Conditions This Weekend (3.3-3.4)

As someone who doesn't ski, I'm still looking to get out and climb somewhere this weekend, but I'm new to the area and don't know what the best options in the Bay Area are after weather like we're having. 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what will possibly be dry (looks like for Sunday)? I was thinking cosumnes or mount Saint Helena could be possible, but was hoping for some other opinions.

Thanks in advance!

I don't know about Saint Helena, but Consumnes is going to be soaking wet if there is not snow. Any thing higher in elevation will be under snow. Auburn Quarry will be really wet as well. This weekend is why they invented climbing gyms. 

Pinnacles drys decently quick.

st. helena crags like the bubble, far side and hailstone would be a good choice for Sunday.  Some rain is still forecasted for Saturday, but should start clearing.  Just avoid bear cliff as the routes are getting rebolted and cleaned after the fire.  Also good to avoid table rock and table scraps after a rain

Iron Works, Planet Granite, Mission Cliffs...will have the best cragging. 

No. Never.  Climb rocks outside whenever possible.  'Don't buy into this thinking. ;)

bouldering at Nut Tree may be an option, but I bet it is now a muddy mess.

Mt. Tam is a top rope option.  

Ring Mountain will be ok for bouldering.

coastal crags like Mickeys will probably be cold.

Thank you for the suggestions! Just trying to take full advantage of the climbing here before I must return to the northeast. 

Nate, I'm aware of where I should not climb after rain, if that's what you mean, just wanted more educated opinions than my own on what would be possible this weekend, or if I should just go on a hike :)

get a tarp and go to nut tree

Maybe Jailhouse if you got the guns for it, though I seem to remember that it may seep. 

This is sad. Please read up on stone properties and the effects climbing has on them. I've never lived anywhere where climbers have had such low ethics and care for the stone they climb on. Chipping at Indian rock, climbing on wet sandstone, tick marks marking start holds at various spots in the bay, trash/tape/cigarettes/ etc at almost all of them.

G-Raw wrote:

This is sad. Please read up on stone properties and the effects climbing has on them. I've never lived anywhere where climbers have had such low ethics and care for the stone they climb on. Chipping at Indian rock, climbing on wet sandstone, tick marks marking start holds at various spots in the bay, trash/tape/cigarettes/ etc at almost all of them.

Wrong thread for this. 

G-raw I find that to be true also. Sorry to see it.

Why is g raw in the wrong? He is informing someone from out of town about the problems in the area

David S wrote:

Anyone else still thinking about getting outside tomorrow/Sunday?
The other options are Pinnacles or Mt. Diablo -- anyone have conditions updates for those places?

Dude, you're going to die. Pinns and Diablo are some seriously weak, shitty rock. After rains I certainly wouldn't climb either place.

I know it's not ideal, but go pull some plastic. Feel lucky to have such high quality gyms (I just sampled a small town Australian gym and re-realized how good the facilities and setting in the Bay are), and wait for the weather to clear. The afore mentioned stone isn't going anywhere unless you're yarding on it after it rains.

Historical ethic for St Helena is 2 days of warm sun or 3 days of cold overcast for the rock to dry.   Since it rained and hailed all day St Helena can be damaged by climbing tomorrow, despite that you would see people there, see previous post. Tam will be a dripping rainforest. Pinnacles is too wet now and has raptor closings. 

If you are crazy desperate a nice little day trip might be to the small area at Goat rock aka Sunset rocks on the Sonoma coast as it clears out and dries faster than Mickey's, and has better rock quality than inland. Good bouldering and some top rope with great hiking, and the surrounding towns have great food, music, bars, brews.

Hope everyone has a great day off.

Thanks Maureen! I wasn't sure of the st. Helena rock type which was the main reason I posted here...glad to see I started a classic mountain project debate though, it's a first for me :)

I'm going hiking tomorrow at mt. st. Helena, looking forward to checking out the area for the first time.

The best hiking at St Helena is out to Table Rock and farther.  The views are awesome! You will hike over the historical wagon train ruts embedded in the rocky trail. TH is on the east side of 29 or take oat hill mine TH from the outskirts of Calistoga. Does not go towards the summit but is more remote and Beautiful. St Helena summit is a telecommunications station and the trail is just a graded access rd. The recent burn is evident up there though and the climbing crags. Have a fabulous day!

Maureen Maguire wrote:

Historical ethic for St Helena is 2 days of warm sun or 3 days of cold overcast for the rock to dry.   Since it rained and hailed all day St Helena can be damaged by climbing tomorrow, despite that you would see people there, see previous post. Tam will be a dripping rainforest. Pinnacles is too wet now and has raptor closings. 

If you are crazy desperate a nice little day trip might be to the small area at Goat rock aka Sunset rocks on the Sonoma coast as it clears out and dries faster than Mickey's, and has better rock quality than inland. Good bouldering and some top rope with great hiking, and the surrounding towns have great food, music, bars, brews.

Hope everyone has a great day off.

It rained less than 1/10 of an inch at Pinnacles in the last 24 hours (0.07 to be exact)

Can St. Helena be damaged by climbing when wet? Thought it was volcanic and the cementing agent in the rock won't be affected by water (unlike sand stone).

To understand the geology of Mt St Helena zoom out your focus and look at the Pacific Coast Range. You will see the uplift and subluxation that creates the range. The Franciscan sediment comes up to meet the pyroclastic rock that layers the area. This layer is various igneous mix of tuff, welded tuff, rhyolite, andesite, basalt even some pumice, all kinds of stuff.  Note the hydrothermal field. Look at the pockets and fragments, the tilting that formed. The ancient caldera is not a volcano per se, but a collapsed mound that fell in on itself in geologic time filling the space that molten rock vacated. This rock is porous and allows a lot of percolation and seeping. Walk around to the north side and find the same type of rock much more fractured and crumbling. That side holds more moisture. Intense heating of this moisture contributed to the cracks and flaking in the fires over Bear Wall. This rock especially the rhyolite can also be almost polished on top but it's not deep.  Look at all the climbing areas along this range and you will find a jumble of sediments and igneous mixed together. You will find marine fossils on the top of Sonoma mountain. So yes when the rains come this rock weakens.  

As for Pinnacles it's true that the position of it keeps it dry longer in light and infrequent showers, but in a heavy storm the rock is so porous and conglomerate that it practically absorbs moisture right out of the air. It needs heat to dry. There was snow on the high peaks this last storm. It doesn't take much water for it to dampen. Plus it gets damn horefrost cold in that box canyon campground.

What can we say except that this coast range is just one big choss pile. Bitter truth.lol.