Edifice Of Foul Play. V6.

Some pretty cool new routes have gone up above the Spring Cluster, easier to go up the road and cut across the talus to access these. This one just got finished a few days ago, there are a few more possibilities up here as well.

 

Cascade Locks Spring Cluster Updated Map

Some of the older routes over here have not been repeated in a while, some have been recleaned, a bit more info could be gathered on those older routes, but new interest got sparked over here one day earlier in the year when we were looking for dry rock. If it has not rained heavily, often the boulders under the trees will stay dry. Anyway, this is the info we have compiled, the Portland Bouldering guidebook and website are going to be your real go to sources for info, this is like a supplement. Consider it your Vitamin B. To get there, take 84 to the Cascade Locks exit, go through town, you will come to a stop sign where there's a weigh station to the right(watch out for trucks! They have the right of way!), an on ramp back to the freeway going east to the left, you want to go straight onto Forest Road, you will immediately pass a pond, go over a bridge with Herman Creek underneath, pass the Herman Creek trail head, pass a left hand turn that has a bridge that goes over the freeway, then the next intersection, take a right onto Wyeth Road, climb a moderate hill past an old abandoned looking structure and when the hill levels out, you'll see a gate to the right. Park near it but don't block it, you could be towed for that. Walk up the fire road with the old orchard on your left, go up a fairly steep hill, gaining maybe 150 feet in elevation? I'd have to check on that. Once you crest the rise you will walk through the woods a bit and come to an open power line, to go to the Spring Cluster, bear leftish, and pretty quick you'll see another fire road turn off to the right and into the trees, the sign that marks the road bears the signs of the 2017 fire. You will walk across a small stream, which is THE spring, you'll see the boulders up to your left, the easiest way in is right by problem 23, Organ Trail. 

Here's the routes with a short description where applicable. 

1. V1 ?                                                                                                                                                               2. V3/4                                                                                                                                                               3. V4. Lost In Shadows. S.S.  Dan Calabrese. A short over hanging cavey problem.                                                4. V3. Robyn DeCradle. Paul Bishop. A thin crimpy line on the left side of the face.                                      5. V3/4 ?                                                                                                                                                                   6. V4? Overhanging slopers.                                                                                                                             7. V4? Similar to 6, but stays to the right.                                                                                                           8. V0. Lowball sit start                                                                                                                                            9. V0. Traverse around the short boulder 360 degrees                                                                                     10. (P) Bulge                                                                                                                                                     11. Knobby Face. V0. Tim Olsen                                                                                                                     12. Stone Age Sasquatch. V4. S.S. Paul Bishop. Follow the overhanging knobs up the natural crescent and top out on the slab.                                                                                                                                              13. V5. Critical Can Opener (PB) Jump start from an insanely sharp pocket and a crappy sloping hold         14. V6. Mc Minimum's. V6. S.S. Tymun Abbott. Overhanging short and powerful moves to a small crimp 15. V2. Battle of the Bulge. Dan Calabrese                                                                                                        16. V5. McMaximum's. S.S. (PB) Overhanging crispy start to a funky cross mantle, exit middle of slab.     17. V1. Mantelope. S.S. (PB) Fun double mantles, follow the arete.                                                               18. (P) Cave  19. (P)left side 20. (P) birth canal start 21. (P) right side                                                           22. Uvula Power. V4. S.S. (PB) straddle the awkward block and follow the sloping features to the edge       23. Organ Trail. V4. (PB) Left hand on the sloper, right in the crimp which can be turned into a sidepull     24. Oregon Donor. V5. S.S. (PB) Funky rockover combo, using either toedown or heel hook pull                  25. Ham And Organ. V4. S.S. (PB) Either spread eagle start or fold one leg under if you don't have the flexibility                                                                                                                                                           26. Oregon Transplant. V3. S.S. (PB) Funky rockover from the other side                                                     27. VB Fun face line                                                                                                                                         28. V7. Triangular Transposition. S.S. Tymun Abbott    Follows the left side up the thin seam                     29. V3. Amelia Rate. S.S. Paul Bishop. Starts with the decent edges and rocks over, finishing to the right.    30. V6. Compass Correction. S.S. Tymun Abbot. Starts down low to the right

Bigfoot Boulders, Bigfoot Camp, and Hightop Boulders.

   Well we had the whole gang up at the new crags this last weekend, looks like just in time to beat the next heat wave. All the "Bigfoot Boulders" are on a single promontory of higher ground thrust out over the next layer of lava tubes, the Hightop section is essentially on the same level, but is divided from the Bigfoot area by a stream and marshy ground. Plus we started getting a little low on Sasquatch names;).

    The elevation readings I'm getting are between 2800 and 2900 feet. There are lava caves on the layer above and more lava tubes and collapsed pits on the layer below, but this layer of rock in between is really solid and high quality. I haven't broken a hold yet, other than obvious loose stuff that comes off during cleaning. 

Hightop Boulders

   Just up the road from the Bigfoot Boulders, I discovered this outcropping via Google Earth, then used a preloaded Google maps trick to locate the top. With southern exposure and an open sky above, it gets quite hot in the summer, there are a few boulders in the shade, but the bulk of the rock is in full sun from 10 am to 7 pm. I've only done two sessions here so far, putting up ten FA's and starting some projects. 

 A four minute hike from the car, I established a trail that enables easy access with a crash pad or big pack. This past weekend, I decided to try doing a hike in campsite, it was incredible. The view of the stars from this open highground was almost too much for my tiny brain to take in. This new spot takes the number of climbing areas established by yours truly to 5 in this small little neck of the woods. When I camp up here, I'm usually sending super early in the morning when conditions are best, which means by mid afternoon I'm done climbing, yet not ready to just sit at camp. What I do then is drive forest roads, smoke beer, drink weed, listen to music, look for boulders. Obviously, sometimes I find them. The amount found seems to be comeasurate with the amount of time spent looking. All the zones I've discovered have been found in this manner, even Rock Creek and Sedum Ridge. I can't take full credit for Rock Creek as Tymun sent a few things by the roadside years ago, but all the big boys that people are sending on now I stumbled upon and started in on cleaning and trail. That's how Tymun and I met, then we joined forces and really developed what you know as Rock Creek Boulders.

  At some point, a map will go up on here, but for now it's still under development, so still semi secret.

And here's a few photos of the camp and the sunset and a moon shot and I can't wait to go back!

Bigfoot Boulders

 Discovered earlier in the summer, almost by accident, several large boulders revealed themselves off a graveled forest road deep in the Gifford Pinchot Wilderness.

 

 

And then a week later, a whole promontory of boulders was found...

 Since then, another distinct zone has been discovered near the camp site with really fabulous routes, and two open talus fields discovered. We'll be busy for a minute!