We topped out the wall in perfect weather!

Sunday KICKED ASS!!! It was a healthy amount of work and a full day spent on the rock. I am super stoked that we have climbed the first full route up the main wall! It is the left line on the image and runs for 3 pitches. It is a winding route that ascends some really interesting rock in places.

The day started out with me driving the hour and twenty to Art's house and arriving about 7:15 am. We hung out and gathered rack before hopping in my truck and driving the 10 minutes to the trail head. Once we got to the trail it was a short mile long hike to the base of the wall and the lake.

We hung out in the meadow by the lake looking at the rock and the various potential lines. After a little while drooling over the rock we made our way to the base of the wall. We decided to try the new route just to the left of the other route we had put up a few weeks ago.

I made it to the corner underneath the roof but in my inventory of remaining rack I had on me I became aware that I would need to lower off to get more gear. To my left was a off width chimney and to my right was a thin crack and seam, neither of which I had the gear for. This picture below is after I lowered off back to the ground.

The base of the wall is about 100 feet above the lake and this is the view looking out over it and the meadow and valley. The water is pretty clear in the lake and various fish, muskrats, ducks, and geese could be seen all day long.

After I lowered off Art racked up and headed up to finish the pitch up and to the right. You can see Jax next to him who is becoming a really good crag dog. While we climb he wanders around the base and hangs out and waits for us to come back down. He also is like me and he ABSOLUTELY MUST get out and about. We both get "cabin fever" pretty bad and have to go out and explore.

Art free climbed on top rope back up to my lower off point and then he switch back into aiders and continued up to the top of the pitch which happens to be on a killer little ledge we named the Nest. It is about 2 feet wide and 12 feet long and leads into the corner above the other route. There were a bunch of bushes growing off the ledge and a number of the branches were dead so after removing those the ledge was fairly comfortable. I sat and belayed Art as he lead the 2nd pitch which climbed over a pair of blocks in the corner and then ascended more lower angle dirt covered corners.

One of the hardest parts of the day ended up being the following of the route as I was carrying my pack with and the bushes and gnar tried as hard as possible to catch me or the pack at every opportunity. I am seriously happy I wore pants for the day otherwise my legs would have been a solid mass of scars and scratches. I followed the 2nd pitch up to the belay but when I got there I was worked pretty good so Art lead the last short section to the top. I'm not used to the all day climbing endurance.

We finally topped out the wall about 5pm and spent a bit of time wandering the top before gathering our gear and hiking off. We contemplated rappelling off of a single large pine tree on top of the wall but decided it would be best if we found a way to hike off. This gave us the knowledge of the route to hike up for setting up anchors and accessing the top of the rock. It is not the easiest way up but it is hike-able and gives us much more opportunity to setup solid anchors on top.

We got back to the base of the wall and Jax was waiting for us in a state of excitement after we had been away from him on the rock for a few hours. We packed up our gear and began our hike out. It was about 6:15 when we hit the path by the lake and a little after 6:40 when we got to my truck. It was getting dark and I had forgot my headlamp so fortunately I had my phone for a short section that was super dark under the tree canopy.

I am soooo damned anxious to get back on the wall again and I really would be fine with no skiing this winter if I could climb for most of it. Come on EL NINO, do your thing!!!