6/8/06 - Beacon Rock Update
Peregrine Monitoring Status
I wish. Sorry - just been really stacked with work at a new client. But I have been monitoring regularly, rather than climbing, so I'm way, way behind the eight ball as far as getting back in shape goes. At this point, no, we don't know where the nest is. There was a solid spate of nesting-like activity up on Big Ledge in April but none since. We are working with David Andersen of the WDFW and Erik Plunkett of the BRSP on the issue and have submitted plans for a second annual pre-opening work session. The entire focus of this year's session is cleaning the Grassy Ledges and SE Corner of accumulated loose rock from both long standing accumulations and early 2006 rockfalls.
For those that don't know, Beacon had a heavy ice load this year and significant rock fall on the both the SE and NW flanks. The NW face got solidly bombarded with a remarkable amount of rock in two events - the second felt like an earthquake over in the BRSP office. On New Year's day the SE flank experienced a rockfall from high on the SE ridge that, among other things, took off the largest branch from the SE corner tree. I only just located the origin of that rockfall yesterday. What came down turns out to be actually quite a surprise. I had been looking for a missing chunk off the side of the high SE corner ridge (the last high angle exit slab ramp on Young Warriors) but have not been able to see anything.
Turns out it was that first big slab on the bottom of the high angle YW exit ramp that forms the top of the SE corner ridge - right at the start of the ramp and forming the uphill side of the little notch where the leader belays the last vertical pitch. It unfortunately left a broad, sloping dish that looks to be filled with at least an oil drum or two's worth of predominantly baseball/softball-sized rock (I'm viewing at some distance) along with gravel all poised directly above the SE corner P3 ramps and the P2 belay below as well as the base of SE Corner route. This event basically rained a substantial amount of rock across the entire SE flank, took the largest branch off the SE corner tree, and blasted the main "blackberry rock dam" on the Grassy Ledges as well scattering that added rock load all over the ledges / column tops in the area between the base of the SE corner and tunnel #1. Just the accumulated loose rock load on Grassy Ledges was getting out of hand and now the addition of the YW slab cutting has pretty much has made for a disaster in waiting.
As for the opening - we don't have an official finding or opening date yet from WDFW for that (and hence for the work session) but I am increasingly optimistic we will see an opening before 7/15 - please remain patient and I will keep you posted as events unfold.
