Last climb of 2011 was the 5.11 traverse on the rough boys boulder at woodson. The first climb of 2012 was bolting a support frame to the top of a 20' wall at work.
I recently received this email from a visiting Vedauwoo hotshot:
"If you are the fellow who posted the picture of Undertow with the more detailed trail description on RC.com,then THANK YOU! I am from out of town and have been dying to get on that route for years, I even have bushwacked some of that hillside years ago looking for it and scoured the internet looking for adequate directions, so thank you so much for providing just that on my most recent search. Anyway, we went straight there with your directions and had a great time getting spanked on it. MAD props to Piggot or whoever put that up, as I think that is one of the finest climbs of it's ilk anywhere. I came just shy of the TR send (bad idea, rope will thwart you) but hope to return tomorrow to try and eek out a lead. Sorry for such short notice, but if you want to get out with us tomorrow we would love to have you along. Thought I would throw that out because if it is the same here as anywhere else, I imagine finding a partner for those routes is harder to come by. Anyway,take care,"
-------------------------This message was sent by Mountain Project user Justin Edl.
I'm in New Jersey as I speak, and obviously couldn't commit but I encouraged Justin to document his attempts via photos and videos. Maybe some rare eye candy will be posted in the near future! If anyone is interested, contact Justin via mountainproject.
yah bob that crack is kinda sealed off n crappy - ugly 10a/b. if you count the top of lemon chiffon and the face climbs right and left of it = 20 Add bozo no-no and the joker (both visible in profile) and you have 22.
Suffice it to say that theres a high density of climbs in that immediate area. If you count the other climbs on those rocks that you cant see, you would probably end up with around 50.
Jaybro -- this is the only photo I have of VP's Office. Dosen't show how steep and burly the first 15' are, but you get an idea. When you fall you go flying out of there. I was able to get absurdly bad fist jams by sticking my thumb out as far as it would go and fishing around for the little narrow inconsistancies in the crack. Anybody out there got better snaps?
Best part is when you clear the roof totally pumped and you're looking at 20 feet of overhanging way thin hands/off-fingers.
Getting paddled in the Vice Principal's Office, 1985.
Doug, with the way you waltz most of the hard cracks up there, how come no action on VP Office...or have you already ticked that one too?
I only have two memories, with Ken Klis, on VP. We made no progress on the bottom of that thing and, like Bob already stated, would take the GIANT swing into space after coming out of it. Rapping down it I can remember seeing the overhanging off-hands to fingers that proceeded after that bottom section...sick! Like always, it would be cool to see someone on it after all these years.
I do, Doug. I'm trying to get boxes and boxes of slides and prints organized and digitized. I'll trickle things out as I get to 'em. There's some fun stuff buried in this mess!
Huh Doug that's a good one! I'm gonna pick my top five ('cause I like top five lists, top ten are too easy) and edit 'em in as I sort 'em out. Right off the bat, I know Jaws makes the list.
Lessee...if God granted me a wish, and I could do just five climbs at Woodson, but they'd have to be climbs I've already ticked...?
1. Jaws
2. Lie Detector (took a few minutes to think of that one.)
3. Head First In The Bushes
4.
5.
Ones I love that I already know won't make the cut: Aids Victim; Painted Boulder West Face; Robbins; The Widow, Bereft (that's the actual, gramatically correct name -- "The Widow, Bereft"); Pickpocket; Alcoa...hmmmmmm sh#t
Driving South is sooo good, and has massive sentimental value, but it's over in three f*#king moves...
Hear My Train seems obvious, dosen't it? But I've done it so many times in the last 35 years...I'm not burned out on it or anything, but I'm not sure it'd be a Desert Island Woodson Climb. Jaws I've done at least as many if not more times, and when I think Jaws, I think oh HELL YEAH.
Yeah Mungester, I've been sitting on the fence all day about Lemon Chiffon. You just nudged me off. It definately makes my Woodson Desert Island Climbs list. I've never gotten tired of it, it was part of me and Watusi's "Big Wednesday", and there is no question it is Powell's best boulder problem in California.
Way better then that stuff he did at Roobeedoo.
MungeBob ruthlessly pressing the crux mantle slabdyno on Lemon Chiffon, 2004.
Credit: One guess, bitches.
The new, updated (c)American Motherf*#king Legendary Top Five Woodson Climbs List:
1. Jaws
2. Lie Detector (took a few minutes to think of that one.)
3. Head First In The Bushes
4. Lemon Chiffon
5.
You're right. 5 ain't gonna do it. I'm switching to 10. BUT I'm going to list them as a traditional Top Ten with #1 being the best, #2 being the second best, and so on. Qualitative FTW!!1!!166!
After another great day at Woodson I figured an update of happenings on the hill was in order. Mark, Doug, Jake and I (Lauren), set up in the odd January heat to show Jake, a Woodson newcomer around and to get my bush whacking quota filled for 2012. A couple pictures to keep you interested.
Started off at Robbins, the bees at the cracks above are seeming to grow in number. After that did Hamburger Crack for the first time. I must say I always scoffed at it but actually enjoyed it. After that we headed up to the Cave area- the place to be! At one point there were groups on Alcoa, the Cave, John's crack, Fisticuffs and Greg's crack.
After a day spent on something wide, Doug and Mark just had to get on Greg's crack. This is Doug, having fun, as per usual:
Doug, making it look easy, as always.
Credit: LMo
Then we went to Big Horn, everyone took a turn bouldering it, said goodbye to Jake and then headed up for some exploring. We went up and over the summit, and the potato chip rock was very popular (especially with aspiring yogis). Anyways, I will let you all look at where we ended up. Although this climb is a short distance from the trail there was still some full value bush whacking to be had for all.
Credit: LMo
A great day up on the hill and with that, a few of my favorite climbs:
Uncertainty Principle
Milkbar
Jaws
Guess I haven't been keeping current with this thread, Donny pokes me and 2 days later I finally see it. And then bvb has to go and try to insult Rubidoux by using KP's name. Now, mind you, I have zero problems with dragging KP's name through the mud, but trying to belittle a stellar place like Rubidoux while doing it is going just a little too far.
It's been too nice at home & in Idyllwild recently so I haven't been making it down. If we don't get some winter weather soon it may not be much of a Woodson season, consistently a little too hot.
Favorites? Any of the Woodson wannabe as good as Rubidoux problems. For crying out loud what'd ya think I'd say? Well, I'll try anyway: Flabob, Middle of the Road Madness, Coathanger, Pinkbug, Pyschoanalysis, The Ex, Bullethead, The Octopus, Popgun, Major Concept. I think that makes 10. Oh wait, Woodson favorites, not quality. Ok, well, in that case:
1. Big Grunt
2. Vice Prinicpals Office
3. Mother Superior
4. Silk Banana
5. Undertow
hahaha. Oh boy. Yeah, right.
Maybe I'll try again - in no particular order after #2.
1. Whatever the last problem I just did was
2. Any Woodson problem with "Rubidoux" in it's name (goes without saying)
3. Kurtains
4. Lie Detector
5. Slap You Silly (love/hate that pile)
Seriously, how is one supposed to come up with 5 favorites much less 10.
Took you long enough Darrel. I was beginning to think you were dead or something.
Pinkbug a clearly a boulder problem that was airlifted off Woodson in the dead of night and reinstalled at Roubidoux to give the place some cred. Has it been hit with graffiti yet, I wonder?
Where is Slap You Silly? Is that the impossible looking bowling-ball smooth arete down by Eppi Birthday?
Doug, have fun working Greg's Crack. That thing is a burlfest. If you want any beta, let me know. I had some tricks. Have good spotters! And let me know next time you go out there! :)
Speaking of graffiti, if anyone sees any on Woodson let me know. I'll work on getting it removed. Just contact me directly instead of replying to this thread since I might not see it. Much appreciated!
Ho Man, it's Firefly all right. I had completely and totally forgotten about that thing. I only asked 'cause the last time I was down there was maybe the spring of 1985 with "Clint" Piggot and I think maybe Cilley. 27 years. Christ.
But after drooling over the photo awhile even the moves came back. The hardest moves (11c-ish) are getting into and then getting out of the undercling. Actually the whole thing is pretty sustained. Powerful. Not a lot of giveaway moves on it. You can just barely squeeze the very tips of your tips underneath that flake.
It's really good. Gorgeous feature on gorgeous rock. In fact, I'm putting it on my top ten list. So there. If it was easier to get to it would be heavily trafficked, highly sought after, and widely regarded as one of the best things on Woodson. The photo really tells the whole story. It's as good as it looks.
Henny I had to throw you under the school bus on VP's office.
I think 'slap you silly' is one of the best routes at woodson. Pink bug on steroids? haha
another good face route is 'high on the hog' nexted to cool jerk. And it's a lead climb.
enough typing.....I'm going mountain biking
Firefly's proximity to the the main trail definitely surprised me. I had the idea that finding the boulder would constitute some epic vision quest. With a trail, the approach from the Ogre would take 2 minutes or less. More people should get on it, that's for sure.
Along the same lines, Christ on Crutches is pretty all-time. Hyperbole aside, that thing defines ultra classic.
As for Train, BVB, it does seem kind of obvious...the rock is super good, the climb has a cool history, and it is tall. There is definitely a lot of magic to running a lap on it. But it just doesn't have the sting that some other problems do. Driving South isn't enduro, but it is full value pulling the lip.
Yea Josh. I definitely did not make Greg's Crack look easy...it made me look easy. Sometime I would like to get back for another try though. With school, the days that I go to Woodson are pretty random and relatively spontaneous. I will shoot you an email.
And LMo is right, Woodson was happening on Sunday! The entire stretch between the fire station driveway and the driveway west of the fire station driveway was full of cars. Plus cars were lined up (for quite a ways) along the 67 extending past both of those driveways. There were also cars parked on the opposite side of the 67
I can't say for certain, as we tried to avoid the crowds, but rumor is that a good number of them were headed for Christ on Crutches
Wow is right! Haven't been down to Firefly since being with Piggot back in the 80's, and it was a humbling discipleship to say the least! That was the time when I was first up (not by choice) and after making a lame effort to get over to that flake then hangdogging, Piggot says, "Are you through yet,?" simultaneously giving me slack to lower me to the ground.
Hey Doug, curious, when you headed north from the Ogre, did you end up standing on top of the Firefly boulder before carving down and right to the bottom of the problem, for this was the memory that I have when Piggot took me down there? There was a faint trail up to that point back then but I'm sure it's massively overgrown by now.
My fav unroped top five (that I remember spooking me at one time or another before succeeding):
1. IHMT (standing on the shelf calling for help...which never arrived)
2. Driving South (flying off the lip too many times and almost hitting my chest on the ground, narrowly missing that rock that juts up out of the ground)
3. Left Longs Crack (chickening out before lunging out to that cauliflower-like knob at the top, then forcing my body to swing towards the main wall before dropping to miss the slippery slab below)
4. Lemon Chiffon (burning rubber too many times by taking the cascade down on that thing at the crux)
5. Digits Delight (standing below the thin seam in the slab at the top, and realizing, this is going to suck if I blow it here!)
We switched to a top ten Gary, so you get to pick 5 more. Back in the '80's the trail went straight to the base of Firefly. I have no recollection whatsover what the TR set-up was. Bolts? Gear? I dunno.
Dogging a Woodson climb? Shame. SHAME. You're lucky Piggot didn't just unclip you and let you drop and then leave you there for dead.
6. can't forget the "10d" seam on the practice boulder (that thing STILL requires all my attention!)
7. Hard As Nails (props to those that solo it, jealous actually...what an aesthetic crack and location!)
8. The 5.8 chimney on Tower #2 (classic mantle out on the second ledge!)
9. the top of Lie Detector (I'll never get the bottom but what a classic finger crack it has in it! Aiding the bottom, then leading the top was ultra classic too!)
10. Big Grunt (I STILL will give $20 to whoever can do it without "grunting!")
Edit: I have to list one more for it's too pretty to leave out....Rockwork Orange!
1. Robbin's Crack
2. Jaws
3. Elsa's Crack
4. 5.8 Arete 20 feet down the road from Hamburger Crack (Does that thing have a name?)
5. Blackfinger or West Face of Painted Boulder w/ the saweeeet high step at the knob
Top 5 wishlist (either haven't sent it or haven't got on it yet)
1. Starving in Stereo
2. Crucible
3. Mother Superior
4. Uncertainty Principle
5. Hard as Nails
OK, here are detailed directions to Firefly. Hopefully some more people will go out there.
If you are approaching from the summit, walk the main trail all the way around the Ogre. The trail will then switchback south. Walk the complete switchback so that you are again on the northernmost extreme of the trail. From this point walk through a burned area while heading towards a boulder with three cracks in it. Instead of going all the way to the aforementioned boulder, cut right (east) and walk through brush for about 50ft. Then turn left (north) and walk straight down to the east side of the Firefly boulder. Continuing along the base, you will come to Firefly. The easiest way to the top of the boulder is from the east side (right next to the approach). Use finger size gear for an anchor; 0.3 - 0.5 BD sizes.
Nope, it's always been Rockwork Orange. Piggot did the FA's of Fall Semester, Spring Break, and Vice-Principal's Office, early 80's. Man he was on a f*#king roll. Anybody else ever get on Spring break? It's an oldie but a goodie. It's on the way to VP's Office, about halfway down.
I'm gonna add Out Of Sight to my top ten list. I know you'll all be abuzz over that tidbit of information.
1. Whatever the last problem I did was
2. Welcome to Rubidoux
3. Kurtains
4. Lie Detector
5. Slap You Silly
6. Night Vision
7. Hard as Nails
8. Air Stream
9. Piece of Mind
10. Whatever the next problem I do is
It doesn't seem possible to put them in any definitive order though. And there are so many honorable mentions. Not to mention the countless problems that I haven't done that if I could/would/should I'd doubtless have to rework the list.
Favorites are so subjective. Hardest? Most meaningful? Most classic? Best smack-downs? etc, etc, etc...
The ones in my list that are the most likely to always be there are numbers 1 and 10. With the quantity of good problems at Woodson those 2 will likely always be true. If ya know what I mean.
Soon we'll be talking about our top 50 favorites and I'll be hosed. I've only done 47.5 problems so far at Woodson. Oh well.
bvb,
got any more info on Spring Break? I guess I haven't searched that hard, there is currently no trail to VP's from PhD and the brush up there is some of the most intense I have seen on the hill.
Mike Paul's topo (posted in another woodson thread) shows "20 point crack 5.11" across from Big Grunt. Does anybody know what climb this is?
Have any of the seams by Digit's Delight been freed? There's the one right behind Digits, there is the boulder which has Clicker, and then there is a short seam east of Digits.
Henny, Piece of Mind sounds familiar. What is it? Out of Sight is a right leaning hand crack on the way to PhD.
After topping the mountain, before getting to the Dragon it's downhill a bit on the left. You know where Aces High is? It's on the same big boulder. I think there's an old telephone pole somewhat in proximity. I'll have to check a map/topo to give directions as I don't know the names of the other problems in the area.
Steep small hold edging. Tall. It can be led (5 bolts if I remember) or TR'd.
Edit: Now I'm thinking it might be more than 5 bolts. Who knows, I don't remember.
Doug, the "20 point crack" across from Big Grunt is Werner's Wish. He gave it 20 points in a bouldering contest but it was a hike, hence the name. I'll dig up and post a photo. It's actually across the street, and a bit downhill, on the backside of the Poison Oak Crack boulder, i think. The climb is a leaning, overhanging flake/tips crack that leans right a bit then goes straight up.
There's another "Slap You Silly" type arete that just downhill and across the street from Hamburger Crack and on the same side of the road/downhill from Werner's Wish. There is a massive cleft/Chimmney formed by Two boulders, capped by a third boulder. Obvious from the road as you're hiking up past California Night and Jaws. Whack around down to the base of the chimmney, it's the arete on the left side. Me and Eric Ericsson and Jocelyn and maybe Kurt and Carmel and a couple others tried it one day and none of us got it. 86/87, thereabouts. Quality and clearly difficult. Somebody had some really good weed that day and we were seriously impaired.
Have any of the seams by Digit's Delight been freed? There's the one right behind Digits, there is the boulder which has Clicker, and then there is a short seam east of Digits.
I gave both of the seams by Digits many half-hearted attempts, but they just seemed way too futuristic. The short one on your left as you're standing at the base of Digits appears to have been slightly manufactured; I think climbing it will involve significant use of two-fingernail crimps and new-age shoes will help. I'm sure it's in the cards for today's mutants.
The one downhill on your right from digits, on the backside of the clicker boulder, seemed way more plausible and i devoted quite a few attempts to it. I think it felt more like an actual, but absurdly thin, crack climb? Absurd sorta-jams for the tips that you had to crimp and lean off to make work, but definately stuff for the feet. Right foot smearing in the shallow, bottoming crack and left foot on the face? 25 - 30 years ago. Dim recollections.
To my knowledge, to this day, they're both still vigin and worthy. Go git 'em!
Schwitzer, Carmel, et al, at Werner's Wish. Is the blond haired guy klimmer?
It's funny, the other day I was lying underneath the cap (of the boulder with Cast of a Thousand Stones) trying to escape the hot air and I actually noticed the arete that you're talking about.
Last time I looked at the seam right by Digit's it looked way more doable than I remembered. That said, I didn't get on it so I wasn't reminded of how absolutely thin the feet are. At least there are a series of crimpable pinned out and/or manufactured pods... There are more seams along that switchback than anywhere else on woodson that I'm aware of. It's kind of crazy. And then there's the steep, leaning, and incredibly smooth seam east of Camlock. If that thing was jammable it would be amazing climbing.
This may not be new news to some but it was for me about two years ago. At the apex of the crack, when it angles right up to the dihedral, there is a hidden ledge/top of a flake about two feet, directly up from this spot. A fried of mine, Chris Kleppe, described it one day (after finding it himself while on rappell) and convinced me to give it a go. Whoa, too cool! I don't think it's any harder but definitely a more direct variation! I've heard others (Donny, Dan, MP?) foot traversing that finger traverse at the start too!
Hey Donny, I was going to include Bat Flake too for the start to that thing is sweet! So clean, double overhanging, classic body position and a hint of stemming. The only reason why I didn't was the OW at the top. I've been told of the hidden face hold/exit up on the flake about midway up the OW, but STILL haven't finished that thing!
Fall Semester, that thing PUMPED me out! Never got it.
Came across this while perusing rc.com, gotta love it:
"Anonymous hardman (aka bvb), in full mid-70's hairfarmer mode, hiking an obscure V6 Woodson highball, circa 1978. But enough about the route and the burly skill clearly in evidence...let's check out those threads! for today's bouldering outfit, our hero, clearly willing to take the most outrageous fashion risks, will be sporting a pair of Haines long underwear, neatly paired with a "tighty whitey" wifebeater tank top and cleverly accesorized with a pair of dainty powder blue corduroy shorts. grey sweat socks provide a firm anchor for the loose cuffs of the long undies, ensuring they don't ride up on those big woodson high step moves -- an often feared fashion faux pas to be avoided at all costs. rounding out today's sporting ensemble will be a length of green 2" tubular webbing, cleverly color coordinated with bob's green RR's (at the time, one of the few available alternatives to eb's) and a home-made chalkbag supported by a $2.35 cent eiger oval beaner looped through the webbing. yes ladies and gentlemen, fashion-forward style sense like this comes along once in a generation...thank god..."
Sounds like you're having a blast up there on the mountain and have already got your feet wet on some classic Woodson stone. As far as I know, you pretty much called it correctly, the "5.8 arete." In all honesty, most, if not all, of those posting on this thread have probably done that thing more than once in their gazillion years on Woodson. It's not surprising, to me, that it's on your list. It's definitely a classic roadside problem!
5.8 arete is recently referred to as Baby Edge, but I doubt thats the originial name...
Anyone have any information on this arete? The thing has been bugging me for about a year and I finally did it on tuesday. It has a bolt at the start to A0 your way over the undercut bulge. After that, totally classic 5.9/10- edges with one cruxy smear move to get established on the arete. Unfortunately no bolts on top.
Pliskin,
Its up just above the Cave. The big fin on the right is the Sail. Basically its like 50 feet east of Digits Delight! Right in the middle of it all!
Last couple weekends have been much fun up on the hill. Planning on a trip to the valley in the spring, so I've been trying to work out some kinks in the offwidth game. Last weekend was Crucible and Sickle Crack with some family fun on the solo circuit.
A couple pictures from another great weekend out at Woodson:
Sunset 2/4/12
Credit: LMo
Here is Mark K cruising up the Painted Boulder at sunset- a great way for him to top off the day after christening a fresh pair of Kaukulators on his send of The Widow, Bereft!
Those are some sketchy moves on that painted boulder! The shaded north face has some mind benders as well, up the FAT brown stain to the horizontal seam then following it left to the top!
At last, people are getting the name right! I can now die a happy man.
Gary, you ever do the thing at the far left in that last photo, goes up the brown streak just right of the white paint streak on edges then finishes up the seam/crack? I only did it twice, and it scared the bejeus out of me both times. You do NOT want to fall off the top of that f*#ker.
As has been mentioned upthread, that hand/foot match on the undercling and knob on the West Face of Painted Boulder is one of the most aesthetic and spatially satisfying at Woodson. Love it. And I was still able to do it last time up there! w00t!
EDIT: Oh, I just realized we're talking about the same problem. North face, brown streak. Yep. Like landing on concrete if you pitch.
Geeze Bob, I almost thought you were referring to a "direct" version of the line I mentioned, for I've always heard a rumor that Woodward had done one! Directly up the THIN (vs. FAT) brown streak to the seam to the top. Any truth to that?
No Gary, I think were talking about the same thing. Sizable edges finishing with a sizable reach move up to the horizontal seam, a sketchy move or two left to get to where the seam goes vertical, then straight up -- which is where it felt insecure and scary to me.
Yeah, a thin high-step up to reach the horizontal seam, which turns out to to be slopey and slippery fingers, then two desperate pieces of footwork left, to a nice "ledge," then able to reach that jug at the bottom of the vertical seam. Even though the climbing is probably only 5.8-5.9 above, it's all business from there! Gotta love it, "You do NOT want to fall off the top of that...!"
Ah, different lines we're talking. The way I was going up was more like just left of center between those two brown streaks, more directly underneath the section where the seam turns vertical.
Gary, you should know not to believe everything you read on the internet, that photo is a sandbag. Its actually at Deerhorn Valley, with BeeHay in the lower right and Galen's nose at the bottom. I think its over on the Dinosaur Rock side of things.
I never said I "believed" it, I was just posting Woodson related information from a website that is reputed to be Woodson material. The caption was what I was really interested in, Woodson or not. I, as well, read that that photo was taken elsewhere on another ST thread. Other than that, I know nothing. What have you been up to these days?
Well, Bob, where you're talking is in the general area that the rumored line was heard to have been done. Maybe it was YOU that the rumor was to have stemmed from! We/I never could piece that one together. Would be cool to see more pictures of people on that face though.
The boulder problem in question (just to the right of the paint streak, I've always heard it referred to as Woodward Direct) definitely "goes". A few of my friends have done it recently. You can see my chalk from many failed attempts from earlier in the day. I'd be curious to hear how it was done B.I.T.D. Current beta involves a giant move to a good sloper; a big armspan definitely helps. After that, obviously keep it together at the top. Good stuff.
Wait, how many different problems are we talking here? I've done the west face (in yellow) with the high step that mark is on (I've pitched off it too, which wasn't fun), I've played on the line in the green on that northwest corner by the brown streak, and I've played on the line in the green by the brown streak on the left as a dyno from good edges and a high right foot. Are you talking about a problem between the two Bob?
The way I'd get up it was about about halfway between the pink and green lines, more towards the pink. The highstep problem has never had a name but it was already established by early in '74, at least. I've always referred to it as the west face of the painted boulder.
So, this "Woodward" person sounds rather fictional to me. Sort of an Oliver Moon kind of thing. Has anyone ever actually seen this guy boulder at Woodson, or is he just some kind of a myth that has been propagated over the years? Sounds pretty suspect to me.
I mean, if such a person ever existed he must not have been a local. So how could he have done any FA's at Woodson? The locals would never have let such a thing occur.
Would they?
Ooops.
10a on the Outside (a problem so easy it was FA'd in tennis shoes first try, and the locals were still robbed.) Deport Johnny. Welcome to Rubidoux. Lemon Chiffon. Woodward (that name again?) Arete. To name a few. The list goes on and on.
SP...I think you flipped flopped your words here, but I think I still understand, lol:
"I've played on the line in the green on that northwest corner by the brown streak, and I've played on the line in the green by the brown streak on the left as a dyno from good edges and a high right foot.
Yeah, the pink line was the one with the dyno. I haven't been on it in awhile, and would be interested to find an actual sequence. through there. Prollyt heads up the way BVB's talking about.
Anyone have any info on this problem? The face to the right of the Seminar boulder. I've done it a handful of times and it's pretty classic. Slightly overhanging on decent edges and heads up left on a small rail to a mantle onto the slab. Crux is the first few moves. Goes at about 5.10a/b?
Hey ya'll, let's get together in March again so I'll have a reason to get off my butt and out of this cold place. It's really starting to get old and after only two months I've put on about 10+ pounds already.
I've been giving this much thought, Darrel. The obvious solution to our chronic, Rubidoux interloper poaching problem is to simply claim you as owr own, in much the same way that the LDS church performs proxy baptisms.
This event will be consumatted with a splash of ganster grafitti decalaring "Fly Flabob Regional Airport!" splashed across the face of Lemon Chiffon, followed by a mighty TR session on VP's Office. We might also sacrifice a large Carne Asada burrito at the base of Welcome to Roubidoux.
That should settle things once and for all, and when you keeping kyping our prized gems we can simply go "ya, long-time woodson homie sent that pile", simultaneously dissing you, lowering expectations of Woodson in general, and co-opting the few stray climbers -- such as you -- who were swapped at birth by unscrupulous Riverside locals as part of their master plan to artificially warp the Rouxbidoux gestalt and load the Woodson/Roubidoux dice.
This offer is also available to Kevin and Jonny, providing they pass a rigorous oral exam and donate a substanital sum to the 501(3)(c) American Legend travel and spiritual development fund.
Truth of the matter is I've been more of a Woodson local than a Rubidoux local for a few years now. However, with the number of times I make it there in a year calling myself a local is a big, big stretch. Bottom line, with the new problem potential and the aesthetics of Woodson, why bother going to Rubidoux when it doesn't have much of either. Well, unless of course one wants to do some problems that are actually hard, but that's a different story. Nonetheless, it's still fun to play the Rubidoux trump card when I want to take a trick.
Did you bump your head? I'm not getting anywhere near the VP's Office. Although I would like to watch KP on it.
March might be kind of warm this year, given how it's been going so far. Like as in hot kind of warm. Just in case you thought there might be some cold kind of warm.
Anybody up for a mob session on woodson this spring? Im stopping short of calling one. I did that last year and was unanimously ignored.
Still, its always a good time, so whats it gonna take to get your lame, elderly butts out there? Apparently the lack of incentives like raffles, magic shows and photo sessions with your favorite woodson legends killed last years attempt before it got off the ground.
Silly me, I thot the climbing and camraderie would be a good enough draw.
gonamok, I just did that line (with a rope) a couple weeks ago for the first time. Best line on the boulder in my opinion, though I haven't done the Woodward Direct.
That mystery boulder is like 44inches off the road on the right hand side as you are walking down the mountain.... as I recall.... I mean it was 30 years ago or more.... and dark!
Thanks bob, i thot you were there. In fact I recall telling you "watch and learn" in my inimitable, magnanimous way. Im glad you took that to heart. There is much you can learn from Rokron, god-o-bob. We will make a face climber outta you yet.
Not necessarily painted direct. The regular 10d problem exits up the dihedral too. Im stumped on the flake as well, boob.
Routes on the N side of painted as I know them are: Paint streak direct (way hard), regular route, (starting on the right, a couple moves up, then handrail left on thin edges to the base of the little dihedral and straight up)10d, and the arete thing that I posted (V3ish).
As far as a route straight up between the paint streak and the start of the regular route, Ive never heard of it. Theres a line of fantasy holds that may have started a suburban legend, but a problem? I need to see proof, because Ive tried that and there aint enough holds.
Ok, I'm pretty stumped too on the mystery photo, but how about this "shot in the dark" guess...Mike's doing the foot-hand match on the west face of Painted Boulder. The horizontal seam is to the left, yet at weird angle because the shot is steeper than it should be, and this would also support the, "44 inches off the road, right side of the road on the way down" recollection, somewhat.
Credit: Truthdweller
If I was shooting up at the guy in the other photo, that horizontal seam would angle up to the left corner of the photo such as it is in Mikes photo. What do you think?
Good call, Gary. The angle is so distorted its hard to tell, but the move, height and rock features all seem to support your idea. Plus theres already one nighttime pic of MP on the painted...Im throwing in with you.
Those are old pics indeed. Look how fresh the paint streak is.
I know Ron, awesome about the paint streak. Yeah I was thinking the same also, in that there was one pic already of Mike on Painted Boulder. I'm shaking my head at the line you did in yellow. It was hard enough just following the more popular routes on that boulder!
Good plan bboob, Henny needs to be a "local" so that we can claim whatever he climbs as our own and not the work of some mercinary interloper.
I am happy to second the nomination for "local" status for Henny, but before he receives the public acclaim, admiration and adoration that comes with the status of "woodson local" something needs to be done about his "welcome to rubidoux" route. A name change to something like "welcome to rubidoux, the place that wishes it were woodson", or "welcome to rubidoux, poor mans woodson" would be appropriate.
After that a simple 24 hour hazing, presentation of his dowry, a pledge of allegience to woodson and ceremonial reduction to dust of a 50 lb rock from rubidoux, using only his bare hands, along with the sacred rites specified by secretary general and vice-grand poobah of woodson Bobilus Vanbellium, and hes in.
I'm having a hard time seeing these as the same problem, unless the photographer deliberately did a massive photo tilt prank. The West face Of the Painted Boulder is a 70 degree slab. The other photo of Mike appears to be an absolutely dead vertical, if not ever-so-slightly overhanging, problem.
Bob, if this IS Painted Boulder, I'm sure RW didn't purposely pose the picture but, to get that angle of Mike, RW could have had his left shoulder nearly up against the stone, shooting up. The boulder behind Painted Boulder seems to be partially missing, but you can see a crescent of it in the picture. Again, it's an educated guess.
The similarities are striking, but after studying the mystery boulder more carefully i am less convinced that we are looking at painted boulder. For that to be painted boulder the photographer, at minimum, would have to be laying on his back at the base of of the rock with his camera against the wall to make it look that steep. But the mystery boulder is more than vertical, and i dont know if its physically possible to skew the perspective of the low angle west side radically enough to make it appear overhanging from a ground up shot.
There is also a sort of ripple on the face under mike that stands out like nothing on painted would, but is it a piece of the adjacent rock? I am stumped-er than i wuz now.
All the Fish has to do is mess with the angle a little and he has ya'll hoodwinked. Does anyone in their wildest pipedream really think the problem is even remotely that steep? Surely someone had the wherewithall to download the picture and blow it up (even if it is poor quality), and in so doing would notice that Mike's right hand isn't even jamming, its just leaning against the rock or palming a feature. Like, it's that steep and he's in that body position? Give me a break. If it was truely that steep and he went for that move he'd be an instant lawn dart. Or in this case a dirt dart, because the base is hard pack. I think the Fish's trickery has been correctly identified already.
Henny... he is crimping like a demon.... I know you are not that familiar with the area or really thin pulling, but this is a standard technique at the upper grades.
By the way, while we're on the topic of the Painted Boulder - I watched Doug do this problem and I'm not really sure what it is. Anybody happen to know the problem's name? I think Mellonhead may have done it BITD.
Who knows.
Credit: henny
(Sorry, I'm not up on all this high-tech imagery stuff, and how to draw pretty lines on a picture.)
I pledge allegience to the boulders of Woodson and the choss they are which everyone can barely stand. One mountain, in San Diego, unlike Rubidoux, with grainfests and grovels for all.
Finally!!! I can call myself a Woodson local! wOOt!
OK, back to serious matters. Nice day yesterday.
Credit: henny
Credit: henny
Looking at my watch, I see that it's time for the next episode of "Name That Problem." They should all be pretty straightforward.
Henny, I bet you really "tagged" Painted Boulder with spray paint like that didn't you?! Sorry, we don't tolerate behavior like that, especially from a wanna-be Woodsonite. The last time, the ACSD had to come out and take care of a similar disaster at the Baby Robbins group...
The Big Grunt downclimb is even more substantial than that, isn't it?
Anyway, you've been there once,and I got the impression that once was
enough for you.
Judging by the total absence of chalk, yeah, Jonny's Shameless "Toast The Locals" Poach Job. I mean, us regulars were so close on that thing! No! Really!!
Trivial move, I just kept cranking into it wrong..!
To be perfectly honest, with the exception of the Poway Mountain Boys, Ray Olsen, Watusi, and Epi, the bulk of Woodson's "signature" climbs were bagged by out-of towners, or guys who lived in San Diego or a year or two at most. I'd mention Amick and Allenby, but my God...instant lifetime demerits for having the temerity to take me to grainy chossfest last-gasp bottom-of-the-barrel rubble-heap buttknuckle bald mantle perversions that I could not do. Of course, they had plenty of beer and it was always cold, so there was peace in Missisipi.
Geller, Leavitt, Leichtfuss, et. al. picked a few plums for sure, but when you get right down to it and look at the roster of classics that got bagged right out from under our perpetually stoned noses by out-of-town interlopers, it's a pretty impressive collective coup. We got robbed, godammit.
Of course, with so much rock to go around we could afford to be generous. Woodson was for touring the vistors around. Deerhorn Valley was private stash!
I don't know bvb, seems to me when I look at who did what that Piggot ranks up there pretty high in the quantity of FA list (as well as the quality of FA.) I don't' know that Donny has stacks of problems to his credit, but he has some gems. Those guys sorta kinda vaugely, in a roundabout way, qualify as locals, wouldn't you say? No?
OK, I've recovered enough that I can finally comment on Ron's last posts. I know everyone is all abuzz (dang, I been wanting to use that word myself) about how you brilliantly besmirched my proudest Woodson FA, but dang dude, you hurt my feelings. Plus, you know how hard it was to drill those bolts? I mean seriously. And Greg, laughing at his mis-guided efforts will only encourage him - nice job.
okaay I'll bite and be specific on that last photo...
That upper chalked flare is my second foot placement for my right foot on I hear my train a comin.
Oh Please. You're gonna have to do better than this.
Sorry Bob, I deleted my last comment to you for it was lacking any sort of punctuation whatsoever. Let me try again...
Regarding the above quote, I was trying to feel you as to how you intended it, whether it was blatantly obvious, to you, as to what the photo was, or whether you really needed more information. Being how intimately familiar you are with IHMT, I chose the former over the latter.
Mark K, which photo are you referring to? Henny's or mine? That problem I posted has no name, and is right down there at Grand Cenral Station near "The Widow, Bereft" (the well-known crack route Henny was referring to.) So Henny nailed it. The bastard.
Top Secret File was a Dan Leichtfuss route right off the road, down by TV Screen. An extreme smearing problem. Dan's "Top Secret File" is definately not the thing Henny posted; I need to give it a closer look. I;m guessing it's one of the newer microslab climbs that I've never seen, alhtough it does bear a vague resemblance to Starface -- but then, every goddamn slab on Woodson looks like Straface!
OK, for true Woodson locals this next one will be a snap. For occasional interlopers, trespassers, hangers-on, and wannnabes: fuggedaboudit. You don't stand a chance. Hell, I'll even give you a hint. It's somehere between the parking area and Jaws.
I've been out to the "Y" Crack ATS...many moons ago. I self belayed myself on both variations of the "Y" and practiced some self rescue techniques out there back in the 80's. It was a bushwhack then and can't imagine what it is now! Also, as you descend south from "Y" crack, you happen upon that obvious 5.9 OW that you can see from the road as you pass the yellow house at the bottom. Fond memories.
Top Secret File it is. I had to crop the photo to get enough of the background out of it to at least make it a little interesting. I fully expected either Doug or Mark to identify the problem right off.
That picture of Johnny... Is that one of those problems on the way down to Stealth Bomber? I eliminated SB because (no disrespect, seriously) Ron said he had soloed it once (correct me if I'm wrong). I don't know of any SB solos. Just soloing Rick's Crack or whatever that stupid thing is to set up the anchor for SB was exciting the first time. The backgound implies that area it seems to me.
I almost said one of the Vision/Night Vision pair. But then again, Ron's comment about soloing eliminated those. Both of those problems are way too big with way to hard of moves to be soloing unless one is, shall we say, slightly dialed on super thin crimping/smearing. Even then, it's pretty likely we'd have to start using the past tense if someone went for the solo of either one... they were slightly dialed... Plus, the backgound is a little skewed for those I think.
So, after a bunch of rambling on, I come back to suspecting that it's one of the larger things on the way to SB?
Then again, maybe not. Obviously I don't have a clue.
Next:
???
Credit: henny
Next:
???
Credit: henny
I don't expect the context to be enough in the first picture for many decent guesses but we'll see. The picture doesn't do justice to how small and sharp the holds are. The second picture could obviously be more in focus, but I still expect people to know what it is.
Henny, I'm gonna go with Welcome to Rubidoux and Aids Victim. Ron, you've got me stumped. I was thinking one of those with Rick and Johnny had to be 49th Street but the orientation just doesn't seem right. I'm kind disappointed with myself for not bing able to identify the roadside problem you're on.
BVB, I thought the problem you posted was called Grand Central Station. But upon further inspection, we always called that slanting seam to the right GCC. Not sure if this is right, however.
Dannnnng Mark! I expected the second, but not the first. That big of a give-away, eh? It's a fairly nasty pull to just step off the ground so one can get to the party later.
Yeap. Correct on both accounts. Asylum and Korean Cowboy.
I should go for the lotto after that lucky guess on the picture of Johnny. Hey, what's my prize? And don't tell me it's a guided tour of all the Woodson mantles.
Last two photos: Sickle Crack and Go With The Flow.
Yep, right on about Jeff on Slant Crack, back behind the TV Screen. (Wrong again, Henny!)
The face problem with the background removed? Not the warm-up boulders. Not even close!
Oh, and Gary, I think you were right the first time. I think the "Thin Hands" crack might be Baby Robbins. I have to go double-check the Photo Folder and confirm.
Pretty sure that crack in the Video is way down the hill, faces west, close to Hwy 67 than it is the Woodson road. Easiest approach is off the Rexrode's trail.
Speaking of Rexrodes...got a really stumper of a photo from down there. Cilley will recognize it.
Darn it Bob, the bulge on the right side of the photo (your left), with the seam in it, looks just like the left side of the Warm Up boulder slab! Is it the face to the left of Elsa's Crack?
All i see in the Poway trails guide is the trail from lake poway to the summit on the west side, nothing about the paved road up the east side where the sign is posted. I dont think any of the east side or the road is within Poway city limits
The last I heard, woodson was owned by the state, and designated as public open space. The CDF camp at the base indicates that it is state controlled land. The county owns the access easment and the road, but rights to the road as well as the land under the installments on the summit are leased by private companies long term. The city of Ramona also has some jurisdiction. This was spelled out during the access crisis back in the 80s.
Apparently there has been a change, and it would be nice to know what that is.
wtf. does this park have a name? do we know what agency administers it? who is responsible for cultural and natural resource management? are there partols of any kind, ever? is it a county park, a city park, a state park? there's NOTHIN' on that sign that gives a clue. i coulda piched a sign like that and posted it as a joke.
the bottom box says 'park boundary'..so does that mean you can pitch a tent, let your dog go unleashed, smoke a doob, etc. just before the sign..what a dumb fookin' sign/rules.
This thing is right in your wheelhouse bob, I think you know a little something about parks, hope you can dig something up. The only clues on the sign regarding jurisdiction are the municipal codes cited with each regulation. State? County? City? Boy Scouts? It doesnt say. Pretty inept to post rules with no number to call for information or to report violations, unlikely in fact.
So are we dealing with a hoax? Hmmmm. Steal a sign, poke it in the dirt at woodson and watch the locals go apesh#t......it would certainly be a good one. The location is very strange too, a park boundary sign with no gate or fence in sight. Very fishy.
I have to believe that an EIR, solicitation of public input and a public posting, at minimum, would precede the creation of any kind of park, especially since it could be argued that the public holds eminent domain after decades of unfettered access.
The most prudent course of action is to tear the sign up, toss it into the pond and see what kind of response it generates (note, i am NOT advocating illegal, immoral or unsanitary activities).
Theres 1)that heinous face climb to a highball mantle thing in those boulders kinda by jaws, 2)this spooky ass lieback flake me and rick found down in the bushes by a big orange rock, 3)This ridiculously hard thing Greg showed me over by pruneface way back when, 4)a pinch n yank dyno thing on the south slope that I cranked once when I was sportin a sick hone....I cant think of a 5th one
Speaking of mysterious signs...about two years ago, Santee sported a "27 acres For Sale" sign up by the EB boulder one day. I found it disassembled another day and dragged the 4x4 posts down to the trash cans in the park below. Legit or not I never found out, but it never reemerged after that.
When I helped organize the Woodson Shindig, the Black Mountain open space rangers in Rancho Penasquitos was it (?) gave me the key to the gate at the bottom of the hill. Maybe they would have some information on that sign for he told me then that they monitored that area.
Oh...names
Speaking of which, nobodys about to bite on another obscure route I threw out there, so Ill spill the beans.
The pic is of The Terminator, V3/4 - a super clean thing I found low on the south slope sometime in the 80's. Ask Horvath, he put up a new face problem on that boulder a couple months ago.
I have done U.P. but the others stood out and seemed to take the most effort for me. Heck, maybe I'm wrong but that's what I came up with. There's so much more that I HAVEN'T done than what I've accomplished.
To tell you the truth on IWDFY...I was there by myself in the early eighties when I got really lucky to hit the right holds on that thing and topped out. Nobody was there to witness it and I've never repeated it since, but I know what happened that day. I had no idea what it was nor what it was rated at the time.
Uncertainty is swank for sure, but in the big picture of Woodson stuff it's a hike. I Would Die For You was considered way damn hard in the mid-80's. Don't know where it is in the pecking order these days.
I can come up with a "Hardest 5" list circa 1989, but don't what all's been done since then. Of course, the hardest 5 for me. Everybody's got their own strengths and weaknesses up there. 5 climbs that I know took me 10 - 20 tries, often over a few days, back when I had my Woodson hone on, in no particular order:
1. Head First In The Bushes
2. Lie Detector
3. VP's Office
4. Starving In Stereo
5. Some f*#ked-up Chossy Piece-Of-Sh#t mantle that Ron and Rick liked to warm up on. I only did it for the beer.
As with all things Woodson, once you've done 'em once you get 'em wired and all of a sudden they're easy. But I know those five had to get projected to the point I was drawing move topo's for 'em.
Have not found a single thing on the internet about any "Park" designations for Woodson -- definately nothing that involves designation of a "Park Boundary" -- but I'm almost positive that the County owns the land. A little project for tommorrow. Usually you can get yourself pointed in the right direction with a phone call or two.
i only top roped uncertainly principle a couple of times around the time of, or leading up to the 86 contest. we did most those others about every time we went up there. and my train, calif night & drivin south since early on. mother superior was obviously much more strenuous but got easier over time it seems. i haven't done any of them since the early nineties so i could be way off. the last things i worked on and got were starving in stereo, airstream, and silk banana. the last few years after that i would mainly go up alone and do only things that i felt safe soloing such as robbins, airplane crack, monkey crack, etc. plus many of the short/low harder boulder problems like if i could die for you and silk banana. allot of the harder stuff we worked on for ages it seemed like before we got it wired. and it is hard to compare one to another since allot of the others i get confused with which was what. i haven't seen my last guide to the area in twenty years. that is one of the reasons i asked what were the hardest five problems considered to be now. not that i have done any of them, just curious. i first started bouldering there in '71.
edit: never got around to dropping a rope down from the top of robbins to have a go at lie detector. i did watch r.k. do it at the '86 contest. wish i would have tried it. the upper hands/finger crack looked fun anyway. i did do 5.10 on the outside a few times. found it rather humorous that it had c.g. stymied during the '86 contest.
As you now know Bob, these kids are in another league of their own these days. There's some stuff done up there on the mountain that, from a rating standpoint are a full grade and harder than anything that was rated b.i.t.d. up there. Chris Lindner, and other big names have apparently done some things that haven't really been talked about, even in the 5.14 arena, per Dan Bealle. I've mentioned before that Chris did a sit-start to IHMT, and I'm still wondering what a consenses would be for that! I was flabbergassed when he on sighted it the day before the shindig! You know that overhanging rail problem by Shawn's Knobs with no name? Instead of throwing out to the lip out right, Chris tilted his head backward and threw, all points off and hit the apex, the furthest point behind him, with one hand, then finished there as an alternate ending! Heck, the kid did a sit start to Retropulsion!
i have very few pics of climbing period. i don't think i brought a camera to the '86 event. but i may have since i do recall owning one about then. all of my stuff is in storage, but i will have to search it soon.
The Woodson guru bvb said: As with all things Woodson, once you've done 'em once you get 'em wired and all of a sudden they're easy. But I know those five had to get projected to the point I was drawing move topo's for 'em.
Personal experience has shown me there is truth to that, but only up to a point. I've been back to some projects that seemed fairly straight forward when I finally did them, only to find they were much, much harder than I remembered. And I didn't wait an excessive amount of time to go back to them. Maybe it's just my advanced age or something, don't know. One of the things that seems most problematic is keeping the desire high enough after I've done something that is close to my personal limit. When working those projects one gets things really down (as in wired), plus, you really want to do it. Want doesn't seem to be something I can just turn on at will anymore. Bummer.
The top 5 or 10 in difficulty? Don't know, way too many variables. I suspect some of the Beall and Lindner stuff would be right up there though. But I can't say for sure because I haven't done them. Seems to me the only way to get a somewhat accurate ordering would be to do all the candidate problems. Even then it would still have bias because of personal abilities, strengths, and preferences.
So, I have a brilliant plan. Since we can't seem to get away from wanting to quantify and rank, we need to compile a list of the top 50 or so candiate problems, have someone do them all, and then report back to us. I also suspect there are problems that are sleepers, that are much harder than they're rated for whatever the reason(s), so we can't just go on given ratings. Since we don't know for sure which problems those are, maybe we should have our person do the top 100 candidates instead. To eliminate as many variables as we can, we'll have that person do all the problems in the same week-end (similar weather conditions, similar mental/physical attitude.) I nominate bvb. Whad'ya think, any seconds on that nomination? Sounds like a plan to me.
Nice picture of Uncertainty.
bvb, what was the problem with the background cropped out of it? (Sorry if you already posted the name and I missed it)
Take your time bvb, if you don't wait toooooo long you probably even have time for a second cup. Just don't over amp.
90 nanoseconds? That picture annoys me, looks like something I should know but can't place. Don't throw a name out yet, lets see who knows...
Splitter, the name does sound familiar but I can't seem to put a face to it.
I was going to go with this picture initially, but then decided the more complete picture was more aesthetic. Is it just me, or do the crux moves have bite to them?
SIS
Credit: henny
ok, a couple more:
One easy -
???
Credit: henny
One not so easy (hints: big, and before the preceeding one on the way up) -
That first photo, California Night, is one of my faves. You'll never stump us on a crack Henny but all those 5.11c microedging problems look the same...
That photo I posted should bother you! It's a really fun edging problem, just high enough to be interesting, on what is literally some of the best rock up on Woodson. You'd hike it, like it, and go "wow, that's a good one..."
Is the second photo Retropulsion, or maybe Eppulator?
EDIT: Waitaminnit. That first photo is looking less and less lke Kali Knight now...oh, repost of Starving. Duh. Yup, Starving can be a grinder. I always taped up for it.
2nd EDIT: Last photo, the face: Laker Girls, downhill from GWTF?
Nope. A little downhill of the road, the problem has been around for a long time, it's passed right under while going somewhere else, and you've likely done it. Bolt on top, but since you pretty much need to do it to set it up (huh?), the bolt is more for getting off I think. Or send the bold one and then everybody mooches the free TR. I know... pretty hard to guess from that picture. I'll toss out the give-away hint next if those clues aren't enough.
I need help (obvious.) Is that picture of yours low or high on the mountain? Aaargh.
Most of road side of Woodson is city of San Diego open space,
and managed by the Black Mountain open space.
However the city has not ever actively done much, and is very difficult to even contact. The west side and lower north side is city of Poway at some point. Poway has taken the lead on trails in the area.
There was talk 10-15 years ago about transferring it all to the city of Poway.
SDMC means city of San Diego Municipal code.
It is not a new park so it is a good question whether something has changed.
TV screen is just past the new water tank, so maybe there is some boundary with a water district?
The state only owns a parcel at the base for the fire station.
You can see the boundary of the city of Poway in yellow here - http://maps.geocortex.net/imf-5.2.2/imf.jsp?site=zoning
Oh, you talking about Greg's Face. Duh. That was actually gonna be my first guess before Control Tower, but I wavered.
The thing I posted is not far off the lefthand side of the road as you're walking uphill, above Robbin's, but below Mother Superior...
It's a great problem but never had a name, and I've only rarely done it with chalk on it. It's in a sweet but often overlooked little cluster of moderates. The idea of falling off the last move is unsettling due to the height and the landing, but it's by no means a "highball."
If you Chicken out on the last move, you can escape by grbbing the arete on the left.
Get it? "Chicken Out?" Heh. Might make a good name for that problem!
I was hiking up the day the sign went in. The vehicle passed me on the road, and the guy was pounding the post in when I walked by. I didn't question him though, not sure what purpose that would have served. But now all the inquiring minds want to know so maybe I should have. The sign is just past the drive to the big water tank, so maybe the boundary does have something to do with a water district. Don't know.
But hey, fishing IS still permitted with a license. So, you can still toss those ratings out there and reel 'em in, hook, line, and sinker. Assuming of course, that you actually do have the required license you'll even be legal.
Yeap. Greg's Face. How did the problem get that name? Is it related in any way to the famous home boy, or was his name taken in vain?
Chicken Out? Maybe I'm dense or something, but no, I don't get it.
So I'm supposed to name a problem that doesn't have a name? Right, got that part.
Ron's track record says he's by far the best bet for organizing a great turnout. Just like last year.
We need to do it whatever weekend bvb goes for the top 100 candidates. And exactly when, pray tell, will that be Bob? We need to know in advance so we can plan accordingly. I can promise you that we'll all be abuzz over it.
If you guys decide on a get together soon, I'm going to have to pull off a miracle to get back into any worthwhile shape for I'm toast! But, I'd fly back in a heart beat just to be there with you all.
bvb, Gary got it. 8.2 feet off the road, before you even get to the gate.
That's some textured orange rock, scuffy. So where is there orange rock like that? Nothing that small on Uncertainty and doesn't look right anyway, and Seminar would be sharp, awful black knobby single digit pimple thingies even if it was the correct color. I'm thinking, I'm thinking... It's probably some obscure crimp along side something fat, so I won't have a snowballs chance in Hades of recognizing it.
The crimp is just out of frame in the picture looking down at bvb on
the Klettergarten face. If he turned his head to the right, he'd be
looking at it. Klettergarten Knob?
Not HDTV. I can promise you it's at Woodson, and as the hint said it's a fairly recent addition to the mountain. Meaning, a lot of people probably haven't experienced it yet. Although there are a few who might recognize it, so I'll wait a little longer. (Eliot, Doug, Ron, maybe Mark, can't mention the other name.)
Yeah Scuffy, I knew your photo was of that same klettergarten problem. That diamond hard, ultra-textured, and still really bald, bright orange rock only pops up a couple of places on the mountain. Super good. I bet Darrel could find something that's never been climbed over there. There are some real futuristic shields.
Actually it sort of did have a name. We always referred to it as the "klettergarten face." Sort of generic, but hey, we had no idea who did it first and had to refer to it as something.
Oh right, warm-up boulders crack. No wonder I couldn't place it.
EDIT: Scuffy, OFF tok that photo? I think that's my hand.
yep, everybody listens to me, thats for sure, yoo betcha
Hennys endorsement boosts my status, however from "loud fat man of woodson" to "loud fat man of woodson who has famous friends"
Perhaps this elevated social standing will help my organizational efforts?
Lets give it a try.
Shall we shoot for the last weekend in march?
This is a peer thing people. Post a reply so your ovine colleagues will know its ok for them to reply too. For all of you (which is everyone except maybe my mom, and thats iffy) who are saying "if amicks involved i aint going near it" Remember, its hensels deal and im just the mouthpiece.
He may not even let me attend.
If yer up for the mob scene again, speak up so others know its happenin
Oh man, one of my home made hangers on a 1/4" buttonhead bolt...gulp. I spent three straight days hanging from that thing and swinging around when I cleaned the carpet of potato chips off the vision... no backup anchor. I would now regard it as an A4 placement. Funny how things change.
DH - it aint gonna fly as amicks deal, we need name recognition from a respected woodson local (there, i said it). Perhaps your sidekick dimes would be willing to lend his star power to the cause as well?
I do better in a ticket-tearer, beer fetcher role.
aid at Woodson? Somebody point my aiders in the right direction!
Last weekend in March sounds good.
If it's blasting rain there (just anticipating jacked up weather season) we head to nearest northern bouldering area that is dry. Rubberdux, Josh, Black Planets, Bishop, in that order?.
It ain't gonna fly unless bvb shows. If he commits there shouldn't be any problem attracting the hordes, all who will be following him around with baited breath. We might even need one of those golf type dudes that holds up the "Quiet Please" sign when he steps off the ground. Although he's probably going to have to just suck it up and deal with being blinded by all the flashes popping off at the same time when he goes for the cruxes. Such is life when you're a legend.
If bvb commits, I'll see what I can do. I'll even ping the Mellonhead, who knows? Powell might be interested, I'll see. However, I'm not sure his walker can deal with terrain as steep as that road. Now if we could just figure out how to get Piggot to show. But first, is this for real Ron, or are you just messing with us? And of course, this all revolves around bvb being there. We pass the buck around faster than a hot potato.
Ron, funny thing. I decided your bolt makes the TR run slightly better at the top of Night Vision so I've used it as the main anchor the last couple of times I've been over there. Plus, it adds that extra dimension when you're soloing.
bvb, that is my hand in the photo by Off.
It's not on the same rock as you.
My recollection from Off is that the face you are on is Klettergarten Face,
and the rock to the right has the problem Klettergarten Knob.
My hand is on one of the starting holds. Ten feet from you? Five minutes
later?
Yeah, seriously, lets do it the weekend of saturday, 3/31 & sunday 4/1. That will give me time to finance BVB's appearance fee and get theft and collision insurance on his suspenders.
Gary, I cant see a 3 day thing happening because so many people have to work on friday, and the only organizing I plan on doing is badgering the locals to show up, and to spread the word via this site. Nothing will rival your wildly successful shindig until you return to organize another one.
Lets make it official then:
The first annual D. Hensel Mt Woodson invitational climbers conference featuring BVB will convene on saturday, March 31st.
An appearance by Bob Van Belle himself is tentatively scheduled for that day, and negotiatons with BVB Inc. are underway to include a possible photo and autograph session as well.
Events include walking, climbing, bouldering, chalking, loitering, falling and drinking whatever beer gets brought up by participants.
Local resources are being employed to locate a suitable restaurant, bar or parking lot for the saturday evening post climb reverie and coronation of BVB as homecoming queen.
Sunday will feature the same activities, with the addition of one or more of the following: soreness, hangover, pulls, tweaks, reduced motor functions, mental fog and other assorted age related physical impairments.
Come on down! Lets all get together and have fun before we hit the end of our life expectancy and start dropping like flies.
Darrel hensel
Ron Amick
Bob Van Belle
Kevin Powell
Rick Allenby
John Weinberg
Peter Campos
Greg Epperson
Gary McCay
Matisse & porter
Scuffy B
Doug Tomczik
Greg Horvath
Elliot Carlson
Andrew Press
James Barnett
Splitter
Donny Bedford
LMo
jaj478
Ron Gomez
Andy Redding
Lets get this thing snowballing, spread the word...this list needs to go viral. Updates to follow
April 14/15 isn't good for me. Any chance of going forward as Doug asked, instead of back? Is March 17/18 a possibility, or is that too soon for everybody? If it's too soon, then how about April 7/8?
Agreed that the current crew needs to be there, so we should work around their availability. If April 14/15 ends up fitting the most people then go for that date and I'll try to make the 15th. Maybe I'd even be able to get my name out of the gathering title if that happened.
oh geez henson, ill take your name off as event sponsor, lol...i couldnt resist. If i try to make another date change now i think i will end up in a shallow grave on the edge of town. WE of 3/24 and 4/7 im working 12 hour shifts on both sat and sun, so for me its pretty much 4/14 or nothing.
If we push it too far forward we will lose people who need to make plans or arrangements to get down here, and if we push it back past mid april we are most likely looking at high summer weather.
sounds pretty cool..is that sign still in attendance??it cud cast a pall over the event..i presume we shall abide by all park rules at this monumental gathering of at least one legend.
edit: & as at least one legend has mentioned 'no sign=no park=no rules' i hereby second the motion...but perhaps i'm getting ahead of things.
It ain't gonna fly unless bvb shows. If he commits there shouldn't be any problem attracting the hordes, all who will be following him around with baited breath. We might even need one of those golf type dudes that holds up the "Quiet Please" sign when he steps off the ground. Although he's probably going to have to just suck it up and deal with being blinded by all the flashes popping off at the same time when he goes for the cruxes. Such is life when you're a legend.
Why is it I sense I am being mocked here?
P.S. I ain't gonna unless Darrel is there. Don't like it? Talk to my agent. I'll have one of my non-profit's divvy up the $500K deposit between the Access Fund, Rick Santorum's campaign, and the Transgender Foundation.
Actually if Powell has to stand in for Henny that'll do.
Local resident here. Restaurant suggestion - Third Street Grill. Having problems with their website right now, but they have a new menu and lowered prices. Check out their FB page. Sweet potato fries, Angus burgers, Philly Cheesesteak, vegetarian Black Bean Burger and more.
Healthy food store - Ramona Family Naturals on Main by 7th. Fresh sandwiches, salads, hummus, salsa, hot soup to go. Kombucha, energy bars, organic produce, natural sodas, protein bars, chips, trail mix, dried nuts & fruits. We may have our liquor license by then. Check out our FB page. Oh yeah, and the best Frozen Bananas in town. Dipped in peanut butter then dark chocolate. Also dipped in peanut butter and rolled in granola. Very addictive.
The East side of Mt Woodson (the side the road is on)is owned by the city of San Diego, and designated as the "Mt Woodson Open Space Area", which is included in The Black Mountain Open Space (City)Park. There is nothing about woodson on the BM open space park website, but the city of San Diego's site, parks and recreation section lists woodson within BMOSP.
There seems to be no budget, staff or general plan for the woodson open space area, and no information on woodson is offered, either online or in the city's available publications. I could not find a map delineating the actual boundaries of the city owned space, but it generally includes the upper half of the west side, upper half of the SW side, all of the South side and the west side down to the water tank.
The city of Poway owns the lower west and southwest sides, and the southern basin. The Ramona Municipal Water District owns the water tank and the land on the north side of the paved road below the tank. The Calfire camp is on RMWD land.
The city of ramona claims the north and NE side and all the land below. The access gate on Mt Woodson (private) drive is in unincorporated SD county, so the county controls access through that gate.
Ok, so when we climb on woodson, we are parking on a state highway (67) on SD county land, crossing state (calfire) property to get to Ramona Water District land (the paved road), and once we pass the water tank, we are in city of San Diego open space. No less than 6 official entities have jurisdiction over various areas on and around woodson.
The best thing we, as climbers can do is not draw attention or complaints.
Pack your trash out and be low key, especially where trail building, bolting or any rearrangement of the topography is concerned.
As for the sign, somebody at the BMOSP must have had a slow day.
Gary, that print was made from a photo taken by Peter Campos sometime in the early 90's. The sillhouettes from left to right are, Peter Campos, myself and Rick Allenby. We are standing on the west wall of the vomitorium casting a perfect late afternoon shadow on the rock opposite us (just to the right of death vomit). I will post that pic as soon as i can find it.
edit: of course i know your not "cleaning" per say...perhaps pre-chalking one/some a dem slick undercling holds. it's been a long time, but one of my favorite probs, thanks for this interesting angle/shot. ahhh, it rekindles such poignant memories from my glutton for punishment days...
Awesome, Doug on the Warm Up boulder seam....hey, I know I'm playing the eliminate card, but whats that flake/sidepull doing chalked up next to the crack? Lol, out of bounds guys, FINGERS ONLY in the crack! I know, you didn't use it, just sayin'.
Pat Ament even wrote one of his infamous shorts and commented on the sandbag nature of that "10d" seam during a visit to Woodson, too funny. I wish I could locate and post it.
Ron, what is Bat Crack? That thing in the picture looks wide, and appears low angled, what the heck is that?
Did anyone find a #2 and a #3 by Cornflake anytime since Friday? I spaced at some point and lost them somewhere. We went from Cornflake to the Cave and Alcoa, so if they're there, they'd be at Cornflake. I would really appreciate getting them back :/
Errena is with our crew. So ya if anyone finds those cams and is feeling like a good samaritan, either get in touch with her and you can give them to me if we meet up on the hill, and I'll pass them along.
Hey guys,you're in luck! I was climbing at Mt Woodson last weekend and found some gear. I'd love to return it to the owner. I found it near the CornFlake climb/area. Contact me so I can get that back to you....it's good Karma :)
Whoa! Happy b-day Ron. And sweet finds Gary. That dyno Sharma is hucking is massive!
I made it out to the hill on Saturday. Surprisingly decent conditions with the healthy breeze. Highlights include: hiking up with my girlfriend and the 2.5 year old she nannies for, exploring the schoolyard with Greg, and Fall Semester with Brandon, Doug, Greg, and Jason. With the crazy/hot weather we're having these days, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for cool temps for the April 14 get together.
Edit: Greg is bogarting an abundance of fresh pictures from the past few weeks.
"During my roaming around...I ended up spying a huge pit of rocks. Since caves and arete’s always pique my curiosity I chimneyed down and “found” what Link (my pet name for Chris, cute huh?) would soon get the FA of and name “Hotdog down a Hallway." The climb has about 25ft of climbing but because of the pit and the angle of the ground you never get above 3ft from the pads until the last 8ft or so when you exit. And what an exciting exit it is! The problem got it’s name cuz if you blow the top you are going to pin ball off the boulder behind you and to the left and look like a “hotdog being thrown down a hallway”." - Jesse Bonin http://evolvclimbing.tumblr.com/post/762981189/mason-all-that-is-man-daly
i had moved back to SD from the San Fernando Valley area where I had been working to go back to SDSU and pretty much quit climbing around Spring of '83. around fall of '85/spring of '86 i ran into this guy at school who wanted to learn how to climb and started meeting him over at santee a couple times a week. so after viewing the contest at woodson later that spring we shifted our focus from primarily face climbing at santee to cracks, etc. at woodson. like i said, i only tr'd UP one time and don't recall much. but i do recall the contest, and i'm pretty damn sure that UP was given more points than both 10d on the outside & i will die for you(or whatever it's called). at the time i felt that i will die for you was a sandbag(due to the low amount of points afforded it in comparison)and how i couldn't get more than one move off the ground on it that morning(first time i tried it). as did at least one fairly well known climber(who was obviously much better than myself). anybody recall the points given to those three probs during the contest? i was way out of shape anyway and still climbing in eb's at that point, so i cud be mistaken. i did get back into it pretty seriously but never tried UP again.
the dood i introduced to climbing got really good at woodson. i witnessed him solo starving in sterio & widows bereft. but that was after we had spent many days working on them. he went on to swing leads with scott cosgrove on the rostrum during the summer of '87, about one year after i first took him to santee. he also onsighted butterballs(coz belayed him)that same week. his name is jonathan spurgion...maybe someone knows him.
edit: i meant '86 contest & Spring '83/'86, knott '73/'76, etc.!!
Hi All! This is Jonathan. I am still alive! Is there some sort of Woodson get-together soon?
Splitter: gosh, I fit some of your history. I guess you mean me. I did onsite Butterballs (after watching videos of Jonny Woodward). I swung leads on the Rostrum, but that was with the "Schnyd" not Cosgrove. I sort of soloed Widow Bereft because the girl, who was belaying me, was feeding slack for the TR instead of taking it in as I was ascending! I had a romantic attraction to her before that trip but afterwards figured she was not really the one.
Yea...there's a list forming on another thread here titled Mt. Woodson Boulder Jam April 14.
How ya been?
edit: Okay, Steve S...i wasn't on that trip, just recall you relating it to me upon your return to SD. New it was one of the, soon to become, rock gods...
btw, he goes by Shipoopi(or something like that)here, you'll havta ask him about that moniker...evidently thats a long story!
I think it's pretty cool that dialogue from the '86 contest is resurfacing...I knew there had to be more out there considering the turnout that year. Speaking of, here are two more from '86 that were hiding in the San Diego Reader's website:
5.9/5.10 face on Tower #2...
Traverse into the 5.11 crack on the Marshmallow Tower...
Ron, of course that's the Rake. Not much doubt about that. I'm wondering if the picture is staged though. It's hard to comprehend that he could go long enough to do a toprope without stopping to eat something. So maybe the absence of food in the picture does cast some doubt on who it really is.
Hey Greg, I'm sure I read earlier that Jonathan couldn't recall, for sure, if it was Starving or Digits Delight that he soloed, but I don't see it now.
Digits was one of the ones that was on my solo training circuit. I was at Woodson about nine months ago and toproped Digits - wow, it hard. After years of gym, sport climbing and domestication and not to mention 15 lbs heavier it seems that I am not in my top crack shape anymore.
WO BLR!.... that's very rude
but uhh..
what kind of rate are we talking?
boulderkitty: amicks' got some old topos that I can send you online in PDF's.
SD climbing guidebook contains information of sorts- but you'd have to buy it.
some other topos I could send you/point you too as well. feel free to pm me.
or yes I will be on the hill April 14/15 and would happily point some things out.
Within the past five years or so, I too, put a TR on Digitsdelight, after having been away from it for many years, and walked pretty much through it. But when I came to the top out, I stopped and tried to envision myself up there without a rope and said, I must have been nuts!
I've got the So Cal bouldering guide. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't a newer book out. I also got some great topos from a fellow ST member. So psyched to check out Woodson in a few weeks!
next saturday mob scene on the hill! If any local yokels have old ropes still suitable for TR, get them to me sometime next week or bring them early sat morning. My idea is to hang ropes on a bunch of stuff and leave them there for anyone to use all day.
Robbins, painted, uncertainty, jaws, digits, seminar, control tower, MS, hmt, im willing to run around and do the setup, but need ropes. Help would be nice too.
Thanks to those of you who gave positive response to my request for ropes and help. Me n epps will be going up the hill between 8-9 to hang a bunch of trs. Anyone who wants to join us and help out, just show up. If you have any old crabs, slings or rope pieces that will help too.
We would like to have ropes hanging on at least a dozen routes for open usage all day. If you dont want to come early thats ok too, but its gonna be a good time, so be there or be square.
Had fun saturday with the folks who decided to come out, which werent many.
People like to talk about how fun the last get together was, then when the opportunity to do it again comes up it seems everybody suddenly has something better to do.
I never thought climbers would be so peer dependent. If this guy is coming then that guy will come too, and if he comes, so will this other guy, and when enough of those guys sign on it becomes ok for everybody else to show up. The problem is that this guy isnt going to commit before he knows if that guy is coming, and because nobody has the balls to just say "I will be there" they all stay home and watch cartoons instead.
Really? Are we climbers or socialites? Whatever. Some good people did turn up and we had alot of fun despite the intermittant rain, and got a firsthand demonstration of how fast the rock dries at woodson, even in overcast weather. A totally wet boulder can be dry enough to climb in less than a half hour.
My personal highlight was to be on the hill with one of my bestest buds Greg Epps again, climbing those familiar boulders like we have so many times in the past. James Barnett came all the way down from Bishop, another longtime san diego homeboy back on the home boulders. The young guns were well represented and full of energy as usual. Horvath worked me good (as usual) by asking to see my new trail wayyy down the hill (you know Im not gonna say no to that), and Johnny Weinberg was cranking everything in sight (as usual) and went scoping for new routes with us too.
Thanks Horvath, and nice shot Doug. I just looked at that seam and shook my head... you guys are shredding hard! I've bumped into Mark and Lauren a couple times and Doug once - always super positive vibes from you guys. That's where it's at. Doug, you were working on Greg's Crack that day - did you manage to get it yet?
QUESTION for Woodson locals - i've tried to find the Y Crack twice now, no luck. Thrashed my way up to what I thought was it, sort of an inverted Y looking crack maybe 50 yards from the dirt road, above and right from the reservoir. But, up close, it didn't look right. Can anyone point me in the right direction, or better yet, post a photo of it? Thanks.
It was pretty wet Gary, so my camera only came out once... I think i got a shot of epps cranking some desperate V0+ test piece tho, Ill see if it came out.
Friend,
I haven't been back to try Greg's Crack...it shut me down pretty hard the day we saw you. Compared to the seam, you are definitely on the better climb. The seam is short, hard, and painful. I guess you could make that claim for a good portion of the cracks at woodson, but it seems most appropriate for that climb. We thought it was a pretty big sandbag at 11+. Has anyone done it? Or been on it? Consensus? (Also, I thought Cat Crack, in the same area, was pretty fun.)
Finally getting back on the hill. It may be getting to be spring/summer, but lower hill afternoon sesh's are sweet!
Doug and I got out on Thursday and had a ball. started climbing a little after 5 and finished a little after 9.
Warmed up on the practice boulders. Then I got spanked by Allenby's sh#t show lieback/mantel/highball just below sunday afternoon.
Doug did a few laps on the sunday afternoon layback before we moved up to Substance Abuse and the the sweet 10+ face climb right across from it.
Credit: Horvath
Credit: Horvath
Substance Abuse
Credit: Horvath
Credit: Horvath
You can just barely see Doug's "F*#k ya! that climb was awesome!" smile
And last but not least we finished up in the dark on two kneebashing fun fests. This one is for all you "name that climb" junkies : )
Re. the Y Crack. Finally climbed it, it is the crack on the boulder above the one ATS gave the coordinates for, a few posts back. It's dead obvious... except that it doesn't look anything like a "Y". Or maybe I need my eyes checked. Great climb... it seemed like someone had made a trail to it recently.... if anyone was up there and lost a piece of gear, feel free to email me and ID/claim it.
i'll have to get a photo of it sometime Rick... Ron just pointed it out to me one day and its listed on one of his topos as 11+ : )
one of my favorite grades
Greg, I would appreciate if you would quit bouldering all my routes. Did you check out the thin potential to the right of substance abuse?
The knee banger kinda looks like the soloflex.
On the Allenby deal, (which I propose to name "Richard Eugene" since he isnt gonna put a name on it) - it was something everybody pointed at on the way up the hill but nobody ever tried. So one day we decide to take a serious look at it and it had all the hallmarks of unclimbed rock. Lichen on the footholds, debris in the only handhold and undisturbed deadfall at the base. We took turns trying it, I got nowhere, but on like the 3rd try he pulled up and mantled onto the crescent ledge. Then he screwed around for 20 minutes before finishing it. I tried a couple more times with zero luck.
So Rick comes down and tells me its probably 10D. Im like F YOU if it was 10D i woulda climbed it. And he actually argues for a 10D rating even tho i couldnt touch it. I mean I probably would have sent it if it were 11D! 10D my ass. I think after 25 years he has relented and admits it could have been a little harder (ya think?!). Ive asked alot of people and havent found anyone else who has done it. Since this was probably 85-86, i think its safe to say its Allenbys FA.
The face climb opposite substance abuse is "summertime blues" 10D (V1 now i guess). Me and Rick did that at the same time we did substance abuse.
HA! that story sounds about right. You mantel that ledge and then just ponder the next few moves. or in my case scary downmantel and drop.
as for the thin potential to the right of substance abuse. Its been done. I believe Eric Roed put up Relapse 11- sometime ago. Definitely more dirty than substance but also fun.
Once I stood on the ledge I felt I was at the point of no return.
With my butt "puckered up" I finally made the last couple of friction
moves over the top.
Pretty sure that is at Rexrodes. I don't remember the name but I am sure Mark, Greg, or Doug will. Although now that they are done with finals they probably won't be on supertopo as much...
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