Oregon Archives – Page 4 of 12 – GlassMountains Trip Reports

Monkey Face, Oregon, June 1995

June 11, 2021 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

Monkey Face is an often photographed and climbed rock tower at Smith Rock State Park in Central Oregon. Linda Topping and I climbed Monkey Face on June 11, 1995, 26 years ago. The climb was an exciting and memorable experience. We fondly remember the climb when we see Monkey Face on our hikes or bike rides in the area. But we have never repeated the climb.

Monkey Face from the southeast in June 1995.

In the view of Monkey Face above, “Bohn Street” is the ledge just above the notch on the left at the base of Monkey Face’s neck. The “bolt ladder” leads up the overhanging neck to the right side of Monkey Face’s mouth. From there we climb out of the left side of the mouth up to the nose, a large rock block with anchors, then scramble up through an eye socket to the top. The overhanging rappel begins at the right side of the nose block.

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Broken Top, Oregon, September 2020

October 5, 2020 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, September 30, Bob F. and I climbed Broken Top, just southeast of the South Sister in Deschutes County. Broken Top is an extinct Pleistocene stratovolcano that last erupted about 100,000 years ago. It has been greatly eroded during subsequent ice ages and has steep ridges of resistant but dubious rock. Broken Top still possesses two diminished glaciers, the Bend Glacier on the northern slopes and the Crook Glacier in the southern cirque. It is the 23rd highest peak in Oregon and the 56th most prominent.

Broken Top from the summit of South Sister (2020-07-14)

This was my fourth climb of Broken Top, my last climb in August of 2003. Bob had only climbed it once before, when he was in middle school in 1971. It is interesting how distorted memories become after the passing years. Clearly remembered landmarks on routes may not exist, unexpected ones appear, or easily climbed pitches seem much harder on subsequent visits. It was time to return for both of us.

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Hurwal Divide, Oregon, August 2020

September 9, 2020 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, August 26, I climbed Hurwal Divide. Hurwal Divide lies in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, part of the Wallowa Mountains, and gets its name as the steep divide between Hurricane Creek to the west and the West Fork Wallowa River to the east. It has 9776 feet of elevation and is the seventh highest peak in Oregon (with at least 500 feet of prominence).

The Hurwal Divide from Aneroid Mountain (2013-08-07)

Tuesday afternoon I drove to the north side of the Wallowa Mountains and car camped near the Hurricane Creek Trailhead. The trailhead was busy and I was fortunate to find such a nice spot to camp nearby beside Hurricane Creek.

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Maxwell Benchmark, Oregon, July 2020

August 13, 2020 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

Maxwell Benchmark and Hunt Mountain rise abruptly above the Baker Valley and invite a visit each time I see them. Early on Thursday, July 30, I left the valley to visit them.

Maxwell Benchmark (center) and Hunt Mountain (right) from Running Iron Road in the Baker Valley

From the Baker Valley I turned off Pocahontas Road and drove west up South Rock Creek Road. I continued along Rock Creek as the road entered National Forest, became FR 5520, and changed from pavement to good gravel to coarse and eroded gravel. I passed the Killamacue Trailhead and arrived at Eilertson Meadow.

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