Greg_W Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 CONSULTING THE TICK LIST Woke up Sunday feeling strong. Decided to make an attempt on a classic psuedo-subalpine route I had scoped several times over the past few years: The Marymoor Park Climbing Wall. THE APPROACH After a couple of stops to provision (and pick up some cleaning products for the house) we made the trailhead. It was obvious we lost the advantage of an "alpine start" since the parking lot was busy; apparently I'm not the only one who had their eye on this gem. We packed up, located the approach trail and took off. I was planning on soloing the route, but my family was joining me on the approach. A combination of sandbagging regarding the difficulty of the approach and carrying too much gear forced us to drop most of our gear at the halfway point and go fast and light the rest of the way. My daughter worked on her orienteering skills the rest of the way; she's a toddler Nancy Feagin, that one! COMMIT OR BAIL As I reached the base of the route, the butterflies went into high gear in my stomach. I scoped my line; fighting the mindgames the rock was trying to play with me. I bailed...the weather looked questionable. Some other teams were on the route, but they looked seasoned and hardcore. Translation: Went to Marymoor on a picnic with the fam, watched gapers and gumbies flail onthe climbing wall in helmets and backpacks. Went and played on the swings. Went home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Did you eat Gu for this super alpinesufferfest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg_W Posted June 10, 2002 Author Share Posted June 10, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: Did you eat Gu for this super alpinesufferfest? With plenty of alcohol and some introspection last night, I realized a couple things I did wrong: 1. I didn't pack my ten essentials 2. Did not consult "Extreme Alpinism", by Mark Twight for extra tips/tricks and inspiration. 3. Forgot extra batteries for my GPS 4. Did not spend enough time in front of the mirror repeating: "Climb hard, climb fast, don't lose your edge! Focus, focus, focus." Ah, well. Live and learn. It'll be there next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 did you swing on the swings??? Thats always my fav. part of the day I spent sunday reading every sign in a park to my 6yr old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 I hear the permits for that climb can be tough to get. It always difficult to bail when there is so much pressure from sponsors and you've worked so hard to get there. Good judgement will allow you to return once again to the 'G-zone' (aka Gumby zone) high on Ama Marymoore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Greg, you forgot one more thing...ice tools. Merymore is the perfect dryland icetool training. Just watch for loose rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock-ice Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 I always make sure to carry my avalung during the thawing season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EWolfe Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Classic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Ah, well. Live and learn. It'll be there next year. Actually, I hear they're going to tear that thing down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 I think they should add some bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kix Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 the king county parks is going to build an Event Area on the soccer fields next to the velodrome to possibly include basketball courts, skate park, roller hockey, inline skating area, etc.... and other cement fun, with set-up space for extreme games and events. They also plan to host Cirque De Soleil each spring on the same spot. Also, Austin City Limits Music festivals. Notices are posted at the site. This proposal sounds like the good, the bad and the ugly if you happen to be a frequent user of the park, such as I am with my children. (not to mention the 100 million psuedo bouldering problems on the structure, 1 mile from my office). I think the radical commercialization of Marymoor Park is a shame. Have any of you noticed the SUBWAY concession? The traffic in the park during ongoing events such as the Cirque will have a serious negative impact in my opinion. MArymoor is a great park, soon to be gone bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 (edited) Soon? Already. They've already chopped down many of the few remaining trees to add soccer fields. Seems like they are trying to accomodate everyone who has a big idea. Greg's post reminds me of another great one: Caught Out in a Storm Edited September 8, 2005 by catbirdseat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kix Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 ALSO, large sections of the park are now free MSN wireless hotspots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cook Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 2. Did not consult "Extreme Alpinism", by Mark Twight for extra tips/tricks and inspiration. Did you forget your action suit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Here is my favorite picture of Greg climbing. Greg, if you are reading this--I love ya man!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Is there a bolt 3 feet off the ground that has gear in it that he is pulling on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 I'm surprised your first question wasn't the obvious one: "Hey, are you fucking Greg in the ass in that pic?" It makes me laugh everytime I look at it. Which is daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 well, that much was obvious. And I am Master of the Obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 You mean, the OC is the MO? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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