ropes left on Sharkstooth approach

We were climbing up the Gash on the approach to Sharkstooth on Aug 15 and found 2 ropes about 1/2 way up. We left them alone, figured they belong to someone who would be back for them.
Anyway, I was really curious why they were left where they were. Hope the owners are OK?
Anyone know?

At this point take them down if anyone sees them up there. I'm sure the owner(s) can respond here later.

Adam Kaiser wrote:We saw those as well, I was wondering why one was coiled and the other not. I thought it was strange... We also found a ATC on the descent, anyone drop theirs?

Yeah, I didn't really think about it, but that was kind of strange.
I hope someone just got caught in a storm and dumped them there but I don't know why they wouldn't just carry them down.
Just hope nobody was hurt

Stich wrote:At this point take them down if anyone sees them up there. I'm sure the owner(s) can respond here later.

Always tough to decide when to leave people's gear alone and assume they will come back for it and when to carry it out and try to locate the owner.
I've never seen 2 ropes abandonded on the trail like that & didn't want to take them.

At this point, I'd agree that, if they are still there, someone should carry them down and post a message here looking for the owner

Jim Fox wrote: Always tough to decide when to leave people's gear alone and assume they will come back for it and when to carry it out and try to locate the owner. I've never seen 2 ropes abandonded on the trail like that & didn't want to take them. At this point, I'd agree that, if they are still there, someone should carry them down and post a message here looking for the owner

No guarantee the owner would know to look on MP to see where his ropes went. There are maybe some climbers that wouldn't know to do that?

You can leave a note at the ranger station as well. Something might have happened to the persons that left the rope that wasn't reported to the rangers or anyone else, but the ropes aren't going to weather sitting out there for months in any case. If the person that lost them comes forth later, at least they will know what became of them.

Remember that bizarre case of the guy that got injured and left a pack loaded with gear for something like six months near Longs Peak? It could be something like that.

Stich wrote:You can leave a note at the ranger station as well. Something might have happened to the persons that left the rope that wasn't reported to the rangers or anyone else, but the ropes aren't going to weather sitting out there for months in any case. If the person that lost them comes forth later, at least they will know what became of them. Remember that bizarre case of the guy that got injured and left a pack loaded with gear for something like six months near Longs Peak? It could be something like that.

Could leave a note where the ropes were as well but it wouldn't last long. Plus, I don't carry anything to write with when I'm out.

I haven't seen any reports of an injury there last weekend but suspect someone probably got hurt and that's why the ropes were left. We didn't see anyone in the proximity- just a couple groups already on the Sharkstooth.

As much as ropes cost, I'd hate to see someone lose 2 of them.

Anyone going up there this weekend?

Post of the year for the total lack of twats.

Thank you all!

Hey Tim those double ropes and the orange cord are mine. You took them off the Petit yesterday right??

I posted up in the lost and found earlier today. Would be psyched to grab that stuff from ya.. Definitely hook you up with some beers for hauling that stuff out! I'll PM you.

There were 2 green ropes on the approach to Sharkstooth up the Gash on Aug 15th. One was coiled, one not coiled. Just laying on trail with nobody close by.
I was hoping to hear that the owners were safe and had retrieved their ropes.

Ropes in the gash still there as of the 19th. I wish I had seen this post a few days ago, could have gotten them out of there, although no one seems very interested in reclaiming them.

Laramide Erogenous wrote:Ropes in the gash still there as of the 19th. I wish I had seen this post a few days ago, could have gotten them out of there, although no one seems very interested in reclaiming them.

Weird that someone would just leave $300+ worth of rope

Uhhhh. I don't think this was a dig at your name at all and really just a bad coincidence. Sounds to me like s/he was actually commending MP for actually not degenerating into it's usual crap fest about abandoned gear. Or not.

I was honestly impressed with this thread and had no idea about nick names.
Not one person called the ropes abandoned garbage or used that lame argument for theivery.
I would share a beer with you all.

Jim Fox wrote: Always tough to decide when to leave people's gear alone and assume they will come back for it and when to carry it out and try to locate the owner. I've never seen 2 ropes abandonded on the trail like that & didn't want to take them. At this point, I'd agree that, if they are still there, someone should carry them down and post a message here looking for the owner

I won't take sh1t, unless it's a piece of trad gear that's extremely difficult to bust loose (for example)--then, equal opportunity, fair game! Sell it for something you want (beer), if that piece isn't what you want! I can't help but feel guilty that whatever I take that isn't mine is scared and lonely for their owner lol! Better to own what I've earned, fair 'n square!

Paul Hutton wrote: I won't take sh1t, unless it's a piece of trad gear that's extremely difficult to bust loose (for example)--then, equal opportunity, fair game! Sell it for something you want (beer), if that piece isn't what you want! I can't help but feel guilty that whatever I take that isn't mine is scared and lonely for their owner lol! Better to own what I've earned, fair 'n square!

I left them alone because I figured the owners would be back for them. I really didn't even consider carrying them down, since there is a good chance that I wouldn't locate the owners and wouldn't want to feel like I stole somebody's ropes. Plus, I had no way of knowing how long they had been there-could have been a couple hours or several days. Guess I'd be pretty upset if I left my gear somewhere for a couple hours (or even a couple days) and someone took it before I came back to get it...

Curious if they are still there.
Very curious why they were left and if the owners are ok, but guess I will never know.

On the general subject of found gear, I have mixed thoughts. On the one hand, the owners may return to look for it and be happy to find it where they lost it. Far more common, I feel, is that the lost gear is not realized until it is already impractical to return for it (i.e. out-of-state-climber discovers loss after returning home). Leaving gear exposed to the elements, will lead to deterioration while waiting for owners who may never return. It's hard to know what the case may be, but I feel it is more responsible to take down the gear for its own protection from the elements and less-than-scrupulous adventurers, and make every possible endeavour to contact the owner. Personally, I would prefer to know that someone else is getting good use from my rope than to know that after sitting for weeks in the sun, it is useful to no one.

Josiah Cooper wrote:On the general subject of found gear, I have mixed thoughts. On the one hand, the owners may return to look for it and be happy to find it where they lost it. Far more common, I feel, is that the lost gear is not realized until it is already impractical to return for it (i.e. out-of-state-climber discovers loss after returning home). Leaving gear exposed to the elements, will lead to deterioration while waiting for owners who may never return. It's hard to know what the case may be, but I feel it is more responsible to take down the gear for its own protection from the elements and less-than-scrupulous adventurers, and make every possible endeavour to contact the owner. Personally, I would prefer to know that someone else is getting good use from my rope than to know that after sitting for weeks in the sun, it is useful to no one.

Discovering used gear that's been out in the elements for, who knows how long? Finding a carabiner that might have been dropped from hundreds or thousands of feet up. Sure, pick it up. But please, retire it for everyone! Don't use it with me or any of my beloved partners!

I'm speaking on the premise that gear is found within days of it being left. What I was getting at was pick the gear, try to find out who it belongs to, and how long it's been there. A rope left out for a couple days won't be weathered, draws either for that matter.