Fire Break

I started drilling the anchors on this line solely to set up a spot for rapping in with a single rope. But I kept noticing fun features as I worked my way down. Soon enough, I was cleaning it to lead.

Most of the prep work went down on July 29, 2018, a clear day after a night of heavy thunderstorms. I left my rope up at the end of the day, expecting to finish things up the next weekend. It would be almost two months before I could return. Although we saw no signs of fire that day, across the valley a lightning strike had already sparked what would become the Miriam Fire. The fire erupted the next day, at one point threatening nearby summer camps and the White Pass ski area. Even after the closure was scaled back, the fire was still active. It was an eerie experience drilling the final bolts while directly across the valley, wind-whipped flames engulfed trees.  Every so often, a tree would explode with a muffled report.

Pitch 1: Fun, easy cracks lead to steeper terrain and two bolts (9+). Belay at a hanging stance with chain anchors.

Pitch 2: Delicate 5.10 moves begin directly off the belay and continue through a series of small roofs (five bolts). The thin crack crux (gear-protected; thin wireds) comes in a somewhat perplexing corner above the bolts. Fun, gear-protected climbing via thin cracks, horizontals, and edges leads to the top.

See base photo

A few hand-crack sized cams; otherwise, emphasis on small cams/wired nuts. Small wired nuts mandatory for crux. Two rappels to the ground.