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Beacon Rock Update - 9/30/05
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Anchor Replacement Project

Next Up...: Next up now that "Ground Zero" taken care is the "American Death Triangle" on "Iron Maiden" which we'll be able to reach with a double rope rap from "Ground Zero". After that our attention will jog briefly to the "Pipeline" anchor before returning to come up with a [safe] work strategy for the anchors between "Little Wing" and "Blownout". Again, there are safety issues working on some of the lower Grassy Ledges given a decades' accumulation of rock. After that we will be taking a hard look at the overall steep ramp that runs across the base of the South face columns. This ramp/face has become overgrown and is littered with old pins and a few new ones. We will be doing a survey of this face/ramp and developing work plans for it, but those will likely be a project for next year.

"Ground Zero" and Rapping: Anchor replaements on Ground Zero is now essentially complete with the exception of one old bolt/hanger that still needs to be removed. But, unlike "Flying Dutchman" which you can get down with anything from a single 50m, "Ground Zero" is a different beast. You can do it with a single 70m in two raps, but only by tying a knot in the end and relying on rope stretch to get you to the mid-point anchor. To be really safe you have to do three raps with a single 70m. Other than that you'll need two ropes. Once again, "Flying Dutchman" is definitely the way to go...

"Takes Fists" Top Anchor: The top anchor on "Takes Fists" has been moved out onto the face to a much safer location. Jim Opdyke has asked that the old anchor back on the column top not be removed for history's sake and so it stayed. This anchor was originally placed in a location that was great for sitting while drilling, but definitely wasn't in a good place at all relative to rapping (pulling) or belaying. Again, for all these routes it makes a lot more sense to come back down and do the "Flying Dutchman" rap. As a reminder of that this is a bare anchor with no webbing or rings.

[Note of thanks to Ivan for helping out with work on the above two routes...]

Unknown Route Info Needed: There is a route between "Ground Zero" and "Takes Fists" that goes up to the broken off column roof just right and a little below the one on "Ground Zero" to two existing Metolius Rap anchors - one grey, one beige. Jim Opdycke said this route was put up by someone younger a couple of years ago; if you have any info on this route or the person that put it up please PM me or email Beacon.Rock@AvaSys.com.

Safety Issues

Grassy Ledges Safety Rockfall: Well it turns out we had significant rockfall onto the trailhead/tunnel #1 area on both Saturday and Sunday. We still aren't entirely sure where from but are pretty damn sure it is from the main Grassy Ledges trail. The lower Grassy Ledges in that area have been inspected and given the infrequency of travel over them it is probably not the source whereas the main trail is littered. If we can't pin this down and if anymore incidents happen we will be proposing a brief (several day closure to clean the entire Grassy Ledges and the chutes that cross it. Please re-read the previous status update on this issue if this is the first time you are reading about it.

General Issues

Bird Bands: The Peregrines have to eat and we've found two bird bands on bones up on various column tops recently. One of these was from a Vancouver-based racing pigeon and the other has been sent to David Anderson, the WDFW Biologist chartered with managing the Peregrines, we'll keep you posted as to what it was when we find out. Please keep your eyes open for these and turn them in to the BSRP Staff or contact myself, Jim Opdycke, or Bill Coe and we'll get them passed along. As a side note we've seen the Peregrines on almost every trip out to Beacon this year - keep your eyes and ears open as the are a pretty amazing sight, particularly in a steep dive...

Bears: One of Mama's two year olds was idling along the tracks between Beacon and the boat launch yesterday. Looked healthy and happy as it clamored back down into the nature reserve along the river.

Joseph Healy
Beacon Rock Climber's Association