Bouldering on Funk's Island.

Funk's Island Bouldering Development.
   This is a former quarry along the Columbia River just east of Cascade Locks, Oregon. Google has virtually no information relative to the place at all, and conflicting reports occur on the actual name. I've heard it referred to as Government Island, but there is already a Government Island in The Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver. The confusion is further added by the fact that there is a Funk's Island in Newfoundland. Until I can access the reference stacks at the main Multnomah library branch in SW, I think we will be forced to settle for conjecture.
 With that in mind, Tymun is one year younger than I, has lived here his whole life, and grew up in a family that went out for hikes in the Gorge all the time, he states that it has never been operational in his memory, so we can eliminate the last 40 or so years. As we recently began developing fall zones for some of the more interesting looking bouldering possibilities, we keep running across strands of low voltage wiring with black and orange plastic sheathing, clearly blasting leads. The best guess based on our empirical evidence would be that the quarry stopped operating in the early 1970's at the latest, possibly as early as the 1960's.
   The rock is interesting and unique from other nearby bouldering areas, showing a more mica like content with some quartz crystallization here and there. So far we have only developed a handful of boulders on the South Side, and another small group on the North. Some rope climbing has been done out here, but climb at your own risk, as nothing is truly "developed". At some point a simple map will get made to at least point one in the right direction.

If you are interested in getting in on the development of this area, you can contact us on Instagram @pnwboulderingassociation.