Climb: SmithRock Spring Thing TR-Front Side Smiffy
Date of Climb: 5/8/2004
Trip Report:
After a 6 hour drive from the Ham, picking up Alpinfox onroute (Wolf and a Fox inna mo-bile hizzouse), we arrived at the grasslands to the sight of hundreds of campers, mobilehomes, all with horse trailers LITERALLY SURROUNDING the grasslands park. WTF?
It turns out that the same weekend there is a horse endurance race (think Hidalgo) and this is their base.
There's even a gut-wagon, complete with generator just outside the camping area. And beautiful horses? Oh, my.
We throw out the PLAB sign to see who will go for the troll haha! and get some bites.
Alpinfox and I climbed on Friday: Teddy Bears Picnic, TR Powerline on Karate wall, thn over to the relatively new area by Blackened. Missed onsites of that and a c (I suck), but got thru them **burly**. Temps were 68-70, perfect climbing day!
Saturday: SunSpot breakfast, then to the work. AF and I signed up for the Go Dog area, as there is a new route we are putting up this fall there (.11+ sweet arete). Pandora and Texplorer were there when we arrived, as well as my old roomate from Bend, Steve ( who now owns Timberline Mtn Guides with another friend, Pete). Good to see folks, hellos around. Then I introduce myself to the project manager who looks strikingly familiar. Hmmmm.....
Brian....
We figure it out. We were bicycle couriers for ENA in Seattle together back in '95, and haven't crossed paths until this day.
This is a good day.
I am infused with such great energy to have so much confluence in a period of a couple of hours...WOW!
The work:
The basalt rock retaining walls replace the unsightly and poisonous treated lumber.
Thanks to the Smith Rock Group and Brian for figuring that one out,and getting the basalt on-site! (WAY THUMBS UP!)
Psyched about the day, I decide to try some climbs I put up some years ago to confirm the grades, and find out: a) nobody does them, and b) one was hard and scary (serious .10c, not fun .10b).I do a few more climbs and head up to help with food set-up at 3.
I went to the "Smith Rock Office" a multi-acres parcel overlooking the Marsupials at the end of Northern Point Road. This is Ian Caldwells "Office", and a more deserving person I cannot imagine. We set up for the dinner feast (Additional bee...er... gear notes: 1 keg Black Butte Porter, 1 keg Quail Springs IPA).
Later, after burritos and refreshments, Brittany Griffith and Timmy O'Neill did a great slide show. Brittany is beautiful and entertaining, and Timmy is flat-out hilarious: a winning combination.
Alpinfox won a couple of 'biners and a much-needed new cap in the raffle. Timmy kept a constant dialogue during the bidding and raffle, providing much entertainment.
My friend Brian was doing much of the auction/raffling and had a funny fixation on a certain anti-spasmotic product, and would outbid all in the stands (pointing at himself while upping the bid). Very entertaining, all in all.
Unfortunately, the IPA's are my favorite and kick-ass strong, so after the auction and a good buzz later, we decided that whiskey was a good idea.
The next day was not as fun. You know it is going to be a rough day when the requisite advil, big greasy breakfast, and loads of coffee and water do little to help.
At the crag, I sketched up a moderate .10, threw my harness in and called it a day.
Followed by long sleep-off in the parking lot when the hair of the dog didn't help, then home.
Great people all around!
Good to see: Muffy, Badvoodoo, Pandora, Skyclimb, Texplorer, RBW1966, DFA, ShadyApex, Brian, Mary, Dave and to meet the new ranger, Thad
An excellent day, and according to ex-Smith-ranger Dave's calculations, we did $28,000 woerth of work in ONE DAY AS VOLUNTEERS!
You all rock! Erik
Gear Notes:
Leather Gloves, Chainsaws, shovels,picks, drills, axes, quickdraws, mallets, enthusiasm, good folks, wheelbarrows, crawlers, tractors and trucks.
Shoulda had: less beer ;p
Approach Notes:
Difficult 4th class at points negotiating projects under construction whilst bearing loads.
Difficult approach on sunday (easy 2nd class)
