back to jtree 2011

[markwebster]

Spent Christmas at Jtree again this year with a bunch of friends from Tacoma and Smith.

 

I felt the ghosts of lost and injured friends (Jonny Copp, and blind Paul), but life goes on. I try to remind myself that this lovely sport is not all fun and games, it's a dangerous lifestyle, but one whose risks I accept.

 

We arrive in Joshua Tree Saturday afternoon, 12-18-2011 to sunshine and ominous clouds. We climbed Sunday in overcast conditions, and woke up Monday to the start of a 3 day monsoon, with forecasts of 80% chance of rain. This storm was so big it flooded the roads up to 12 inches deep, and caused havoc from jtree, to red rocks in vegas, which closed due to washouts.

 

 

 

By that time though we were in Cochise Stronghold East of Tucson where we found perfect balmy sunshine, temps in the high 60's. I was not impressed with Cochise. James, Steve and Brentley hiked for an hour to some 5 pitch chickenhead climb and loved it.

 

Craig and I stayed low and hiked up another valley, thinking we would just find a cliff and climb it without a guidebook. We did that, and it was ok, but anytime we found a crack, it was total choss, worse than a rotten Peshastin Pinnacles crack. Apparently the better quality granite at Cochise is at elevation, which breaks my "5 minute approach" rule.

 

This is Craig, looking up a Cochise canyon, where all the cracks were rotten. There were some 4 pitch routes off to the right (one hour approaches), that people were climbing, had we not slept in.

 

 

 

The third day at Cochise James took us up to a nice sport climbing area that was grid bolted with eights through 11's. That was actually very nice, with only a 20 minute approach.

 

Steve, rapping off one of the excellent rap stations on top of a nice bolted 5.9. These routes compare to exit 38, in that the rock is a bit rotten, but someone has cleaned it all up, and what is left is excellent, well bolted (not run out) sport climbing. This wall looks down on Owl Rock, which you pass on the trail up.

 

 

 

Craig, doing girlfriend maintenance at Cochise:

 

 

 

That night we drove back to Jtree, arriving on Wednesday evening to normal, if coldish temperatures. Steve looking for breakfast, no, don't drink that orange juice! My stevenson bag got covered in frost.

 

 

Craig leading some friction over on Echo Rock.

 

Steve following a 5.9 left of Heart and Sole. I backed off this route after many falls, and Craig finished it for me. I taught Craig to climb, and use an SLR last year. Now he leads elevens and takes magnificent photos. Some folks are just naturals.

 

 

James following me up the second, last pitch of Moosedog tower 5.9 in Indian Cove, where it is always much warmer, a 1000 feet below hidden valley.

 

Christmas Day I drove one hour to Palm Springs airport and exchanged Steve for my wife Sue. Both could only spare a week in Jtree, unlike James and I who had our usual 2 weeks. This is Sue on Double Dip, a 5.6 super run out sport climb at Echo Cove. I love the way jtree gets you used to friction runouts.

 

 

Vange, who was heading off to medical school, followed me up the Flue, a 5.9 fist crack on Chimney rock.

 

 

After Vange cleaned The Flue, I was in trouble. It was dusk, 27 degrees, the wind was blowing, and neither of us had warm clothes. There is no anchors, and the walk off is 5.6. What to do? Vange had never placed gear, so she couldn't down lead the walk off for me, plus we had "pinched rib" to clean. I had backed off that earlier. While we slowly froze on the summit, here comes Craig, running across the campground to our rescue, no gear. He borrowed a harness followed Pinched Rib barefoot, in the dark, cleaned my gear, and down led the 5.6 walkoff. The man is amazing!

 

 

In better weather, Vange following Toe Jam 5.7:

 

Ashley, Vange's climbing partner, leading Toe Jam:

 

My old buddy Mark L, after following me up the flake, 5.8 on intersection rock:

 

Mark L again, on the flake:

 

 

Ashey and Reed (from Smith) on top of Bat Crack, Intersection rock.

 

New Years day, after the big party, packing up site 28

 

One last photo, to close out this TR. Craig took this one of his girlfriend. I don't think he'd mind me posting it, he has it on facebook already. On about 12-28, it was super windy. Craig and C. decided to rent a hotel room, while Sue and I weathered the storm in our tent. He took this amazing shot with his external flash on his T2i. It's all about the women, in climbing. I really enjoyed having my wife show up and climb with me, and I know Craig enjoyed having C. fly in:

[pcg]

My stevenson bag got covered in frost.

Was the frost from body moisture? Do you have and did you use the VB? I've been wondering how well that system works.

Edited January 9, 2011 by pcg

[denalidave]

Nice! Love the last shot, too...

[markwebster]

The frost came down on everything, as you can see from the body bag, (spare refrigerator) in the foreground. I bought my negative 30 Stevenson bag in 1978. It did used to have a vapor barrier system that worked quite well. But over the years I think that part of the coating in the interior of the bag wore down, so body vapor can now get into the down as with any non VB down bag.

 

It doesn't matter because most of my trips are in good weather, and car camping, where it's easy to air it out each morning to dry out the condensation. If I cared about it, I'd get a VB sleeve inner bag to prevent the body moisture from getting to the down.

 

Stevenson makes awesome bags, or at least they did in 1978, same family runs it now. I use that thing all year long winter climbing at jtree, smith and vantage. 32 years old, and not even a broken zipper. I rarely use both tops, as the winter top is plenty warm most of the time. That photo has both tops on it.

 

http://warmlite.com/products-page/sleeping-bags

[curtveld]

Gorgeous pics as usual, Mark

 

The third day at Cochise James took us up to a nice sport climbing area that was grid bolted with eights through 11's. That was actually very nice, with only a 20 minute approach.

That's Zappa Wall. There's a good topo on line.

 

I'm suprised you all walked by Owl Rock without trying the classic 5.9 line Nightstalker. Considerably more adventurous than the Zappa routes!

[markwebster]

Owl looked good, if a bit run out. We were gonna do it but the sun had come out at joshua tree, finally, which was where we wanted to be.

[mountainsloth]

leading friction with no shirt? my nipples are quivering!