billcoe Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 Trip: Yosemite - several Date: 5/7/2007 Trip Report: Driving down I-5 to California heading for some Yosemite cracks, I'm chuckling to myself at how special my wife is to me. As this trip was approaching, she'd asked if I was getting jazzed up about going: I'd thought about it, grimaced, and then proceeded to say....."Well, it's only for 1 week.....". Cracked her up. Laughing, she says; "Hey, aren't you suppose to be complaining after the trip?, You haven't even left yet! ". I wanted to finish by expounding on my idea that for me to climb optimally in the valley, I need a full week to both get in shape, and start to get the feel of the rock…I wanted to say this, but couldn’t' as she was already laughing too hard. Driving and reflecting on this, I had to admit she had a point. I was in the car with 2 old friends, Andrew Trzynka and Dave English. We'd met in college which as it turns out was some time ago, climbers drifting together, we'd known each other about 25 years or so. Good guys, technically competent, smart and fun to be with, we were heading to Mecca for the Haj. And it was good. The plan was to meet up with Stan Miller and Steve Lyford just outside of the valley and crash at Victors, a mutual friend's house, for the night. Jim Opdycke had been scheduled to go, but a late injury with a brush cutter had caused him to scratch off, leaving me as the only non-engineer in the group. I'd gotten a car stereo MP3 player which had the new HD radio technology (the free digital radio). It was just outside of Victors house outside of the park where the conversation about relationships, life, careers, politics and religion and catching up finally died out and the stereo was turned on for the first time. Seeing Victor again was nice, we drank some wine and beer to go with the spaghetti dinner, the conversation flowed again. The next morning, I'm discussing my theory of taking a week to warm up and suggested that since we were driving right past it, we stop and take a shot at Nutcracker, a classic 5.8 multipitch, by way of a nice warm up. As we drove in, Andrew noticed that the Cascade Falls parking lot was empty and so we stopped. A short hike up the cliff and Andrew was roping up to lead Sherries Crack, a beautiful 5.10c finger crack. An Andrew warm up. As Dave was seconding, I looked to the right and saw the perfect warm-up crack for me: Nurdle, which Gent had led lastt time, and at 5.8 with nice rests on 2 pitches (or 1 long one) , fit what was in my mind as a warm up perfectly. Then a group of 5 showed up and headed right to it. Bitches. Shit. Note to self, best lose some weight and stay in better shape in the winter. Seriously, they were real nice folks and toproped Sheries when we finished. To the right of them was Knob Job. I'd done the route when I was a pup and vaguly remembered that when I could lead 5.11, it was difficult. Shit. After Sherries crack, it was my lead too. I rack up and jump on it after a quick glance at the topo. First lead out of the car is 10b. And an impossibly hard one at that if my poor memory was any indication. Sheeze. Who saw this coming? Went up nervously and pulled what later turned out to be the crux at the top of the crack, from a stance on a knob as I'm looking up and right I hear Andrew yell "Not Right Bill, go Left, go left". I vaguely remember that the up and right had contained the face climbing crux, and although I don't remember squat else about it, I remember that it was a fearsome bit of work. Turned out later that up and right is another route, a 10d face, while up and left where the route joins Nurdle and eases off was the correct and probably a 5.8 way, whew. What a stellar route it is when not off route. What you see in the pic was me with my winter hibernation fat not off yet. Course, it pretty much stays on yearound anyway, but curiously, I have a nagging suspicion that someday I'll be popped with a dart gun, tagged in the ear and drug out to the backcountry by the rangers when I'm dumpster diving with my shirt off. It turned out that peeling the shirt in the oppressive sun and heat was a bad decision that came back to bite me as we get stalled in the clusterfriggage of the Nurdle group. Slowly I basted and reddened as Dave and Andrew sorted out the second pitch Nurdle route and finally headed up. After getting to the deck and drinking some water, Andrew wants to do Knuckleheads, a 5.10b face route just to the right. Proving both that bolted routes do exist in the valley, and that he leads those as effortlessly and gracefully as he does cracks. He was just about ready to fire off the deck when Steve Schnieder showed up with a lady and expressed some disappointment that we were on the route. So they headed over left and I happily got to watch him lead Knob Job and then they each took a couple of toprope runs each. Fortunately, Steve's dog stayed, laid down right near us and became a mosquito magnet. We called it a day and headed to get the campsite set up. The highligh of the evening comes when some dude in a pickup truck stops in the middle of the loop road and is just starring at us. We're like cows in the field till Stan looks over and says "Steve?". Turns out Steve House had recognised Stan and stopped, and they were camping like 4 sites down in Upper Pines in a massive camper/pickup combo, looks like not all camping is done light and fast by Steve:-). So Stan moseyed down to see what they were up too and say hi, be social. AM breakfast starts with everyone milling around indecisively and also waiting for Dave Hardin to show up to climb with us. Dave pops in @ 8 am and it takes about an hour to decide that Cookie Cliff might be nice. Andrew jumped on Catchy right off to warm up. The sun started cooking us almost right away and we did in fact get warm. We didn't do many routes this day, and I didn't lead any (which suited me fine as my head was still on needing a week mode). Andrew surprised me as he gets @ 80% of the way up Catchy, puts a piece in, steps down and eyes it again. He quietly says "watch me" which I already am but verbally assure him that I've got him covered 6 ways to Sunday. I'm musing over the fact that Andrew never has those kinds of thoughts on 5.10 when he steps up and backs up the piece he has in and re-eyeballs the route above before smoothly and easily moving up to the belay anchors. He puts me on. The route goes quickly and I'm running it, in fact, my memory flashed to Blackberry Jam at Rocky Butte as the middle off-fingers section was giving me the identical finger stacks which I get on that route…. ... until I got up high and surprisingly popped off the crux when I got the sequence blown and was shocked that my old trick of just muscleing up in that circumstance failed me in this instance. Shit, I had the holds eyed and gripped and my strength failed me (when the technique went to shit first!). Pissed, I jump back on it and finish. Andrew suggests that I was flying up it too fast…rushing…and it was true. Sigh. We rap off and leave a TR for the 2 Daves. I learn that the routes grade is 10d, and wish I'd paid attention to that little fact BEFORE so I could have chosen my rests and eyeballed the crux sequence BEFORE I got into the middle of it Fortunatly its damn hot, and I get a pass on my lead which would have been the 5.11 Catchy Corner which continues up from the top of Catchy. I probably could have pissed in my pants and used that as an excuse for Andrew to grab the lead.....ahhhhhh...spared that humiliation again. The low of the day was when some young kid, who was built like a Brick shithouse or a Greek God, heads up Catchy and underpros it. Now, I'm fine with people not putting in pro if they have their sh*t together, Werner did it on Sacher Cracker for instance, but the kid runs it out on the 10a easy section, puts in a piece - or 2, then dropps a short bit and hangs like 2-3 times on it. Then climbs up and whips off the crux with 2 pieces between him and the deck over 80-90 feet below. If any of you choose to do this, you have my permission, while hanging there on an easy section looking up to the hard section, to put in 2 or 3 more pieces as you eyeball the crux. Hell, put in as many as you want, just don't pull your only 2 pieces and auger in, something much more common with little cams as they are prone to movement more than nuts are. Fortunately the kids stuff held. (2 awesome Daves, English on left, Hardin on right) We all decide that it's getting too hot to stay anyway, so I head over to see what Stan and Steve are up to and if they are heading down. They'd done Bevs tower and Wheat Thin (the 10C right to the left) and are toproping Butterballs (5.11D). When they get down Dave Hardin suggests Lower Cathedral and says there are 4 short routes there, 3 are 10c and 1 is 11a, and shade. Dave H heads back home after we all get pumped and we head to our campsite. (Stan on some 10c, Lower Cathedral) (Andrew on 9 to 5 on Lower Cathedral) The next day Steve and Stan ride off on their bikes to head to do NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral. They were gone @ 11 hours including the bike ride down and back. Explaining that I'm trashed, I apologize and tell Andrew and Dave I need a rest day. It's quickly agreed that a rest day for all of us which turns into a "find the 1/2 Dome death slabs" hike. Andrews's foot had been torn up and was in pain, which pretty much excluded some long routes like NE Buttress and Arches/Crest jewel link up, but it's agreed he'll try this and if it hurts head back. Here's the start. We hiked up a tad from the pic, which shows the start of the 3rd class and Dave batmanned up the first fixed line, but we weren't into hitting the Half Dome base so we headed back after deciding that the base of El Cap the next day would be primo - especially for Andrew who wanted to do LaEsquala.(below) When we get there, nobody is there, so Andrew jumped on Sacher Cracker before the sun hits it. (also below). There was some moaning, panting and grunting as Andrew did the fist crack to squeeze chimney transition crux. Although I couldn't duplicate that footwork, I was pretty much able to duplicate those sounds except I was louder I suppose. The highlight of the route may have been the purple alien someone had left which looks bootieable. A couple showed up as we started the rap. Andrew gets to work on the Alien. The woman below starts asking questions about the process anxiously, as if to say, "hurry up". Andrew looks down and says "Werner"? Which later elicited a "Take your time" from the woman. It was Werner and Merry Braun who had showed up for the route as well. So we leave the piece. Werner leading in the lower pic, his first piece appears to be the fixed Alien. I suppose there was some moaning, panting and grunting as Werner did the fist crack to squeeze chimney transition part. The next day, Dave shows up again, and gets caught by the rangers sleeping over in the empty campsite next to us in his truck. He pays the $20 @ midnight rather than move to our site and wake us up. The next day we split into 2 groups and head to the Apron with Dave English, Stan and Steve heading for Perhaps to Lucifer's Ledge. I wanted to do something fun, so Andrew, Dave and I did Harry Daley and I lead the first pitch and Dave took the second. Immediately to the right of the Monday morning slab is a route called "Cold Fusion", which Dave highly recommended and wanted to do. Andrew lead the 1st p, a 10c friction pitch, Dave took the second, a 5.9 jamcrack in the middle and I got the 10b friction to finish. The 10b pitch was the best friction pitch I remember ever having done. I've done all the long routes on the Apron: Lucifers, Goodrich and Coonyard and most of the moderate stuff inbetween but that pitch really sticks out as different and fun. There was major erosion dishes approx ever 15 feet and some of the most interesting crystallization holds ash damn it was good too. If you brought enough draws, maybe 16-17 if you runnered the mid-sized TCUs on the 5.9 jamcrack, I'd just run P2 and 3 together. The week went fast. For ya know it, Dave is drawing out directions to his house where we plan on staying for a night. The gate is part of the community. Real sweet house, and he and Patrica, his wife, treat us like royalty. We get showers and 2 classic Dave slideshows to boot. He says he's got 17,000 slides. Lots of first ascents he did in the sierras which have never been reported yet and various adventures here and there. Mostly there, dudes been about everywhere it seems. The last day found me taking a climbing break to hike the Glacier Point 4.6 trail up and back, womthing I'd never done before. Steve went for a leisurly bike ride while Andrew, Stan ad Dave did Serenity/Sons of Yesterday. Andrew and I reflected on the last trip down with Gent, where we ripped up this route the 8 pitches or whatever it is and were back at the car by noon, having to wait as we rapped past the young fellas still heading up below the 3rd pitch crux still: who had been nipping our heels as Andrew (our third on that pitch) was stepping off the deck. With Dave E, Stan and Steve choosing to head home. Dave H tells Andrew and I he'll show us the best climbing in the world outside of Yos. So in the AM we head off to the "Lost World", up on Sonora Pass. Early season road Closure in effect...damn..... So we head back down the road with a couple of options, but as Dave is suppose to be in San Francisco by early afternoon, and not off F*ing around in the Sierras (And Andrews foot still is an issue), we choose to make it a short day and climb at Donnelly Overlook. (Dave with psudo belay, Bill about to send Psudo crack) Now, this may seem humorous to you all, but the best part for me is that Dave, who was hired by Royal Robbins when he had Rockcraft, and climbed with the man amongst many others, and has sh*tloads of wild FAs in the Sierras as yet unrecorded, and done almost every route in the valley, plenty of the walls too....…and remembers every damn one, well, not only does Dave not apologize, but gets into it and has a ball. If his name is familiar to you, it might be cause he did the Supertopo typos for Hetch Hetchy. Anyway, it was a great time hanging with Dave cause he has so much fun just doing it and is an all around great guy. Supertopo Obscurities After a few short highball problems which get led with a piece or 2, Dave gives us the lowdown on Chipmunk Flats, a bolted area further down the road the opposite direction he needs to head, but right on our path. We part company with much thanks passed back and forth. Continued.... Quote
billcoe Posted May 15, 2007 Author Posted May 15, 2007 The rest of the story: We never found the Chipmonk Flat area Dave was describing, but we found something which didn't look anything like his description and there wasn't a single piece of bolt or webbing to be found. We did the crack on the right of the pic up past the 2 trees that heads up over the shoulder for a little over 100', I led it with a nut tool digging out placements and handholds as it was chalk full of dirt, great climb. Have not found out what it is/was. We wandered further down the road looking for Chipmonk Flats, somewhere on the Sonora Pass...till finally, we packed it in, headed for some illicited by the road dirtbagging next to the road in Lassen with some gourmet food for dinner. Great week. Amazingly great group of people. Missing in action were some of last years group who were there in spirit like Ujahn, Craig and Gent. Quote
John Frieh Posted May 16, 2007 Posted May 16, 2007 I have a nagging suspicion that someday I'll be popped with a dart gun, tagged in the ear and drug out to the backcountry by the rangers when I'm dumpster diving with my shirt off Bill Coe! Good work guys! Quote
Alpinfox Posted May 16, 2007 Posted May 16, 2007 Nice TR! What/where is La Esquela? Looks awesome. If you could resize your pictures a tad, that would be appreciated because I have to scroll to see the whole thing. Quote
willstrickland Posted May 16, 2007 Posted May 16, 2007 Bill, I was at the Cookie when you guys were there. I remember things a little differently. Quite a few people there had a different perception of "low of the day" that involved a certain yellow clad fellow and a sprayfest of unsolicited advice, criticism, and beta to a group of strong young women. Btw, Butterballs = .11c. Cheers. Quote
billcoe Posted May 17, 2007 Author Posted May 17, 2007 Damn! Makes me want to jump in the car right now! Damn straight Pope. Totally agree, especially lookin around at the cube I'm in, so make sure you save some room for me in that car:-). Fox, it's on the base of the Captain just to the left of Sacher Cracker like 40 feet or so which is just up a short bit from the Salethe start. If you go up there with Andrew you will additionaly get a virtuoso display of technical prowess. Sorry about the pic size. Will, it's one of the things we elders do poorly and do often: give advice. I think it gets worse as we age too. Dave's a super fella, like very, very, top notch in every department, and has only the best intentions. I'm sure he'd feel horrible that folks were offended that he tried (unsuccessfully it appears) to help out. People ask him for advise or to come over and do a free slide show for this organization or that organization all the time. He seems to remember everything......and I like to hear about all that old stuff, and appreciate him freely sharing. Wills friend on Catchy Interestingly enough, it makes me remember 2 stories. First- (pictured here unroping off Catchy) the other Dave (English) wouldn't climb with me for @6-8 months cause I was giving him advice (uhhh, 3 attempts-all ignored) to put pro in as he was climbing directly above me (I was hanging on P2 of White Satin at Smith at the time if you know that route). He'd been climbing a lot at that time, not cube farming like now, and was signifigantly climbing better than me at that time, and felt that I was being condensending by repeating the advice and I should have STFU. Least he seemed pretty clear about all of it when I caught the non-verbal cues that he was steamed and asked what the matter was. -So- I have since shut my yap somewhat, but it is a fine line sometimes. I'm trying. However, habits being what they are.......I am really trying, but if thats ever me yammering off into sprayville: would any of you guys just tell me that the advice is unwanted or unneeded if my mouth goes off and just save me the embarrassment? The second story is this. There were 3 dudes jabbering to the left of Catchy when I got down, and while the Daves TR'ed Catchy, I moseyed over to see what they were on. One guy had an aider (single aider hanging off his backside) They showed me the topo and told me they were on Catchy. I pointed to the route to the left on the topo and tried to explain Catchy was to the right. Giving advice again. Maybe I should have minded my business. Who can say. Anyway, getting to the story, (these get longer and more hot-winded as you age too.) We were under you folks on Catchy, didn't recognise you, and as the Italians went by, I said Chao, and pointed up to Catchy to show them that route. They came over and I took another moment to show them some Poison Oak, and mimed how to avoid it (pretty condensending of ME to assue they didn't know what it was but they seemed interested), and what would happen if you got in it (mimed scratching and grimacing) They thanks us, waved, said chao, and left. We get to the cars and they're still there. They come over to me and are trying to ask how to get to a discount grocery store cause they think the valley store is too much $$. I shuck them off on Dave since he's lived there for 25-30 years or whatever, and he tries to describe a bunch of possible scenarios and locations to them on local stores in Groveland and Mariposa and blah blah blah blah blah blah with directions and arrows and paragraphs on the back of each picture - and also to try and understand what they really needed. I walked off to stuff my crap in the car, and later, Andrew told me that when I was doing that: that Dave tried to give these guys $40 so they could afford the valley food and save the money on the gas they would use to get to an offsite store. He figured that they could stay in the states and climb longer. See how Dave is? Thats just 1 story I'd almost forgotten. I wouldn't offer to give some strangers money, but Dave had no problems trying to help some perfect strangers who's English was shit but for sure were climbers. Will, check your PMs for the link, I got some pics for you. Chao dudes Quote
Off_White Posted May 17, 2007 Posted May 17, 2007 The low of the day was when some young kid, who was built like a Brick shithouse or a Greek God, heads up Catchy and underpros it. Will, fess up, was this you? Quote
JosephH Posted May 17, 2007 Posted May 17, 2007 Quite the trip, thanks for such a detailed report and all the photos... Quote
Otto Posted May 18, 2007 Posted May 18, 2007 I can see all of the photos without scrolling when I set the resolution to 1280 wide on an 18" monitor. Thanks for the nice shots of all that lovely granite. Quote
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