Smoker, on OnLine,
5.10a, Static Point.
Photo by Jay
Brazier.
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Ownership/Management:
Static Point is on land
managed by the Department of Natural Resources of the State of Washington. Access is via
roads operated and
maintained by Snohomish
County (from Highway 2 as far as until Olney Pass), and jointly with the the Forest Service, Department of Natural
Resources, and
the Snohomish PUD (beyond Olney Pass).
The PUD operates nearby Spada Reservoir in partnership with the City of Everett.
Current status:
As of April 2009 the main Olney Pass road is presently closed many miles short of the access for Static Point and it is not expected to reopen until July.
The small side-road leading 1/4 mile to the trailhead is being reclaimed by alders.
Access considerations:
Access to the crag passes through a
restricted area managed for watershed protection (Spada Lake Reservoir is the water supply for
the City of Everett). Signs indicate that no overnight stays are
allowed, but we've recently learned overnight stays ARE allowed outside a relatively narrow area
right around the lake.
Climbers are asked to
sign in as they enter the area, where there is a kiosk and bathroom along side the main access
road about 13 miles from Highway 2. We urge climbers to sign in to help document climbers'
use of the area.
Maintained access expected:
Current management planning efforts are underway and there is as of Spring 2009 a proposal for the Snohomish PUD to maintain the South Shore road which is the road leading to boat ramps on the shore of Spada Reservoire, and which provides access for climbers headed to Static Point.
disclosed in recent discussion related to the re-licensing of the nearby Spada Reservoir. FERC Re-licensing
Process
Other
resources:
Weather
forecast
WCC Area
Contact:
Mark Hanna.
For discussion:
West Side Crags
forum
Static Point is a granite dome of amazing quality. Large sweeps
of rock soar upward with nary a crack in site, and much of it is nearly completely devoid of
features. Fortunately for the climber, it isn't too steep either; the climbs on Static Point rarely
exceed 45 degrees. Most routes are friction climbs in the 5.9-5.10 range, stretching up to seven
pitches long.
The area was first developed
in the early 1980s. There is a popular story about how it was first "discovered" by
airplane. Although the climbers most active in the early days indeed first saw the crags from an
airplane, somebody else beat them to it and put up a couple of routes first. As with many areas in
Washington, a logging road first brought climbers to the area.
Static Point is located in a
relatively remote side valley near Snohomish County's Spada Lake Reservior. The PUD
operates the area jointly with the DNR and the Forest Service and road is often gated several miles from the trailhead during the Winter.
Overnight camping is prohibited near the lakeshore.
Roads in the valley
immediately below Static Point were largely decommissioned in the late 1990s. The spur road
leading to the "trailhead" is now growing back over with alders. Currently, a walk of about 45
minutes to an hour is required to reach the cliff.
While there have been no
noted environmental concerns or other problems associated with climbing activities at Static Point,
there may be changes looming. DNR land managers propose to decomission the road at Olney Pass,
back where it enters the watershed about three or four miles short of the present trailhead.
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