This will be my last trip report about crag climbing. It isn’t something I would ordinarily post, but like I said in the first installment, the snowshoe reports are just flooding in, so I’m offering a little change of pace and a look ahead to summer.
The continuing midwinter window of rock climbable weather, combined with another day off for Taehee, found us headed to Mt. Erie, near Anacortes, today. Mt. Erie has a few bolted sport routes, but most of them are as nature built them and have to be either led with gear or top roped. We headed for an area of the mountain called the “Powerline Group” (because the power lines serving the electronic towers on top of Mt. Erie go right over it).
We again waited until afternoon because of the cold morning. When we arrived, we went first to a crag called "Crack Wall." It was still kinda cold, so we top roped a 5.7 crack route (which gives the crag its name) called “Green Thumb,” and then also top roped a 5.9 face climb right next to it called “Two Thumbs Up.”
Then we moved over to a bigger crag called “Powerline West,” where we both led a 5.8 sport route called “False Impressions.” There were a couple of guys there top roping an adjacent 5.10a route called “Intimidator.” To round out the afternoon we moved a little ways down the trail to top rope three short 5.9 routes. Two had the colorful names of “Crud Dud” and “Slime Ball.” The third was an unnamed route that we put up ourselves just right of Slime Ball. We felt that these were a little harder than their 5.9 rating, which would be called "sandbags."
I don’t take a lot of pictures on rock climbs unless I am with a group of at least three and have some down time. When it’s just two of us, I am always either climbing or belaying and there isn’t much opportunity to shoot pictures. But here are the few I took, including my first-ever entry into the Shoe-Shot Derby!
Taehee top roping Two Thumbs Up (the crack to her left is Green Thumb)
Another butt shot of Taehee top roping Two Thumbs Up
Shoe shot from anchor ledge at top of False Impressions
Another climber on Intimidator
View south from Mt. Erie
Pale Mt. Erie sunset
We don't stop hiking because we grow old; we grow old because we stop hiking. --Finis Mitchell
0
We don't stop hiking because we grow old; we grow old because we stop hiking. --Finis Mitchell
♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
0
♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate NWHikers.net earns from qualifying purchases when you use our link(s).
The continuing midwinter window of rock climbable weather, combined with another day off for Taehee, found us headed to Mt. Erie, near Anacortes, today. Mt. Erie has a few bolted sport routes, but most of them are as nature built them and have to be either led with gear or top roped. We headed for an area of the mountain called the “Powerline Group” (because the power lines serving the electronic towers on top of Mt. Erie go right over it).
We again waited until afternoon because of the cold morning. When we arrived, we went first to a crag called "Crack Wall." It was still kinda cold, so we top roped a 5.7 crack route (which gives the crag its name) called “Green Thumb,” and then also top roped a 5.9 face climb right next to it called “Two Thumbs Up.”
Then we moved over to a bigger crag called “Powerline West,” where we both led a 5.8 sport route called “False Impressions.” There were a couple of guys there top roping an adjacent 5.10a route called “Intimidator.” To round out the afternoon we moved a little ways down the trail to top rope three short 5.9 routes. Two had the colorful names of “Crud Dud” and “Slime Ball.” The third was an unnamed route that we put up ourselves just right of Slime Ball. We felt that these were a little harder than their 5.9 rating, which would be called "sandbags."
I don’t take a lot of pictures on rock climbs unless I am with a group of at least three and have some down time. When it’s just two of us, I am always either climbing or belaying and there isn’t much opportunity to shoot pictures. But here are the few I took, including my first-ever entry into the Shoe-Shot Derby! 
