AvlNC

Favorite pitch followed (NYC007 led): Shoshone Spire, pitch 6 (starts at the notch halfway up the picture - pitch 5 was nice too!). A long pitch that starts out with a sketchy traverse outside the notch then follows face holds and hand and finger cracks up through a short roof. The exposure was awesome. Most enjoyable pitch because it took just about every kind of move to get through it. The last move to the belay was hardest for me. spotly, did this one a few years ago...how many ticks did you find on you afterwards, we stopped counting at 50

easy smith trad list (all nice climbs): cinammon slab 5.6, only first p, second p sucks and is r/o -- unless you do the sport cry baby 5.9--exposed feeling and fun, puts you on the top spiderman 5.7, 2p reptile 5.8r --easier than rating if you don't mind a little sketchy rock and one 20' r/o lion's jaw 5.8 classic lycopodophyta 5.7 and rabbit stew 5.7 (these two share anchors and are nice, easy, well protected lines) bookworm 5.7 is in the same area moscow 5.6, 3p first 2p suck, last pitch is nice and gets you on top rope-de-dope block crack 5.8 (not a hard 8) pack animal 5.8, 2p -- first p is sport, 2nd trad and gets you on top peking 5.8 - first p is super nice; 2-3 .75s cling on 5.8 (on backside near reptile and a desparate man (5.9), a little stiff) toys in the attic 5.9- a couple of 9 moves and you need at least 1 #4 moonshine dihedral 5.9 uber classic, as nice as easy trad gets at smith new testament 5.10a but can set up tr from sports if you want karate crack 10a, nice, heady traverse at top (more so for second) some more easier, fun stuff in the canyon -- @ the student wall hope this gets you started; other smith details-- lots, and lots of sport -- too many good ones to list; weather will likely be dry and nice; camping is free at the grasslands (if you stay at the park cg, it is $4 a night walk-in {you have to cook at a communal place in the parking lot}. for your $4 you get camping, a day pass worth $3 and a shower worth $2 (so you are actually making $1 for every night you stay there)....there is an excellent shop at the entrance (redpoint, not hardrock although he does have the best huckleberry ice cream in the world), and the terrebonne depot has good food and brews and is owned by climbers if you don't have a guide yet..go cheap and get the Thesenga select, $20 and way more updated also some links: www. smithrock.com http://www.spiritone.com/~summit/ you will not be able to climb trad all week at your level, and there is plenty of sport to keep you busy and entertained. hope this helps, drop a pm if you want some more info, i am local

amazingly beautiful area if you have not been. i did my graduate research along the owyhee and got to spend 4 summers down in the lower canyon exploring around, way, way cool. hope your trip pans out

does anyone care, why, why not, do you care if anyone cares?

seconds on megamid, pm also sent

glad you asked, i've been wondering the same question about how early you can resonably get in there. went for the first time this past fall. fun place and pretty mellow camping scene. if you are in early it should not be a prob but if you go on a busy week it can be a hassle getting a good site so reserve early. most sites a decent, some are definitely pretty lame...tent pad basically in the parking lot. if interested pm me and i can give a semi list of sites to definitely avoid when reserving.

these still around?

yes camping will be fucked and people will start coming in early which sucks cuz that is a great time of year to be there. it starts to pick up a little at smith at that time but just walk around back and have it all to yourself. or hang out in the main area with all the bro-bras. how easy are you looking for trad stuff?

have new truck and ready to do some ramblin: Shasta N Sis ( as an additional looong shot, maybe sis marathon) Whitney Ingalls w/ girlfriend (one of her first alpines) Forbidden &/or Prusik (w/ girl) not mountaineering but what the hell... South Six-Shooter Monkey Face Trout Creek outer space/orbit frogland gotta get in shape for the big goal of Ecuador next Dec.-Jan

richard, i am back in town. i think i deleted you pm so please send a new one. wondering if you still wanted to sell and see if you thought about price. thanks rds

anyone have an old black diamond mega-mid (not the lite version) in the closet that is in good shape and they want to get rid of?? i think all they make now is the mega mid lite. i am in bend, or and will pay ship. thanks.

wanted to weigh in on brock's book. terrible. she cross references you into a circle...climb begins 20' R of last climb so you go to the previous climb and it says 20' L of the climb you just tried to find. vague descriptions, terrible picture topos, passages verbatim out of swain's, and i am not sure about the downgrading of swain, (for eg, he has dark shadows ptiches at 7- and she has them at 8s just for one e.g. on a classic lots of people know). ...just seems like something slapped together to make a quick buck. new guide is nice for actually finding the route and has good route info, which i thought was a major goal of a guidebook and the new guide is by a local if i heard right (i know brock is local too).

scrambled legs, it is just the loop at RR that closes at 5. Black velvet is cool- have you been in there-if not, a high clearance rig definitely helps, you can make it without but it is a slow go-- and/ or first creek trailhead which you can access a couple of differ canyons if you don't mid the hike. smith is hit and miss that time of year but i climb there year round, usually??? don't have to worry about too much snow down in the Smith canyon and it is usually ~ 5 degrees warmer down there than the Bend or terrebonne forcast say

more details... i live in bend but could meet in route around the nw, I am mellow,not a maniac, and am flexible with your schedule and really don't want to get shut out of my trip. thanks.

truck just died, and girlfriend bailed, now two week climbing trip is in serious jeopardy. anyone driving to moab or durango area over t-give and want a rider to help split gas and driving duties???? pm

awesome pics. heading down for a week after thanksgiving. both are on my tick list for this trip. thanks. gets me excited for my trip.

climb at smith alot and know it well. i am always looking for reliable partners. i work mon-thur (usually done by 12 on thur) drop me a pm if you are interested. i am taking off on a trip to moab and red rocks nov 14-dec 2 so that is not such a good time. but otherwise.

I read recently that the squatters have been booted within the last couple of weeks. Received this from the FS To All Campers for US Forest Service, Skull Hollow Campground by Smith Rock State Park: The campers that were in violation have been evicted, as of 10/23/07. Thanks so much for your assistance in reporting and patience resolving the situation! Barbara Kraft Information Assistant Crooked River National Grassland District of the Ochoco National Forest (541) 416-6640 here is a link discussing similar probs people have been having with stuff at the cg http://www.mountainproject.com/v/pacific_northwest/smith_rocks_camping/106048434 hope this helps. i know its not the same, and the state park cg is a pretty good deal...for $4 you get a site, a shower, and a day pass. consdering the showwer is $2 and the day pass is $3 you are actually making $1 everytime you stay there ... sweet.

We were on karate crack that weekend and some guys were walking around looking for a .75 left in the cinammon slab area. if that is it well i guess it is yours. i think they were from pdx????

rbw1966 I am looking for size 11 to learn in. what is cheap? do you have a pix?

looking to put together some new playlists for extended fall road trip. open to most musical suggestions, just has to be great driving music. thanks.

gregorio, send me a pic and some info on the koflachs

Two guys are sitting in a bar. The first ask his bud "you ever had one of those Freudian slips?" The scond replies I'm not sure what that is. Well, says the second, it is when you say something that comes out different than you meant it. For instance, the other day I was in the train station and the clerk behind the counter had very large breast. So I meant to say I will take a ticket to Pittsburg but instead it came out I want a ticket to Tits-burg. "Oh yeah" replied his buddy, "I had one of those just the other day. I was sitting at the breakfast table with my wife and I was looking at the OJ. I meant to say Honey, will you please pass the orange juice but instead it came out Bitch you have ruined my life!".