Fall sun at Beacon Rock

Kristin topping out pitch 2 of Young Warriors

Our bomber fall weather pattern continues!  Kristin and I enjoyed Beacon Rock on Saturday in perfect conditions in the Columbia River Gorge - crispy clean air, calm winds, and a warm sun. 

After an early October system dumped lots of snow in the mountains, I was tempted to break out the planks, but resisted the urge and have enjoyed some amazing climbing conditions.  It looks like we'll have at least one more week of cool, sunny weather.  Get out and enjoy our fall bounty!

SW Face of Stein's Pillar --> Free Lunch, Picnic Lunch Wall

The SW Face of Stein's Pillar

This past weekend finally marked the arrival of Indian summer in the Pacific Northwest, with moderate temps, clear skies and calm winds.  After several weeks of rain and recent mountain snows, a lot people were focused on the upcoming ski season, waxing their boards and scanning the web for the long-term forecast.  But I was still holding out hope of squeezing in some more rock climbing.

The seasonal window for climbing longer routes is closing quickly, and I had my eyes on the SW Face of Stein’s Pillar near the Mill Creek Wilderness in the Ochoco National Forest.  I pinged Guy to see if he was available and he responded with a “hell yes” and “oh by the way we should climb Picnic Lunch Wall on Sunday.”