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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 10:53am PT
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We used to hike up the Chief and rap down to that huge ledge at the base of the tough pitch on the buttress. We spent a few days there scrubbing a couple routes, so we'd take Eddie with us, in the pack. That ledge is so big, it was great for Big Ed; he could run around without being tied in.
As far as that yellow sickle goes? Not sure I can offer much there as it was 31 years ago. It's expanding, so be happy with the piece you're on, because once you're off it, it might just fall out. You'll do it.
Wow Bruce, I'm so impressed your dog made it from the Malemute to your house on her own. That's a long way! If she tried that stunt a few months from now, she'd have a nice new pedestrian overpass to get her four legs over to the Casino. I guess she'd like that better than pressing the big round button which changes the lights at the intersection. Talk about a waste of money. I'm willing to bet there was steam pouring out your ears when you heard about that project?
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 11:50am PT
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No no no, I mean the ped. overpass they're building as we speak. Gets one from the west side of the hwy. to the..................casino! Can you EVEN believe it? An overpass right beside a pedestrian-controlled traffic light. Call me crazy.
If only there were some real trees there instead of crummy cottonwoods and alders, then we could've hired M.H. to kibosch the project. :)
The K.M bridge isn't so bad, but they should've painted it grey.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 12:09pm PT
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Of course they had a public forum. Unfortunately the "pro" crowd, having talked amongst themselves first, complained heavily about having to push that big round button to cross the hwy.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 12:13pm PT
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That's why they pay you the Big bucks Bruce. Your brain is cranking, 24-7.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 12:20pm PT
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Oh yah, that always works. Maybe Anders can park his matrix in the forms before they pour the concrete. It'll be the first hybrid overpass.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 12:25pm PT
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I'm onto another coffee myself. Saving the beer for tonight's canuck's win.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 01:15pm PT
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Sorry, write me up for another demerit.
I've enjoyed my 5 minutes, you can fire me if you like.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Apr 22, 2012 - 01:20pm PT
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Yesterday's haul. About two thirds of it from around and to the west of the first summit. I got an equal amount about ten days ago on the trail, up to the big balanced rock. I like to do a pass in the spring as soon as the snow goes, but before the leaves unfold, as you can see better through the shrubberies. But I don't save projects for Earth Day - probably 8 or 10 times a year I hike up after a day's climbing, and pick up garbage with my official YCA litterstick. Mostly up to and around the first and second summits, occasionally the fourth, although there's usually not much over there. Sometimes others help.
The golf ball was new, and hopefully not an omen.
Plus a few days graffiti removal at the Chief and the Little Smoke Bluffs each year. Logistically more complex, as lots of water is needed.
There was a person at Thursday night's meeting, yapping about overuse of the trail and garbage. She seemed to believe that building a gondola would solve that. Funny, I've never once seen her on the trails, cleaning up.
Given that there are perhaps 100,000 annual hiker days on the backside trails, and that they seem to get both up and down just fine, the issue seems to be a lack of trails, not a lack of gondolas.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 22, 2012 - 02:39pm PT
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Bmacd- Thanks for the north walls pics! Excellent descriptions too.
Ghost. Thanks for the Borderline story and pics.. always good reading.
Nice work indeed Anders.. Thanks for the puppy tales guys... Hamish your punctuation is improving at an exponential rate.
Wow.. how did we get to 2000 so fast? I never expected this when I started up this thread. I guess if Anders hadn't picked up the history project and continued his Climbing at Squamish in the 1970s (TR) I might still be lurking in the background.
Thanks to all for your contributions.
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Fish Boy
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Apr 22, 2012 - 04:45pm PT
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Thanks Anders for doing that.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 10:46pm PT
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I already thanked Anders for grafitti removal on the other site. The pics were better on the that site because you could see his rope hanging on zombie roof. He was working it between shifts of granite scrubbing. Another multitasker at work. Really good effort.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 11:18pm PT
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That's not true; zombie has seen many ascents.
M.H. might be the first by the over-55 club though.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Apr 22, 2012 - 11:21pm PT
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No, but I did some research on what was available and works, and both BC Parks and the Little Smoke Bluffs committee are OK with it. I've tried several things, including some spray-on stuff called Goof Off, essentially a solvent. The stuff I use now is called Removall - "Industrial Paint Stripper for Concrete and Masonry". In the fine print it says "biodegradable", but I'm not sure that I believe it. Anyway, it's a paste that you goop on. Let it sit for a while, then scrub and rinse, scrub and rinse, then re-apply. Usually I use a soft brush, sometimes with a bit of help from a wire brush. For areas that were lichen and moss free, the result isn't very visible. Otherwise, the graffiti is gone, but you end up with a visible cleaned area, which may take several years to fade and grow over. As you can see from the following, from the Apron three years ago.
Years ago I got into the habit of hiking up the Chief in the evening, after climbing. A good bit of aerobic exercise, plus it's quieter and cooler. Then I started taking a plastic bag, and with the addition of a litter stick can do something useful en route, plus get little breaks and chat with people. It's not much trouble, and I figure we all should do something to look after places we cherish.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Apr 22, 2012 - 11:28pm PT
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Almost forgot - sometimes we stain the wooden railings, to cover over graffiti. (They need it anyway.) Nothing fancy, just a light brown stain. Once or twice a year. There are a bunch already on the new woodwork, which will be taken care of as soon as we get some dry, warm weather. Maybe not this one, though - for once Chief graffiti art that I can appreciate.
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 22, 2012 - 11:29pm PT
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Well Anders I believe you've got your quota taken care of. Now go paint the town red; er, wait a minute, go have some fun.
You deserve it.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Apr 23, 2012 - 02:05pm PT
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Thanks for the awesome samaritan work Anders, you are such a selfless individual. It is really quite inspiring.
However, it seems odd that you discriminate against certain types of "graffiti" while letting others remain. This is common practice amongst urban gangs, to remove or cover rival gangs graffiti- or "dis" it. While leaving their own art up, should we be having concerns that there is some sort of crayon symbol drawing gang that is slowly taking over turf around here? Are you somehow involved in this crew of chief hiking, salmon & peace sign drawing gang of ruffians? Are these mysterious symbols somehow related to the group which is trying to stop the gondola proposal??
If so, where do i sign up? :-)
Thanks for the recommend Hamish, i have been thinking about Freeway for a while but it has always intimidated me, time to sack up this summer. After i finish Jim B & Bruces lists i'll be ready. I would guess that your recommend would include the express lane variation seeing as you put it up?
Cool Borderline shots Ghost, thanks for those!! That climb is awesome! Linking it into AC then high plains makes for a mega day on the chief. Borderline also contains one of the trickier 10a pitches in town, that weird flare chimney OW thing.......
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hamish f
Social climber
squamish
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Apr 23, 2012 - 02:23pm PT
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I think you need to climb Freeway all ways, so to speak. The original was really good, the little roof variation (diesel roof?) was quite cool, and the express lanes take you out to that exposed arete area. All completely worthy, and you'll have an excuse to climb the thing many times.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Apr 23, 2012 - 02:49pm PT
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All this talk about 11d variations, and similar hardman crap is pretty disgusting. Just rock gymastics. Not Real Climbing at all. So let's get this wagon back on the right road.
Here's real Coast-style climbing:
Disclaimer: This is not Squamish. But it was as close as we got to Squamish yesterday, and Squamish once offered similar scenes. And what the hell, pretty much everybody on this thread is a logger at heart, and the location of that tree is available to the highest bidder.
Edit: Except Anders. Sorry about that. We know Anders is not a logger at heart, and the insult was entirely unintended.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 23, 2012 - 03:35pm PT
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Ghost- You'll be happy to know that those places still exist here at Squamish and abound in the Sea to Sky corridor. You simply have to walk a little further or look a little closer and dig something great out of the moss.
Mr Frimer just dug this one out of the moss,
Jeremy Frimer Photo (I'm Assuming no credit on his site jeremyfrimer.com)
It's an easy ramble from the parking lot about 2 minutes of so.
The diagonal leads to a couple nice easy slab moves and links up to a nice 10b corner varation
Jeremy Frimer Photo
Or a 5.8 Finish
Jeremy Frimer Photo
It's Called Rambles, we simuled it yesterday and I thought it was really cool. A way better approach than walking IMHO.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Apr 23, 2012 - 03:44pm PT
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Ghost- You'll be happy to know that those places still exist here at Squamish and abound in the Sea to Sky corridor.
I know. Just trying to provoke someone into doing exactly what you did -- post more photos.
And my hat's off to Jeremy. I'm looking forward to trying some of his recent creations this summer. (Unless there are lineups on them. I which case I'll come back the next year and take the gondola up to less-crowded venues.
And speaking of less-crowded venues, are there any good new crags under development in the Squamish area? Or the Vancouver-to-Whistler area? Almost everybody in the Seattle area goes to the same three or four places to climb, and the few of us who are willing to look outside those areas have what seems like an endless supply of terrific climbing and potential climbing to ourselves. With Squamish as crowded as it has become, are many people saying "F*#k this! I'm going to look for something else"? Or are they all just standing in line for the same old routes?
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