Classic.

The sad thing is, it held just fine. So they probably won't think about it and will just get in the habit of building anchors like this.

Three tied-off pieces of wood in a straight line. I would have climbed on it, but it was pretty poor craftsmanship. It would have been just as easy to build a better-conceived anchor, so why not?

Wow. Fail.

looks bomber to me

Pretty colors.

seen this a few times, and there's gear if you just look around. the best part is the complete lack of thought on where they slung the tree in terms of leverage, the worst part that it may have been a guided group in some form or another.

Guided group? As if. No competent guide (Boy Scout leaders can sometimes make ridiculous mistakes but...) would even consider this to be acceptable. It's pretty lame to think that a guide would do something like this. Most likely this was just an uninformed private climber.

It was not a guided group, but 3-4 athletic- and confident-looking 20-something guys.

Being part of an organization, or not being part of an organization, has no bearing on competence, in my 35 years of experience. (Neither does age!) This year there has been a *very* competent (and very friendly) Boy Scout group that has show up at the East Bluff several times. And they play well with others (i.e. share ropes).

Saying "guided group" does not in any way infer that the leader was a professional guide. Hence, "in some form or another." And ya that would be pretty lame.