed gear and never went back - but that's asinine on a single pitch climb off the deck that could easily be equipped with a bolt instead of a pin.

 

Merely pointing out that one's options are simple to decipher in this messy thread: clip or don't clip. If I were to come upon a pin that I could pull out with my fingers and thus knew it would do no good to clip it, then I wouldn't even bother wasting the time thinking about it and I would do what I could to finish it out. Probably why I haven't felt the need to lead that one yet(I would also booty the pin and tell all ya mofos about it too). I did talk to JO about it and he said that the best alternative if the pin couldn't be re-set would be to slap in the bolt in its place (I was surprised to hear that come out of his mouth). I'm all for avoiding dangerous runouts at the crags too: really there is no need for such risky shenanigans in this setting, regardless of how hardman one might think it will make them. Being a hardman doesn't come from running it out or climbing the upper-end grades (although the latter is more indicative of a hard core climber); it comes from the soul. I don't need to climb 5.13 to feel like I am tough guy because I think that regardless of our individual ability levels we are all hardmen by just getting out and doing what 95% of the rest of the human population won't do. Clip or don't clip. That's my stance. But one will pay the price if it goes sideways. That is undeniable.

[kevbone]

I got a drill.....let's fix it.

[ivan]

why not compromise and use BOTH bolts n' pins?