Lost Highway

Lost Highway is unusual in that you rappel in. It feels isolated on the right side of the crag, away from all the other climbs. I give this 1.5 stars. The rock is ugly in places, although solid, and the middle pitch is easy. Bonus points for the adventure factor.

Approach: See

Mystic Mile

for how to get to Ledge 2. Walk right on Ledge 2 past

Mystic Mile

. Rack up and leave your packs at either the second to last large tree (

Eight Miles High

) or at the last large tree (

Arcanum

). You will be rappelling down

Arcanum

. Walk further right to where the ledge ends, then scramble up about 20 feet to the top of a pillar. The rappel bolts are just right of the pillar on a small ledge. A single rope rappel brings you to a nice large grassy ledge with trees. You could, if necessary, rap from trees from here to the approach trail. The climb begins near the right edge of the ledge.

Alternate approaches: Rossiter describes a "West Approach" that involves crossing the creek at an island across from Easter Rock. I checked this out a couple of months ago, and the tree from the island to the far shore was gone. At low water, you could wade the creek. There is supposedly a trail marked with cairns to the top of the crag from which you can rappel the route in 3 single-rope raps or perhaps one double rope rap with 60m ropes. However, from the top of Lost Highway, I did not see any cairns, and it would be difficult to find the anchors at the top of the climb if you've never been there. It also looks possible to scramble up to the start of the route from below from near Beer Can.

It is possible to get to the base from the normal approach trail (before reaching the main wall) with 4th class scrambling up loose dirt and rotten rock, but not recommended.

Linking pitches: I self-belayed, and easily linked all 3 pitches with a 70m rope. There was lots of rope left over, so I'm pretty sure a 60m would work. If you link all 3 pitches, I recommended back cleaning the top 2 bolts on pitch 2 so that the rope runs up the inside corner to the left. You may have some rope drag at the very top when you move left out of the corner.

You should definitely link pitches 1 and 2. The belay at the top of pitch 1 is in an ugly place, and you can't see the good parts of either pitch 1 or pitch 2. The only reason to belay here is if you have a weaker member of your party that wants to lead pitch 2.

Pitch 1: 10a, 6 bolts. Climb over some bulges on positive holds into a small, right-facing corner. Fun stems up this lead past the crux at the 3rd bolt. Rossiter calls this 10a, but it may be 5.9. Solid stem rests after every move. Easier rock leads to a small ledge and the anchors below an ugly orange headwall. I recommend continuing and linking pitch 2.

Pitch 2: 5.7, 5 bolts. Pull over the headwall. There's a bolt that's a little hidden by the vegetation on your right. Continue up a white quartz dike to a vegetated ledge below a grungy, left-facing corner. Move right around the arête and climb a few nice slab moves to a good ledge and the anchors.

Pitch 3: 10c, 9 bolts. Pull over the headwall above the anchors to the base of a right-facing corner.

Orgasmatron

11b moves left from here, underclinging a ceiling to gain a steep arête. Lost Highway continues up the corner. About half way up the difficulties begin. There are several tenuous moves at the last 2 bolts in the corner. I placed a nut between these 2 bolts. Swing left out of the corner onto a slab (avoiding the roofs above) and traverse left past 2 bolts at about 5.8 friction (

Orgasmatron

joins here) then back up and right to the top.

Descent: From the anchors at the top of pitch 3, walk back a short ways and then walk left a couple hundred feet staying near the top of the cliff face. Look for a gap in the trees that leads to a horizontal slab. There may be a cairn marking this. The rap bolts (with rings) are at the climber's left edge of the horizontal slab. This is the top of Arcanum. You can do one rap with double 60m ropes, or two single raps. Rap down the low angle slab and angle a bit right to the top of a vague, right-facing corner. The anchors are near the top of this corner at a small stance and are not visible until you are nearly there. Another rap gets you down to near your packs.

NOTE: Bob D'Antonio's guidebook has Lost Highway and Orgasmatron switched in the photo. On the third pitch, Orgasmatron is to the left of Lost Highway.

3/8" bolts with 2-bolt anchors with rings. P1 6 bolts, P2 5 bolts, P3 9 bolts. A few long slings if you will link pitches. I placed a #7 HB offset nut (about 3/8") at the crux on the third pitch. Bring a 60m rope to be safe.