Trip Report
WARNING! Attack Of The Kings Canyon N00b!!
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Sunday July 8, 2012 6:10am
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"I can't believe you've been coming to the Sierra most of your life and you've never been here"!
That was Jill's comment to me. My weak explanation was that during all those years of hardcore wall-man, I was always approaching from the north. High school, working on the Oregon coast, even in the military, I was coming from the north and Yosemite always came first. Heck, they didn't have an El Capitan or Half Dome here anyway!
Sometimes it's not about the climbing though. Sometimes it's about the exploration, the pure looking through new eyes.
I was finally entering Kings Canyon, another crown jewel of California.
Yep, they've got some big ass trees there, as foretold in the legends.
Right away we saw the General Grant tree, the 3rd largest living organism on planet Earth. Although, you just can't appreciate the scale of the thing without standing in front of it, kinda like El Cap.
Did I mention they've got some big ass stone there too?
I was right. No El Cap or Half Dome, but that doesn't mean I didn't have my little mind blown....again.
Yep, they got 'em some nice little waters there too.
The kids couldn't stay out of some of the quiet spots.
Back soon with more pix, for anyone that's interested!
survival
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About the Author
survival is a big wall climber from A Token of My Extreme. |
Comments
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Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Really nice, Bruce! I have the same history with the place....headed right past it straight to the Valley.
Great to see you there, enjoying the place!!!
Cool TR!
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 8, 2012 - 07:13am PT
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A mini-me Yosemite without the crowds! Hell we were there on a weekend, July 4th extended no less, and there was plenty of camping.
What a nice change.
I don't even know the names of these formations. That was part of the fun!
Surely there's gotta be a few routes on these things?
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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Soooo......My sister was ranger in the park for two years,I've lived in Bishop for fourteen years now and I've never been.Are you sayin' it's worth a visit??? ;)) Nice pics!! I really do need to git down there.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 8, 2012 - 07:31am PT
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Welllllll, ol' Johnny Muir thought it was a great place, so I'd say yeah, it's worth a visit......HA! :0)
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Dingus Milktoast
Gym climber
And every fool knows, a dog needs a home, and...
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Sweet. Yeah those formations all have names and routes on them - ecjoe did pretty much most of them, lol.
DMT
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 8, 2012 - 07:57am PT
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Well, I found one so far.
Freak Show, V, 5.9, A3+
They do have a Sentinel and a North Dome there.
Sux that somebody couldn't get a bit more original on the names... :0)
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Survival, Yea what a gash in the earth! Finally got to Cedar Grove myself a few years ago after spending over 50 years in the range. We hiked the southern end of Roper's High Route via the Monarch Divide, awesome and what a perspective coming into the Palasade and Evolution Regions. Ended up exiting via Bishop, great days in the mountains.
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HighGravity
Trad climber
Southern California
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Best kept non-secret in the Sierra!
I was climbing out there a few years back and struck up a conversation with a worker who was also a climber. He had the best statement about Kings Canyon. Basically went like this:
While standing in line at the base of Nutcracker on a busy summer day another climber asked him how long the wait would be before their party could get on the route. He replied by telling the other party, "let me put it this way, you could drive to Kings Canyon, climb a few routes before you could set foot on Nutcracker."
The reply, "Where the heck is Kings Canyon?"
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 8, 2012 - 09:10am PT
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HELL YEAH! That's exactly the way I felt, not seeing a single climbing party in two days.
But some of those rigs have a pretty steep "entrance fee"!!
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D. Rivas
climber
Ventura, CA.
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The formation across from Zumwalt Meadow is called North Dome. There is a nice boulder field there too between the road and the base of the dome(North Dome Boulder Field).
http://www.summitpost.org/north-dome-kings-canyon/151254
The formation down at Roads End is called Grand Sentinal, and of course there are tons of boulders down there too.
http://www.summitpost.org/grand-sentinel/151226
Ive also seen climbers on the wall at Boyden Cavern and near the confluence of Bubbs Creek and the Kings(Bubbs Creek Wall).
Heck, there is climbable rock all over that canyon, but as you say, its all quite "adventurous".
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Those pinnacles on the skyline ridge in your 3rd and 4th pictures are the crags in the Gorge of Despair. El Corporale, El Commandante, The Cobra, The Silver Turret, et al... That is a wild place.
Up close and personal it looks like this:
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 8, 2012 - 10:33am PT
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Whoa....Kris, BADASS!! MORE PORFAVERRRR!!
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Tami
Social climber
Canada
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GREAT TR !!!! Love the Solem additions
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fattrad
Mountain climber
GOP Convention
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survival,
Freak Show was put up by my good friend Craig Peer.
TheTool
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
WA, & NC & Idaho
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Nice bruce, yet another place for the bucket list.
Looks like the kids had fun too!!!!
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 8, 2012 - 12:03pm PT
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EC, just goes to show you how little is known there eh? Wow.
You probably like it that way?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Kings Canyon is the sweetness without the hordes. It has limestone too:
Got slabs?
Didjya take the opportunity to fill up at the oldest certified gas pump in California?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Thank you for posting about KK. It made a great impression on my last year. Have been eager to go back since that time...
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 8, 2012 - 06:50pm PT
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Super cool link Munge!
The picture begins to get clearer. Big adventure, close to the road!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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You puttin' up some pretty rich photos there Survival.
I like the lush green meadows.
Always something new to see if we can just get out the front door and down the road a piece!
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Great place! I've spent all of my 26 years around there and hadn't climbed in Yosemite until last year. I've still only climbed 2 routes in Yosemite! Basically we're opposites.
Love SEKI...
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 9, 2012 - 08:52am PT
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Is it just me, or do you feel special to get a post from Tarbuster these days?!! I post thee breasts in his honor. ( * )( * )
Limping, that's funny. You're weirder than I am!
Is there a good guide for that stuff?
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Ha! There is a guide, it's just 20 years old and out of print. Good place to start but not all inclusive.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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There's a Climbing Ranger stationed down there (Phillip) and he told me he's been putting up alot of routes lately, mostly face. He's been climbing with Phil Gross who is the maint. guy down there that's been saying he's going to put out a guide soon. He's got lots of info on all the routes. There's also lots of bouldering going. Cedar Grove down in the Kings Canyon gets pretty hot this time of year and there's lots of Rattlers that are waiting for the occasional white ankle to sink into.........
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 9, 2012 - 08:39pm PT
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Thanks Radish, that's tight info.
Limping, I see we've got something in common, huge invisible muscles....BWA HA HA hahahaaaa!!
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sol_dog
Trad climber
New Delhi
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Jul 11, 2012 - 12:38am PT
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I have been going to Kings Canyon with my family every year since I was 4. The most underrated park in the US. If Yosemite wasn't around the corner, this place would get a million visitors a year.
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Zander
climber
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Jul 11, 2012 - 12:44am PT
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Nice pics, nice thread. Thanks,
Z
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this just in
climber
north fork
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Jul 11, 2012 - 09:47am PT
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Thanks survival, I always appreciate your trs and the many photos to look at. Funny I live only a couple hours away and still have yet to go to kings. So much good stuff in the Sierra.
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jul 12, 2012 - 09:14am PT
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TFPU! I just visited for my first time this spring. Although I'd say I was more struck by the alpine stuff in that area (Ericsson Crags, N faces of Brewer, N Guard, Farquhar, etc.). Definitely some fun, rarely traveled lines to explore in there! Fred Beckey's name seems to be on everything as well :-)
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Jul 12, 2012 - 09:28am PT
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Great tr
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jul 12, 2012 - 02:58pm PT
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I love visiting in Cedar Grove. Sad to say, I've done only a couple of climbs there, but I'm sure that will change as climbing gets more and more crowded (or even worse, more regimented or rationed) in the National Park to the north. Some of the limestone formations downriver look particularly challenging (read dangerous). I know about the Matterhunk (shown in your picture). Has anyone else been foolhardy enough to explore some of those formations?
John
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Jeremy
climber
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Jul 12, 2012 - 02:59pm PT
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Miss you guys!!!
;-(
J
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Jul 12, 2012 - 03:53pm PT
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Expedition Limestone 2012 is on the agenda
River crossing logistics in the works
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Author's Reply
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Jul 12, 2012 - 04:15pm PT
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We miss you too Jeremy, BIG TIME!
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Jul 12, 2012 - 05:36pm PT
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I've been around on that limestone (it's actually marble) looking for caves. Had enough close calls with broken blocks and flakes just scrambling that I vowed to never climbing on the marble in SEKI. And it's scratchy!
I'm sure there are fun routes to be had, if you don't die looking for them!
I've never been on the routes around Boyden Cavern, that rock looks a little more solid than most marble I've been around. It still scares me.
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