[TR] Static Point - Onlline, Black Fly, Right Line / Off Line 5/16/2010

[David Yount]

Trip: Static Point - Onlline, Black Fly, Right Line / Off Line

 

Date: 5/16/2010

 

Trip Report:

[re-posting, so it shows up in the Search function]

 

Early to bed, which is good because the alarm goes off at 3:30am. I’m up, dressed, and finishing packing. Cheri’s fixing egg sandwiches for the road. We load gear into the car (I sure wish we had a garage, park inside, load all gear and extras into the car the night before, no fear of late night car prowlers breaking in). Just as we’re leaving home the phone rings.

 

Uhm, okaaaaay. It’s just after 4am. Who could possibly want to talk now?

 

Ahh, it’s Lee. He’s feeling lousy, he won’t be able to join. Sorry he’s feeling horrible. More sorry he’s going to miss out on a solid day of sweetass climbing.

 

We arrive at Olney Pass and fill out a registration form. The form does not have a printed option for “rock climbing” as an activity, not does it have a printed option of “Static Point” as a location to visit. I fill in both. These Registration Forms play a role in future decisions and it’s important the state Department of Natural Resources and the Snohomish County Public Utilities District recognize that rock climbers need continued access to the Spada Resevoir / watershed.

 

The big yellow gate is open so we drive the final 2.5 miles of dirt road to the pullout. When the gate is closed it adds 5 miles roundtrip to the approach, which I don’t mind in the early morning, but it sure does feel unwelcome on the hike out. A bicycle (commuter bike, cross bike, mtn bike) would take care of this smooth dirt road. But today we get to drive.

 

425.783.8605 ask to be connected to Dawn, she should be able to tell you when the South Shore Gate is Open and Closed. It’s worth knowing! Tell them you’re not a hiker, you’re a rock climber.

 

We park and begin hiking 6:30am. The first part of the hike follows a logging road that was abandoned in 2008. It would be easy walking except when a road is abandoned they remove the culverts. They remove a culvert and deeply trench, allowing full and unobstructed flow of the crossing creek. Pulling culverts and re-contouring the road prisms helps minimize future blow-outs and can open up fish habitat on roads that will not be used in the near future. This creates a loose, steep sided, mini canyon. There are many of these, perhaps over 20. The next next part of the hike passes 3 large boulders across the old road.

 

Significant trailwork in 2009 tamed the infamous bushwhack that thwarted the majority of climbers to ever reach the climbing. The first half is nearly completely finished (thanks Don Brooks) and the second half has been tamed such that there are only 5 small downed trees to step over. No more Matrix / Ninja tree surfing to make headway down the old road.

 

We reach the steep climber’s trail 70 minutes later, traveling casually. This last bit of the approach is now the crux. The rarely used trail is slowly disappearing in places. There are increasing blow downs. Heavy wind storms litter pine cones and branches so thick the trail may be fully covered. Small chainsaws, bypass loppers and hand pruners could easily uncover this nearly forgotten trail. Until then, be prepared for some challenges.

 

We arrive at the base of the rock at 8:30am. We’ll begin with Online 5.10B 6 pitches 3-stars, then take a look at the 4 routes that begin on Tombstone Ledge which is 3 pitches off the ground.

 

I’ve climbed slabs in Yosemite. I’ve climbed slabs in Tuolumne. I’ve climbed slabs at Whitehorse in North Conway, New Hampshire. I’ve climbed slabs at Squamish. I’ve climbed Darrington slabs at Exfoliation Dome and at 3 O’Clock Rock. This is truly some of the very best. This is granite. This is clean, almost Bugaboo scrubbed clean. But, not so sterile. This has a summit. Though you never visit it, you could if you wanted to.

 

When you just arrive at Static Point, if it’s cool temps and not overly sunny, when you look at the 45 degree clean granite it’s obvious you could climb this in your sneakers.

And that’s exactly what the old skoolers in Tahquitz, California did. It certainly looks easier than the north face low angle ramp at the UW practice rock. You think, “I’ll just take off this pack, get my chalk bag, and glide up the first 40 feet to that bolt.” It’s beautiful. It’s compelling. Even with ridiculous foreshortening due to the ridiculous low angle, you can tell this is a very tall piece of rock.

Online is the most often climbed route at Static Point. There are reasons for this. It’s the most hyped. All the belays are double bolted. You rappel the route to descend. It has some of the highest quality rock throughout the route. It’s the first route you encounter where the trail meets the rock (excepting a jungle safari adventure of low quality rock and no certain line named Epitaph 5.0-5.9) It’s the most hyped. But I think the reason this single line see upwards of 95% of all the climbing (there are over 75 pitches of climbing at Static Point) is simply because it begins with a 5.6, then a 5.7, then a 5.8 It makes the best warm up, by far.

 

So, the start of Pitch 1 is near a black streak, beneath a thin overlap that tends up and right. Git yer slab face on and just start climbing.

You don’t have any pro until you step above that overlap and clip the bolt 40-feet off the ground. If you start sliding don’t give up, try to arrest your fall. Often, this last ditch effort succeeds! And if you do slide out of control remember to lean in with your hips, ride your palms and toes. By leaning in you’re stable.

 

Technical Canyoneering has an advanced move called Elevatoring; in a chimney, no rock shoes, no rope, no pro, lessening the force against the rock with feet, hands and butt until you begin to slip. And continue slipping until you reach the bottom. This demonstrates a form of stable sliding. A slab “fall” will be in slow motion, you’ll have plenty of time to think too much. Just keep you hips in and ride your palms and toes.

 

If you don’t lean in while falling, your shoes might grab and toss you over backwards, traveling head first down the slab.

 

When beginning a slab route I often feel sneaky. At least, I feel far less robust than when aping up an overhung 5.11 sport route (Steep Street – Nevermind Wall – Exit 38; Fear and Loathing III – Red Rocks – Vegas). I arrive at the first bolt; it’s the only bolt on the pitch. I’m glad to have it, but I’ve got 130-feet left to go in this pitch. I keep padding upward, sneaking. I place a small TCU. I continue upward. I place a very small Tricam behind a flake. The topos Darryl Cramer published in the 2000 Sky Valley Rock are excellent. I find the anchors exactly where I expect. I clip in, face out on the ledge and belay Cheri. That first pitch was over 170 feet. With 3 pieces of pro. Awesome.

She floats up as fast as I can pull in slack.

 

I look up at Pitch 2 (5.7), my first bolt is quite a ways out. I get 2 bolts on this pitch. I see a nice finger crack just 20 feet off the belay, but I pass it by for the bolt further up. The finger crack is in a thin flake of granite that would not necessarily hold a fall, and it might break off, sliding into Cheri.

 

I got 2 bolts and I think I placed a small TCU. It ends with a sweet right-facing flake edge lieback. But to be fair, liebacking on this low angle terrain is anything but strenuous. Full length pitch and 3 pieces of pro. Cheri floats up.

 

I smile looking at Pitch 3 (5.8 ) because my first bolt is not far away. This does feel a little harder but I’ve just traveled over 300-feet of consistent granite slab, I’m feeling the groove. A second bolt and a third bolt. Then a runnout and I’m at the anchors. Another pitch, another 3 pieces of pro. As I look at Cheri climbing it’s amazing how far away our packs on the ground seem.

Cheri floats up. I’m not looking at a watch but I know we’re cruising.

 

At the top of Pitch 3 I look left and see the rappel tree which sits on the far right side of Tombstone Ledge.

We’ll be visiting that after finishing this route.

 

Another 5.8 crux is Pitch 4, but this gets some of my attention. The prior 3 pitches I didn’t think, I just quietly smeared upward. I stared at my feet most of the time and smoothly, evenly ascended. Sometimes I would be up to a bolt but 5 feet left or right. No matter, make the traverse, clip the bolt, keep on cruising.

 

Now I’m thinking of a game plan while still standing at the belay. I can clip the old 1/4-inch bolt with the home made bent sheet metal hanger and go left. Or, I can go straight up the black streak. Or, I can keep right of the right facing feature.

 

None of them look hard. None of them look easy. I’m drawn to the right facing feature. Besides, only with this solution do I avoid creaming Cheri in the case of a fall.

 

The right facing feature is fun, there is so much to grab on to, almost illicit on this featureless rock. Then I step left and smear up to the overlap, placing 2 small TCUs before stepping above it.

The first bolt patiently waits, still a ways past the overlap. You can see it about 12-feet above the overlap; it’s 2-feet into the darker colored rock. Okay, maybe the topo isn’t perfect as it shows the bolt immediately after the overlap.

 

I’ve got a final bolt waiting for me, up there, somewhere. It might be safest to continually scout as I climb, locating the next bolt as soon as possible. Problem is, this would interfere with my flow. So I just climb. I follow the path of least resistance, willing the bolt to intersect my chosen solution. Voila! Then the angle eases and it’s a long long way to the anchors. I had 4 pieces of pro on this pitch. Cheri floats it.

 

I look down again to Tombstone Ledge, identify that rap tree and also the beginning flake for American Pie 5.10A 3-stars.

 

I look up at Pitch 5 (5.10B), I can see bolts to my left for American Pie and bolts to my right for Right Line. Still, navigation seems non trivial. By navigation I don’t mean to imply that I might get off route and clip the wrong bolt. I mean that reading the subtleties in the nearly featureless rock is becoming challenging. I cast off, acknowledging to myself I don’t get pro for a long while.

 

This climbing is a little steeper, but it climbs just like the prior 600-feet. I gently chug up to the bolt, there is a screw link from a previous party’s abandonment. Then I continue to the next bolt and it too is adorned with a screw link, another point of departure. Now it steepens significantly and it’s reminding me of the 3rd pitch of Total Fudd (also at Static Point) which I did October 2009. Last year my partner took 3 falls trying to reach the next bolt on Total Fudd and it was similar terrain as this.

 

I sharpen my focus on identifying good material for foot holds and hand holds. I sort through all the material and begin to form links between the various holds. I look long run for the next bolt and re-consider my solutions. And I climb. As I approach the third bolt I slow down. Up until now I had a flow, movement, inertia, certainty. Now I am stopping consistently to solve the puzzle.

 

I’m not sure where that 4th bolt is, but I can tell you my next bolt is only 6-feet away and it’s not looking like I get a guaranteed solution. Well, there’s nothing to gain by sitting still on steep slab. Even in these relatively pleasant conditions for slab climbing (mostly cloudy, temp about 55F, no wind) if I remain still on steep slab, I’ll feel my feet buttering off. Just the way it is.

 

In the words of a Scottish mountaineer William Hutchinson Murray (1913-1996), from his 1951 book entitled The Scottish Himalayan Expedition

 

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.”

 

And so it is, I launch! None of the footholds feels like I can pause, I keep dancing ever upward. A quiet internal chuckle ensues when my mind asks me the question, “What shall I do if there is no “stance” to clip from?” My mind wrestles the question. Like a Zen Buddhist Koan, this mental pondering actually empties my brain; I am thinking nothing. When I next take notice of the bolt I see it is by my head, and I’ve a stance of sorts to clip from. Oh sweet.

 

Continuing on I’m excited to meet the crux of the route. The full route topo in the guidebook shows the 10B crux hits just after this 3rd clip. I think I’m good for it, but I admit if it’s much harder I may take a slide. And I float up without a pause. No worries. I clip the last bolt almost dejectedly, wondering where my challenge disappeared?

 

As I watch Cheri motor past the 2nd bolt and then hit a wall approaching the 3rd bolt I await her solution.

She dances up left, and down. Then right, and down. She tries straight up.

 

But no, she leans back on the ropes, takes a rest. We talk, I don’t tell her my solution. She focuses and cruises the rest, taking a break just after the crux.

 

Then up to the anchors. Four bolts for that pitch. We agree the crux of that pitch, the crux of the entire route, the crux hits just below that 3rd clip. Hmmm. Sure would be comforting if that bolt were located 6-feet lower; and, it isn’t. So deal. There is a Quick Link on the 1st bolt for parties to bail from. There’s a Quick Link on the 2nd bolt too.

 

The last pitch is lower angled and provides absolutely no pro. Just go up and left. Run it out, scream and shout!

 

The bolts at the top of Pitch 6 are not equipped with screw links and lengths of chain (as were the prior 5 anchor stations). Fastened to the two hangers are a few sewn runners and several biners. All in all not a bad setup but fully clogging the hangers, preventing clipping directly to the hangers with a carabiner. I always carry bulk webbing to add to or replace rap anchors that need some updating. I leave 2 of the original 3 biners.

 

We rap with 2 ropes to Tombstone Ledge.

 

As we’re pulling the ropes, the clouds scatter and full sun peeks out. It’s hot! Like lizards responding to a primitive urge we lounge. It took less than 2 1/2 hours to climb 6 pitches and rappel to Tombstone Ledge; we earned a break. Some time later I check out the 4 routes on the ledge.

 

The left 2 routes are made serious runnouts by Static Point standards (!) if a certain missing bolt has not been replaced and a few fixed pins that were removed were not replaced. Without knowledge of these situations I deemed The Corner 5.8 and Cashman 5.10B presently not “in.”

 

There remained 2 highly recommended routes. American Pie 5.10A 3-stars had a bit I had looked at while climbing Online. On the topo the crux of of American Pie was well beyond a bolt and labeled, “scary.” The sun was out in full force, my rubber did not have the pluck that it musters at the ideal temperature of 49F. I didn’t feel like tackling that “scary” 10A bit far above the bolt, with the consequences of a fall compounded by a large overlap that I would be sliding over.

 

Black Fly 5.8 2-star 2 Pitches was made to order. Let me make one thing clear, please consider beginning this climb at the small tree, at the left facing corner. I followed the book’s description and felt certain my feet were removing granite “kitty litter” that had never seen a pair of rock shoes before mine. I arranged a Sliding Ball Nut #2 in a suspect placement, then added a Yates Screamer. Then I placed a Hugh Banner Brass Offset #3 and a #5, equalized with a double runner, and a Yates Screamer. I still didn’t have full trust in that nest of pro.

 

Once I was higher I saw an obvious line up natural features that also provided adequate pro. Climb the left facing feature for 20-feet, trend right, to a right facing feature and up that. Then move flat left to clip the curiously placed bolt. The remainder of the route flows naturally.

 

Moving from the second bolt to the third bolt is heady, but fun. It involves a significant traverse, to the right. Traversing on minimally featured slab is a skill that seems different than moving directly upward. To be honest, in all the slab I’ve done there wasn’t much traversing action. I enjoyed the spice. Further traversing reaches the anchors. Cheri made the opening (off route?) moves I suffered look reasonable, but she cleaned her feet off with every single move, to remove the exfoliated cat litter. She enjoys climbing a traversing line, she doesn’t like the thought of falling on a traversing line. She paused several times in the last 40 feet.

 

This anchor on Black Fly is common to American Pie, and I look down at the “scary” bit on American Pie and agree that it would be scary. But, next time!

 

We rap down to Tombstone Ledge, gather our gear, cut away the old weathered tat on the rap tree and replace with new webbing and rap ring. Rap to the top of Pitch 2 of Online, then down to the ground.

 

We have only a little time before our agreed departure time so we chose to get on Right Line 5.10A 5 Pitches 2-stars. This route can also be called Off Line since many parties intending to climb On Line mistakenly do this route. You rappel the route, so we’ll stop when our time ran out. We were having so much fun we wanted to complete the entire route, but we’d stop when we needed to leave.

 

The first bolt was way up there, and the bolt hanger is bent over a bit, I guess from rockfall. It also had a short length of webbing attached to it. At first I thought it was to make spotting the bolt easier. Then I realized it was probably a bail sling. A party realized they were on the wrong route, they very likely meant to get on Online. The first pitch was 5.7, had 1 bolt, and took us less than 15 minutes, so we got to climb up higher. The next pitch was 5.7, has 1 bolt and takes a TCU or 2 and took 11 minutes; we were most definitely in a groove. We didn’t really have time but we went up one more anyway. Pitch 3 is 5.8 with 2 bolts and with a few ledges and larger features much of the climbing goes very quickly. I think that took us 14 minutes. And these are long pitches.

 

We had to leave already so the next 3 pitches will wait for another visit. The hangers at this stance are not equipped with Quick Links and chain. There are 3 bolts and about 5 pieces of webbing. None of the webbing is less than way too old. I only carried 2 lengths of bulk webbing today; I am out. I’ll replace this next visit, on my way to finish the top half of the route. We rap down, pack our gear and begin the egress. The steep trail takes 20 minutes less going downhill. The old road takes 10 minutes less returning to the car.

 

I would have loved to arrive 2 hours earlier and stay 2 hours later. There are many more lines I’m looking forward to climbing.

 

 

Gear Notes:

425.397.3000 ask to be connected to Dawn, she should be able to tell you when the South Shore Gate is Open and Closed. It’s worth knowing! If closed it adds nearly 5 miles round trip to your adventure. It used to be closed October 31 thru mid April, but in a conversation (06.30.10)with Bruce Meeker 425.783.1722 I learned the Gate will be open year 'round from now on. Tell them you’re not a hiker, you’re a rock climber.

 

At the Olney Pass bathrooms, just before the Gate, please stop and fill out a Registration card. Write in that you are rock climbing.

 

The two Work Parties near the end of 2009 accomplished lots. The worst has been taken care of. And it would be great to put a date on the calendar for a Work Party to finish the road grade and begin on the steep trail.

 

 

Approach Notes:

I made use of TCUs, Sliding Ball Nuts, Hugh Banner Bronze Offset Nuts. Oh! and Yates Screamers for the tiny pro and the older bolts.

[dan_e]

My Friend JP and I headed up to climb Online on 6/27. I was unable to confirm on Friday if the gate was open, however we arrived to find that it was. It appears the gate is now left open on the weekend and there were quite a few cars on the road, but no climbers at the trailhead. Still it's probably a good idea to call ahead (Thanks Idea Guy). The approach road is now marked by a group of large boulders, last year it was a giant tree snag and boulders. It's just up the road from the bridge, on the right and there are plenty of places to park off of the road.

 

We attempted the approach last year, hiking in from the gate and finding the approach road, but due to a late start and lots of bushwacking we decided to turned around and return another day. There were lots of climbers there doing the same, however it's rare to see more than on more party on the cliff, even on the weekend.

 

When I first climbed at Static Point back in 1996, one could drive (with a 4x4) nearly all the way to the approach trail, those days are a distant memory. I would like to thank all the climbers who helped clear the old path last year. It's very easy to follow and the total approach is around an hour or so. The approach trail from the old road is in excellent shape and hasn't really changed in nearly 14 years. It's clearly marked by a large drainage pipe and rock cairn and it's just past a very large, steep and rock strewn stream bed. If you look up here you will see part of the cliff above.

 

As for the climb JP led all the money pitches, I really wanted him to get a good taste of pure friction climbing and Online has some really nice sections of clean enough to eat off of granite. I've led this route twice, first in 1996 which oddly enough was my first multi pitch rock climb in Washington (thanks Vance!) and again in 2000. I enjoyed being back on this quality route and the pitches I led were fun, however seconding friction is not for me and I blew the crux on pitch 5 simply because I wasn't focused. JP cruised the crux and the also pitch 3 which has a spicy runout. This pitch is 5.9 if you pick the straight line from bolt 1 to 2. The rock is still very clean, maybe not quite as clean when I first did it in 96, but still very nice. We were lucky to have climbed in nearly perfect friction weather, 60's and cloudy with only a few rain drops at the top of pitch 6.

 

We noticed new shiny bolts on the climb to the left of Online, assumed to be American Pie. The spacing between bolts looked much more consistent than Online, however it was tough to tell where the last bolt was before the anchors, which appear to be shared with Online (these are the only new belay anchors on Online, at the top of pitch 6). All of the belay bolts on Online are really getting old and should be replaced. Most of the bolts on the route are 3/8" SMC, however there are some 1/4" ones at the belays. One belay/rap station has three bolts, one 1/4" Leeper that is coming out of the rock, one 1/4" SMC and one 3/8" SMC. For the most part I still consider the 3/8" SMC to be safe, the others not so much.

 

We plan to head back to try some other routes, maybe Shock Treatment and American Pie or whatever those newly (re)bolted lines are. I must say that it's a shame to see nice new and expensive bolted line graced by a belay/rap station with no chains. I am referring to pitch 6 of Online, two nice shiny new bolts (either Fixe or Petzl, I can't recall) with black nylon slings and two carabiners?! Again it's great to see the new hardware, but why not go the extra mile and toss some chains and quick links on those beautiful bolts?

 

JP heading up pitch 2, 5.7

 

Me on pitch 4

 

JP on top of pitch 3, 5.9

 

Old SMC bolts on belay/rap station on pitch ?

[David Yount]

 

 

In general climbing is good from March to early November, but never on sunny summer days at Static Point.

 

 

September, 2012

Before you drive out to climb at Static Point it's easily worthwhile to place a phone call to ask if the South Shore Gate is open at Spada Resevoir. The gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from May 1 to October 31, except for 1) roadwork, or 2) dangerous conditions. And in my experience it's not rare for them to decide there exist dangerous conditions, and they have roadwork to perform every year during Spring to Fall.

 

The Snohomish PUD contols the gate and their website will give the gate's status. But the actual page with the gate's status is buried in several layers of choices and the navigation is not intuitive nor descriptive. But here's the URL as of September 2012:

http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/hydro/jhp/jhprecreation/jhpsultan.ashx?p=1500

 

425.783.1774 Karen Bedrossian (or her subsequent replacement)

425.783.8804 Barry Chrisman

 

If you don't reach either of them you can call the main number and seek other suggestions from the operator

425.783.1744, or 877.783.1000

 

option 0 to speak to an operator at Snohomish PUD and ask them about the current status of the South Shore Gate at Spada Resevoir. Ask the operator for the direct phone number and the full name of the person they will connect you with, for your records.

 

If the gate is closed, you can still climb at Static Point, just add 3 miles of casual downhill mtn biking or hiking.

 

Sometimes you must park at the registration station at Olney Pass if the right gate, South Shore Road, is closed. The right gate is the South Shore Road, take this. The three miles (on road Nf-6129 around the reservoir / lake) to the decommissioned spur road is gently and consistently downhill (fast and easy on a mtn bike). When you arrive at a large bridge (crossing the inlet to Spada Resevoir), the spur road is just past on the right and is blocked by several boulders and a large snag placed crosswise. Park here. You used to be able to drive part of this spur road, but now you park in a pullout on the South Shore Road.

 

You can climb all year long at Static Point. Several routes were first climbed in January. The granite slab faces south and dries relatively quickly. In the winter when it's a sunny day the climbing can be at it's best, as the friction of climbing shoe rubber reaches it's maximum at 49F, I've read. If the South Shore Gate is not opened and if there isn't snow at the 2000-foot Olney Pass, then a casual 3 mile downhill mtn bike ride accesses the old spur road (this spur road can be biked for a few minutes but quickly turns into hiking only because of 21 deep gorges cut into the road).