first ascent [TR] Squire Creek Wall - Skeena26 III, 5.9, FA 9/17/2012

[curtveld]

We pushed up the wooded hill over and over, flagging a boot track to a new high point for eight trips into July.

Any tips on how to connect to this not-so-painful approach route? Was looking across the valley from the old road last weekend and there was no obvious weakness....

 

[Otto]

DavidW might have a paragraph on the approach, try a PM.

[crazedmaniac]

"I would say "all summer" is a bit of an exaggeration. "

 

I SAAAID, (said like 'Bunifa Latifa Halifa Shalifa Jackson' )

"The south slabs can be VERY dangerous ALL spring, and into summer, ....even in july."

 

past previous 2 years in a row, most all of july. that's into summer, not "all summer".

have been on the south wall for about 25 different summers, so far.

 

and

to curtveld,

just get off the trail and get adventurous. Isn't that part of being in the mountains any more? Just, please, leave your saw at home. (if you were thinking about that) Really no need to mark the trails by sawing down cedars, small firs and blueberry bushes like others have done on the 'other side'.

 

and,

yea, they grow back, may be. really hard for a small bush or tree to take hold in such a rough territory. Especially ones that are 50 to over a 100 years old. And since i will be very lucky, IF i climb up there for maybe, 10 more years or so, NOT IN MY LIFE TIME!

Had quite the shock this past weekend up there ... REALLY? leave your saws at home! it is a wilderness you know. If it is dead already, it moves quite easily. there is NO REASON to be cutting down live trees up there. if you feel you might get lost, or can't find your way back, do what others do, mark the trees with bright orange survey tape, and pretend your on mt Rainer in a semi white out. or better yet, just stay home or go somewhere else to learn how to hike in the woods. GET adventurous, its way more fun!

 

JUST GO for IT!

 

 

 

[crazedmaniac]

and...

yea, you can hear people talking from the trail, from Illusion wall north to the bowl-in-alley. Have had conversations with others, from way up on zips wall with people from the old parking lot, without yelling. and the wind also makes for ... talking voices. It's the angles of the rock. And others, from the other .. side, coming thru the other dimensions .... There is a reason we call Zephyr ledge on Illusion, Zephyr. that goes back to over 20 years ago. It has gotten much louder over the past 4 years .... way louder....

[curtveld]

and to curtveld,

just get off the trail and get adventurous. Isn't that part of being in the mountains any more? Just, please, leave your saw at home. (if you were thinking about that) Really no need to mark the trails by sawing down cedars, small firs and blueberry bushes like others have done on the 'other side'.

 

No, I don't make trails to climbs, but I am certainly happy to use one that's already there. Sounded like Dave and Bill put in enough round trips to have a reasonable path figured out. As far as the offending saw work...you're barking up the wrong tree, Mr. maniac (or Zippy or Chris or whatever you prefer to be called).

 

As far as whether bushwhacking is part of the reason we go into the mountains, that is true for some but not all. Trust me, I've done my share of schwacking, paying my way through college by crawling through 10-year old clearcuts counting seedlings every summer. So thirty years later, it's not something I crave, nor do I fear it... or reach for a power tool.

 

I can understand it must be difficult sharing the awesome Squire Creek valley you love with all the newcomers that have different attitudes and perceptions than you. But jumping to conclusions is not a great way to get your point across.

 

[Cornfed]

Got on Skeena26 Labor Day weekend 2020.  We found the approach trail to be easy to follow - THANK YOU for all the work to put this in clearing rogue branches, and deadfall, etc.  Really nice job - thought it remains a big steep haul and the gulley crossings in very dry conditions are exciting.  For 2nd gulley, we went up the side of the gulley and found a really nice camp in the woods, then we went up the ridge 5 more minutes and found the "grassy meadow" and decided that would be a nicer camp spot so went back and got our bags.  From Grassy meadow, I scurried up and right on slabs and identified the Africa flake marking the Concerto line, but we decided for Skeena26 being that we are slow and it was shorter and maybe easier???  Anyway, we had to 4th class climb a bit from the high point to find the bolts marking pitch 1.  First bolt is excitingly high (I'd say maybe 25' above a pool and a big fall), so we opted for the 5.8 line to the right, but later climbing pitch 1 after the descent - kudos to you guys for bolting that on lead as the whole pitch was pretty sustained!  We got up and onto pitch 9, but bailed half way up as we had a hard time finding the "good crack for pro" just below the 5.8 bit and had figured it might be the last pitch of the day anyway due to daylight.

The third bolt on Pitch 4 (before the overlap) isn't there - on descent, I discovered there was pro under the rock overlap.  The first bolt after the overlap on pitch 4 is the only 1/4" bolt - the only one on the whole route - it didn't look super confidence inspiring.  The bolt after the 1/4" has been damaged pretty good maybe from ice fall.  By the time I got to the next clip, I was feeling happy to clip it.  So - just be aware that right now Pitch 4 is pretty run out and/ or you are into a few suspect bolts.  Another bolt on (I think on pitch 5) was loose enough to nearly pull out, which I realized when hand screwing the nut back on and the bolt started to come out!  Higher up, everything seems in good order and all belays were in great shape.

Wish we were faster and could have made the summit - rock is so clean and it is a beautiful little visited place.

For trad gear, we brought way too much rack, but some very small nuts could have been placed in the micro-cracks if one really was desperate.  

Edited September 12, 2020 by Cornfed