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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 18, 2014 - 12:39pm PT
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I've been thinking a lot about this problem the last few months, was the big project of a friend of mine who passed away. Was hoping to climb it for him, looks like I'll be climbing something else entirely. Good things never stick around, but still. It sucks to see that someone put their experience in our beautiful mountains over others.
Greg
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thebravecowboy
climber
in the face of the fury of the funk
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Apr 18, 2014 - 12:41pm PT
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chipped? chopped?
ideas on who or how or why?
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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Apr 18, 2014 - 12:44pm PT
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quite unfortunate :(
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 18, 2014 - 12:55pm PT
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So what happened to it?
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Apr 18, 2014 - 12:57pm PT
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Looks like someone decided they needed to have a campfire next to it..
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Apr 18, 2014 - 12:59pm PT
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Maybe some homeless guy....Too bad though. Greg, I'm sure you'll find something worthy for your friend (RIP).
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2014 - 01:01pm PT
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Campfire at the base, that black streak was a perfect line of thin edges and smears. The big flake that's sticking out flexes easily and will pop off soon I'm sure. There was a big pile of wood from chopped trees nearby.
If you look at the boulder and turn right, you'll see a 15 mile long ridge charred brown and black from the Mountain Center fire in July. Why anyone would start a bonfire in this tinderbox... sigh.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Apr 18, 2014 - 01:18pm PT
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South Ridge has really become a ghetto in recent years.
The dispersed camping up there lends itself to all kinds of weirdness...pad people are part of the problem, but there's just as many (or more) that go up there to party and do whatever kind of weird sh#t they want to do.
Not sure what the solution is...it's not enough of a destination bouldering area (anymore) to engender a strong protective & rehab interest.
That problem is sooooo classic. Could never get much off the ground on it, but have walked by it admiringly for so many years.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2014 - 01:26pm PT
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I agree Apogee, although I rarely see climbers up there. The culprits I've run into are yahoo 'campers' looking for a place to break some rules. Broken Bottles, limbs cut from trees, multiple OHV trails starting to show up... just looking gross.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Apr 18, 2014 - 01:34pm PT
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I will ask the local USFS Recreation Officer about his thoughts on this. Doubt it will result in anything (as the poor guy is constantly swamped), but it wouldn't hurt to put it on his radar.
Maybe make it part of the upcoming Idy Climber's Festival projects?
Edit: Wasn't that problem one of the early John Gill B1's?
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Apr 18, 2014 - 01:36pm PT
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It looks like it will still go, but at a higher degree of difficulty. It's messed up how somebody had a fire in that location. :(
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2014 - 02:06pm PT
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Thanks Apo
The first two holds on the left are charred and ruined, the right holds are mostly OK. The feet are pretty F'd for the first ~3 moves as well, luckily the crux is intact but still... I'm going to wait for nature to run it's course before I put my rubber anywher near it. That flakes gotta go and I don't want to be the guy to pry it off, nawmean?
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Ryans
Trad climber
Idyllwild, CA
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Apr 18, 2014 - 02:11pm PT
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Somebody has had multiple fires there this year. I noticed a smoke streak there back in January. I haven't been up there since, but this is significantly worse than what I saw. Probably somebody living up there off and on I bet or local kids partying with no knowledge that people climb there.
Bummer.
Over the past year, I've been thinking of applying for an AAC Stewardship grant or an Access Fund grant to get a pit toilet up there because I'm tired of finding toilet paper and feces next to the boulders. Maybe in addition to a toilet we could get some way to block driving access directly up to the boulders to dissuade the partying/homeless type from camping so close to the rocks. Has anybody ever had success receiving a grant for a project like this?
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Apr 18, 2014 - 02:18pm PT
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Good thinking, Ryan. Maybe ask Access Fund about this?
South Ridge does have some climbing heritage & history surrounding it...AF might be able to at least provide some stewardship suggestions (or more).
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 18, 2014 - 02:23pm PT
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It's time for an Oath Takers Militia.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2014 - 03:16pm PT
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Would've been cool to see ya up there, X15X15. I fell on the last jug on the direct 5.11 problem on the Mushroom boulder a handful of times before giving up, haha. Watching you do that thing sans pads was pretty rad.
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Apr 18, 2014 - 03:59pm PT
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I'm up for helping out up there since I'm going to be up there regular like. I've been bummed at finding feces and tp at Woodson. TOOOOO many people using these places to just abuse them. Need to take care of them before access denied.
Chris
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Friend
climber
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Apr 18, 2014 - 04:59pm PT
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That's a real shame. not just Idyllwilds best, sra would be a classic anywhere.
But the start isn't the crux.. does it still go?
https://vimeo.com/m/58365616
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2014 - 05:10pm PT
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I'm sure it'll go, but it needs extensive cleaning. The crux up high is pretyt much free of damage. Maybe I got a bit melodramatic, but still. It's fugly and the start is pure choss.
If you want to fix up Woodson snap potato chip rock in half. The hordes from that f*#king thing create a conga line of city folk who leave tampons/TP/bottles/younameit all over the 'side trails' and the big flat bases underneath boulders look a lot like a latrine to them. Obviously I'm kidding about destroying potato chip rock, but I have these dark thoughts of a giant group of 30+ bozo's doing a group shot and snapping the sumbitch. I've been going to woodson almost weekly every season since 2011, it's galactically more fukt.
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Apr 18, 2014 - 05:24pm PT
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^^^^ I was more talking about volunteering for group clean-ups near Suicide and Tahquitz. I'm going to try to get to this years annual up there. At Woodson I bring a trash bag up once a month and fill it. Some of it is too off the road to be the "Chip" heads, but your right that the potato chip traffic has F'ed it up. We are due for an earthquake soon. If its during the day and large enough......someone will at least get tossed off that thing.
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