Beacon Rock Stories

[ivan]

ran into jim one time at the base on a tuesday or something - i had a skinny rope for rapping after soloing and he had nothing but shoes, so we decided to climb the corner w/ me leading everything w/ no gear except 2 slings - i seem to recall doing the slab pitch w/ the rope tied around my neck for giggles

[kevbone]

Dennis Hemminger repeatedly told the story of when he was leading Dods and fell while his belayer was rolling a smoke. He didnt come out of that one real well.

i fell once at the crux on dods on a long lead starting from down below the off-widthy section - anyway, w/ rope stretch and the run-out i'd built up by trying to lie back the crux i ended up getting caught in the upper branches of that brushy tree before the rope even went tight!

 

 

I have wanted to cut that tree out of the wall for years.....but the rath of Jim would shroud me for years if I did.....

[kevbone]

This is a story all on its own.....opening day 10 years ago.

 

 

 

 

[pink]

ran into jim one time at the base on a tuesday or something - i had a skinny rope for rapping after soloing and he had nothing but shoes, so we decided to climb the corner w/ me leading everything w/ no gear except 2 slings - i seem to recall doing the slab pitch w/ the rope tied around my neck for giggles

 

i recall of hearing a story about tobin sorrenson pullin similar antics back in the day. that's classic ivan.

[pink]

i remember one year i was camping on the ledge with howard, we were tripping balls on mushrooms we got antsy and decided to go do the corner. the whole way up were singing the lyrics to "shaft". "he's a bad mother, shut your mouth. i'm just talking bout shaft, john shaft". i never laughed so hard in my life. there wasn't alot of pro involved as i remember, like there ever was.

[pink_chalk]

okay, I'll bite!* I have a Beacon Story, but.... I need some time to write it down and gather the facts.

 

Kevbone: I think you know this story with Bob G. What climb was it? Above 'Jills Thrill'?

 

To Be Continued.......

[kevbone]

Jen……you were leading the crux of Jill’s Thrill. Placing gear for the first time……

[rbw1966]

One of my first times out at Beacon I was belaying Opdyke who was supposed to be showing me how to set gear. By the time he got to the first belay three nuts had spiraled down the rope. Not exactly inspiring.

 

After screaming "up rope" a bazillion times I arrive at the belay to see Jim burning one. No hands on the rope.

 

Another time, I don't remember who I was climbing with (way hungover from the night before) but we were there to join the big party on the ledge. As I am thruxing my way up the SE corner, Pink comes soloing past me with a haul-bag full of PBR on his back. I packed it up and went home.

 

One more: I don't remember his name (Pink probably does) but there was this head-banger who was always out at Beacon and regaling us with stories of his bisexual girlfriend and their sexual exploits. He was a frequent soloist and had little patience for slow-moving parties clogging the routes. He would ask to climb through them and if they refused he would do so anyway and then throw rocks down on them.

[markd]

beacon will either make you or break you as a climber; what a brilliant crag to find out your place in the climbing spectrum. it is where i became the climber i am and where i learned that new routes were one thing i wanted to experience from climbing. my first, first ascent was there and is still one of my favorite routes to date, despite the fact that no one climbs it

 

my first climbing season there, i went out with guy pinchot ( sp? ) - who was a mentor to me back in flagstaff, when we both lived there. the south face was closed, so he had a great idea of climbing up the north face to the top. sounded good to me so off we went. we made steady progress ( guy leading ) and were soon within one pitch of the summit. off guy went, however this time, a 100ft out or so, the roped stopped and no progress was made for a long time. he soon yelled back that he had no pro in and was going to down climb and if remember correctly he sounded a little nervous!

 

he made it back to the belay and we sat for a while a little unsure of how we were going to get back down what we had just climbed up. we were a few pitches above a fixed rope that had been there when we climbed by, so we knew if we made it there we'd be 'fine.'

 

we rapped tree to tree and were soon at the fixed line two pitches up. guy went first and about 20 ft down i heard him scream... he had just wrapped over a core shot in the rope and was hanging by threads; literally. he managed to pull himself back above it and up to the belay. again we sat for a little while with not much to say.

 

we were soon on the ground, relieved to be back to the horizontal world. now all we had to do was drive home. it was at this moment he realized he locked his keys in the trunk! beacon is just one of those places that makes you better. at this moment, i knew beacon was indeed for me.

[ivan]

One of my first times out at Beacon I was belaying Opdyke who was supposed to be showing me how to set gear. By the time he got to the first belay three nuts had spiraled down the rope. Not exactly inspiring.

 

After screaming "up rope" a bazillion times I arrive at the belay to see Jim burning one. No hands on the rope.

 

Another time, I don't remember who I was climbing with (way hungover from the night before) but we were there to join the big party on the ledge. As I am thruxing my way up the SE corner, Pink comes soloing past me with a haul-bag full of PBR on his back. I packed it up and went home.

 

One more: I don't remember his name (Pink probably does) but there was this head-banger who was always out at Beacon and regaling us with stories of his bisexual girlfriend and their sexual exploits. He was a frequent soloist and had little patience for slow-moving parties clogging the routes. He would ask to climb through them and if they refused he would do so anyway and then throw rocks down on them.

whaaaa? you say all the pbr and turned aroudn?!? i alwasy figured excessive alcohol consumption on the ledge was the whole reason that tree's been slung for rapping there, so you at least have a chance of surviving the trip off the rock

 

i don't throw rocks, just my own feces - i'm 1/18 colubus monkey

 

and kevbone, leave the damn tree alone! didn't you read - it caught me! go tree! actually, i'm amazed it's still alive given the extent to which i pull, step, push and fall on it.

[kevbone]

My first day climbing with Mark D was out at Beacon about 5 years ago. A beautiful fall day. Mark asked me if I wanted to lead all day. He had climbed 6 of the last 5 days and did not mind following all day. I said sure.

 

Warmed up on Little wing into Fear of Flying (one pitch), then the crux of Jills into Crazy Horse (one pitch) up to ledge and rap down. Then onto Young Warriors to top….walk off.

 

Then Blownout. Rap off. 10 pitches that day. We both sent everything. I will never forget that day because the very next day we climbed again and Mark led the entire day. He lead all of Young Warriors……he forgot his belay device only he did not know this until he was at the first anchor. He hip belayed me……his confidence was such that is gave me confidence to trust him completely.

 

So I received a hip belay all that day on follow.

 

Great day….thanks Mark.

 

[rbw1966]

Ivan--I packed it up and went home because I had gut-wrenching diarhea from the day before.

 

One another of my earlier trips to the Rock, I was climbing free for all which is pretty much a solo until you get to the top of the pillar. I remember getting almost there and looking down to see my friend Matt, who was sitting at the base directly below me, get up and move away. Another confidence inspiring moment.

[pink_chalk]

One more: I don't remember his name (Pink probably does) but there was this head-banger who was always out at Beacon and regaling us with stories of his bisexual girlfriend and their sexual exploits. He was a frequent soloist and had little patience for slow-moving parties clogging the routes. He would ask to climb through them and if they refused he would do so anyway and then throw rocks down on them.

 

Kevbone- isnt this the same guy who would solo with a transitor radio listening to heavy metal? white snake or something? the one who said if you fell he would catch you. Classic! Love these storis

 

Markd- great point about make or break, i can relate

[kevbone]

 

Kevbone- isnt this the same guy who would solo with a transitor radio listening to heavy metal?

 

 

Yes Jen….that would be Ken I was referring too! He is top left in this picture. With the black hair leaning over. I miss Ken. I wonder what happened to him.

 

Ken could go from the ground up to the ledge in 8 minutes. Ken would solo around with a little jam box hanging off his fanny pack with the Scorpions playing.

 

 

[pink_chalk]

AHHHH! it was the 'Scorpions'. This story made my day

[ivan]

 

So I received a hip belay all that day on follow.

 

 

hip belays rock at beacon, at least on the low angle corner - makes ya feel like fawk'n clint eastwood, especially if ya do it w/ a smoke dangling off your lower lip while singing bruce springstein songs, wearing a big bright orange brain-bucket! 9 out of 10 folks' eyes get real big when they top out and see what they've been on though

 

i've been burned on it once though - a very large mammal was following me on the last pitch of YW and fell at the crux, making my "eiger sanction" moment more real that i was expecting...

[ivan]

 

 

ha! is that old larry in the center in the glasses?!?

[rbw1966]

The guy I was talking about is not in that picture.

[kevbone]

Yes

[ivan]

climbed jensen's ridge this fall, felt like the first person on the route in a long, long time. encountered a totally dead, blackened, shriveled plant in the crack below the "mind-bending off-width" - ripped the whole thing out w/ my bare hands, getting dust n' shit all over my face, only to notice the tiniest sprig of bright green poison oak growing out of its roots, way in the back - spent the next week on the 'roids, feel'n groovy, itch'n on the inside, that special soul-scratch ya can't make

[kevbone]

The guy I was talking about is not in that picture.

 

You are referring to a guy who lived in the couv and is great guitar player. I have climbed with him back in the day…..I think his name is Jason…..I cant believe I cant remember his name. Pink and I were just talking about him a couple of weeks ago. Total rocker.

 

[markd]

pink,

school on us some of the history of one of the north side routes you've put up. most people probably don't even know that they're there!

 

kevbone,

what about your ken story where he told you to suck it up and rope solo with your atc.

[markd]

wayne,

i'd love to hear the story behind flight time... was it a whipper that brought about the name. you've been around for some cool routes.

[ivan]

wayne,

i'd love to hear the story behind flight time... was it a whipper that brought about the name. you've been around for some cool routes.

another super-neglected route at the moment - the first pitch makes for super-fun A0 climbing and is a sane alternate to get to the top of fly'n swallow

[pink]

One of my first times out at Beacon I was belaying Opdyke who was supposed to be showing me how to set gear. By the time he got to the first belay three nuts had spiraled down the rope. Not exactly inspiring.

 

After screaming "up rope" a bazillion times I arrive at the belay to see Jim burning one. No hands on the rope.

 

Another time, I don't remember who I was climbing with (way hungover from the night before) but we were there to join the big party on the ledge. As I am thruxing my way up the SE corner, Pink comes soloing past me with a haul-bag full of PBR on his back. I packed it up and went home.

 

One more: I don't remember his name (Pink probably does) but there was this head-banger who was always out at Beacon and regaling us with stories of his bisexual girlfriend and their sexual exploits. He was a frequent soloist and had little patience for slow-moving parties clogging the routes. He would ask to climb through them and if they refused he would do so anyway and then throw rocks down on them.

 

chris jensen the tweaker