Last week I had a really nice climbing getaway to a part of the state I hadn't explored before. Austin and I drove out to Deep Creek in Spokane, then checked out the limestone crags of Marcus and Metaline Falls a couple of hours north near the Canadian border. I ended up completing just a handful of routes, but I pretty much wore out my skin and can still feel the tenseness in my forearms of 4 days straight climbing. First at Deep Creek I was keen to try something a little harder than what I got on when I was last there
a few years ago. Together we worked a really powerful 12b called Dump Truck, but we couldn't pull the bouldery start and the endurancy headwall together. It was a similar story the following day at Marcus where we got shut down on a 5.12, then at Metaline Falls I set my sights a little lower and sent and 11d second go. I can definitely feel my lack of route stamina from not climbing much over the winter, but I feel like I had just as much fun working and sending 11's that were close to my limit as I would have 12's.
Being out in the rolling forested hills of NE Washington was easily the best part. Sunbathing in the heat of the day, the views of the lakes and hills from the crags were amazing, and spending some great nights in solitude camped out under stars is something I really miss. Since it was just the two of us, we didn't get many photos, but here are a few taken from our phones.
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| Eagles circling me as I work my way up a classic 11b at Marcus |
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| Gives you an idea of the steepness |
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| I am a proponent of writing the route name on the rock. So much easier for visitors to deserted crags. |
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| Austin and Little Si are in no rush. |
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| Not a bad view from the crag. |
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| We only climbed the tip of the iceberg of available rock. |
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| Sunset means its time to get the fire going. |
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| So many routes, so little skin. |
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| Fourth day on, ready to go home. |
