johnsonjj22 Posted July 6, 2011 Posted July 6, 2011 The lower Elwha damn removal has officially begun. Because of this, access to the lower dam has been closed. The normal approach route to the wall is no longer viable. There is rumor of a new approach from the nearby Olympic Discovery Trail but I have yet to look for it. Until I find out otherwise, access to the wall will involve some bushwhacking - at least until a new approach trail is built. Quote
Andy Craig Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 Was randomly on CC and saw this post -- I'm guessing this is Jeremy, good to see ya on here. I should post more TR's and give back to the community for all the beta I gather from this site... Anyways, should try to find two crappy old canoes and leave one on each side of the lake a top the dam, might make for an entertaining approach Quote
JosephH Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 The lower Elwha damn removal has officially begun. Big thumbs up to that...! Quote
OlympicMtnBoy Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 Post back if you find/make a new trail. I would like to get back there and climb again one of these days. Quote
Drederek Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 Does the wall take long to dry out? I'm not getting my usual sandstone fix in Tenino this summer and want to check this place out but I don't want to drive that far and get shut down. Quote
Andy Craig Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 I would usually give it a good solid day of no rain to go out and play on it. There are a couple routes that tend to be more dry then others. If it has been several days of heavy rain and water table is high the rock will be seeping for a good couple days afterwards as well. So short answer -- depends on how much rain there was. Quote
Drederek Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 Thx, kinda what I expected. Am glad to hear it doesn't have a long hillside above it that drips for multiple days after a good rain. Quote
johnsonjj22 Posted July 22, 2011 Author Posted July 22, 2011 Andy, yep - it's me, Jeremy. The actual deconstruction is slated to start in Sept, at which point the lake will be gradually drawn down more and more over the next few years. Quote
johnsonjj22 Posted July 22, 2011 Author Posted July 22, 2011 Post back if you find/make a new trail. I would like to get back there and climb again one of these days. Map: http://goo.gl/bQNxG The easiest way to there is to park at the Olympic Discovery Trail parking on 112 (marked on map). The map trail is 50% right, I had to fill in the details because my phone GPS stopped working. Once you're on the trail is pretty obvious. There is still some bushwhacking but a well established trail lies underneath the growth and is easy to follow. Quote
johnsonjj22 Posted July 24, 2011 Author Posted July 24, 2011 Cool, how long is the hike in now? 1 mile? You could ride a mountain bike too, especially when the trail is cleared a bit more. Quote
Drederek Posted August 2, 2011 Posted August 2, 2011 Well worth the short hike in I'll get back there soon. The Breeze and The Trench were two very nice 10's. Thx to the friendly locals who steered me onto them. Quote
WampaStompa Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 A couple friends and I hiked the trail you had posted (although we had to find it ourselves since I didn't see this until today) and made the turn to head downhill towards the dam and were confronted by a sign that threatened prosecution if entering the area. The urge to not get arrested overcame the urge to climb so we turned around at this point. I'm guessing if you want to climb you have to do it discretely? Did anyone else who has accessed the wall this way saw this sign? Quote
johnsonjj22 Posted September 13, 2011 Author Posted September 13, 2011 Yeah, I noticed that the other day myself. K. Rose bushwhacked a new trail thats marked with surveyor tape. I'll run out there in the next few days and GPS the new route. Quote
old 5.9 Posted September 13, 2011 Posted September 13, 2011 (edited) There is now a new trail that goes left about 50 feet past a section corner monument which is alongside the trail going in from the powerline corridor about ¼ mile in from the powerlines. The new trail delivers you to the top of the gully adjacent to Earth and Sky where you then scramble down the gully to the base of the crag (handline fixed atp.) I was just informed by park law enforcement that the area will be closed this coming Friday and Saturday for the scheduled gathering of dignitaries and politicians at the dam on Saturday. Edited September 13, 2011 by old 5.9 Quote
Erin B Posted September 23, 2011 Posted September 23, 2011 Hey there, Did you happen to record the new trail? Hoping to hit up this area tomorrow and have an extreme ability to get lost. Thanks! Quote
JeffreyR Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 The original access is closed, but there is some sort of access from the other side of the river from, I believe, some DNR land. I have not seen it myself, but people have found a new access point. Quote
johnsonjj22 Posted January 13, 2012 Author Posted January 13, 2012 Not to my knowledge it's not. The blasting should be done, and if you stay on the new trail and take the fork, you won't be crossing onto park property. In other words, it should be fine. However, winter isn't the best time to visit the El-Wall as sandstone can get a little unpredictable in we conditions. See the map: http://goo.gl/bQNxG Quote
olyclimber Posted May 17, 2012 Posted May 17, 2012 did you park along the highway or at the end of that dirt road? Quote
Drederek Posted May 18, 2012 Posted May 18, 2012 We parked by the highway last summer, its not very far to the dirt road. Then you leave the trail from the highway and go down the dirt road a very short way to pick up the new trail. Quote
ZParsons Posted February 23, 2016 Posted February 23, 2016 Any developments on access? Is there an established trail now? Quote
rat Posted February 25, 2016 Posted February 25, 2016 we were there last summer and there were no access restrictions. see the info in johnsonjj22's 7/22/11 and 1/12/12 posts. it is valid. park on the highwayat the olympic discovery trail head, walk that trail to the powerline, turn left down the powerline road, turn right on a distinct trail and follow that past the bearing trees. turn left at the next side trail and follow it to the gully above the cliff. take care. at that time, there were lots of corroded bolts/hangers but the more traveled routes were retro-fitted. Quote
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