Just right of center on the west face, there's a ledge about ten feet wide and five feet high. You can gain the ledge through unprotected but relatively easy climbing at either end.
Eschar starts from the left end of the ledge, and moves up and left. It feels a little stiff for 5.4, but protects well.
Well having recently led this route (4/19/03), I do have to agree that it was a bit stiff for a 5.4; however, I don't know where the idea that it protects well came from. I had a loaded rack and I couldn't get a piece that I could call bomber at/before the crux, that bothered me a bit. I don't know, maybe the fact that it was about 7:00 am and I hadn't had any coffee yet made me feel that way. All said and done, it's a fun route, though I wouldn't recommend it to someone that would be considering it for their first trad lead.
I just lead this as my first gear lead and had no problem protecting it, except for the first little section after the shelf. At that point you can get a kind of crappy nut in some features to the left of the crack that gives some psychological protection, if nothing else.
I think this is a tough climb to introduce people to climbing on - so its probably harder than a 5.4 but then most things on trashcan are harder than their rating.
Decent beginner lead although you cant necessarily sew it up, and there is a crux rattely right hand jam with poor feet about 2/3 up before getting onto easier face that can probably stress out a beginning leader.
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