8/1/06 - Anchor Replacement Project
Anchors replaced to-date this year are:
"Pipeline"
"Double Dirty Overhang" (top)
"Excaliber" (lower)
"Grunge Book" (both)
"Borderline" (both)
"Blownout (both)"
"Pirates" (top, bare)
"Bluebird" (top, rap)
"Right Gull" (bare)
"Wrong Gull" (bare)
The "Right Gull" anchor was the worst anchor replaced to-date and some folks had wisely been using some backup slings/rings to rap from. This was a very old chain anchor and the lefthand hanger was on a severely rusted 1/4" bolt that broke simply under the weight of the breaker bar - there wasn't even a chance to apply pressure to it. The righthand bolt broke with next to no pressure as well, requiring only 20 degrees or so of rotation before breaking. Also, this isn't the best place to rap, but if you do it on a single rope then go to the anchor on top of "Wrong Gull" and rap again there versus using the single orange sling/ring lower down at the top of "Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Old Warriors Never Die"; in general you're better off to just keep heading up to Grassy Ledges.
[Edit: Just returned from checking and reseting the pins above the belay on "Right Gull". The first pin, a small, shallow angle, came flying out with the first slight funk, the second pin, a lost arrow, was good. It's doubly lucky no one dove hard on that first pin given it is an awkward start off the belay there. Had someone fallen hard, pulled the pin, and tumbled off the column top the odds of the old anchor holding it was close to zero. ]
Hangers were replaced with camo'd ones or painted on the bolted routes around tunnel #1 and on "Old Warriors Never Die".
Dogs and Parvo
If you must bring your dogs out please make sure they stay leashed and also that they are vaccinated for Parvo which is rampant throughout the BRSP.
NW Parvo FAQ
Peregrine Monitoring
Peregrine monitoring has continued despite the early opening. It appears the Beacon pair were successful elsewhere, probably Hamilton Mountain, and had two chicks which have been very active out at Beacon for the past month until a week ago. What is believed to be the Beacon female was found dead on the road West of Beacon and the two ever-present juveniles haven't been seen or heard since Monday last. At that time one was seen in formation with a flock of seagulls out in front of the island and it was attempting to "nip at their heels" though the gulls were basically just scooting out of the way and shifting positions and ignoring it thus raising some concerns as to whether the juveniles can feed themselves yet.
David Anderson, the WDFW raptor biologist, said the male would feed them if necessary and that they mature very fast and then are forced to leave to find their own turf so the fact that we suddenly aren't seeing them isn't necessarily a bad sign, but possibly one of a normal course of events regardless of the fate of the female. Still, if you see or hear one of them please email Beacon.Rock@AvaSys.com, as the info would be good to have.
