The Needles Appreciation Thread

I thought about creating this thread since many of us climb at the Needles and know how special this place is. Personally, during the past four seasons, the Needles have given me something that other crags that I have visited could not. Solitude and climbing of the highest quality in a vast, beautiful landscape. While forest fires are a natural part in the cycle of life, I am truly saddened by the destruction caused by the SQF Complex Fire and the communities affected by it. Let's hope that it can be contained as soon as possible.

Post your favorite Needles pictures, stories, memories, etc. While the future of the Needles looks grim, we can still celebrate one of the best and most unique climbing areas in the country right?

So sad.  I've been climbing there for 5 years, my first time there i was barley a 5.7 trad climber and my friend and I got on poof, 5.7 R lol.  It lit a fire inside me to get on my trad game.

Pardon the dumb question, but how will the fire affect the Needles?  Does it impact rock quality, or just the landscape?

Rocrateswrote:

Pardon the dumb question, but how will the fire affect the Needles?  Does it impact rock quality, or just the landscape?

Somethings that can/will happen: soot and ash will coat the rock requiring extensive cleaning, the heat of the fire will cause expansions of air/moisture in the cracks in the rock causing destabilization and rockfall, fixed gear may become compromised and need to be replaced, trails will be destroyed and need to be rebuilt, etc. There is a lot of damage fire can do depending on how close it gets to the rock, how long it burns, what the wind conditions are like, etc. 

Rocrateswrote:

Pardon the dumb question, but how will the fire affect the Needles?  Does it impact rock quality, or just the landscape?

If you wanna what fire does to granite, check out elephant knob. Kitty litter 

Never been, but I looove looking. This photo from the late great Brad is worth appreciating alone: https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/106554646

Dunder Thunderwrote:

If you wanna what fire does to granite, check out elephant knob. Kitty litter 

I think elephant knob is/was somewhat different than the Needles.
EK had about 8-9 very dead large trees at the base and these trees were almost as tall as the rock. Post fire the trees were gone! They really cooked the stone.

Keeping my fingers crossed. Just because a place burns over doesn’t mean it’s destroyed.

Pray for rain. 

Guy Keeseewrote:

I think elephant knob is/was somewhat different than the Needles.
EK had about 8-9 very dead large trees at the base and these trees were almost as tall as the rock. Post fire the trees were gone! They really cooked the stone.

Keeping my fingers crossed. Just because a place burns over doesn’t mean it’s destroyed.

Pray for rain. 

I'll give you that Guy. Elephant is a different scenario. Burned completely over. The fuel density around the needles in certain areas is probably still enough to create those damaging temperatures though. All we can do is wait and see. 

As for the efforts to keep it safe. When I'm physically capable again. I'll be happy to go out and help change suspect bolts.

Back in the day when I was climbing hard.  The Needles inspired me probably more than any other climbing area.  I will always love that place.

I consider the Needles to be THE best rock climbing in the WORLD.  And I’ve only been a handful of times, have barely scratched the surface.  Of course I’ll never be able to visit “everywhere” but it’s hard for me to imagine a destination that beats it.  

Such a magical place. 

The Needles is my favorite place to climb. the color of the rock, the “campground” at the trailhead, the lack of crowds, the sustained laser cracks, the history...

Last trip I took a 30 footer off the crux of Anti Jello crack at the nearby Dome Rock. Hoping the route is unaffected since I have a score to settle.

Last fire map I looked at - earlier today - Dome Rock was still in the clear.

edit: Yesterday 9.18

Any updates on the fire status and limits?

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7048/

Guy Keeseewrote:

I think elephant knob is/was somewhat different than the Needles.
EK had about 8-9 very dead large trees at the base and these trees were almost as tall as the rock. Post fire the trees were gone! They really cooked the stone.

Keeping my fingers crossed. Just because a place burns over doesn’t mean it’s destroyed.

Pray for rain. 

In that regard I'm especially concerned about Dome Rock, with thick forest right up to the base. At least those trees aren't (weren't?) dead, so maybe it didn't get cooked too badly.

Most of the faces in the Needles don't have thick forest at the base, although this pic shows potential for some serious fire around the base of the Warlock, and on up the Warlock-Voodoo notch.

With so much going on, I can't believe I didn't follow this closer...

So thankful I got to climb there this year, there is so much I wanted to do, a whole lifetime of climbing for me there. This breaks my heart.

I suspect that if the fire impacted the Needles (and per Dave it appeared to burn up at least by Magician), the bulk of the climbing there would very likely be OK.  Definitely concern about the downhill, south facing sides, but I can't imagine, for example, how the gully between Witch and Sorceror would be greatly impacted.  MIght have gotten nailed by some plane dropped retardant but fortunately there's not a lot in that area to burn.  Fortunately, there were no structures lost in Ponderosa and Camp Nelson (yeah!) and they're talking about repopulating fairly soon. If I get a chance to head up there and check out my cabin over the next few weeks I'll bring my mt. bike and see if I can ride in a report on how the rocks themselves fared.  

The rock isn't the only thing affected by fire. Climbing in a burned zone basically sucks until at least after season of rain and snowfall. While the rock may/will likely be OK, the ash, soot, stench, carbonized trees make it very unappealing. If it was hit by retardant, it will be unclimbable until all that washes and weathers away.

Fat Dadwrote:

I suspect that if the fire impacted the Needles (and per Dave it appeared to burn up at least by Magician), the bulk of the climbing there would very likely be OK.  Definitely concern about the downhill, south facing sides, but I can't imagine, for example, how the gully between Witch and Sorceror would be greatly impacted.  MIght have gotten nailed by some plane dropped retardant but fortunately there's not a lot in that area to burn.  Fortunately, there were no structures lost in Ponderosa and Camp Nelson (yeah!) and they're talking about repopulating fairly soon. If I get a chance to head up there and check out my cabin over the next few weeks I'll bring my mt. bike and see if I can ride in a report on how the rocks themselves fared.  

Cool that your place is okay. I was wondering about that. And Ponderosa, I was resigned to a bad ending there. Props to the fire fighters.

I hope you can get in there and fill us in on how bad it is at the crags.