Why We WaitWet sandstone breaks. The science, the casualties and one very salty crimp.

The Callahans, OR

the Callahans now
Drying out, but holds are likely still soft; no more rain expected
Rest day. Hit the gym or a rainy-day crag, and let the holds live.
Likely wet for more than a week at the forecast weather. Check back as the forecast updates.
⚠ This could be a sandbag: shaded, north-facing or seeping rock can stay wet longer than the gauges suggest. Touch the rock and check the ground before you tie in.
Updated · updates hourly
Sun and shade
Chase the sun or hide in the shade?
Live sun and shade map ↗ · ShadeMap
Live radar

Live radar

Updates hourly
Loading radar…

The last hour of rain and snow on radar; the pin marks the Callahans. Green is light, yellow to red is heavy. Radar: NOAA/National Weather Service. Mountains can block radar in parts of the West, so light rain may not show.

NWS radar ↗ · Windy radar ↗

Rain, last and next 7 days
Rain at the Callahansmeasured forecast
M–T–W–T–F–S–•–82%Mon, Nov 9: 0.24 in forecast, 82% chance0.24M1%Tue, Nov 10: 0.01 in forecast, 1% chance0.01T3%Wed, Nov 11: 0.00 in forecast, 3% chanceW11%Thu, Nov 12: 0.00 in forecast, 11% chanceT45%Fri, Nov 13: 0.39 in forecast, 45% chance0.39F79%Sat, Nov 14: 0.85 in forecast, 79% chance0.85S70%Sun, Nov 15: 0.08 in forecast, 70% chance0.08S
Last 7 daysNext 7 days
Rain gauges
Updates hourly

Last rain at these gauges: 4 h ago · 0.46 in at Burnt Ridge, ending Sun 9 AM

Rain in the last 3 days: none <0.10 in 0.10–0.25 >0.25. Tap a gauge for its name and link.

Webcam

Camas Mountain (OR 42), 10.8 mi from the Callahans: today's pictures, newest last. Most nearby cams watch towns or roads; look for wet pavement, low clouds and rain over the hills. Open on Windy ↗

Thanks and community

Local coalitions and stewards

  • Access Fund ↗For keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment across the country.
  • Southwest Oregon Climbers Coalition ↗For working with Access Fund and Weyerhaeuser to keep the Callahans open to climbers.
  • Weather data ↗Rain gauges via Synoptic Data (MesoWest) from public and private weather networks. Forecasts from the National Weather Service. Model estimates from Open-Meteo when gauges go quiet.

Local climbing community

OnlineMountain Project Pacific Northwest forum ↗
GymsCrux Rock Gym ↗Elevation Bouldering Gym ↗
Local guidance

Local guidance

Access rule Access: most of the Callahans are on Weyerhaeuser timber land and need a Weyerhaeuser recreation permit (walk-in or drive-in, sold online each year in limited numbers); Scorpion Buttress and Roadhouse Rock at Britt Nichols County Park don't. In May 2026 Mountain Project reported that logging had clear-cut most of Weyerhaeuser's part of the area and trail access was being reassessed, with Scorpion Buttress as the alternative: check current access before you go. The Tyee Sandstone holds water: give it time to dry after rain. Mountain Project: access and permits ↗

  • Rock Tyee Sandstone
  • Group Fragile when wet: red for 48 h after rain, caution to 72 h (96 h in winter)

The Callahans on Mountain Project ↗Southwest Oregon Climbers Coalition ↗
Rain check details

Rain hit the Callahans

Rain hit the Callahans: 0.46 in at Burnt Ridge. There were two rounds of rain.

What happened

  1. Fri about 2 PM: Light rain reached the Callahans. It dropped 0.01 in at Winston (8 mi southeast).
  2. Sat about 8 PM–Sun 10 AM: A band of rain crossed the area. It dropped 0.58 in at Dodson Peak (17 mi east), and 0.46 in at Burnt Ridge (8 mi west).

Where the rain fell (72-hour totals)

AreaGaugesRain
East, 11–28 miDodson Peak, Wild Iris Lane, North Umpqua, SE Summit0.00–0.58 in
the Callahans areaBurnt Ridge, Happy Valley, Red Hill, Hutchins, Winston0.12–0.46 in
Northeast, 12–28 miPinkston, Oakland, Union Gap, Forgotten Lane0.00–0.46 in
Northwest, 25 miDellwood East0.42 in
West, 23–29 miMyrtle Point0.11–0.38 in
Southwest, 18 miSignal Tree0.36 in
Southeast, 13–25 miDays Creek, Boomer Hill Rd, Myrtle Creek 7NE, Robert Creek Valley0.03–0.25 in
South, 21–26 miSilver Butte, Nickel Mountain0.09–0.18 in
North, 13 miTyee0.09 in

Where it's wet: Burnt Ridge (8 mi west) caught 0.46 in, the most near the Callahans. That's a soaker. The crags closest to it: Gobbler's Knob, Brittsan Buttresses and Brittsan Rock. The site shows 🔴 Likely wet. Last rain: 0.46 in at BURNT RIDGE, ending 4 h ago. Drying it out takes about 47 h of good drying weather; at the forecast humidity, wind and sun, the rock is likely still wet. Touch the rock and check for damp sand at the base, especially in the shady canyons on the west end.

From 33 gauges out to 30 mi. Farther gauges as of 1:29 PM PST. Red means 0.10 in or more, amber a trace. Storm cells can be smaller than the gaps between gauges.
Local Beta Board

Local Beta Board

Climbers posting what they see at the Callahans: which walls are dry, seeps, closures, approach and trail conditions.

No beta posted yet. Be the first to spray some beta from the Callahans: which walls are dry, wet or seeping?

Post your beta

Posts are screened automatically and some are reviewed before they appear. Be kind, stay on topic, no personal info. See the terms.
Get alerts

Get alerts

An email when the Callahans changes. Unsubscribe anytime.

Your email is used only for these alerts. See privacy.
Rain chance, wind and temperature

Rain chance, wind and temperature

Temperature: 53°F now · next 24 h 47–58°F

Good friction temps (high 58°F).

Wind now: 1 mph from the ESE, gusts 6 · Burnt Ridge (BNFO3), 7.7 mi, 1 h ago

1p57°22p57°23p58°34p56°35p55°36p53°27p52°28p52°29p51°110p51°311p50°312a50°3
No rain in today's forecast. Wind by hour (mph, arrow shows where it blows; g = gusts) and temperature. Forecast: National Weather Service.

NWS hourly forecast for the Callahans ↗Sun and shade now (ShadeMap) ↗
Rain gauges

Last rain at these gauges: 4 h ago · 0.46 in at Burnt Ridge, ending Sun 9 AM

  • Burnt Ridge
    BNFO3 · 7.7 mi · checked 1:29 PM
    0.46 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 4 h ago: 0.46 in, ending Sun 9 AM
    0.07 in0.22 in0.11 in0.02 in0.03 in0.01 in
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports hourly · Fire-weather station (RAWS), sends by GOES satellite
  • DW6983 Winston
    D6983 · 8.3 mi · checked 1:29 PM
    0.11 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 9 h ago: 0.11 in, ending Sun 4 AM
    0.04 in0.04 in0.01 in0.02 in
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 15 min · Citizen weather station (CWOP), sends over the internet
  • Happy Valley
    PC031 · 8.8 mi · checked 1:29 PM
    0.17 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 9 h ago: 0.17 in, ending Sun 4 AM
    0.08 in0.06 in0.02 in0.01 in
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 10 min · PacifiCorp weather station
  • Red Hill
    PC518 · 9.1 mi · checked 1:29 PM
    0.17 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 11 h ago: 0.17 in, ending Sun 2 AM
    0.12 in0.04 in0.01 in
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 10 min · PacifiCorp weather station
  • Hutchins
    PC197 · 9.2 mi · checked 1:29 PM
    0.16 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 9 h ago: 0.16 in, ending Sun 4 AM
    0.07 in0.05 in0.02 in0.01 in0.01 in
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 10 min · PacifiCorp weather station

Bars show rain each hour over the last 24 h. "Last rain" looks back 7 days. Tap a gauge to see its full record on MesoWest. The site checks every gauge hourly.
Is it actually dry?

Check the rock yourself

Rain gauges measure rain, not rock. Sandstone is weak when wet and holds water long after the surface looks dry, especially on shady or seepy faces. If the ground is damp, the rock is too, and the route will still be there tomorrow if nobody breaks it.

Is it actually dry?

Field checks before you tie in

  • Is the sand at the base dry? It dries before the rock does; damp sand means wet rock.
  • Are the trail and the ground at the cliff base dry? If not, don't climb.
  • Look for dark damp patches, moisture behind flakes and inside cracks, and fresh sand on holds.
  • Shaded walls, spots under trees and grooves that channel water stay wet much longer.
  • Sun and wind dry rock fast; cloudy, calm, humid days slow it down, and winter drying is slow (great friction, bad drying).
  • After long, soaking rain the rock can stay wet inches deep. Give it extra time.
  • If any part of the route, base included, is wet, pick another climb. No send is worth a broken hold.
  • Wet day? These nearby crags aren't sandstone, so rain doesn't weaken the rock (it can still be slick), nearest first:
    1. Little River Crags rhyolite · 29 mi
    2. Youtlkut Pillars columnar dacite · 45 mi · above 4,400 ft, snowed in until about June
    Miles are straight line from the Callahans. Links go to Mountain Project.
Thank you

Thank you

  • Access Fund

    For keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment across the country.

    Access Fund is the national climbing advocacy nonprofit. It works alongside local climbing organizations, like the coalitions thanked on each area page, on access, stewardship and education, including how long to wait after rain.

    How to assess sandstone after rain ↗

  • Southwest Oregon Climbers Coalition

    For working with Access Fund and Weyerhaeuser to keep the Callahans open to climbers.

  • Weather data

    Rain gauges via Synoptic Data (MesoWest) from public and private weather networks. Forecasts from the National Weather Service. Model estimates from Open-Meteo when gauges go quiet.

Local climbing community

Facebook groups and pages

Online: forums and meetups

Gyms

Independent, locally owned gyms and shops near the Callahans. A listing isn't an endorsement; check hours before you go.