Beacon Rock will be open the weekend of 17th-18th

[JosephH]

Opening Info

==========

 

Based on the data from monitoring sessions done Saturday, Sunday, and today, Beacon Rock will open between 7/13 and 7/16, the exact day has yet to be determined.

 

The chicks were not flying Sunday, but two were today and likely took their first flight yesterday or we witnessed it today. One more likely chick is still not flying yet. The two that are flying are making short, ungainly flights and not so great landings to nearby ledges like the 'Flying Swallow' ledge, top of 'Blownout', and the SE Corner rap ledges.

 

But, it should be noted that 'fledging' is not an event, but rather a process. Despite the oft [mis]quoted "once they're flying..." quip, Beacon never has and never will open on the chicks' first flight - it opens, and the chicks are considered fledged - once they've achieved sustained flight, can land competently, and so are in a position to be flight/hunting-trained by the parents. That process takes roughly two weeks which has been the consistent opening criteria both since the closures began and in all six years I've been assisting with the monitoring.

 

Massive Rockfall Cleanup

===================

 

A bigger issue at hand is that we'll need to do a significant pre-opening cleanup as a result of a massive rockfall that occured during the final significant winter storm in the last week of March. The storm ice-loaded the large 'bonsai' tree that was down about a 100' from the spot on the high SE ridge ramp where the SE Corner and YW meet. The tree sat atop the finish to the 'Lost Variation' and 'Lost Warriors'; it was old, had a very large circumference, and was well-rooted into a significant stretch of the lower SE ridge ramp high above the base of YW.

 

When it was blown down in the storm it took out about a 30-40 section of the lower SE ridge ramp with it dwarfing the 2006 rockfall (at the base of the SE ridge ramp finish to the Corner / YW). In fact, so much rock came down immediately right of YW it clearcut all the trees from the YW base over to where the trail steps up on the rock under 'Stone Rodeo' and obliterated all trace of the trail through that stretch. And while the tree at the base of YW itself was somehow miraculously spared, a large portion of the rocks forming the rightside of the YW base and the base itself are also gone. It also rained significant rocks OVER the railroad protection fence wires onto the tracks.

 

Pictures can be seen here:

 

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p35/healyje/2010%20Lost%20Warrior%20Tree%20Rockfall/

 

Today's monitoring session with David Anderson and Carl Hinsley, the new BRSP Head Ranger, was from the wildlife refuge out from the SE Corner and, with David's spotting scope, finally provided a decent view of the rockfall scar. The good news is that the view of the scar with binoculars from out on Route 14 gave the impression of there being several large blocks that to trundle would require closing the railroad tracks, but on closer examination today it turns out to instead be cleanly sheared-off sections of stone. Again, good news, but there are still several fairly huge deposits of loose rocks on ramps hanging directly above the YW base which have to be cleaned up before the opening or trail repair work.

 

The high cleanup work in and below the rockfall scar will be substantial, but will not require coordinating with the railroad which is a huge relief given Carl hasn't really hadn't had much luck connecting with them before today. Another reason it's great news is that the railroad just told him the Route 14 road work up at the 54 mile marker ended up shutting down the tracks for days longer than originally promised and that didn't go over well with the railroad. So now any work that has the potential to close the tracks requires signed agreement paperwork and four weeks notice - we'd have been screwed if we did need to do a coordinated drop. Whew! Carl is now lining up a copy of the agreement in the evenT we ever do need to use it in the future.

 

So the plan as coordinated today is to do a survey of the rockfall scar two days prior to the final opening date in order to assess the scope of work and possibly set temporary work anchors (this possibility is also the reason Opdycke and I made the call to leave that pin up on the SE ridge notch which was removed, but happily sent back [thanks]). The day before the open we'll do the cleanup and rap / clean all of YW. The trail repair work will be done on opening day. We'll also probably take a shot at cleaning up Grassy Ledges while we're doing the pre-open work session so hopefully there will be less early season rockfall at the SE Corner base than last year.

 

So that's the story and I'll post up here again when a final date has been set.

 

Notes:

=====

 

* The trail is still closed, and the BRSP has asked that folks wait until the opening and not go down to see the rockfall prior to that.

 

* We'll do our best to thoroughly cleanup after this event, but this will be a very good year to wear a helmet on 'Young Warriors', 'Boardwalk', and 'Rythmn Method' at least until a few post-cleanup summer storms sweep through and maybe just a good idea period.

 

[Cobra_Commander]

Nice pictures of Mr. O and his rocks. I wonder which crystalized first?

[denalidave]

Wow!

[ivan]

the trail's gotta be under there somewhere

maybe more sun'll take care of all that pesky moss?

 

good to see this didn't keep the falcons from fornicating!

 

[JosephH]

 

=================================

Beacon will be open Wednesday, July 14th

=================================

 

Sunday and Monday saw all day pre-opening work sessions to clear both the site of the high rockfall scar and also numerous ledges and chutes across the South Face. A significant additional tonnage came down during Monday's session and that made the carnage on the [ex-]trail significantly worse and wreaked even more havoc on all the trees as well as creating / worsening big craters in the impact zone. Also, both the initial rockfall and the cleanup effort launched many large rocks which broadly and unavoidably rained down across the SE flank when viewed from above. While we did successfully clear the entire high rockfall scar of all loose rock, we didn't get 100% of the rock on the wall down below the site of the scar, or anywhere else on Beacon for that matter.

 

You will still encounter some rocks and fragments while climbing - PLEASE DO NOT THROW THEM OR ANYTHING ELSE OFF - instead, temporarily stack it somewhere safe off to the side and out of the way for a followup cleaning in the next several weeks. Do, however, feel free to do anything you think is appropriate to help create a new path through where the trail used to be and to clear debris from intact trail sections on either side of the destruction zone.

 

Beacon has always been a relatively serious place to climb and this incident, while rare, highlights that fact all the more. Be careful out there, don't throw anything, and helmets are highly recommended especially for anything within a 'stones throw' of either side of the SE corner of the rock.

 

Oh and a big thanks to all those who pitched in on the cleanup effort.

 

Hanmi Hubbard

Marco Fedrizzi

Gordon ? and young son (a friend of Opdyckes)

Justin Pattison

Kenny Allen

Larry Jennings

Jim Opdycke

Bill Coe

New Head Ranger Karl Hinze and the BRSP Staff

 

Hanmi got a bunch of good pics of the action from down on the tracks and hopefully she'll post them up when she gets the chance.

 

[ P.S. The pin was re-placed in the high SE Corner ridge notch - please leave it as we'll be doing follow up checks on things down in the rockfall scar and will need it when we do. ]

[billcoe]

I think we owe Joseph some thanks for organizing and analy double checking all the rigging and making the officials happy in advance. Try hauling 3 ropes, bolting crap and all the other gear needed, not just up the trail, but then down solo to the top of the SE Corner top out sometime if you want to check how that feels. I could have helped with the rigging, but seriously dislike all the organizational things. So I got off lucky and all I did was shovel. The job was larger than the pics look, they are seriously forshortened, I'm thinking it may have been close to 60-70 feet down in actuality, and not the 30' or so it appears in the pics. Kenny and Hanme were great on ground spotting, critical to the enterprise and a thankless task: thanks all! Jim showed up and with Kenny, tried to get on these routes to clean the mess, but I was home nappy nap by then and missed that action. Here's what I saw, this is close to directly above Young Warriors pitch 2/3 and the SE Corner tree:

 

Scar Before:

 

Scar After

See Hanmi down there by the tracks? Hi Hanmi! Thanks so much!!!!!!!

 

It looks, from the big root which was left of that huge mature Doug Fir that probably measured 3-4 foot diameter across and stood on the corner of the rock, that a winter storm came in sometime when it was closed to us climbers, and ripped out that entire tree and root system and any rock that was nearby or supporting the root ball. It was F*ing huge. Our task was to get any loose shit cleaned off so as to take any potential hits in a single day: and not see it dribbled out over the year where the railroad could see rockfall all year, possibly even potential seconds from when a train full of noxious material was speeding by - or worse to us but perhaps not as deadly overall, a climbing party killed. As much as we could, the rocks and blocks were eased over to the East Face and away from the tracks. A few smacked hard and broke apart with frag's heading to the tracks anyway despite our best efforts, once taking out a RR warning wire. As you can see in these pictures, we did the job. Thankless, dirty task such as it was. Fun as well.

 

We left 2 loose blocks, one which would not move without prybars and the other single large unattached flake which we believed could have directly hit the tracks had we trundled it. We did not feel it would move, short of another winter storm, upon it's own volition - so we left it.

 

As JH says above, there is a lot of loose stuff still on routes, so be wary as you run out there early season. Maybe Kenny can check in with how it went for Jim and himself. They were going to rap in and down to the base and try to get the rock on the routes off of it as they went.

 

For myself, I'd like to see someone contributing to the knowledge base of science by trying to take on or initiate a scientific study that details climber/Peregrine interactions with a closer (to the scrape) climbing zone: rather than a full closure. So it basically is left open for climbing to study interactions. Just tossing that out to everyone for further thought.

 

Edited for speling......

[kevbone]

bolting crap

 

Why was he hauling bolting crap? Did any bolts go in?

[billcoe]

I guess if you'd really wanted to know you would have shown up and helped now, wouldn't ya? Guess you'll have to climb Josephs route, "Lost Warriors" at 5.11C to go see for yourself as we were on the topout for it. But you were not there so I'm not saying, go figure it out on your own.

 

BTW, you're welcome.

[pink]

I guess if you'd really wanted to know you would have shown up and helped now, wouldn't ya? Guess you'll have to climb Josephs route, "Lost Warriors" at 5.11C to go see for yourself as we were on the topout for it. But you were not there so I'm not saying, go figure it out on your own.

 

BTW, you're welcome.

 

kevbone, i do believe the bolt set up was for bill so he could drill the bolt ladder on IVANS north face route he put up this winter. i guess ivans not a very good bolt driller.

[billcoe]

Yer obviously cornholefuzed again - I wasn't drillin rock, I was drillin yer mom.

[JosephH]

Another perspective of the rockfall scar from a bit below the midway mark of it (that's Bill up there).

 

[JosephH]

bill/joe - you gonna keep those hangers on your maintainence anchor? almost would be useful for belaying young warriors last pitch but i bet they're just too annoying...

Hmmmm, I personally wouldn't belay YW from there. The plan at the moment is to leave things as is until this time next year so we can see how everything has shaken out over this coming winter and then make the call. That will also give a chance to climb 'Lost Warriors' and sort out where an anchor should be for it instead of the tree that's now gone (still need to try and find that tree, gotta be down there somewhere...!).

[froodish]

Went out yesterday for some climbing & got to meet Kenny and Ivan in the parking lot (hi guys!). The pictures of the rock fall don't do it justice. Truly amazing amount of crap rained down. Big thanks to everyone who helped with the cleanup!

 

 

[ivan]

the good news for young warriors lovers now is that, given it's current dirty-gravel-whore status right now, you can climb it again like it was the first time

 

the kewl handrail on the 3rd pitch at the top of the book is nearly entirely destroyed by something big - a # of sizable chunks are waiting there to continue their descent...

 

chopped all the brambles out of the base of riverside if someone will please ropegun my ass up it

[JosephH]

the kewl handrail on the 3rd pitch at the top of the book is nearly entirely destroyed by something big - a # of sizable chunks are waiting there to continue their descent...

That is a bummer. I was hoping it had stayed right of there. That handrail was very nice. This coming full moon I'll pitch anything left up there from the cleanup.

[stevetimetravlr]

Riverside sounds like a cool climb, I'd do it. So none of the bolts or fixed gear on YW got the chop from the rock fall? Seems like it had to have taken something out with all that stuff coming down...

[ivan]

yw is fine besides being covered in a tremendous amount of pulverized rock/soil/veggies/etc - makes the climbing momentarily much more engaging! unless someone feels like rapping the first 3 pitches w/ a broom i imagine it'll stay mexican-whore dirty for the whole summer...

 

steve, when can you climb this week?

[JosephH]

We ran out of gas and time during the cleanup for rapping / cleaning YW & LW, but that would be a good thing for someone to go out and do real early some day - if you do just keep an eye out for anyone coming down the trail.

[billcoe]

yw is fine besides being covered in a tremendous amount of pulverized rock/soil/veggies/etc - makes the climbing momentarily much more engaging! unless someone feels like rapping the first 3 pitches w/ a broom i imagine it'll stay mexican-whore dirty for the whole summer...

 

My understanding that that was suppose to be taken up by the swing shift... ...they might be unionized so perhaps they took a safety break before they even started and ever got to it!?

[stevetimetravlr]

Ivan, will be at Beacon tomorrow, afternoon thru eve. I'll keep a eye out for you, or will swing by Tree Ledge on our second circuit and see if you are there and take a run on Riverside.

[pink]

Ivan, will be at Beacon tomorrow, afternoon thru eve. I'll keep a eye out for you, or will swing by Tree Ledge on our second circuit and see if you are there and take a run on Riverside.

 

 

riverside is dreamy

[ivan]

Ivan, will be at Beacon tomorrow, afternoon thru eve. I'll keep a eye out for you, or will swing by Tree Ledge on our second circuit and see if you are there and take a run on Riverside.

fucker of mothers, for i gotz thangs 2 do 2morrow

 

should be out there wendsday or thursday though

[stevetimetravlr]

Roger thajt.

[denalidave]

yw is fine besides being covered in a tremendous amount of pulverized rock/soil/veggies/etc - makes the climbing momentarily much more engaging! unless someone feels like rapping the first 3 pitches w/ a broom i imagine it'll stay mexican-whore dirty for the whole summer...

 

My understanding that that was suppose to be taken up by the swing shift... ...they might be unionized so perhaps they took a safety break before they even started and ever got to it!?

I'll have my people contact your people and they can sort it out...

[JosephH]

YW / SE Corner Safety Note

=========================

 

The first large rock hanging above the top of the rockfall scar - the rock you see to your right as you finish YW proper - is precariously perched and should not be climbed over or disturbed in any way. It's hard to see just how precarious unless it is viewed from the S/SE, as in finishing YW.

 

 

The temp work anchor will be removed asap to eliminate any temptation to be over that way. In general, please just avoid the whole rockfall scar area, particularly the top of it just below where the SE Corner and YW meet. If you're coming up LW then you should stay to the right at the top of the scar or better yet, exit the scar as low as possible and come up to the right of it.