DSY
Boulder climber
Berkeley to Seattle to Reno
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2013 - 04:49am PT
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Awesome replies everyone!
Last weekend the plan was to go up to pine mountain because I know it is poison oak free but the road was closed. Cue a night spent with drunken rednecks hollering all night in the reyes creek campground. I am definitely psyched on courtright!
Still debating going with the sure thing in bishop next weekend vs. Checking out horse flats etc. Do non climbers head out to horse flats at all?
Thanks,
Dou
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Roots
Mountain climber
SoCal
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I have the same issues too. We avoid low elevation like the plague but if we find ourselves in the area of PO then the dog stays on a leash.
PO needs water so aside from staying about 5k we avoid the drainages when at lower elevations like up the Kern, etc.
Deserts are nice : )
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10b4me
Boulder climber
Lost
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DSY, I would pick Bishop over HF, but there is a campground at HF(not open until April), and plenty of hiking, and mountain biking
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Dr. F.
Big Wall climber
SoCal
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Wagon Wheel is great, except for the motorcycles,
but you can get away from them if you try.
You need the Southern California Bouldering Guide, By Craig Fry
It's a treasure trove of good info!
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Dr. F.
Big Wall climber
SoCal
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PO in Yosemite Valley????
I have often speculated about the absence of PO in the Valley, since it is in the right climate zone, it's every where at Calaveras Dome, and below the valley.
I think that they had an eradication program sometime in the past and got rid of every single plant!!
Anyone know if this could have happened?
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NorCalNomad
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Anything up in Tahoe. You get up high enough and it stops growing.
I too am pretty allergic to PO and the fact that Tahoe has none makes it a favorite place for me :P
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Just a heads up, if you are hyper sensitive to PO you might also be in the smaller group who are allergic to the California Bluebell, Phacelia Calendularis. It took me two serious episodes before I figured that one out.
Anyway it is only an issue when it is flowering (as far as I can tell) in the spring. It's all over Josh at intermediate elevations like Split Rocks area and uphill from Indian Cove. It also grows all over the San Gabriels behind my house. Looks like this:
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10b4me
Boulder climber
Lost
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Also, you need to look out for the poodle bush. That thing is nasty. In severe cases, one has to be treated with steroids
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Yup- altitude or desert. Dry mountain-sides away from river beds in Santa Barbara are usually pretty PO free. Simplest solution is to just keep your dog leashed/tied up/at home at all times and you can camp anywhere you like. Personally I wouldn't let my dog's wish for freedom to roam dictate my climbing life.
Side note: There IS PO in Yosemite. I've gotten into it during Facelift. It's low to the ground and there's very little of it but it does exist. I suspect the park service does a lot of guerilla erradication that doesn't get talked about.
Horseflats has some good hiking and nice scenery for the non- climbers.
@Kris: You've got my radar up for that little bush. I'm allergic to pretty much everything, so I'd rather not find out how I react to that little blue monster.
Why does Nature have to be so itchy?
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Dr. F.
Big Wall climber
SoCal
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Now that I remember, there is tons of PO above the Valley, past Mirror Lake
Below, above, but none in between?? Very suspicious
I wish we can get someone that knows about this can tell us what's going on.
Chicken Skinner or Werner might know
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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so I'd rather not find out how I react to that little blue monster
Yeah for me it was a trip to the ER and two weeks on Prednizone...
Got into it first time up by Librarian Lust (look up on MP) in Josh, did not figure out what it was though. Then I got into it at Future Games in the spring. I was literally crawling around in it photographing a pair of Chuckwallas. Got it really bad. Good pics though...
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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You might wish to check out the climbing that is in the Kernville aera and along hwy 178.
See "Domelands" Guide Book for a incomplete listing.
You will find PO in some places, but its not that thick if you stay out of the prime growing spots... like in the bottom of stream beds.
Also, stop in at all the places you are passing as you drive to Bishop.
The A-Hills are about as dog friendly as you can get.... Fossel Falls, Black Planets all have good winter stuff.
When it gets hotter... several great cragging spots along "Sherman Pass" on both sides of the summit.
And you do know about "Techneu" (sp?)
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willybeamin
Trad climber
Ventura, CA
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Them fishies look tempting. Never been. Looking forward to checking em' out...Also, a little background for the uninitiated. Poison Oak gives the gift from the lovely oil, Urushiol. It has a tendency to get in those awesome pores of ours and wreak havock. Ways that I deal with it when I'm with my sh!tbird hound dog is to give her a bath when I get home with liquid dishwashing soap. Dishwashing soap removes grease and oils, is cheap, and is generally animal friendly. Make sure its cold/cool water. Then I do the same, taking a cold shower (so the pores don't open up), washing with dishwashing soap. Its cheaper than Technu, and works, post-exposure, just as well as Technu. Also, I don't venture too far away from creeks. The hound always gets a good dipping before we get in the truck. Super stoked to check out some of these other areas I haven't explored yet.
Ahoy!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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You might wish to check out the climbing that is in the Kernville aera and along hwy 178.
East of Kernville towards Walker Pass is pretty free of PO. Up the canyon to the north, or down towards B'Field is infested to the max.
Fossil Falls has access issues.
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DSY
Boulder climber
Berkeley to Seattle to Reno
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2013 - 08:07pm PT
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Good call on avoiding California bluebell. I was planning a trip to Josh for this upcoming month so that's really good information to have. It seems like there's near unanimous approval of Nacimiento Ferguson Road. I think we're going to start there and then start heading to horse flats and pine mountain once the road is open.
Thanks again. Say hello If you see an Asisn guy driving a dark blue aerostar with an organic bouldering sticker and morro bay plates. We can share a beer and any lettuce I may have.
Thanks,
Doy
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Social climber
SLO, Ca
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If you are in Moro Bay you should check out the dog park at Chorro regional park, about half way between MB and SLO. Big, fenced, and totally PO free. No bouldering aside from the fake kid's boulders in the playground.
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DSY
Boulder climber
Berkeley to Seattle to Reno
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 7, 2013 - 01:39pm PT
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Hi everyone,
Thanks for the advice. It seems like there are many more climbers on the central coast than the population of slo-op kids and traddies at bishop peak led me to believe. Where do central coasters escape to for climbing? Bishop peak it's pretty lame. Whenever I talk to someone getting outside they are driving 5 hours away, but I guess that's what's available out here. Still happy with the region overall though.
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