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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 10, 2011 - 02:29am PT
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In the Squamish thread, Perry said:
OK Mighty, agreed, we could use a Chehalis thread, you start it.
Anyone who's been to the SW Coast's "Bugs" will probably agree and post up.
I've got few pictures but some good stories.
Yes, this place certainly could use a Chehalis thread. But since Anders has probably long since finished his milk and cookies and tucked in, I'll start it. No pictures (or not until I have a chance to root around in the ancient slide boxes) but a fond memory.
Don Serl and I hiked in to do a new route on Mt Clarke to the right of the North Ridge. We got a couple of pitches up, and it started to rain. So we rapped off (bit of an adventure in itself) and were back on the valley floor just in time for the rain to stop and the sun to dry everything up. We didn't have time to get back on the thing we bailed from, but rather than give up, we raced to the west end of the peak and made what we thought was probably the second ascent of the original route on the mountain.
We reached the summit at the end of the day, had a bite, and settled in for the night. Minimal gear, and cool temps led to a certain amount of "It's not unmanly to cuddle if you're freezing to death" but that was soon forgotten when the first lightning split the sky to the south.
Since the highest point in the range is not really the ideal spot to sit out a lightning storm, we got fully dressed, packed up everything except our sleeping bags, put our boots close to hand, and tucked back in -- ready to flee if the storm moved closer.
But it didn't. We got to spend a truly memorable hour watching the gods try to shatter Mts Ratney and Bardean with gigantic thunderbolts as the storm hovered there, a couple of miles to the south, and eventually petered out. Or, the lightning petered out. Sometime in the middle of the night the rain moved north, and we had the wettest descent in history the next day, but the previous night's light show made it well worth enduring.
I don't know if the route we tried has ever been done, but it's certainly worthwhile.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 10, 2011 - 03:01am PT
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This should be a good thread. I like the start so far.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Jun 10, 2011 - 03:05am PT
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Thanks Ghost.
First trip into the Chehalis was with Flavelle in 84.
Scott had his eye on the Right Fork of Bardean.
Beat the crap out of Jan's bug on the drive in, she was never the wiser or at least never busted me for it.
We did the obligatory, bear infested bushwack up past Statlu to a nice bivi at the base.
Next day some scrambling up to the business which turned out to eight or ten pitches of beautiful featured rock up to 10a-b protected by cams, RPs and the odd blade. About four or five hundred feet from the top the climbing seemed pretty easy so we unroped, left all our stuff and third classed to the top with our lunches. Lunch was very nice but climbing off the summit back onto the face we'd third classed up was horrifying. Puckered tighter than a duck's butt in a power dive! We were real happy to get back to our ropes and gear without pitching off and kicked into rap mode which went pretty smooth. A bunch more downclimbing and I think we walked out the same day and headed back towards Vancouver. Great route, didn't know what to call it other than a great time.
The guidebook calls it the Flavelle-Beckham, pretty inspiring name. Not!
More Chehalis stories to follow.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Jun 10, 2011 - 10:59am PT
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MORE PIX ! !
MORE PIX ! !
MORE PIX ! !
MORE PIX ! !
MORE PIX ! !
MORE PIX ! !
MORE PIX ! !
MORE PIX ! !
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sac
Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
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Jun 10, 2011 - 12:50pm PT
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One time... my friend B. and I were on the this really sharp ridge,
traversing from Viennese Pk. and B. found an spearhead sitting in plain sight in a little patch of gravel. B. just happened to be an archeologist,
and explained how the native ppl. would hunt goat on sharp ridges, hiding on one side, w/ spears, goats on the other..... yeah , cool eh? I sat visualizing, and felt so damn alive!!
We left the spearhead sitting as it was.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 10, 2011 - 01:07pm PT
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David, you and Don climbed the route my dad and friends climbed for the FA of the peak in 1949. How was it anyway? some chimney or something? They approached from Stave Lake to Stump lake
It was fun. Endless scrambling over beautiful granite. It wasn't difficult, and I think we third-classed it. Getting to the start of it from below the North Face required a bit of bushwhacking, but the thing that hit both of us was how badass your dad and friends must have been to come in from the west. Now _that_ would have been a bush whack.
Ghost, I believe the late, great Brent Matheson and I climbed that blunt rib to the right of clarke n ridge in a one day car to car push in 95 (the cars went a lot further in at that stage)-The weather really took a turn for the worse resulting in us needing to rap the short end of the north face in classic clagged in thundering cascades rain -something about some equalized blades on one rap if memory serves.
If my fading memory can be trusted, the line Don and I started up couldn't really be called a rib. More of a face with some nice looking cracks. But it was a long time ago so we may be talking about the same thing. What I do remember is that the approach from the valley was up an apron of hard snow and that the only way we got up it in our rock shoes was by stepping from sun cup to sun cup. Kinda freaky. Then there was some pillowy rock that offered no possibility of protection. Not very hard, but when we came down in the rain we didn't want to downclimb it and had a hell of time finding an anchor to rap off to the side. Your comment about shitty blades is resonating.
Another one of those odd things that sticks out of my memory is that when Perry and ??? climbed that big hanging slab on Viennese, everyone in Sqaumish was amazed by the fact that he did it in Boreal Ninjas. This was an "Alpine" rock climb. And this dude flies up it in slippers! Talk of the town, that was.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jun 10, 2011 - 05:09pm PT
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This thread is awesome.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 10, 2011 - 05:11pm PT
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Current approach beta: Skwellepil Creek is 2wd to about 4km, where there is a persistent debris flow that leaves a wall of boulders across the road. One hour walk to south faces of Bardean and Stonerabbit from there.
For points north of that, it's 2wd up Harrison West and thru Mystery Creek to a point north of the lake. Bridge across the river just north of the lake is failing. Wulf P and friends rebuilt a trail last summer from the 2wd parking that goes NW thru a clearcut and then over a log bridge over the river to pick up the Statlu Lake trail beyond. About 2-3 hours to Statlu Lake say those who did it last summer.
Pics:
I have a bunch that I'm not going to overload this thread with. You can browse through them here.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=36543076@N00&q=chehalis
OK, maybe one
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jun 10, 2011 - 09:07pm PT
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^^^^^^^hahahaha. the voice of experience.
the pix of chehalis always looked killer, but never had the chance before i left.
new stuff happening there now?
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bmacd
Social climber
100% Canadian
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Jun 10, 2011 - 10:30pm PT
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probably my best Photoshop compositions yet. Beach rocks, superimposed on blue screen with eletronic fogg/mist to obscure the viewers perception
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 11, 2011 - 03:10am PT
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I never really heard much about these Chehalis Peaks. I'm wondering if you Frosties are trying to sandbag some noob Yank into an epic. Not that I mind... Oh well, carry on. Great thread. More pics. My addled mind needs visual stimulation.
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perswig
climber
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Jun 11, 2011 - 06:25am PT
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You icebacks tell some good stories.
Carry on, please, at your leisure.
Dale
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 11, 2011 - 11:09am PT
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I never really heard much about these Chehalis Peaks. I'm wondering if you Frosties are trying to sandbag some noob Yank into an epic
Damn. We're busted.
Yeah, Wayne, you figured it out. That's why there aren't any really clear and identifiable pictures in any of these posts. A bunch of us got kinda drunk the other night and decided to see how far we could string you all along. There's really no mountains worth climbing in BC, so we photoshopped a few pictures of Yosemite, and ran with it.
So yeah, "Chehalis" is just the name of some little town in north central Washington. We thought it sounded cool, but that's probably what gave it away. Maybe if we'd picked a better name, it would have taken longer for someone to bust our little joke.
Hee hee.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jun 11, 2011 - 01:04pm PT
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HaHaHa! When this thread first appeared I spent a few minutes with my index
finger poised over the mouse trying to decide if I was truly so clueless as to have totally
missed out on a hidden Cascade sub-range. And then that Ghost troll tries
to further obfuscate by citing its "north central" locale. That is rather
like the killdeer's broken wing ploy methinks to lure you to the Okanagon or
even over the border into Osoyoos! Most dastardly, sir! I eagerly await
your next roman a clef.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 11, 2011 - 01:22pm PT
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Chehalis obscurities:
Trio Creek spires. One, two ascents max. Some steep rock on the other side. Some of it is outside the batholith & red-coloured volcanic rock.
SW face of Stonerabbit. Fabische/Ewart route from the 90s (10 pitches, 5.6?) is unrepeated.
Rabbit's Ear wall with an 11aR route on the left-central portion.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 11, 2011 - 03:24pm PT
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This bad boy needs a bump. More pics and I wish could still walk for miles.
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bmacd
Social climber
100% Canadian
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Jun 11, 2011 - 05:46pm PT
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MH2
climber
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Jun 12, 2011 - 12:19am PT
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Yes, there is a Chehalis Range. Or what looks like one. I've seen it, though only Grainger, Viennese, and Clarke.
I'm a rock-climber and only go into alpine terrain by invitation, usually from the glint-eyed star-crossed haunted-by-demons alpinist-type climbing partner.
We set off in his red pick-up. On the first real hill it had trouble and we had to load the back with rocks. Down in several water bars we had to dig under the rear wheels and place rocks for traction. We made it to within a 30 minute walk of the end of the road, at sundown.
After the road and a bit of logging slash the options were to walk up a vigorous stream, fight through alder, or hold your breath traversing islands of last year's snow pack, where the walking was easiest but these snow (actually ice) patches didn't go in the direction we were heading, alas, and there were large cavities underneath which you might crash into if you made the mistake of breathing.
This is a moderate approach.
My partner who knew the way was out in front, thoughtfully turning back to look at me from time to time so I could see his headlamp, but his demon kept scaring him on ahead and I often lost track of his headlamp.
The final steep climb to the col was welcome relief from the previous obstacles.
Early in the morning we were up and off, following the base of the mountain, my partner once again hunted and chased so far ahead that I went sideways instead of up, or vice versa, and we lost maybe 30 minutes trying to see if we were both still on the same mountain.
We arrived at a place where my partner decided we should start. It being rock that we were on and under, I was called to action. I climbed the rock. It was not my favorite kind of rock. There were large pieces of it that were not attached but instead were resting on or wedged into other pieces.
I wasn't too worried because the route had seen many ascents.
I found a place to belay and my partner came up, went on ahead, didn't like what he found, and came back down. Even the demon couldn't motivate him. I was offered the lead but the climbing was hard and unprotected, and I didn't have a demon.
We rapped.
We headed back down the approach slabs. My partner looked back and noticed the more commonly used start of the route about 100 meters left of where we had climbed. There is an obvious scar, seen in the picture below, above the snow remnant. It indicates the real start. How could my partner have missed it?
We discussed going back up. Although we had left our bivouac gear at the col, we would be traversing from the summit along a ridge that led right down to camp.
However, a different demon had come along to spell the others, and my no-longer glint-eyed but still star-crossed partner said he had to make a plane the next day and thought we wouldn't be fast enough.
On the way back to the truck my partner got so far ahead I feared I might find myself walking the road out.
My second trip to the Chehalis was less successful.
North ridge of Mt. Clarke
photo by Oplopanax
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 12, 2011 - 12:39am PT
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My second trip to the Chehalis was less successful.
Well, no worries. At least you had one successful trip in. Some people never experience the joy and reward that you found on your first trip.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 12, 2011 - 11:36am PT
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Opus is one I really wanted to see in Alpine Select but K M was dead set against including it for some reason.
I remember when Don printed his list of the top 10 alpine rock routes in SWBC back in the late 90s in some short-lived general circulation outdoor rag (can't remember the name but Steve Threndyle edited it), Opus was on the list.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 12, 2011 - 11:49am PT
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Chehalis pics o' the day
North from Clarke to Nursery and Grainger
South from Clarke to Bardean, Ratney, Stonerabbit
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jun 12, 2011 - 12:25pm PT
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You Canadians have all the luck. Perfect weather, solid rock, no bugs...
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MH2
climber
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Jun 12, 2011 - 10:52pm PT
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Opus?
A nugget tossed into the ST Forum?
When I searched 'chehalis viennese opus' I got on page 2:
It was interesting to see that Chehalis Wa has a transexual escort service. Perhaps this explains K. McL's reluctance to publicize the route. However, for those not deflected, it seems that a description of the climb may appear in CAJ 1985 Vol 69 p 19.
I hope there will be no objection if we use traditional tactics, 1950 style to be specific, and fly in 450 kg of supplies.
From my second trip to the Chehalis:
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jun 12, 2011 - 10:55pm PT
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we want more circus midgets.
and ancient greek references.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 12, 2011 - 11:36pm PT
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And then there was that slideshow a couple years ago where his son's band provided the music and played warmed-over grunge to a bunch of climbers all 10+ yrs older than the band
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dugillian
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Jun 13, 2011 - 12:20am PT
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You are welcome......
We have our own "Tuolomne of the North" minus all the tourists and park rangers :}
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Jun 13, 2011 - 02:29am PT
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mmmmmmmmmmm Chehalis! Mongo like!
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Slabby D
Trad climber
B'ham WA
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Jun 14, 2011 - 10:22pm PT
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Senior Kay. That's looks very lovely however you already stated you wouldn't name names leaving us precious little to bite on. Living in the 'ham I'm intrigued by the possibility of reasonable access via mystery creek. A long awaited trip to the north side of Viienesse might be in order for the summer.
Maybe next you can start a Colonel Foster thread?
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Jun 14, 2011 - 11:27pm PT
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bk, thanks for the photos.
The couple dozen snapshots I took in as many years of climbing don't include much on the five trips I did into the Chehalis. I have no idea what happened to my slide of gf pulling the roof on Bohemian Rhapsody. That was one of the best days ever with seventeen new pitches of immaculate alpine rock, free, on sight and back to the base before dark. We were SO LUCKY to have that opportunity.
Guided the Flavelle/Howe on Viennese, climbed the sublime North Ridge on Clarke to a romantic summit bivi and with the same partner, finessed the subtle and completely reasonable Derektissema on Viennese in memory of Derek Boekwyt. He was gentle and talented young guide taken tragically on Silk Tassel.
Looking forward to more photos and will plumb the dusty archives for scannables.
Colonel Foster? Now there's an unsung low elevation Island MONSTER!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 15, 2011 - 12:04am PT
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Maybe next you can start a Colonel Foster thread?
Or a thread about any one of a hundred mind-blowing areas north of 49.
How 'bout this for one of the best knots of granite within easy reach of Vancouver:
No, get your eyes off Tami's butt and look at what is stretching away to the north. Anybody recognize it?
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Jun 15, 2011 - 12:16am PT
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Garibaldi Park, Phyllis Engine?
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jun 15, 2011 - 12:25am PT
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get your eyes off Tami's butt
what for?
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Jun 15, 2011 - 01:17am PT
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Thanks Ghost & Tami!
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Jun 15, 2011 - 01:29am PT
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Re Colonel Foster
Did what might have been the second ascent of the Culbert, Douglas, Starr route in 76 with burly mill rat John Put. It was my first alpine rock route and an epic good adventure with a summit bivi and a traverse south to a descent back to Landslide. I walked in a couple years ago and shuddered at the thought of venturing up there. Ignorance was bliss.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 15, 2011 - 01:35am PT
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Nesakwatch Spires, I believe. Beside Rexford.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 15, 2011 - 09:39am PT
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Garibaldi Park, Phyllis Engine?
No, it's the view north from part way up Rexford. The thing on the left is probably part of the Nesakwatch Spires, but its just part of a 4 km long wall of granite running from Rexford in the south to the Illusion peaks at the north end. Phyllis Engine is good rock, but relatively small in scale (and not exactly easy to get to).
The Rexford area is a cool place with a lot to do.
Anybody got pictures of Colonel Foster?
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bmacd
Social climber
100% Canadian
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Jun 15, 2011 - 12:33pm PT
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more thread drift back to Garabaldi park - Phyllis Engine just out of frame
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Cloudraker
Big Wall climber
BC
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Jun 15, 2011 - 01:45pm PT
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sorry for the thread drift, but here are a couple photos of the Colonel, the first from Elkhorn and the second while on the Colonel Foster Traverse from the south:
The Colonel is a monster. My photos don't do it justice.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 15, 2011 - 09:31pm PT
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buzowski howe pillar still hasn't been freed yet to my knowledge.
Craig McGee (and Brad, I think) freed all the previously aided pitches & continued up to around p10, then bailed in a rainstorm. So all the aid has gone free but the route hasn't been done free to the top in one push.
Since then, in 2009, there was a large rockfall from around p5
The west face of South Nesakwatch is a popular crag these days, with 10 or so routes. Dairyland and Fairytales & Fantasies are the cream of the crop in terms of quality and have seen repeats (E and H) although F&F maybe only one repeat so far.
Common Knowledge on the south pillar of Rexford's False Summit still hasn't been repeated to my knowledge.
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Bin Dur
Sport climber
BC
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Jun 16, 2011 - 01:41am PT
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Did the Flavelle/Howe on Vienesse with Ed Spat eons ago - great climbing - sparse pro, fine rock!
Usta like hiking nakid on hot days, and upon reaching the bivi I was airing out the boys when I noticed Fred Beckey looking disdainfully in my direction.
"How's it going?" I said.
"Where are the girls?" he countered.
Ha, anyways we traversed in above them in the morning, got on the route, and trundled a few rocks to discourage them from following us. We didn't wanna be the gumbies that took out Fred . . .
Super climb!
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Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
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Jun 16, 2011 - 02:17am PT
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Now this is a thread!
Thanks for all the tales.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 16, 2011 - 11:43am PT
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Bruce, they are logging in Centre Creek right now so when that's done there should be an access-spurred renaissance on that side of the Rexford/Illusion group. The west sides although shorter, are from experience much cleaner than the east sides. Not quite sure why. Must be a microclimate.
I'd like to go try the stuff on the Bastion, that looks mint. The Fairley guide has you and Carlo credited with a FWA on Max's Memorial Pillar route, but I hear that's a typo. Is there a story you have about that though?
Speaking of Max, he sent me this awesome shot of the Chinese Puzzle Wall last year. Took it from his paraglider on an evening flight.
Who can post up some of the Chinese Puzzle's history? I have heard Beckey and friends took a poke at it in the 70's or 80's. And that a group of Squamish climbers had a go in the early 90s. Both attempts were aid climbing or mostly aid (?) Apparently neither attempt made it to the top. In the late 2000s a pair of strong Fraser Valley climbers had a go on this thing (my info is second hand, which is better than for either of the other attempts) and freeclimbed up to 12b or so, bailing off a pitch or two from the top due to scary loose blocks.
As a matter of fact almost every tale I have heard of the Puzzle suggests that it is well named and that loose or movable blocks are common.
The right arete (partially out of camera) was soloed by a friend of mine in the early 2000s, bushy 5.8 to the summit of South Illusion. He had been trying a line on the south pillar of South Illusion, further up the gully, and retreated after some 5.11 climbing. Came back the next year to find that the cracks he had been attempting had exfoliated and a new 3-pitch high scar was where his project used to be :(
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 16, 2011 - 11:55am PT
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BJ, there's a geology layer on the iMapBC map which tells me the Chehalis granodiorite is mid-Cretaceous stuff, 97-112 mya.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 16, 2011 - 11:56am PT
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Speaking of that 10 inch offwidth, Andy Cairns has some pics of it with the bongs still in place. MH2, post up?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2011 - 01:04pm PT
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How about all those Illusion peaks walls and buttresses? anybody climb anything since the Max Dejong days?
Dick Mitten and I climbed a couple of things, but that was maybe even before the Max Dejong days. One thing I always wanted to get to, but never did, was that big cirque on the east face of the Illusions -- I think Peder did something fairly burly in there. Maybe with Max?
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 17, 2011 - 12:38pm PT
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Illusion Peaks bump
So it's not the Chehalis, so what?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 17, 2011 - 03:03pm PT
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So it's not the Chehalis, so what?
I think it's time to officially declare this the "Fraser Valley Peaks" thread. Or some such. Those Illusion Peak pictures are fabulous. Dick and I spent a lot of time looking down into the cirque (top pic) when we were climbing something up out of the notch. Amazing place. Someone should nudge Peder to post something about the climb he did in there.
FWIW, here's a couple of screen captures from Google Earth showing the peaks between Nesakwatch and Center Creeks.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 17, 2011 - 07:22pm PT
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I think it's time to officially declare this the "Fraser Valley Peaks" thread.
ask and ye shall receive!
We got the Anderson River Range
The Old Settler
Urquhart
the big S
(Easton-Edgar routeline shown]
And of course the lesser-known stuff...
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jun 17, 2011 - 07:43pm PT
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Damn, I knew I shoulda asked for asylum when I was working on Vancouver Is.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 17, 2011 - 10:20pm PT
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Way to save the thread by broadening the horizons!
Yes, but we have to be careful not to broaden them too far. We start talking about things like the climbs that have been done on Mt. Judge Howay and our American friends will start fainting. Best to keep it to things that look sort of cool, in a vaguely California granite sort of way, and not get into too much detail.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 17, 2011 - 10:47pm PT
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That's not Ibex, that's Steinbok. Both the NF and EF have been attempted but, I believe, not successfully. The cracks on the NF are full of munge, too. The EF is much cleaner.
Craig Mcgee's routes on Springbok/Les Cornes are supposed to be top notch.
Speaking from experience I can say the south face of Ibex is chossfree the whole way up. We climbed a 6 pitch 10c there a few years back that was totally immaculate. The rock definitely is grainy a few other places in the range though.
Last pic is not Lindeman at all.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 17, 2011 - 11:18pm PT
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Shaun and I tried to repeat Max's magnum opus on the east face of Urquhart and made it to around p7. To that point, many of the old bolts had either been bent by rockfall or the whole piece of rock they were placed in had fallen away. We climbed ( I think ) the pitch Scott Flavelle? took a big whipper on back on the first push on the route, and then decided to bail. It was getting pretty tiring getting hit with big rocks at the belays, a lot of them have no real shelter and we figured the possibility of chopped rope was looming large.
On the way down we were rapping off a two-knifeblade anchor when one of the pins pulled and we both shock loaded the other one, which held.
F*#king sketchy route. Probably with new bolts and more traffic it'd be absolutely stellar but it might kill someone in the process of getting it rebolted.
We were somewhere left of the huge orange spot when we bailed.
One base jumper I know of investigated the launch but he says it's not steep enough at the very top and he'd need to rap in at least one or two pitches to get to a possible launch ledge.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 17, 2011 - 11:30pm PT
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F*#king sketchy route. Probably with new bolts and more traffic it'd be absolutely stellar but it might kill someone in the process of getting it rebolted.
If we delete what we've posted about the sketchy parts, and keep showing really enticing pictures, maybe we can lure some of the American STers up onto these things. We'd lose some of them to rockfall, drowning in stream crossings, chopped ropes, etc. And probably some would just plain get lost on the approaches. But there are plenty of them, so a few won't be missed...
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 17, 2011 - 11:59pm PT
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What I was told is that Scott and Max tried it first, then Carlo and Max. Finally Max rope soloed the thing. I chatted with him on the phone and he was describing freeing pitches up there by himself with some hairy two-clove-hitch belay system. He mentioned about 7 aid moves off hooks; later Don gave me a topo Max had given him and it had 10 aid moves marked. About half of that is in one A3 pitch marked as "very loose" on the topo...
Given that the Cogburn road is washed out at the moment and the Urquhart road is just alder another attempt may be a long time coming. I guess flying in and out is an option. The non-dyke rock on the face is a lot more solid but lacks good continuous crack lines. It'd be lots of expanding flakes and hook/bolt ladders by the looks of it...
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 18, 2011 - 02:27pm PT
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I'm telling you, these Canucks are crafty. Not even one yank has posted about ever climbing in the "Chehalis" Peaks region. Someone should check to see if there are any missing person reports of "Merkins" from north of Vancouver. I smell something funny.
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bmacd
Social climber
100% Canadian
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Jun 18, 2011 - 07:39pm PT
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way killer thread, I've got sweaty palms from gripping my rocking chair arms too tightly …
It's maybe time for another .05 mg Ativan and a nap …
please keep posting guys and more pictures too
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MH2
climber
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Jun 20, 2011 - 12:05am PT
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We interrupt this program to bring you current Squamish conditions.
We now return you to the regularly scheduled program, which is still in progress.
Oplopanax and others have shown us nice pictures. Mostly pictures taken from a distance. Let's take a closer look. Since he asked about the Memorial Pillar wide crack, here is what it looked like when I was taken there.
It looked like this on the approach.
Getting closer.
On the retreat.
(We were originally planning to do a new route on the wall seen upper right.)
We had to settle for this, high point at arrow.
We were stopped because neither of us had what it took to climb this crack, despite the alluring artifacts within.
This was the previous pitch. I got worn out seconding with the pack. What in Hell did we have in it??!!
Nice pitch, though.
Happiness is just an illusion.
Filled with sadness and confusion.
What becomes of the brokenhearted?
My partner went back and got up the wide crack.
But he didn't get to the summit.
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MH2
climber
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Jun 20, 2011 - 01:37am PT
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The things we learn from you, Bruce.
Did you see the thread in which I met a local lady, on the Sahalee trail, who had started climbing in nailed boots 60 years ago in Scotland and who has fond memories of your Mom? Also named Jean. Such as going out for the day and on the way down, your Mom asking her if she wants to take the easy way or the interesting way?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2011 - 03:11pm PT
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That old ACC , BCMC, VOC crew were a total bunch of characters, eh tami?
I remember the sudden change in my appreciation of some of the climbing during that time when my ex-father-in-law told me about his trip to Garibaldi. I was thinking "Yeah, yeah, I've hiked up that thing too, big deal," until he got to the part about taking the train from Vancouver...
Whole different thing. A multi-day adventure climb instead of the pleasant and easy day it is now. Limited information, can't drive to the trailhead, probably plenty of bushwacking, primitive clothing and equipment... And that's for the easy stuff nearby. Just think of what is was like attempting the remote peaks.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 20, 2011 - 03:37pm PT
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For a long time around here, the only "access issue" that usually mattered was whether or not there was a logging road to somewhere in the vicinity of the peak du jour. A somewhat driveable road to Squamish only appeared in the late 1950s, after all.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 20, 2011 - 06:17pm PT
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RR, definitely winter lines still to be done
I was sick in bed with flu during a planned winter ascent of this line. The rest of the team bailed after about 5 pitches of steep spindrift with negligible pro up the gully left of the summer line
JH, ditto
Some K Barnard routes waiting for a second ascent.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2011 - 06:37pm PT
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Kobus was a Mad Thing.
And possessed of the strength of ten ordinary mortals. Anybody know what he's up to these days?
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Tricouni
Mountain climber
Vancouver
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Jun 20, 2011 - 06:44pm PT
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Kobus is on the faculty at University of Arizona; he's been there for 10 years or so. His list of ascents is absolutely amazing.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2011 - 06:51pm PT
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"Kobus, what are you doing" my girlfriend asked me. There I was, kneeling on the floor in the middle of the room, with a lighted clock in my hand. I answered, so she reports, "I am moving to above the high water line". Another night I was in a tomb-like crevice. Most of me was back from the trip, but part of me took weeks to come home.
The start of one of his wonderful stories...
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jun 20, 2011 - 07:05pm PT
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How do these compare to the Cialis Peaks?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 21, 2011 - 11:22am PT
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Routes in the Chehalis are long and hard without any need for help.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jun 21, 2011 - 06:12pm PT
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Anatomically speaking, wouldn't the Cialis Peak be a gendarme?
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 23, 2011 - 12:01am PT
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So the highest peak in the Chehalis is actually Robertson, pretty obscure, back end of TipellaCreek.
First climbed in an unusual February via snowshoes by Doug Kasian et al.
So Serl and I hooked up to go do it. Got to the end of the Tipella road and one of the tires on his rig went flat. Spare was held on with a chain which has rusted shut. We spent 3 hrs lying on our backs in the dirt sawing thru the chain with a bastard file Serl just happened to have in his truck in case he needed to touch up an ice tool, and got the f*#k out of there.
When we were actually successful on the second ascent, while descending we had to do a 50m overhanging rappel to get down out of the goddamn bush cirque and back into the slide alder. The alder is actually one of the best parts of the approach, there are all these paths under the canopy that you can walk through if you duck down and hunch.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2011 - 12:47am PT
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The alder is actually one of the best parts of the approach, there are all these paths under the canopy that you can walk through if you duck down and hunch.
Man, you shouldn't be giving away all the secrets. Keep talking like this and pretty soon these mountains will be overrun with Californians...
Not.
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dugillian
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Jun 23, 2011 - 12:52am PT
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A 5 year old is the only person who would even mildly enjoy walking through those friggin' alder jungles.
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Jun 23, 2011 - 01:50am PT
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I once ventured into the Chehalis with Bruce Fairley. The first day was spent desperately bushwhacking thru serious nastiness. The second we climbed something new on the left side of Ratney, and had an unplanned bivi on the summit. Bruce remarked that we were now supposed to be back in Vancouver. Thanks for that, Bruce. Day 3 started with many raps in the fog and rain, and a slog down to the creek. To avoid the bush we walked the rest of the way out down the creek, but it was still dark when we reached the car. Bruce wanted to put a photo of me walking the creek on the back cover of his SW guide, but the publisher felt it would create a negative impression of the area.
Bruce Fairley made several significant FAs in this area.
HM.
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dugillian
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Jun 23, 2011 - 02:14am PT
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You are right Tami....We lived in SoCal for her first 5 years. She enjoyed wandering around and scrambling the rocks in the desert at Joshua Tree. We moved back here and the bugs freak the hell out of her.
She does though love your comics---Must be something about that truly Canadian sense of humour.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jun 24, 2011 - 01:23pm PT
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Fraser Valley bump
The Pillar of Pi in 2001, before the rockfall.
Interesting feature near Hope
Sprung Cocks Erect avoids the choss on lower Springbok Arete. You can apparently just link the first two pitches with a 60m if you start when there is still snow around (snowline was level with first bolt when this shot was taken).
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2011 - 02:14pm PT
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here's a video clip of more typical conditions
Now that brings back some fond memories.
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paulb
climber
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For what its worth, this thread prompted my first trip into the range this past weekend.
Walked in Friday and climbed the south side of Viennese under sunny skies on saturday. Enjoyable climbing in an amazing setting. Quite the exposure on the summit. We awoke to steady rain at the bivy at a little before midnight on saturday night. Rain continued into the morning and made for a mildly miserable walk out on sunday. If not for the wet walk-out, our trip might have gone too comfortably to qualify as a true alpine outing.
You guys have me excited to try something on Bardean later in the season.
BK, when are you going to divulge the true location of your new secret wall??
I've had a lot of fun wading through this and other threads detailing BC ranges as of late. Inspiring to say the least. Keep the stories coming.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 09:18pm PT
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For what its worth, this thread prompted my first trip into the range this past weekend.
So you say, but where are the pictures?
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paulb
climber
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My partner took photos, but is experiencing difficulties getting them offer her camera, you'll have to take my word for now.
Approach was pretty straightforward. Took us about 7 hours, including about a 1/2 hour lost route finding.
We drove in via the Chehalis-Mystery Forest Service Road as described here. No problems getting in in my Honda Civic.
We found McLane's description of the approach quite accurate. We hit snow shortly after the double creek crossing below upper statlu lake. The drainage above the lake was also snow, but a good crust made for easy travel. We put on crampons above the 4th/5th class section to gain the bivy and were happy to have them. Perhaps even more so for the walk-out.
I left the boots at home and opted for some high-top approach shoes. Wet feet about an hour in, regretted that decision all weekend.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Good stuff everybody.
Oplopanax: such a fantastic picture trove of granitic architecture!
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Oct 20, 2011 - 08:58pm PT
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big bump
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Oct 23, 2011 - 09:20pm PT
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On Rich's Flickr stream there is a funny picture of Nick attempting to mimic the Don Serl pose off the back cover of the Fairley guide. I think that's more important than the route quality.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Nov 28, 2011 - 08:50pm PT
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I don't know how to say the name but this place looks like it kicks ass. Is this in the coast range.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 28, 2011 - 09:02pm PT
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Is this in the coast range.
No! It is some sample pics in the Canuckian version of Photoshop.
Don't believe a word of this nonsense. I lived in Seattle for many
years and never heard of the joint!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 30, 2011 - 01:07pm PT
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Is this in the coast range.
That depends.
As Oplopanax long ago pointed out, the "Coast Range" doesn't really exist. But if you abandon rigid empiricism, then yes, there is indeed a Coast Range. Whether the Chehalis group, or the peaks around Slesse and Rexford are in it or not is not really relevant. If you'd like them to be in the Coast Range, then that's where they are -- for you.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Nov 30, 2011 - 01:13pm PT
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In Oplopanax's photo above are the slabs below part of the domes above or is there a ridge between. Those are some fantastic looking rocks. If I start walking now I think I could get there by June, how did you say you get there? Does it ever rain there? If it does I will want to bring my rain coat.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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^ Ridge in between.
From in between, this is the view looking up
And from up there, the view looking down
But, the otherside is bigger
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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May 28, 2012 - 11:03pm PT
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Fraser Valley alpine BUMP
A couple of snowcovered bumps
Slogging up to the bumps
Schrund not too bad on the right
Entering new terrain in the north face couloir
Partway up
Summit ridge
We rapped off the summit even though this isn't too bad of a downclimb.
And eventually an awesome glissade down into Nesakwatch Creek.
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MH2
climber
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May 28, 2012 - 11:28pm PT
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An awesome glissade. Makes this time of year special.
Great bump there, Oplo.
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 12, 2012 - 09:14am PT
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Here are a few shots taken while climbing the Tuning Fork on Mt. Bardean in 1987. I don't remember any aid at the top but there were several different corners to pick from. What I do remember was that there were lots of sections with no pro,(lack of cracks in corners).I sure wish I had taken pitons with me! Free coffee for the person that identifies my rock shoes. Newer climbers will have to access the archives at the rock shoe museum located in Schwanzstucker.[Click to View YouTube Video]
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 12, 2012 - 11:30am PT
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I have never done any of the beautiful face routes on Grainger. Bruce do you have any pics climbing those, the rock quality in the guide book pics makes me want to master trade! Thanks Jim
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 12, 2012 - 06:33pm PT
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This from Rich So's blog about an ascent of the Tuning fork with pics on his blog.
The next morning, we cramponed across frozen snow to the base of the Tuning Fork on the north face of Mount Bardean. During the trek the evening before, this impressive face dominated the view. The Tuning Fork fork is reputed as one of the great classic alpine climbs of southwestern British Columbia. We were both hoping that the climbing on the lower buttress would go by quickly. Instead, it turned out into a vertical grovel up bushy corners, battling wide cracks and rope drag for three pitches. We were only able to simu-climb a short section of 3rd class terrain before the difficulties increased again. From here, we looked up onto the wide and blank wall, somewhat confused the myriad of possibilities up here. The only guiding hint was to aim for a "large, obvious left-facing dihedral which is capped by a prominent roof which juts out leftward." This wasn't quite so obvious to get to. Nick and I climbed a few tough and uncertain pitches between I finally gained the dihedral. Even so, while hanging out and the top of the dihedral and belaying Nick up, I wasn't sure if the traverse line out left was the one described in the guidebook. Protection was challenging up here due to the compact nature of the rock. At the end of one long pitch over easy terrain below the summit, I was only able to build a marginal anchor of a blue metolius and another nut. It was a relief when Nick arrived at the belay and was able to beef up my anchor with another cam. The final pitch to the summit proved to be one of the more challenging pitches. From my belay, Nick tried two corners that proved to be too difficult before continuing up more steep unprotected climbing before another tenuous traverse to gain easier terrain. As I made that traverse on top rope, I tried not to think of what might happen if I fell and slammed into the overhanging corner below. I think we could have found easier terrain further to the right though.
http://richso.blogspot.ca/2011/10/chehalis-ramblings.html
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 12, 2012 - 06:42pm PT
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Any pics out there of rock climbing on the south face Mt. Grainger. I still have wet dreams about the routes there. Did the west Uh (south) ridge by myself in the early '90s and the rock was superb.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 13, 2012 - 09:29pm PT
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Only route I ever did on Grainger was the south ridge. It's a class act
The following picture is scanned off a picture shot on 110 film if anyone even knows what that is anymore.
Big thunderstorm hitting Chehalis Peaks right now. I have a view from my back porch :)
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 13, 2012 - 09:59pm PT
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Speaking of recent conditions a friend took this shot out the window of his plane yesterday...
Grainger at right, Nursery bottom left.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 13, 2012 - 10:22pm PT
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That is a LOT of snow there for mid-July. But then, some of it might have fallen as recently as two weeks ago.
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 16, 2012 - 10:54am PT
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Holy cow Bruce,your having a second childhood out there. When you do finally do it,which will be soon no doubt take lots of pics for us armchair rockstars. Hey do you know anything about a big crag up there. I remember seeing what looked like a 200' or 300' crag that looked promising low down on the drive in,it looked overhanging. I did hear rumours of some crag development in years gone by. How was Freeway?
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 17, 2012 - 12:19am PT
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There's a couple dozen pitches on those Elbow Lakes crags, up to 5.13 something and 3-4 pitches long. Toughest crag in the Valley I think maybe. Includes a stout 12d roof crack. You have to ask Mike Cr*po and know the secret handshake to get any more beta. I've only done a 5.9 and a 10+ thing there, everything else is out of my league (and the 5.9 probably would have been 10b at Squamish)
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 17, 2012 - 12:25am PT
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Thanks horridus and Bruce,I will look for pics now that I have a name.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 17, 2012 - 02:14am PT
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Is it possible to get to Grainger without an epic approach?
I haven't been in the Chehalis for decades, and never did climb on Grainger.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 17, 2012 - 12:33pm PT
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Trio is probably the best way into Grainger right now. Might be gated at the bottom though - better check with Lakeside.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 17, 2012 - 03:27pm PT
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Trio Creek is the drainage NE of Grainger. Sometimes locked. Lakeside Pacific is the forest contact.
If you drive to the end of that road, you get to here
Summit of Grainger is midway along the ridge crest from left.
Photo by Jordan Peters, used w/ permission
Paul Kubik did a spring ski ascent of Grainger this way a while back.
So, close to the summit, but far from the south face. Possibly better than thrashing up Eagle nowadays, though. I know some people did climb the south ridge via Eagle Creek in 2011 so it cannot be too bad yet.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 2, 2012 - 10:21pm PT
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Whoo hoo! At last a real Coast Range story. Brings back some fine memories. Like heading down the NE ridge of Rexford with Don Serl after climbing the SE ridge and getting sucked into "70 degree duff and blue berries" toward the bottom on the north side. Hanging on to blueberry bushes while contemplating the even steeper terrain below convinced us the maybe getting back up to the ridgecrest and checking out the other side might be wise.
Or taking some friends in to my old secret spot at the north end of the Illusions and finding the logging road to have "a nice thick canopy of 6 foot high alders which provided pleasant shelter from the pounding midday sun." Boy did that approach suck! Fortunately once we got up to where we were going the midday sun turned into torrential evening rain, and then two days of impenetrable fog.
Thank god I've become too old for that stupid sh#t, and have convinced myself that following Mari up the odd crag route means I'm still a climber.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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I told Jesse that morning that Kobus had called the J Crack 5.9 and he seemed to think that was pretty funny. Care to comment Bruce?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 2, 2012 - 11:36pm PT
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Bruce didn't provide any photos of his typical Coast outing, but here are a couple from the adventure in the Illusions I mentioned. Sorry that I don't have any of the alder-bashing, but there really isn't enough light for photography in that jungle anyway.
First shot shows the tent site my friend Angie and I chose when we got to the end of the approach. Nice flat sandy spot between some boulders. Perfect. We got the tent up while Ed and Al hunted around for something, um... you know... a little higher off the ground. With the tent up, we all trudged uphill into the mist. Which turned to rain. And when we got back, this is what we saw:
We'd tossed the sleeping bags in there before we left, but fortunately they were on top of ensolite pads that floated, and both were surprisingly dry. So we humbly asked Ed and Al if they could scrunch over a bit and make room for us on their semi-sheltered rock ledge.
Here's the scene in the morning.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Aug 15, 2012 - 09:42pm PT
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Not A chehalis peak but a Nesakwatch Wall. The Chinese Puzzle. Who has a story to tell about this one? Three? attempts and no successes? Someone must have something to say.
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Hardly Visible
Social climber
Llatikcuf WA
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Aug 16, 2012 - 12:59pm PT
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Oplo,
That thing looks awesome! I climbed Rexford about 30 years ago and I don't remember seeing that. Is it further up valley than Rexford and Slesse?
What are the roads like in the Nesakwatch these days? Back then they were like crawling up a creek bed covered in down alders.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Aug 16, 2012 - 03:50pm PT
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It's directly upslope of the present parking for Rexford.
A chinese puzzle, as I understand it, is one of those things with the little blocks you move around to make a picture. It is in this "mobile blocks" sense that I have always understood the CP Wall is named. Very large mobile blocks. Shame if that's true, it looks good from a far.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Feb 12, 2013 - 11:37pm PT
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Let's bump this thread with a non-Chehalis peak Bruce K should be able to recognize
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2013 - 11:48pm PT
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Wow, you are a devil. Everyone with an ounce of Scottish blood will get a giant boner looking at that.
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 13, 2013 - 12:11am PT
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Is this behind Cheam?
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Feb 13, 2013 - 09:18pm PT
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Taken from Scurlock's plane Jan 08. The ice we climbed is so far left and low it's out of the picture!
The stuff high and left of the summit sometimes comes in super fat and blue but it is hard to predict. Also usually a giant cornice of doom overtop of it then.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Feb 15, 2013 - 10:20pm PT
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Epic thread!!!
Hey, how bout less snow and more Tami butt.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Feb 15, 2013 - 10:53pm PT
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Hey that there Fireball is just left of Standing Wave.
There really was some Bugaboo quality rock on that. So much in fact that it took me 2 hours find enough gear to build a solid belay on one pitch.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 16, 2013 - 12:26am PT
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45 km of sledding? Good thing Mighty Wanker has deserted Supertopo, or he'd probably have a stroke.
But really, you kids are still just playing in the sandbox. Or snowbox. My longest sled approach was over 200 km. It took two days, and involved serious suffering. And guns.
You ever try to get a snow machine up a frozen waterfall? I mean the vertical kind? It was maybe only fifteen feet, but sleds were heavy back then. And we had food and equipment for 30 days of climbing on the komituks and had to haul that up the falls as well.
And then there's the joy of crossing sea ice in the spring. The ice melts out underneath the snow, and whenever the snow gets soft, the back end of the sled digs in and sends a huge rooster-tail of sub-freezing salty slush cascading onto the poor sod who's hanging onto the komituk for dear life.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 16, 2013 - 12:47am PT
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David are those pubes caught in that second scan ?
Pubes? You see pubes in one of those pictures? Are you like one of those fundie women that sees Jesus' face in a piece of toast, except you're doing the porn version?
Pubes? It was twenty-f*#king-below. Farenheit. Not even you would expose your pubes in that kind of weather... Well, unless there was a hot tub involved.
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tooth
Trad climber
B.C.
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Feb 16, 2013 - 02:27am PT
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Up there in that neighborhood from this past weekend...
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 16, 2013 - 03:49am PT
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Awesome adventure and report Bruce. Almost makes me want to give up all this warm rock climbing down here. Met Big Mike tonight, really nice guy and yes he is BIG!
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Feb 16, 2013 - 02:51pm PT
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SW starts up the arete, moves out on the slab, goes up the middle of the slab on awesome rock as far as the snowfield, and then finishes up left of the arete above the snowfield
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perswig
climber
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Feb 16, 2013 - 03:18pm PT
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Can you guys keep it down over there with the beautiful new lines, 45deg facet death, gunfire, Tami's ass, pubes, etc? Some of us are trying to get some work done.
TIA.
Dale
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paulb
climber
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Bruce, Did you get close enough to make any observations of the "cornice of doom" to which Oplopanax refers?
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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Now, that pube banter is solid gold. Looks like the sled assist to Athelstan makes that approach easier in the winter than it is in the summer, eh? Though I confess those summer photos look more like my cup of tea these days.
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bmacd
Trad climber
100% Canadian
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KNight + Lady, NW face = too of the many Chilliwack mini-Eigers
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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You notice there isn't any cornice on the N face of Lady though?
Sadly the main line there goes halfway up and then sideways. Like a weasel.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 7, 2013 - 12:48am PT
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I'm not sure if I would trust a sled on the lake ice for much longer.
There you go again. Fukkin kids today.
As long as there's more ice than water, the sled is fine. If there's more water than ice, then you put the sled in a boat for the open water parts, and tow the boat behind the sled for the ice parts.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 7, 2013 - 01:11am PT
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Probbly tell me I need double o slugs for the polar bears too.
After that comment I won't be calling you a fukkin kid anymore. That'd be giving you to much credit. Fukkin wussy is more like it.
All Ryan and I had to deal with the bear was our ski poles, and we did just fine.
But that was back when men were dirtbags and the polar bears knew who to stay away from.
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MH2
climber
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Good reminder of the dangers, Bruce. Watch out crossing the 'creeks', too.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 24, 2013 - 12:20am PT
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Hey Ghost!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2013 - 12:48am PT
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Hey Ghost!
Right here, looking at your photo. And since you're calling me, I assume there's some connection, but...
Is it something I should recognize? Something I climbed? You're going to have to toss me a few more clues. Real obvious clues.
Sure is fine looking, whatever it is.
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Tricouni
Mountain climber
Vancouver
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Jul 24, 2013 - 02:22am PT
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Is that in the Illusion area?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2013 - 10:56am PT
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Is that in the Illusion area?
Oplo titled his photo "I love the smell of Grauniad in the morning", and Grauniad is what a lot of people call The Guardian (British newspaper), because it had a reputation for typos, and Guardian Peak is at the north end of the Rexford group. Not exactly the Chehalis, but the subject of quite a few posts in this thread.
Dick Mitten and I once climbed a little four-pitch gem up out of the notch at the south end of the big cirque below Guardian Peak and Disillusion Peak, and the whole time we had the view of the walls in the cirque. Pretty spectacular. I never got on it, but Peder and (I think) Craig Thompson had a big-wall adventure in there.
So, putting it all together, I imagine that the picture is of some part of Guardian Peak, although I don't recognize it -- it's been over thirty years since I last saw it.
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Hoser
climber
vancouver
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Jul 24, 2013 - 01:50pm PT
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^^^
Yup
Opo au chevaling to North Illusion
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 24, 2013 - 04:03pm PT
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See, according to the Fairley guide the Harris/Mitten route goes right up the middle of those slabs somewhere. Must be something lost in translation.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2013 - 04:17pm PT
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Must be something lost in translation.
No, Bruce's English was pretty good. But like I said, it's been around thirty years...
So is your photo taken from the Disillusion Notch (I think that's what it's called) looking east at the slab that rises up maybe 400 ft or so?
I just remember that we started up the face, and everywhere we put our hands or feet there was just the right hold, the day was glorious, and it was almost as if we were being lifted up the thing. We called it Lunar Gravity because it felt like we'd been granted a temporary exemption from Earth gravity.
I tried to go back in there about fifteen years ago, but the logging road that ziz-zagged to where the approach started had grown over with slide alder so thick it was almost impassible. We chugged on up anyway, but soon were deluged with pouring rain, so didn't even get up to the notch.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 25, 2013 - 11:43am PT
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It's from South Illusion looking north at the south face of Guardian. I have some other shots from other trips but the morning light was right to shadow all the dihedrals this time.
The logging road you mention was brushed out for foot traffic a couple years ago, but you are still looking at about a 3 hr walk from the end of the driveable road to get to Disillusion Notch.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 25, 2013 - 11:49am PT
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Here's a crappy shot of the Ourom/Thompson btw
5.9 A3 12 pitches, looks like it would go in less pitches with modern ropes, but the A3 looks like kbs in tight corners down on the low pitches. Pretty clean, some lichen though. In the shadows almost all day.
Starts off a transient snowpatch currently with some big cracks. Might be better to wait for that to slide or melt out
Seems like there is a great bivi ledge a few pitches below the summit with free or freeable above that.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Oct 13, 2014 - 11:18am PT
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BUMP
Good news!
I was talking to a guy from Probyn last week (they have the forest tenure for the area north of Chehalis Lake, including Eagle Creek) and they expect to replace the non-load-rated bridge across Chehalis River and/or build a new bridge across Eagle Creek within the next 2 years. Should lead to improved access to the Chehalis pks - maybe back to the old 45 minutes from the car to Statlu Lake standard.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Oct 14, 2014 - 01:53pm PT
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The way the mills are retooled nowadays you can cut down 30 yr old sticks and it's good.
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maurop
Gym climber
B-dot
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Good news!
I was talking to a guy from Probyn last week (they have the forest tenure for the area north of Chehalis Lake, including Eagle Creek) and they expect to replace the non-load-rated bridge across Chehalis River and/or build a new bridge across Eagle Creek within the next 2 years. Should lead to improved access to the Chehalis pks - maybe back to the old 45 minutes from the car to Statlu Lake standard.
Dru, any leads on whether they think this will happen soon (like this spring)?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 30, 2015 - 07:32pm PT
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Time to bump this thing.
With the weather we've had this year, everything in the Chehalis (and the Rexford/Slesse area) should be in perfect nick. Anyone been out and about?
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 26, 2016 - 03:17pm PT
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BUMP.
The bridge is replaced. You can drive to Stalu Lake trailhead again. The oldroad's brushed out but walkable to Grainger TH.
Apparently it's pretty thrashy getting to Nursery Pass still.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 26, 2016 - 03:40pm PT
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Any 4x4 with clearance should do it. Not Subaru Legacy passable just yet
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 26, 2016 - 03:46pm PT
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Any 4x4 with clearance should do it. Not Subaru Legacy passable just yet
Don Serl used to heading for the Chehalis as going "Datsun bashing"
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psathyrella
climber
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Just wanted to bump this thread with approach notes, since the above ^ was extremely helpful in figuring out which bits of mcclane were up to date and which were not.
As far as FSRs, follow the clubtread directions linked from numerous places. Or, just plug statlu lake into google. Both send you on chehalis/mystery FSR. I.e., the new bridges mentioned above ^ shorten the walk required for the chehalis/mystery FSR drive, while the old FSR described in mcclane (along chehalis lake) is forever defunct.
Overall, it should take 90 min driving from the sumas border crossing to where you park [apologies for yank bias].
Once you are near the end of the FSRs you have three choices:
1) the old overgrown road described in clubtread. You can drive down this a few hundred meters and park, but better just to walk. This is the current/established hiker path to statlu lake. Be careful of the waterfall, and note the fresh SAR tape and heli pad. Probably 2hr walk from here to statlu lake.
2) follow FSR north, cross eagle creek, and bend back around south to park much closer (40 min walk) to statlu lake. Until Sept, this requires chatting with the extremely friendly guy living in a trailer guarding the logging equipment, so he opens the gate for you.
3) take the FSR south, cross the chehalis river on the other new bridge, then follow the south side of the chehalis river toward statlu lake, parking probably 45 min walk from statlu lake. Until sept, this would require getting a different (and slighly less friendly) security guy to open the gate for you, which he may or may not do. Next year, they will not be logging either of these parcels, so both roads should simply be open.
Routefinding for the trail between statlu and upper statlu lakes appears to have been done by a crew of coked up three-legged hermit crabs, but it is extremely well-flagged and beblueberried beyond all expectation.
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