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wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 20, 2008 - 08:25am PT
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I've lived here all my life, essentially, and besides a brief 6 month stint in Santa Barbara, this is my first time living in a Cali city. (Oakland)
Even when I was in SB, I could do a 100 mile ride on single and doubletrack, right out of town, and maybe see one other person all day. I grew up in Mariposa/Midpines/Bootjack/Jerseydale (townships in the last county in Cal to not possess a single stoplight) and have been to some SERIOUSLY remote places with my dad, deer hunting, pig hunting, gold mining, backcountry-dredging with a small keene, etc. I attended (briefly) college at Humboldt state and rode on average 250 mile weeks on my bike to some very crazy places, and I realize how much this state has to offer if you like getting out there.
Which broght me to this query: Does EVERY county in California possess worthwhile rockclimbing of some sort? I think it does.
Can you think of one that doesn't?
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Nov 20, 2008 - 08:34am PT
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hey Wildone,
I am hanging here in Tehama County (Red Bluff) helping my girlfriend care for her mom who is dying any minute now from cancer. I suspect this may be a county without good rocks, but would LOVE to stand corrected on that, even brought my shoes just in case. Anyone out there know of any stone around here?
Peter
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wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2008 - 08:38am PT
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Nice one Peter, you may be right.
As an aside, Peter, did you know that I, "Wildone" am also Ben Montoya? I miss seeing you man. How's Braden recovering?
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billygoat
climber
3hrs to El Cap Meadow, 1.25hrs Pinns, 42min Castle
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:04am PT
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Actually, there's some nice limestone up towards Red Bluff. Not sure what county it's in, but I believe it is just north of Redding. Sorry, can't say more than that as I've only heard of it through the grape vine.
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:09am PT
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Hey Ben,
Thought it was you, but was not sure. What are you up to these days?
Braden is doing well, in physical therapy, putting a bit of weight on his leg, and driving himself around.
Thanks for the tip on limestone Billygoat, I remember old rumors about that as well. Maybe some Chico climbers could fill me in. Also, I need to look up Nita and Andy while up here...
Peter
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dmalloy
Trad climber
eastside
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:49am PT
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this state is getting crowded....maybe you should all go love Utah.
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mrtropy
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:33am PT
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San Joaquin has no rock climbing- nor does it have any leagal Moutain bike trails. There are some soft but climbable Sandstone crags but I think they are just over the county line in Calaveras County or Amador County or private land, mostly EBMUD.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:57am PT
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The day I moved to California in January 1982, in the volkswagen van packed to the gills, dog and wife wedged into the front compartment, a double rainbow greeted us at the border.
On the rare occasion I return for a visit to Ohio, I kiss the ground upin my return to the golden state. Several years back , while riding the Tahoe Flume Trail on my mountain bike, I was overtaken by the beauty and tears ran down my cheek. I thought Man, if I had not escaped Ohio, I would never have feasted my eyes on this incredible landscape.
When times get difficult I picture myself walking a trail in the Sierra or camping in a remote desert arroyo and I know everything will be alright. I love this state.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Nov 20, 2008 - 11:00am PT
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Peter sorry about yer girl friends Mom, hope you and her are getting through this as best as possible. Best wishes to yer son too, hope he's back rippin soon enough.
Peace
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Nov 20, 2008 - 12:01pm PT
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Peter, I too send best wishes for your girlfriend's mom, and to Braden.
"California, knockin' on the Golden Door..." Yep, getting crowded here, but still a vastly incredible place. These are the good old days, right now, before more of us jam in here.
I remember driving up the old Tioga Road in 1950, five years old and freshly here from DC. It was a solid hour and a half from Crane Flat to Tenaya Lake, max 20 mph, the lumpy road barely paved over the landscape and sometimes just driving right on granite slabs. One lane wide, sometimes one-and-a-half lanes. You can find pieces of it still, many splinters leading off the current road. A hundred feet out and of those spurs gives a feel of the times.
Tenaya Lake was paradise itself. Leaving the road our old Mercury forded Tenaya Creek and we picked a spot to camp along the south shore. My Dad knew the place, as he had driven through Tuolumne in his Model A in 1930 on his way east.
We set up camp right on the lakeshore, fifteen feet back from a tiny beach, and stayed two weeks. You can wade out fifty feet there and still only draw three feet of water. Many rock islands, challenging to reach when you're barely that tall. We returned every summer. Usually got the same campsite. Built rafts with my two little brothers and poled further out into the lake. Started hiking, first out of the granite bowl holding our perfect lake, then gradually deeper into the Sierra.
One afternoon when I was 13 and had brand-new lug-soled boots which I just knew made me a climber, I took off around the lake to Pywiack Dome. I started up the south slabs facing the lake. Easy at first of course, but I hadn't reckoned the subtle curve that steepens a dome just before the top. Didn't know much about exposure either, but I learned a lot when the sense of it overwhelmed me with a sudden finality on a steepening blank friction section four hundred feet off the deck. I froze in place.
Hours later I was still right there, all stiffened up now and watching the road between my legs, when a car stopped and someone yelled up to ask if I was all right. Well, no, actually. And here's how to go find the rangers in Tuolumne.
Another long pause, probably two more hours. Palms flat on the tock, not daring to move much, lest my new boots lose their grip. Finally there are voices above. Wayne Merry drops down on rappel (this is the same year he was with Harding to finish the Nose). Wayne ties a rope around my waist and I finish my ascent on a toprope.
I am delivered ignomiously to my parents campsite in a Ranger squadcar. They had been wondering where I was. I am summarily grounded from climbing, but then allowed to go to Sierra Club practice climbs at Castle Rock to learn real rope handling.
Once in about 1974 I made a serious attempt to leave California and move to New Zealand. But in the end I just couldn't tear myself away, as much from a deep attachment to you guys, the climbers here and the grand social experiment still in progress, as from this landscape itself.
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hossjulia
Trad climber
Eastside
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Nov 20, 2008 - 12:29pm PT
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I've tried to move away twice, and here I am, in the Eastern Sierra with a lovely view out all my windows. I have so many choices of hiking trails I rarely hike the same one twice in a month! I lived in the Denver/Boulder area for something like 10 years total, after growing up in San Diego. After seeing yet another slide show of the Sierra's, and a painful divorce, I moved to Bishop. Didn't stay, no jobs, but stayed on the Eastside.
Funny that move. Came about because I was woken up out of a deep sleep with someone YELLING "BISHOP!" over and over in my sleep. That's it, just the yelling, no sight with it. I gave notice at my job that day.
Funny story:
I was camp-hosting in the bottom of Lee Vining Canyon. It was early season, and in pulls this guy on a bike, towing a little trailer. He looked absolutely beat, pulled in and collapsed on the table, all spread eagle. I was a little worried about him. He soon got up and saw me, then walked over asking about water.
He was French, spoke poor English. I gave him a gallon of water, there is none (piped)in the campgrounds, and found out why the drama and exhaustion.
He had decided to do a bike tour of California, arriving in San Fran, going through Yos and on to Death Valley.
You all are not going to believe this, but the man had no idea there were mountains in California. That's right. Seems he was FROM Chamonix, and was a mountain guide there. From a family of mountain guides. His frustration and aggravation was over this ah, slight oversight. He kept hitting himself on the forehead and saying how stupid he was. He thought the only thing worth climbing here was in Yosemite Valley.
He points up at the Third Pillar and wants to know, route?, how hard? and how high? I tell him yes, 5.10 and about 3,000m and he slaps himself some more. Then he wants to know the highest mountain, so I had to pull out a map and show him Mt. Whitney. More head slapping.
Seems the Chaminards are a bit, how to say, arrogant?
He did lots of mumbling to himself, wish I knew French. I fed him that night and he was really deep into this oversight of his, did not try to talk much to me.
I'm thinking he got a huge ego-check that day. Hopefully he came back better prepared to climb the Third Pillar!
Yeah, California and the Sierra's ROCK!
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BBWolf
climber
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Nov 20, 2008 - 01:50pm PT
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Toughest boulder problem in the state is located in Sacramento. To date, it has repelled all those that have even attempted to solve the problem - LOW on its flanks. I heard one guy lost his job trying to piece it together.
In fact the line is not even obvious most of the debate has centered around where to start the route.
A new climber Arnold (not Honnold) may be able to link it up by mortgaging the future of the state through bond sales.
CA is gifted naturally but fiscally screwed!
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:04pm PT
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I rag on California almost as much as I rag on Colorado, but they've both been pretty good by me.
Many of my best friends are Californians.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Max V02
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:12pm PT
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That is a classic story Doug. Thanks.
Fletch
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Max V02
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:16pm PT
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I'm pretty much on the same ride as DMT.
Moved from Chicago to SF, drove out while pregnant first wife flew. Early April, 1989. Driving through Donner Summit I could only think, "holy effin's cow!!!!!! gotta come back to this place." I did.
Only been away for a few years. That was Hong Kong, which is another home for me and always will be. But California can't be beat for the variety and quality of outdoor stuff to do.
Fletch
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:17pm PT
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"Many of my best friends are Californians."
NTTIAWWT
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:17pm PT
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Doug,
Thanks for sharing your cool stories of driving the old Tioga Road, camping on the lake and being rescued by Wayne Merry!
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:24pm PT
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I moved from Mass in Jan. 1988. My wife is from the bay area and talks about places we could move and I'm not interested. I've been to 48 states and many other countries. No other place has the weather, mountains, ocean, snow, rock, lakes, rivers, jobs, etc.
DMT Rocklin is Placer County, and there's more than 6 problems there and most have good landings. There's another big quarry across the road that I hope someday will become a park too.
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:36pm PT
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We are both second generation Californians. Love to visit other states but this is HOME. As a matter of fact, a great - great aunt of mine was one of the first women dentists in Cali, in SF. Pretty cool.
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Michelle
Trad climber
El Frickin' Paso
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:47pm PT
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I want to go home! MY BF and I have decided to get married next year and he's from Iowa.. Doesn't really want to settle in CA when we get out of the service, which honestly breaks my heart, since I could NEVER settle in Iowa. We talk about Wyoming, splitting the difference, but still, its not the Sierras that I love or the Bay or North Coast, or East Side (love Mono Lake!). Not so concerned with Southern Ca since El Paso does enough to remind of of LA. anyways, good thread.
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