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Chinchen
climber
Flagstaff?
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 27, 2009 - 02:34am PT
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Ive been back in Anacortes after a year long road trip around the southwest with my wife and kids. I'm painting old boats and making a little money to escape the grey again this winter(I hope). In the time here Ive been climbing a bit at Mt Erie and Ive been out to Gold Bar to boulder a few times. Hit up Larrabee once also. But with Mt Erie five minutes away and so much good weather this year, Ive been out finding some pretty OK bouldering around Mt Erie. I just finished posting up about 15 problems I have found, or that have been climbed by others. Im psyched to have something to share with Y'all! I have found a few more boulders with some promising lines. Nothing too huge, nothing too overhung, nothing too clean or ultra hard. Its not Joes Valley.... But solid rock and I'm having fun. It would make a nice day trip from Seattle or Bellingham though. rest assured I'm scouring the brambles for that one great chunk of rock.....
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/washington/mount_erie/mt_erie_and_fidalgo_island_bouldering/106525855
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Aug 27, 2009 - 02:57am PT
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My gawd, I just realized that Mt Erie was the first rock to feel the wrath of my aid hammer, such as it was. I was belayed by a good farm boy with my spanking new Goldline. Does this
recollection mean my Alzheimer's won't get worse?
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Chinchen
climber
Flagstaff?
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2009 - 02:59am PT
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Only if you quit using that hammer!
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Aug 27, 2009 - 10:43am PT
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chinchin, dallas kloke did a new guide to the mt. erie and area boulders not too long ago.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Aug 27, 2009 - 10:46am PT
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Chinchin, don't worry, that hammer got retired...
'cause I got a bigger one! But that one's been
in the Olde Hammer Home for lo these many years.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Aug 27, 2009 - 11:14am PT
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My gawd, I just realized that Mt Erie was the first rock to feel the wrath of my aid hammer
Well, that explains why Mt. Erie seems so small and short. It was probably way bigger before you got to work on it.
I checked it out one day a few years ago and thought it might be worth coming back to, but then my ex-wife had a
chunk of it come out in her hand, took a 30-foot ledge fall and a broke her back. So I decided that I'd
spend my time on more solid objectives.
As to Gold Bar, it appears to have become something of a bouldering destination. We sometimes
talk to the pad people there, but the call of the wall up above is too strong, and we've never stopped
to try the blocks. Not that I'd get off the ground on any of them.
And for what it's worth, there are a few boulder problems in the forest above the main boulder field on
the trail up to Zeke's. A beautiful lightning-bolt crack maybe ten minutes in, and a cool overhanging
offwidth twenty minutes above that -- and dozens waiting to be tried.
Chinchen, I've posted this photo before, but just in case you like roped climbing as well as bouldering,
you should carry on up that trail above the Gold Bar boulder field until you come to this...
There are probably close to forty pitches up there now, on routes up to five pitches long. Superb climbing
on impeccable stone.
D
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Aug 27, 2009 - 11:22am PT
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Wow, that is a nice looking piece of stone Ghost. Anyone ever climb at Walker Valley boulders anymore near Mt Vernon I think? I climbed there once back in the 70's, there was a little Dallas Kloke guide to it. Seems like with todays bouldering rage, it would be a hit. Mt Erie was a pretty cool place back then also, except when it would get flooded on the weekend by the Mounties.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Aug 27, 2009 - 11:32am PT
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Wow, that is a nice looking piece of stone Ghost.
Yup. And there are still plenty of plums left to pluck on it. I'll try to put together some kind of TR about what's been done so far and put it up here.
Bit of an approach, but well worth it.
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Chinchen
climber
Flagstaff?
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2009 - 11:45am PT
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I guess I need to talk to Dallas. Anyone have contact info?
Yes, I have been looking up towards Zekes wall....looks good! As soon as Im finished building a rack.....just need a few sets of cams....
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Aug 27, 2009 - 11:56am PT
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Here is the directions I found to the Walker Valley boulders. http://www.geocities.com/freewilly.geo/walker_valley.html
I would bring a rope for sure. I have not been there in 30 years so who knows what it is like now but I remember massive boulders and lots of overhangs. We did a bunch of short roped routes that were in a little paperback guide by D. Kloke. I still have that guide....
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Chinchen
climber
Flagstaff?
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2009 - 05:30pm PT
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Cool! Thanks! Send the guide!
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Aug 27, 2009 - 06:21pm PT
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kloke's lowland guide has been out of print for like thirty years. i did a guide to larabee and clayton, but it's been out of print for like 20 years. then dallas did another one just for the bouldering around erie-- that was only like 6 or 7 years ago.i've never actually seen a copy.
actually, haven't seen dallas since 2004 (?)
a bunch of us did some decent sport routes at erie in the late '80s. some of those bolts would probably be marginal by now. big rock near big lake also has a handful of good quality trs (landings too bad for pads) on really good stone.
but a lot of those other skagit/whatcom areas were choss. sehome was marginal, van zandt almost unclimable.
i hear oyster dome is now covered with sport routes.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Aug 27, 2009 - 06:32pm PT
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I have that old guidebook, too. I never visited the Walker Valley Boulders, but was curious from the photos and route descriptions. I think maybe I found them on google maps / satellite view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Walker+Valley+Road,+Mt.+Vernon,+WA&sll=37.437328,-122.159928&sspn=0.343482,0.304871&ie=UTF8&ll=48.39739,-122.175318&spn=0.005414,0.01369&t=h&z=17
> I guess I need to talk to Dallas. Anyone have contact info?
dallas.kloke1 [AT] verizon.net
DALLAS.KLOKE1
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dickcilley
Social climber
Wisteria Ln.
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Aug 27, 2009 - 07:37pm PT
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Anyone want to climb up that way fri.Mt erie or someplace else?
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Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
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Aug 27, 2009 - 08:31pm PT
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Dick, lets climb tomorrow at Erie! Check for email message.
Todd
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Chinchen
climber
Flagstaff?
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2009 - 09:22pm PT
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Id be down to climb, I'm right down the street.
PM sent
That email for Dallas doesn't work.
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Chinchen
climber
Anacortes, wa
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2009 - 04:00am PT
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My son and I put a few up today. But I guess Dallas prolly did them a long time ago...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waBdZ-vg-8s
KLK, what did you put up out here? Id like to check it out.
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Chinchen
climber
Anacortes, wa
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2009 - 02:15pm PT
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Ill be bouldering at 2pm at the summit first. Meeting a few friends and bringing the kids. Anyone who would like to come is welcome!
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Russ S.
climber
Seattle, WA
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Aug 29, 2009 - 06:13pm PT
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My long time regular partner, (Chris M.) is looking for climbing partners for Mt Erie on Sundays. His wife has a Sunday job on Guemes Island and he sometimes drive up there with her. I'll email him this thread since he doesn't visit ST - so he might contact some of you for hooking up. Solid climber, good guy...
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