Seattle vs. Bay Area

slim wrote: weather is looking splitter this weekend, anybody up for index?

I see what you did there. That’s some quality snark, I must say.

You are totally right though about mid-winter. Climbing last weekend was nice, but it is kind of silly when people use that to say “see, you can climb here year round”. It’s a bit delusional. Realistically, climbing Dec-Feb is a rare treat, not a regular thing. But I think that giving up those climbing months is a tolerable trade off.

I’ll think about that 200m static. That seems like a lot of rope to carry up the UTW trail...

slim wrote: weather is looking splitter this weekend, anybody up for index?

I might try to get out to Equinox Sunday. All the cave routes will be in like flyn. With a little breeze, i bet the left side will dry out too.

Were you going to get on Attractive Nuisance, or stuff off Madsen's ledge? Or were you just complaining again?

45-50 and dry on saturday on the east side. Looks like over a week of dry weather (barring tuesday) on the west side. 

Kyle Elliott wrote: 45-50 and dry on saturday on the east side. Looks like over a week of dry weather (barring tuesday) on the west side. 

Oooh, sick bouldering conditions on Sunday. Hmmm, may have to switch up my plans.

JCM wrote:

I see what you did there. That’s some quality snark, I must say.

You are totally right though about mid-winter. Climbing last weekend was nice, but it is kind of silly when people use that to say “see, you can climb here year round”. It’s a bit delusional. Realistically, climbing Dec-Feb is a rare treat, not a regular thing. But I think that giving up those climbing months is a tolerable trade off.

I’ll think about that 200m static. That seems like a lot of rope to carry up the UTW trail...

haha, i actually wasn't trying to be snarky, just kidding around a bit.  a lot of awesome looking days this last week for sure!  usually when i look out my office window at lunch in winter it is almost black out, but there was some nice sunshine.  last weekend looked really good.  went to mazama and toured up wash pass, got some good sun, nice weekend for sure.

definitely try to figure out how to sucker someone else to carry it, you don't want those quads to start bulging!

MorganH wrote:

I might try to get out to Equinox Sunday. All the cave routes will be in like flyn. With a little breeze, i bet the left side will dry out too.

Were you going to get on Attractive Nuisance, or stuff off Madsen's ledge? Or were you just complaining again?

just casting out, seeing what's biting these days :)  starting to do some easy climbing again though, so hopefully be getting out again before too long.

i think it is supposed to be breezy around here this weekend (mountainforecast makes tiger mountain look like a cold wet run tomorrow).  not sure what it would be like up near mt vernon though.  might be pretty good.

even the left side routes were dry up in 'nox. get it!

how much for the 200m static? feel free to PM

Oh man, everything is dry right now. T shirts on the upper town wall.

I have one for sale for 80cents a foot

IJMayer wrote: even the left side routes were dry up in 'nox. get it!

how much for the 200m static? feel free to PM

PM sent, let me know if you don't get it.

So this thread explains how gold bar became the new lake 22 last weekend. 

blakeherrington wrote: Seattle has essentially zero (it's an overstatement but not by much) outside climbing Mid October to Mid April, which is 6 consecutive months. Each of the 7 months from Oct-April has more days of rain than days without, as measured at the airport, which is drier than the crags.

Even if the weather were to always be dry and temperate, get ready to drive a ton as climbing isn't close to the city. The only decent climbing within an 80 minute drive of Seattle is a small sport crag (Little Si) with a couple dozen pitches in the 5.12- to .14- range.

I don't know much about the areas close to the Bay, but Seattle doesn't offer easy access to rock due to bad weather and long distances.

I've climbed every month within an hour of Seattle except February. October, March and April in particular are fantastic.

blakeherrington wrote: Seattle has essentially zero (it's an overstatement but not by much) outside climbing Mid October to Mid April, which is 6 consecutive months. Each of the 7 months from Oct-April has more days of rain than days without, as measured at the airport, which is drier than the crags.

Even if the weather were to always be dry and temperate, get ready to drive a ton as climbing isn't close to the city. The only decent climbing within an 80 minute drive of Seattle is a small sport crag (Little Si) with a couple dozen pitches in the 5.12- to .14- range.

I don't know much about the areas close to the Bay, but Seattle doesn't offer easy access to rock due to bad weather and long distances.

"[Index] is a world-class rock climbing area...reliably in good condition 12 months of the year" - Black Herrington- Cascade Rock.

1 hour and 5 minutes from downtown Seattle to Index according to Google Maps, as of 2:00am.

Seems like climbers are always trying to keep "outsiders" from crowding their space (which is Ironic, cause Blake wrote a top notch guide book that will inevitably increase the popularity of Washington Granite).  Hats off to him, Cascade Rock is an awesome book!

I'm not just calling him out, though.  I see it all the time; people complaining about how crowded their area is getting.   Some of you were fortunate enough to have parents who raised you in a sick ass mountain town, and you've been leading 5.13R since you were 12 years old.   I grew up in the middle of facking nowhere Kansas and started climbing late in life.  I'm not at all apologetic about moving to the west coast and climbing my heart out.  Maybe its your turn to live in the midwest, let us enjoy the rocks.

I mean I normally leave to climb at 2am....

Doesn't everyone -- Alpine start up at 2 on the climb by 3!

Karl Walters wrote: I mean I normally leave to climb at 2am....

ha ha.  you have to.  to beat traffic...

Daniel Bookless wrote:

"[Index] is a world-class rock climbing area...reliably in good condition 12 months of the year" - Black Herrington- Cascade Rock.

1 hour and 5 minutes from downtown Seattle to Index according to Google Maps, as of 2:00am.

Seems like climbers are always trying to keep "outsiders" from crowding their space (which is Ironic, cause Blake wrote a top notch guide book that will inevitably increase the popularity of Washington Granite).  Hats off to him, Cascade Rock is an awesome book!

I'm not just calling him out, though.  I see it all the time; people complaining about how crowded their area is getting.   Some of you were fortunate enough to have parents who raised you in a sick ass mountain town, and you've been leading 5.13R since you were 12 years old.   I grew up in the middle of facking nowhere Kansas and started climbing late in life.  I'm not at all apologetic about moving to the west coast and climbing my heart out.  Maybe its your turn to live in the midwest, let us enjoy the rocks.

Seems like you are the one complaining.  People at index are at times clicky, but if you know how to climb and/or willing to get good people are very welcoming.  Personally it's the best climbing vibe I've ever experienced, besides the creek of course ;)

People haven't mentioned it, but the best​ thing about climbing at Index is that you get to tell others that you climb​ at Index.  This is especially important when you're climbing at Vantage. 

Daniel Bookless wrote:

"[Index] is a world-class rock climbing area...reliably in good condition 12 months of the year" - Black Herrington- Cascade Rock.

1 hour and 5 minutes from downtown Seattle to Index according to Google Maps, as of 2:00am.

Seems like climbers are always trying to keep "outsiders" from crowding their space (which is Ironic, cause Blake wrote a top notch guide book that will inevitably increase the popularity of Washington Granite).  Hats off to him, Cascade Rock is an awesome book!

I'm not just calling him out, though.  I see it all the time; people complaining about how crowded their area is getting.   Some of you were fortunate enough to have parents who raised you in a sick ass mountain town, and you've been leading 5.13R since you were 12 years old.   I grew up in the middle of facking nowhere Kansas and started climbing late in life.  I'm not at all apologetic about moving to the west coast and climbing my heart out.  Maybe its your turn to live in the midwest, let us enjoy the rocks.

You use an ellipsis to delete 3 sentences and completely change the meaning of the guidebook.  The Index chapter includes the only routes (in an otherwise high-elevation and backcountry rock climbing guidebook) which reliably can be climbable year-round. All other chapters and routes are strictly limited to a ~5-6 month season when not covered in snow and ice. I didn't write  a guidebook or forum response thinking either could significantly change the annual number of climber days at Index. My forum response here is I think an accurate reflection of the outdoor climbing options available to a Seattle resident. If a climber moves from Tampa or Topeka with that baseline, I expect they will find the access to be comparatively amazing. But if they move thinking there will be numerous options doable as a round trip half-day mission or consistently in good shape during Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar/July/Aug, I think they'll be confronted with a different reality.

As already mentioned, if you have a very flexible schedule, work nights or part time, enjoy solo climbing, don't mind some very hot or semi-damp conditions, or live east of I-5 or I-405 or north of Shoreline your access will improve. If you live in the metro area south of I-90, if you don't climb harder than low 5.11, if you require a climbing partner with a compatible schedule, or if you are more of a "specialist" than a generalist, your options will be accordingly more limited. (It's wetter than nearby Index or North Bend, but Skykomish appears to get somewhere between 62 - 70" of rain spread over the wettest 6 months, not to mention some snowfall. Climate at the Seattle crags probably is closer to this than to the SEATAC stats, a planning detail worth knowing for prospective new residents. )

I'm certainly open to the idea that I'm now downplaying some Seattle area rock climbing options or Index in general, but don't selectively delete or misinterpret my quote to make your case or present 2AM drive times as meaningful in a city with massive rush hour congestion.

Well here is your index partner