Attn: Chimacum Rock (aks Tamanous Rock, Big Rock) climbers

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OlympicMtnBoy

climber
Seattle
Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 3, 2010 - 04:47pm PT
Calling all Chimacum/Port Townsend, WA rock climbers! Changes are coming to Tamanous Rock!

Yes, it's a chossy, but I know a few folks still climb there and that it's the only rock anywhere near Port Townsend or Chimacum so I wanted to share this pending access issue in case any of you would like to be involved.

This last December the land surrounding and including the rock was purchased by the Jefferson Land Trust in coordination with the Jamestown S'klallam Tribe, and Anderson Lake State Park (managed by Ft. Flagler). The land, previously owned by George Heidigerken, was a development investment and climbing/hiking/dirk biking, etc was at least passively allowed. I have been visiting the rock for at least 20 years.

With this recent purchase the land will now be transferred from the Jefferson Land Trust in a couple of years when the loan is paid off to either the Tribe (most likely) or the State Park. The Tribe views this as a sacred/spiritual site and appears to be likely to close access to the rock itself and remove permanent anchors. The State Park has no money and no experience managing climbing issues either.

I have been in contact with Owen Fairbank and Sarah Spaeth at the Jefferson Land Trust who I know through work. Few decisions have been made as to the final disposition of the land, wording of a conservation easement should the land remain private, management plans, etc, so now is the time to get constructively involved.

I now live in Seattle and only climb at the Rock a few times a year. I would like to know if there is interest from others in trying to maintain access, and if anyone is more local who might be ale to attend relevant meetings to represent climbers, etc. I have many fond memories of learning to climb there and would like to continue to do so. I'm guessing there are more of us out there who feel the same?

Background for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about: Tamanous Rock is located off of Anderson Lake Rd. near the SKP trailer park. There are about 10 bolted routes, half of which are two pitches, ranging from 5.6 to a few overhanging 5.11-12? routes. There are a couple of sketchy trad/aid lines as well. There is also a cable route up the backside used by all sorts of folks to reach the top.

You can post up here or contact me at stewart (matt) (hie) (sen) (at) hotmail. I'll try to post this notice eleswhere and would appreciate any help from anyone involved with WCC or the Access Fund as well.

- Stewart
randobro

Trad climber
Indianola, WA
Jun 18, 2010 - 01:19pm PT
Thanks, Stewart.

I'm new to the area and have climbed most of the left hand routes at Chimacum. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of both rock and routes. I am hoping to get involved to protect access and would hope that the local climbing shop, The Wildernest in PT and BI would help, too.

I will send them this thread and chat them up the next time I go in. Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments.

Climb safe.

Brian
Pliny

Mountain climber
Hansville, WA
Dec 27, 2010 - 12:28am PT
I live near Kingston, WA and have often wondered about Chimacum Rock as a place to take beginners to practice rock climbing. It would be a shame to have access closed before I even get there to look at it. It is less than an hour from my home and I'm looking forward to checking it out if and when it stops raining. Jim
Mark Katsikapes

climber
Nov 4, 2015 - 05:36pm PT
I grew up a mile away from chimacum rock and ive climbed there most of my life.. Id like to be able to continue climbing there with the blessing of the landowner. I have a few friends who feel the same way and would be willing to come and make an appearance and plead our case if need be..Let me know if there is anything i can do

-mark
Mark Katsikapes

climber
Nov 6, 2015 - 04:27pm PT
Contact me @ markkatsikapes@gmail.com
Lorenzo

Trad climber
Portland Oregon
Nov 6, 2015 - 05:34pm PT
What tribe is claiming the land as sacred?

I thought the Chimucum people were extinct as a tribe, being killed off in conflicts with their neighbors and not even present as a cultural entity.
OlympicMtnBoy

climber
Seattle
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2015 - 09:02pm PT
Hey, thanks for thread bumping, but it's too late for this one. Someone else is welcome to try to follow up but I'm in Seattle now and spent too much emotional energy on this one with no effect. I haven't been there in 4 years and it's sad. I don't agree but I didn't have the political connections and $600k.

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130106/NEWS/301069984

December 2013
Jamestown S’Klallam tribe buys sacred site of Tamanowas Rock

CHIMACUM — After decades of work to preserve Tamanowas Rock, the ancient tribal site is now legally in the hands of the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe, which plans to make one major change in management:

There will be no rock climbing. Period.

“It is like allowing people to climb the Sistine Chapel,” Leo Gaten, governmental policy liaison for the tribe, said.

Tamanowas Rock, shaped like a pointed egg, stands more than 150 feet from the valley floor to the east of Anderson Lake State Park.

On Dec. 21, the 62 acres around Tamanowas Rock, including the rock itself, were purchased by the tribe for $600,000, the tribe announced.

The purchase has been added to an adjacent 22-acre property that has been owned by the tribe since the 1990s.

The combined properties, known as the Tamanowas Rock Sanctuary, “will be protected in perpetuity from development and inappropriate uses with respect to a cultural and religious Indian site,” according to the tribe’s official announcement of the purchase.

The rock was known by Salish people as a place of power and spiritual bonding, Gaten said.

Tamanowas, in the Klallam language, means “spirit power.”

“Tamanowas Rock is one of those rare sacred sites that can be traced back to ancient times,” said Liz Mueller, Jamestown S’Klallam tribal council vice chairwoman and member of the tribe’s culture committee.

“Tribes as far north as the Lummi Nation would travel down for the sacred ceremonies,” she said.

In 1976, Tamanowas Rock, also known as Chimacum Rock, was listed in the Washington Heritage Register (www.dahp.wa.gov/washington-heritage-register) — as having significant archeological interest, and efforts are being made to get the site listed in the National Register of Historic Places, said Betty Oppenheimer, spokeswoman for the tribe.

Until 2008, the rock was owned by George Heidgerkin, a developer who purchased the property in 1993 with plans for as many as 46 homes on the land surrounding the rock.

It was purchased from Heidgerkin by Washington State Parks in 2008, transferred to the Jefferson Land Trust, then purchased by the tribe in December.

The land trust and the tribe will manage the property together, and the land trust will keep a conservation easement on the property, said Caroline Robertson, outreach director for the Jefferson Land Trust.

The rock has been used as a recreation site for decades, and the tribe had concerns about hikers who left litter, vandalism and other damage to the sacred site, Gaten said.

There has been a lack of respect shown to the site and the surrounding property, he said.

Climbers who frequent the rock have argued that they protect it — and Gaten agreed that their argument is true to some degree.

However, the rock itself — a 43 million-year-old volcanic rock formation — is not the type that holds up well to the chipping that is caused by rock-climbing equipment, Gaten said.

Gaten said parts of the rock where climbers make their ascent are flaking and chipping away.

A new management plan has been developed that will allow continued but controlled public access, he said.

Tribal plans include the addition of information kiosks to teach visitors of the history of the site; its cultural, religious and historic importance; and how to show respect to the land and the rock itself — including no rock climbing.

Geologists believe Tamanowas Rock — an immense monolith with caves, crevices and cliffs — is a rare example of “slab window volcanism,” an unusual process that occurs when a sea floor spreading ridge enters a subduction zone, with mixed characteristics of adakite lava and volcanic breccia.

Tribal oral histories regarding Tamanowas Rock include tales of it being used as an outlook for hunting mastodons, when the area around the rock was a savannah, approximately 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.

One story that has survived is of Tamanowas Rock being used by people from a local village as an anchoring point when a flood occurred.

The only flood that could have occurred of that magnitude, at the elevation of Tamanowas Rock, would have been a tsunami.

The geological record shows the most recent one occurred about 3,000 years ago.

Over time, the loss of native spiritual practices nearly eliminated the rich, indigenous ceremonial history from institutional memory, and Tamanowas Rock has become a recreational site enjoyed by hikers, equestrians and rock climbers, Gaten said.
Mark Katsikapes

climber
Jan 16, 2016 - 02:45am PT

Tamanous
M
mark katsikapes
to me
 minutes agoDetails
Thankyou for posting the article. After reading it i feel compelled to throw in my two cents for whatever its worth.


I think climbers should be allowed to climb the rock.. And i am interested in going forward with the local climbers to reach out and respectfully ask the tribe to rethink the restriction on climbing Tamanous. Whattever it takes.. Through writing or.. Going to a tribal counsel. People need to climb.

Please do let me know if anyone has tried any of these or other approaches.
I realize i am jumping on board a bit late.. Like i say.. I feel its necessary to throw in my two cents.


Let me start by saying.. This rock has been a playground for my friends and I. A place that we learned to climb at and a place that we still care about.

I.. along with my friends have every intention of taking care of the rock. if you have ever been to Tamanous.. you would know strong the surface is. In the past decade i have spent climbing there.. I can only recall peeling of one handhold. The rock is incredibly hard.
The detriment of the climber on such a surface is like a jogger on pavement.. Minus the continual pounding footseps and of course-- pavement is much weeker than the volcanicly fused stone that has been sitting on the top of the hill since the ice age

Im glad the tribe recognizes the spiritual importance of the rock. Because that puts us on the same page.. All the climbers i have run in to over the years are not there to vandalise but to go and climb the established routes on the rock.

The recent "i love miranda" tag on the back wall was undoubtedly the work of some sophomoric renegade from the school who is in love with Miranda. Not a climber.

The heart that was painted on the tamanous face was most likely done by some climber type, or i should say, we can fairly assume that they had a rope

Of course.. That has been there for over a decade as far as i can recall and never seemed to offend anybody. Give it a few hundred years more and that spray paint heart could be as sacred as a cave painting..

The last thing the article made me wonder about is.. Who takes care of the sistine chapel? My guess would be..

The patrons who spend their time there-make for the best stewards.

We want to climb. We want to take care of Tamanous. How can we make that happen and let the tribe know we share the love for the marvelous sanctuary.






I wonder how the late Dan Osman would feel about the stewardship of Chimacum rock

Rest in peace you narly bro

Sincerely and humbly--
Mark Katsikapes

P.s. I dont think ive ever had a spiritual experience that matches those that i spent climbing and communing with these majestic chunks of nature. My friends and i are willing to pick up trash from the site and i personally vow to impart a swift kick in the ass if catch any little miranda loving punks with the spray cans taggin the rock
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