Pinnacles News Archive 1996 - 2002

9/3/02 Six California Condors to be penned at Pinnacles in a few weeks. San Jose Mercury News, 9/3/02. They may be released into the wild from their pen area on South Chalone Peak by the end of 2002.
Environmental Assessment on Pinnacles NPS page
7/3/02 All nesting areas have been reopened to climbing.
3/30/02 Bandits in Bondage - Second pitch 5.11 route on Machete Ridge completed, by James McConachie and Dennis Erik Strom.
1/22/02 The bolts on The Hatchet (south of reservoir) have been reported missing. This was later confirmed, and Mark Fletcher was observed working on replacing them once again.
1/18/02 Bird nesting closures have gone into effect.
12/01 Grand Delusion 5.11a led free by Dennis Erik Strom.
photos 1-3 photos 4-5 photos 6-8
12/01 30-mile hog-proof fence under construction - San Francisco Chronicle, 12/1/01 local version
11/10/01 Bolts replaced on Squareblock Rock Crack by Mark Fletcher, and on Flatiron Regular Route by Mark Fletcher, Sid Hill, and Florence Scholl.
11/2/01 Grand Delusion 5.11c toprope (aka Delusion Overhang) was freed by Adam Long and Steve Dalleske.
6/30/01 All climbing areas have reopened from nesting closures. 24 prairie falcon chicks and one golden eagle chick were fledged this year! Nesting closures for 2002 will start on 1/18/02.
4/29/01 Love Line 5.10c R completed on The Hand, by Steve Dalleske, Kelly Rich, and Lou Renner. story / trip report topo photo
4/20/01 Many climbing areas reopened from nesting closures:
- Scout Peak
- Condor Crags, Fingers, Long's Folly
- Gargoyle, Piedras Bonitas, Knuckle Ridge, Outcast, Neglected Valley
- The Egg
- Resurrection Wall
See the NPS web page, which has an updated list: www.nps.gov/pinn/visit/climbclose.htm .
3/14/01 Bolts replaced on The Verdict, Cantaloupe Death, Feed the Beast, and Monolith Regular Route, by Greg Barnes, Dave Buchanan, and John Steinmetz.
3/13/01 California condors may be released at Pinnacles. According to the 3/13/01 San Jose Mercury News, there is some chance that 24 California condors may be released at Pinnacles, over 2002-2004. A decision is expected from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by the end of 2001. A possible location for their release would be Chalone Peak, which has partial road access from the west side. Monterey county dairy farmers have donated dead calves in the past for feeding California condors, which feed on dead animals.
One of the reasons Pinnacles is being considered as a release site is that the 4th planned release site, the Diablo Range (east of Morgan Hill and Gilroy), may be hazardous due to the proximity of the wind turbines on Altamont Pass.
- Ventana Wilderness Society
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1/22/01 The seasonal closures for raptor nesting are in effect. Full details (lists of areas and maps) are on the NPS web page: www.nps.gov/pinn/visit/climbclose.htm .
11/5/00 David Brower dies at age 88. He was the pioneer of technical rock climbing at Pinnacles in the 1930s, which included possibly the earliest use of bolts for free climbing protection in America. His first ascents at Pinnacles:
- 11/12/1933 - Condor Crags (both summits) 5.7, with Hervey Voge and George Rockwood.
- 4/1934 - North Finger "Class 4" (5.5 X), with Voge and Rockwood. photo
- 11/11/1934 - Tuff Dome 5.6, with Ralph Brower and Dick Leonard.
- 2/17/1935 - Monolith, Left Hand Traverse 5.4, with Ralph Brower, Bill Van Vorrhis, and George Rockwood.
Probably his most famous climb was the 1939 first ascent of Shiprock, a spectacular 1500' volcanic plug in New Mexico which had defeated other top climbers. Bolts were used for protection on Shiprock, and his experience gained at Pinnacles was likely helpful. Later he would become a famous environmentalist, as the first executive director of the Sierra Club during its great expansion in 1952-1969.
11/5/00 Bolts replaced on Son of Dawn Wall, by Clint Cummins.
9/30/00 Bolts replaced on Costanoan, by Mark Fletcher.
9/26/00 Robots of Dawn, new 5.10d/5.11a route left of Son of Dawn Wall, by Robert Zambetti and Janice Hirata. topo
8/28/00 Bolts replaced on The Hatchet, by Mark Fletcher.
8/4/00 On the route Bits 'N Pieces on the West Side, the large block next to the 3rd bolt is loose.
7/28/00 Climber dies after fall on East Side. San Jose Mercury News article. William Ayers (age 22) took a 25' leader fall on a "fairly easy" route near the "Moses Spring trail head". He struck his head below the helmet. He lost consciousness during the evacuation (7/22) and was pronounced brain dead on 7/26 at the hospital, where he is an organ donor.
The NPS Morning Report, 7/25/00 cited the "Tourist Trap route" [sic] and said he was found on a ledge, after falling 20'. The evacuation involved lowering him 25' to the ground.
Neal Labrie, Pinnacles climbing ranger, provided some more details on the accident. The climber was leading the upper part of Thrill Hammer, but had traversed right to the upper part of the Nipple Jam crack. He placed a piece of protection in this crack, but it pulled out when he fell onto it. The next protection was a bolt, which was not high enough to stop him from hitting the ledge.
My interpretation: the lesson seems clear that protection can easily fail in the soft rock of a Pinnacles crack. Expertise is required to judge the quality of crack protection, especially at Pinnacles. It is a very dangerous situation for an inexperienced leader. Beginning leaders would be better off doing their early crack leads on granite, where the rock is generally harder and protection is more secure.
The last climbing fatality in the monument was 11 years ago (I believe it was on Ordeal, in a leader fall when the harness was improperly buckled).
7/14/00 Bird nesting closures lifted. Six successful prairie falcon nests observed.
1/15/00 - The annual bird nesting closures are in effect.
1/11/00 5,000 acres added to Pinnacles. According to the 2/20/00 San Jose Mercury News, much of the addition is at the east entrance, on both sides of highway 146, out to highway 25. This includes the 2,000 acre Pinnacles Ranch/Campground/airstrip, being purchased for $4.6 million. 3,000 acres were also added from BLM holdings, mostly to the north end of the monument, but actually the boundaries are extended in all directions. 5,000 acres is a 30% addition to the previous 16,000 acres. See the NPS map (more accurate than the Mercury News map). The new areas include creek headwaters and some "significant geological formations" (not likely to be climbable, though!).
11/15/99 East Side auto bridge out November 15 - December 3, 1999. The temporary "Bailey Bridge" was removed and a permanent one installed. Access to the East Side was still possible via the Bear Gulch trail.
10/28/99 Bolts replaced on The Torso, by Mark Fletcher.
10/16/99 Bolt replacement completed on Old Original route on Machete Ridge, by Mark Fletcher.
7/26/99 Bird nesting closures lifted for remainder of 1999.
6/07/99 Bolts replaced on Derringer and Old Original routes on Machete Ridge.
5/12/99 - Some areas closed for bird nesting have been reopened -- Long's Folly, North and South Fingers, Condor Crags.
3/08/99 - Benighted climbers rescued from Machete Ridge.
1/16/99 - The annual bird nesting closures are in effect.
Fall/98 - Bat closure of Bear Gulch Caves trail begins. Green fencing placed around alternate trail entrances under the Monolith. The goal is to protect the colony of bats who have nested under the Monolith for years.
8/7/98 - The "Stonewall" fire (started on 8/3/98) chars 2950 acres, 65% in the south part of Pinnacles and 35% in adjacent private land. 100% contained as of 8/7/98. 7 (of 500) firefighters suffered from heat exhaustion. The Pinnacles was temporarily closed while the fire fighting was ongoing (8/3 to 8/7; reopened 8/8). No structures were damaged. Fires are not unusual here; they happen every few years. It was caused by an arc or short from a private powerline on a right-of-way inside the park, near Mount Defiance.
7/19/98 - Bird nesting closures lifted -- all climbing areas are now open. All nests failed this year; El Nino was not easy on the wild animals.
6/6/98, 7/19/98 - Pinnacles West Side reopens. The Highway 146 access road from Soledad is marked as a "rough road" (speed limit 25). Balconies Cave Trail open but wet (Bear Gulch Caves closed).
5/9/98 - Highway 25 reopens between Tres Pinos and Paicines, so the slow detour on Cienega Road is no longer needed. (This is for access from the north).
4/4/98 - Pinnacles East Side reopens (with little drinking water, and reduced parking). West Side entrance still closed; may open in June or so. (It is possible to climb in the open West Side areas like Machete Ridge, by parking in the Chalone Creek parking lot on the East Side, and hiking on the Old Pinnacles trail, but the hike is longer than the standard one from the West Side entrance).
2/3/98 - Storm damage closes Pinnacles National Monument.
- Chalone Creek bridge was washed out - a temporary "Bailey" bridge (one lane) is now in place (East Side). This is the bridge after the entrance booth, just before the big hill to the Bear Gulch parking lots and visitor center.
- New potential parking arrangement, because the overflow parking lot south of Chalone Creek is inaccessible (access road washed out).
  - On "high usage days" (possibly weekends, Fridays, and Easter week, but judged by rangers on a day-to-day basis), cars are not allowed into the park. People will have to park at a (small) free parking lot at Pinnacles Inc. Campground (just outside the park). From there, it is a 3 mile hike (entirely on the road) to the Bear Gulch trailheads. Bicycles are not allowed on the road during these times (you might get a different answer on bicycles, depending on who you talk to). The former access trail from the Pinnacles Inc. Campground to the footbridge and from the footbridge to the entrance of Bear Gulch was washed away. It now features a "second footbridge" (log) over a new channel.
  - On "low usage days" (possibly Mondays-Thursdays, after Easter week, judged on a day-to-day basis as above), only cars (or bikes) are allowed in (no hiking allowed on the road). If parking at Bear Gulch fills, a motor vehicle will only be allowed in when one leaves.
  - The last 3 times I've been there (Saturday 4/18/98, Sunday 5/3/98, and Memorial Day 5/25/98), parking at Bear Gulch was open. When it filled, people parked at the Chalone Creek Picnic Area and were allowed to hike up the road. Perhaps these were "medium usage" days, or the rules above are being modified for easier access.
- Bear Gulch Caves closed; debris needs to be cleared. May not reopen because the bat nesting season will occur soon.
- Bear Gulch Visitor Center closed, due to lack of water, sewer, and fire protection.
- Highway 25 from Hollister is under repair between Bolado Park Fairgrounds and the Paicines Post Office, where there was a big slide that is still creeping a bit. (It is now open to traffic, as of 5/9/98).
- Highway 146 (connector from 25 to park entrance) is under repair on weekdays - expect up to a 1 hour delay then.
- The usual bird nesting closures are now in effect (Yaks Wall, High Peaks, Balconies)
- West Side road undermined
- Drinking water available only in a few locations (bring your own). The Chalone Creek Picnic Area probably has running water, but the Bear Gulch areas do not, since that water supply was cut when the Chalone Creek bridge was washed out.
- Only portable toilets available (due to water problem)
- West Side utility system (power/water) destroyed
- Chapparal Campground destroyed
- Extensive trail damage (none noticed in Bear Gulch)
- Trees down
  - Fern Chamber
  - base of Portent
- Total cost of storm damage estimated to be $3.2 million.
Latest Press Release (~4/4/98)
See San Jose Mercury News 4/3/98, p.1B
San Francisco Chronicle (3/31/98)
Early March Update (3/9/98)
Second Press Release (~2/13/98)
First Press Release (~2/9/98)
(Press Releases provided courtesy of Superintendent Gary Candelaria)
See also the notice on the official NPS web page. I hope to make further updates and details available here as I receive them.
1/98 - Bat closure of Bear Gulch Caves Trail ends. Green fencing removed. Caves likely closed for awhile anyway, due to high water.
12/97 - First ascent of The Embarassment of Rich's 5.9+, overhanging hand crack left of Between A Rock And A Hard Place.
11/97 - Second redpoint ascent of Übermensch (originally 5.14a, now 5.13d?), by Ed Barry. See Climbing magazine, "Quick Hits", Feb-March 1998.
Fall/97 - Bat closure of Bear Gulch Caves trail begins. Green fencing placed around alternate trail entrances under the Monolith. The goal is to protect the colony of bats who have nested under the Monolith for years.
3/97 - First ascent of Heaven's Gate 5.9, the south arete of Third/Little Sister Spire.
4/96 - First ascent of Unabomber 5.10a, The Frog.
~3/96 - First ascent of Übermensch 5.14a, NE corner of the Monolith, by Chris Sharma.
~3/96 - First ascent of Yo Mama 5.12c, Monolith, by Chris Sharma.

Please send any additions/corrections to Clint Cummins.