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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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And you guys came through Charlie. I mainly worked with Eric for the Phantom Spires section and duly noted that section as being contributed by you guys. Saved me endless long slogs uphill and mangling the names and history.
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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And Rick, thanks for giving us the opportunity to contribute the Phantom Spires info. You put out a kick-ass guidebook and it was my "bible" for many years.
Eric Barrett
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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American River College used to have their Chem 1A lab section in the El Dorado High chem lab in the mid70s. I taught the lab section and I'd go in early a couple of days a week and set up in the back room while high school was in session. The high school lab assistants were these two guys, Don Garrett and Ron Vardanega. I don't know, I admit I sort of blew them off at first when they told me they climbed. I was really kind of a snot at the time I think.
But one day they told me about how they'd tried Farley at Sugarloaf and Don had taken this huge fall out of the lieback part and almost hit the ground and they couldn't get their hex out because it was so welded in the crack from the fall, which was a big deal for them because they hardly had any gear. I'd never even had the balls to try Farley yet and here these two young punks are going for it...I was impressed...I thought, these guys are serious. I was even more impressed when I went up there and saw the hex. It was welded in there for years.
Anyway, we started climbing a lot together. At first I knew a bit more than they did, technically, and I had more gear so they had a fighting chance to live a bit longer, however, they both soon surpassed me in skill and daring so it ended up I benefitted hugely from climbing with them as they really forced me to improve and get bolder so I wouldn't get left in their dust.
I was (still am) really more into the face and friction thing so I sort of headed up the efforts on the Dome at Cosumnes post Jeff and Grant Altenburg's Gutenbergers Wall. Don and Ron really spearheaded the work at Mosquito and we all developed a lot of climbs in the Crystal Basin. Don was the first to do stuff on the Basalt Bluff by Loon Lake and he and Dan Bolster were the first ones to do any routes around Lyons Lake in Desolation. The three of us and Kim Treadaway worked the Slick Rock also.
Don and Ron even survived the Tibetan Fire Dance with Holmesy and Branscomb in the shadow of Mt. Sill. No more need be said as to their endurance and courage.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Thanks Bob for supplimenting RonV gear during his informative years, I've enjoyed his fine company for many years since. Ron's story of he and Don doing Corrugation Corner in tennis shoes with Don hurling through the air overhead from above the big ledge is what legends are made of, it's likely why that fixed pin has a big bend in it toward the ground!!!
Charlie D.
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Will Cottrell actually asked my permission to take over the Cosumnes/Mosquito guide a couple of years after Kristi and I moved to Wyoming. We were in Placerville to see the parental units and I was bouldering one day in Cosumnes and saw Will, when he asked me if it was okay. I never knew him at all, but I was told later that it was somewhat miraculous that he asked permission, as he is apparently rather aggressive in most things. I figured since we had moved away and I was out of the local loop, it was a better deal for everyone.
My massive ego, the dimensions of which are only describable in terms of parsecs and light years, tells me to mention that the mapping system he used to locate the climbs in the top roping area of Cosumnes were lifted verbatim from my drawings in my guide. I thought it was a rather clever locater system.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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I'm surprised you guys never made it out to Eagle Rock. I guess with so much other stuff to do in the canyon having a much easier approach and all back in the day it really didn't make much sense to bother. I assume that road that goes up to the back side wasn't always there either. That's not to say nobody ever made it out there either. I've found quite a few old fixed pins and bolts on some of the more obvious lines over the years. So people have been trickling back in there over the years at the very least.
Love these old history threads. When you were a few generations behind and have been studying the old guidebooks as long as I have, there are a lot of holes and questions in the story these books and walls have to tell. You get one of these threads going and someone remembers something seemingly insignificant to them and all of a sudden I have a big "ah hah! moment. Love it! Speak up, or forever let your memories be silent.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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That road to Eagle Rock's top was in place at least as early 1976 ( and probably much earlier) Sal. I drove it, looked over the edge and saw what I thought was at least one fixed piece with a sling. There was still lots to do in the canyon on more accessible crags at the time and the routes on Eagle looked to require a fair amount of cleaning to unearth the goods. Never went back. What did you unearth?
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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I did very little cleaning to unearth a few things.
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Salmanizer:
Cool Topo pics and info. I climbed a handful of routes on Eagle Rock between '77 and '82 many of which look like either the same or variations of what you have listed - although with a lot more aid and mixed. Yep, some of those pins and bolts are probably mine, but not the two relics in your picture (those pre-date me.) I climbed there on numerous occasions with George Connor, Dave Babich, Kevin Rivett, Jon Bowlin, Dave Stam, Jim Orey, Shelly Presson, Jim Pearson, Kevin Mather and Pat Owens. Mostly hiked from Highway 50 in the early days and later we accessed it from the top with a 4-wheel drive vehicle.
The Obscurist looks like it maybe follows what we just called The North Face but you did that all free while we did some A3 (on which I took a 30 foot ride held by Jim Orey!) I think we called the whole thing 5.9 A3. Funny to see all of the different names on these routes, makes me wonder how many of these obscure routes have had many names over the years...
Cheers and keep on exploring the obscure!
Eric Barrett
Spokane WA
Ghoulwe Mountaineering Club
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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I did a couple of routes on Eagle Rock with Paul Brown in the 80s sometime. They were both 5.9 and were on the taller part of the face. They were called Onion Jack and Mammy Blue on the old Gene Drake guide we had. Pretty nice routes as I remember and certainly we had it all to ourselves.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Nice Hanger Sal!
We do that as well, but use MANY colorful descriptors!
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RonV
Trad climber
Placerville
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2014 - 01:16pm PT
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I know that Petch has put up several routes on the cliffs to the east of Eagle Rock. I've never ventured out there, despite being invited several times. Thanks Petch, maybe next time.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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^^^ that would be Sin City Ronald, Petch should compare notes with Dave Stam.
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PSP also PP
Trad climber
Berkeley
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The King fire has exposed a fairly large dome north of highway 50 , way down in the valley on a south faceing slope. I think it is around where the cal fir station along hwy 50. Anyone know about it ?
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Paul, saw it myself the other day. Never have heard of anyone going over there being on the North side of the river....nice meeting you at the Leap Sunday!!!
Cheers,
Charlie D.
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RonV
Trad climber
Placerville
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2014 - 02:13pm PT
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I have have tried to get to that rock, not too may years ago by driving out the White Meadows Rd area with Don Garrett. This is where several homes were burned in the King fire. One of the properties on a spur road was quite sketchy. Dogs and keep out signs. For fear of running into the wrong people we turned around. Some of the homes that were reported burned in the fire were said to be off the grid and without permits. Not the kind of property you want to wander onto.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Fascinating, some real history coming alive, from Eric's and crew then Brancomb's early ascents to Sal's more modern routes. Anybody have an idea who was the earliest pioneers there or the placers of those old pins?
Eric, Spokane is a great place to live. Definitely four seasons and 300 days a year of mood improving sunshine with good climbing in fairly close proximity. My middle son, Max, graduated from Gonzaga in 2009. We visited fairly often and even enjoyed the climbing at Minehaha falls ( I don't remember if this the correct spelling)
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PSP also PP
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Nice meeting you too charlie!
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bootysatva
Trad climber
Idyllwild / Joshua Tree Ca.
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Oct 13, 2014 - 08:48am PT
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One of my favorite things about climbing over the last 40 years has been not knowing what we were climbing. We would often invent several funny names for routes and quickly forget them and move on to more climbing.
I have been accused of keeping " my" routes a secret but that is not the case. I prefer to leave things as found and let another discover the adventure for themselves.
Some routes got rap bolted later by various glory hounds and that sucks, but there are more important things to do than to argue about a few inches of rock that will be totally changed in a geological second.
I love the magic of not knowing. A good friend or two, a line that ends up going free within our abilities or maybe a hair beyond.
E.A.
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Ney Grant
Trad climber
Pollock Pines
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Jun 11, 2015 - 03:10pm PT
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Hi Ron V and Rick S.
RE: The rock below 50. Betsy and the kids did a trek to that rock years ago. We actually called the number on the gate and got permission from the owner to trespass. But all I remember about the climb was yellow jackets and pot growing paraphernalia. Planter boxes, irrigation pipe, etc. Not really a great place to take your young kids.
I did notice on a flight recently (post-fire and post-cleanup) that you can really see it now, along with a blocky thing near it:
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