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So Leavenworth Memorial Day weekend, how bad is it


redlude97

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Kind of a last minute plan to head to leavenworth for some camping/climbing but I hear it can be packed. Was going to head out Friday afternoon to secure a spot in icicle if possible or tumwater. For those that have been there in previous years, do I have a shot, or will it be too packed? Any other good places to camp that aren't too far from the climbing?

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There are a number of 'non sactioned' bivi areas. There is a large pullout half way up the road to Mountianeer's Creek TH that can acommodate a number of tents. Way down the Icicle is a 'camp site' that is simply a large parking lot dedicated to RVs. If you can sleep in your vehicle (station wagon, truck with a canopy) you can use it but there are no bathrooms or ammenities. I hate to spill the secret, but I'm sure most people know you can camp under the big bridge that spans the Icicle Creek.

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And by all means, spread the bad news to all your climbing colleagues in the greater Seattle area.

 

 

:tup:

 

The ticks are really freaking bad right now too! My buddy pulled forty seven (47) off his left ankle alone. Poor bastard is damn near out of blood!

 

My other buddy got bitten by seventeen (17) baby rattlesnakes all at one time! Luckily he had been slowly building up an immnunity to rattlesnake poisin over the last few years. :)

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If you go please tell all the pad people that bouldering zones aren't campgrounds / drum circle areas / bonfire party zones, etc. Back in the days of Larry the Tool I used to loath him, but at least he kept the order and the riff raff out.

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If you go please tell all the pad people that bouldering zones aren't campgrounds / drum circle areas / bonfire party zones, etc. Back in the days of Larry the Tool I used to loath him, but at least he kept the order and the riff raff out.

 

We still have a stack of LtT stickers. Are these collectors editions now?

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There are a number of 'non sactioned' bivi areas. There is a large pullout half way up the road to Mountianeer's Creek TH that can acommodate a number of tents. Way down the Icicle is a 'camp site' that is simply a large parking lot dedicated to RVs. If you can sleep in your vehicle (station wagon, truck with a canopy) you can use it but there are no bathrooms or ammenities. I hate to spill the secret, but I'm sure most people know you can camp under the big bridge that spans the Icicle Creek.

Yea I know most of the various free camping available, but so do a lot of climbers. I also know the ticks aren't too bad right now, I was just there last weekend and didn't encounter any. I am a yuppy seattleite, but I spend enough weekends in leavenworth to know how things go. I was more wondering if the number of people will be insane, heck the parking lot above barney's rubble was the busiest I've seen it this past weekend(Outdoors for All and SAR practice didn't help) and we still managed to have a good time

 

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the place to go is the Mole. N Face. You'll be alone there. Go for it!

 

I'm consistently surprised how little physical effort is required to exceed the "quit and turn around" threshold of most people, even "climbers".

 

I'm not boasting. I don't get out that much. But the times I've worked, I've consistently been alone.

 

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the place to go is the Mole. N Face. You'll be alone there. Go for it!

 

I'm consistently surprised how little physical effort is required to exceed the "quit and turn around" threshold of most people, even "climbers".

 

I'm not boasting. I don't get out that much. But the times I've worked, I've consistently been alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

:tup: - yep!

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The campgrounds will be full, but dirt roads around Leavenworth almost always lead to open forest service land where you can camp. Regarding crowded cliffs...I doubt it. There still aren't that many trad climbers around. Yeah, the sport routes get busy but trad, or old school areas like Castle and the Pinnacles should be fine. Any cliff with more than a half hour approach will be ok, Givler's being the exception.

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The campgrounds will be full, but dirt roads around Leavenworth almost always lead to open forest service land where you can camp. Regarding crowded cliffs...I doubt it. There still aren't that many trad climbers around. Yeah, the sport routes get busy but trad, or old school areas like Castle and the Pinnacles should be fine. Any cliff with more than a half hour approach will be ok, Givler's being the exception.

 

Mark is right - a little approach will thin out the crowd big time. So will climbing routes above 5.9.

 

Hi Mark :).

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Ok, here's your ingredient list for a crowd-free day in Leavenworth, in particular, Castle Rock:

 

P1: Mr clean

P2: Brass Balls

P3: No Such Thing As a Free Lunge (if this pitch has a que, then climb Dans Dreadful Direct)

P4: return to lower Castle and climb Squeak of the Humiliated

P5: Finish up on Midway, which should now be free of climbers!

 

Chances are good you may not havre to wait in too long of a line.

 

Post pics!

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