"Windy Daze"

A newly established highline ("Windy Daze") on the backside of Smith Rock has been walked by Thomas Sloss and Brian Mosbaugh today. It was first sent by Brian Mosbaugh (FA full-man) with an Onsight in one direction and then by Thomas Sloss onsight one way. There has yet to be an official measure of the line but our educated guess was around 130 feet in length. We placed 4 mega 5/8 inch bolts (Type 18 Terry style) for each anchor and used stainless steel chain links in place of hangers. The beauty of this rig is that the bolts are easily disguised so as to not obstruct the view and are only accessible if you are willing to climb/solo up vertical terrain and crumbly rock. As a side note, atop one of the formations Jesse Brown found a very old yellow Kodak film canister under a rock that contained a note from the first recorded ascents of the tower back in 1961 and 1969. It's an interesting thought that this time capsule is now 50 years old, a great testament to the history of rock climbers and their continuing exploration of the vertical world. In the end, this line was a pretty tricky send that constantly battled the ripping wind with momentary lapses of calm. Despite the intimidating conditions we pulled out the first crossings and are very proud of the final product. Positioned over an alcove like feature, between two lichened covered rock towers, it parallels the beautiful Cascade mountains and Crooked River in addition to walking directly toward the iconic Monkey Face. A written description doesn't do justice to the postcard view so video will be posted at a later date... More bolts to be placed, more lines to be walked!

~B

Photo taken by/of Brian Mosbaugh