rhyang
Ice climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 12, 2007 - 09:00am PT
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Any idea how things are at Tollhouse Rock ? I'm mostly curious about how the road is. I'm sure the landowner has put up another gate, somebody has knocked it down, etc.
Edit: wow, flashback to two years ago - thanks for bumping :)
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Feb 12, 2007 - 10:40am PT
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The gate continues to be put up and torn down. Currently, I've just been walking in from near the main (paved) road to avoid a confrontation with the guy, as I'm not really sympathetic to his agressiveness and attitude about the whole thing. Basically, I don't want to make matters worse with my own response.
Apaprently, there was a mistake made on the part of the Forrest Service, in regards to an easement for the road. Currently, some of the locals are working with the Access Fund to get them to take up the cause in a legal forum. We'll see what happens from there.
I believe there's more/better info on SummitPost, Rob.
Cheers!
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Off-Width Loving Crack Whore
Trad climber
SLO
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Feb 12, 2007 - 11:15am PT
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http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151415/tollhouse-rock.html
The slog from the pullout at the second switchback stinks, but it's the best way to avoid confrontation. One of the best features of Tollhouse was the fact that you could drive to the top and camp, then drive home after your last top-out rather than do another rappel and slog/bushwack to your car... but....
I imagine the gate had more to do with motorcycles,ATV's,firearms, loud music, and beer bottle chucking rather than climbers, but it's great to see that climbing groups are actively trying to find a solution!
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rhyang
Ice climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2007 - 11:51am PT
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Cool, thanks ! I've never driven up to the top, but have always hiked up the 4wd road (sometimes it's taken a couple of trips with car camping gear, etc).
Last time I was there in November we drove up on a Friday night, encountered the gate, parked at the pullout just before it (near the powerlines), and hiked up. By Sunday evening the gate had been pulled down. I would guess we haven't had enough rain yet this season to make the road to that point too rough, but just wanted to check ...
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rhyang
Ice climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 28, 2007 - 06:05pm PT
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Just trolling for conditions again ... read about 10 inches of snow in Yosemite Valley ... not sure if Tollhouse Rock got any. Don't want any frozen surprises this weekend :)
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blackbird
Trad climber
over yonder en th' holler
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Feb 28, 2007 - 06:14pm PT
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cookies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(hehe!! I simply could NOT resist!!)
BB
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randomtask
climber
North fork, CA
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Feb 28, 2007 - 06:55pm PT
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Hi,
There is snow on top of Tollhouse, and the face is pretty wet as well...as of wed.
-JR
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rhyang
Ice climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 5, 2007 - 08:45am PT
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Great conditions at Tollhouse this past weekend. Perfect temps on Sat, warmer on Sunday. The road wasn't too bad. Snow in shady patches, but nothing serious. Landowner's gate rebuilt and reinforced.
btw Anybody ever climb Hang Em High ? What did you think of the first 5.8 pitch ?
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Wow, looks nice! The chic looks good too!
Me wanna go there.
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2009 - 07:13am PT
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Nice work !
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Neat pics!
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jstan
climber
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What an opportunity for Fresno's climbers!
The descriptions here for the treatment of the rock are pretty awful. If you wanted
to and you know someone with whom the owner is on good terms, through them
you might suggest climbers give the owner some badly needed help. Clean the
place up neat as a pin and the contractors among you help him build what he needs
finally to control vehicular access.
Now you cannot assure him all climbers or people who appear to be climbers will
be equally well-intended so, beforehand, you can't even discuss an agreement that
anyone will gain access as a result of the good works. Afterwards he may well be
interested in hearing about the group you plan to set up and how you plan to
continue policing and caring for the area.
Perhaps the most exciting climbing possibility I have encountered on ST.
At Facelift I have met non-climbers from Fresno. Even better if you also get in
contact with non-climbers who would like to help make good things happen.
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crazy horse
Trad climber
seattle, wa
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I just went to tollhouse for the first time in about 4 or 5 years in early january. It was a beautiful day soaking in the sun and nobody around. I was surprised to see that the whole campfire/broken bottles mess was cleaned up at the top. Overall, i was impressed with how much it had been cleaned up. We walked up the backside, walked down to the base, climbed up and then walked out down towards the powerlines and did the little climbers shortcut. I actually like the shortcut alot. Before, when we had to park and walk up the road, you'd end up with so much dust in your face it would make your buggars black. Now, no longer. It was a great day and i really didn't mind the gate issue at all since it basically changed my plans a tiny bit, but not enought to make me really notice much. Now whomever decided to mow down the manzanita tunnel on top, that's enough to make me pretty aggro....
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Agree, jstan. I'm not sure how much of the problem was climbers (as opposed to non-climbing off-road vehicle enthusiasts). Not only climbers, but local high-schoolers (from Sierra Union High School, which is within sight of the cliff) have helped clean the place up.
Unfortunately, this is at least the second climbing area close to Fresno that has had access issues caused, in my opinion, mostly by non-climbers. Little Table Mountain is the closest natural bouldering area and outcrop. The landowner (from whom I was always able to get permission to climb) got fed up with trespassers, and managed to convince Madera County to abandon its right-of-way to the road that gave access to most of the cliff. That road is now gated. To my knowledge, there is no legal climbing there now, although I admit that I haven't asked permission since they went through the trouble to have the roadway abandoned.
Way back when -- before we had the Access Fund -- Rich Calderwood had tried to see if climbers could buy the cliff face. I wonder if the Access Fund and local climbers might be interested in trying something again. I really miss the cragging and bouldering from late fall through spring.
John
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Dingus Milktoast
climber
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Angus and I used to go there from time to time. I have the old guide, the one bounded in plastic.
Anyway, one time as we drove up the highway I was hungry and on
a lark we drove through the small town of Tollhouse.
The Tollhouse cafe was open so I suggested a 'quick breakfast.'
In we went... not to come out again for well over an hour. My
one and only visit to the Tollhosue cafe, hehe.
So while we were in there waiting (and waiting... and waiting)
some dude comes in. Sits down. Shortly a woman enters, also
sits alone, at the next table behind the first dude.
Then comes in a 2nd dude, all this in the space of like 3
minutes; essentially one after the other, but not together.
Dude #2 sits opposite and one table down from Dude #1. OK, so
these three strangers are loosely facing one another, spread
across 3 seperate tables.
All three of them looked scruffy (not scuffy), and hungover to
boot. The first dude basically had his head in his hands most
of the time.
And then? They started talking amongst themselves. Not that we
wer eeavesdropping, but they obviously knew one another quite
well.
But none of them would meet the others' eyes. It was weird, to
see 3 people having a converesation together but not sitting
nor even looking at one another.
We decided the menage a tois got a little too, um.... BI-polar
the previous evening. They hadn't quite reconciled themselves
to this new reality, by the time we saw them at the Tollhouse
Cafe.
Now my question is simple....
which of you was it?????
DMT
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jstan
climber
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JE:
Great post!
Yes it really makes little difference who is creating the damage. And really
encouraging that high school students are involved. What the kids learn will be
carried on for another 80 years.
Do you know other people who miss the cliff now closed?
I have never figured out how owners of cliffs manage. They like the rest of us are
drawn to that natural feature, they buy it to preserve it, pay taxes on it every year
that they can ill-afford, and then have to deal with destructive people coming from
somewhere near the bottom of humanity. The bottom of humanity in a country so
blessed it is hard to see how anyone could fail in this fashion.
In the Gunks the Smileys have made it their purpose to bring others to love that
land as they do and so assure it a future. I suspect most owners feel the same way.
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2009 - 12:22pm PT
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Who actually owns Tollhouse Rock ? I believe the owner who installed the gate owns part of the road, but not the rock / cliff itself. Edison ? PG&E ?
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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I believe the cliff is on Forest Service land. The access road goes accross private land, although there is now an enormous question in my mind about whether there is an easement by prescription issue.
John
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