I’d planned for some months to pack pack along the Western shorline of the Olympic Penninsula. Days before my trip I got the flu. And despite being August it began to rain. Change of plans. Hotels. AirBnB. Day trips that afford dry sleeping. When I … Continue reading August 27: Foggy Shoreline
Water drip erosion? Gas bubbles in volcanic rock? I’m no geologist, but I know a good looking rock when I see one.
The access bridge to Beach 4 from Hwy 101, thick in fog.
It mercifully rained yesterday. There are a lot of fires in British Columbia. There are fires in Washington, Oregon, and California too, but there are especially a lot in BC. It seems to be the new normal as global warming accelerates. The rain (and a … Continue reading August 27: Bridge to Beach 4
Scary to even think about.
Desperation some times causes us to do strange things. I ran across this climbing anchor (hand hold?) two weeks ago while climbing the summit block of Mt. Thielsen in the Southern Oregon Cascades. Some poor bastard attached his belt to the rock by wedging the belt buckle into a crack, sort of like a tricam. And it was in there pretty securely. Each of us tried to wiggle it out to no avail. I don’t think it was even real leather. How many kN is imitation leather good for I wonder?
The summit block of Thielsen is about 30 meters of 4th class climbing (with perhaps a very low 5th class move near the top). Some people just free solo it, although down-climbing it without a rope would be a bit unnerving. We protected the summit and rappelled from the top.
I’m no forensic expert, mind you, but I think…
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Steve Heikkila 