Static Point - Trail Work - Sunday 11/15

[David Yount]

Static Point is a climbing area that has a longer season and much better climate than many western Washington areas and it’s closer than Index. With 800-feet of clean rock, most routes are 6-pitches tall. This awesome crag sits in a near-wilderness environment and needs some trail rehabilitation.

The approach involves 2 miles of flat walking along a decommissioned road and then a final 45 minute trail. The last 1/2 mile of road is in dire need of heavy pruning. Chainsaws, bow saws, loppers and hand pruners are all useful.

DNR and Snohomish PUD know about this issue and they were pretty amenable to our going up there and cutting Alder trees from the abandoned road so as to maintain a walkable path.

Sunday November 15, 2009 I will be headed out with a saw and extra gas. I’m not organizing a meeting time because my plans need flexibility, but I would suggest and dearly hope that individuals will coordinate a general meeting time for a group effort. I hope to finish before 4pm so I can attend the Prefunk (5pm) and Slideshow (7pm) at Schultzy's Sausage in the U-District for the SausageFest '09 fundraiser for Index.

Presently the weather looks adequate for this type of volunteer work; cool and slightly wet. Bring a full change of clothes in the car, several pairs of work gloves and thermos of something hot.

Dave Yount.


Static Point climbing area on Static Peak - driving and hiking and approach trail descriptions

Driving:
US-2
Sultan Basin Road - 13 miles
Shore Road Nf-6129 (drive thru the right gate) around Spada Lake - 3 miles

Hiking
Decommissioned spur road / trail – under 2 miles (50 minutes)
Steep approach trail 45 minutes

East on US-2 to the town of Sultan. On the east end of town, take a Left on Sultan Basin Road. About 11 miles after leaving US-2 the pavement ends, the road gets a bit steeper. At 13 miles from the highway you reach the registration station (and toilets) near Spada Resevoir.

Presently on Friday – Sunday, you may drive through the open gate (take the right gate) just past the Olney Pass registration station. In about 3 miles the spur road is just past the bridge and is marked (blocked) by a giant pile of trees and boulders (impossible to miss). Parking area on the right just a short distance up the road from the bridge.

You hike 2 miles on the spur road/trail to reach the steep approach trail. The old decommissioned spur road is somewhat gone and now consists of large mounds that were built to shore up the drainages that cross the road. They actually did a great job restoring the road even though it's a pain to hike and not feasible to mountain bike down the spur road. The remnant of the old road eventually ends at two large rocks, in the past you could drive all the way to here! This initial hike segment takes about 15 minutes. The rest of the way on the spur road is pretty overgrown with alder and fir and salmonberry. This second segment takes about 35 minutes.

You come to a major drainage (large granite wash) and you get a clear view up this gully past some slabs to the top of Static Peak. Cross this stream and just 50' on the far side of this gully you'll find the correct culvert just sitting on the road, a rock cairn on the side of the road/trail, and some flagging tape that will get you started up the approach trail.

The lovely but steep trail up the hill has some blowdown issues in the beginning and seems to be slowly losing ground.