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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 26, 2010 - 06:10pm PT
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Tales of the Golden Dawn on Mt. Watkins from Mountain #95 January/February 1984. Whole lotta slab over there! Do these routes see any traffic these days?
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Sep 27, 2010 - 06:07pm PT
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Beautiful route. Easy access and splendid featured granite over there. Did an early ascent of Golden Dawn way back when. Bruce Morris was considered "light" BITD for his affection for slabs, but he was way ahead of his time in some ways.
Lots of other great lines over there...
But don't tell anyone!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Sep 27, 2010 - 06:12pm PT
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Hey Steve, haven't had time to read it all yet, but
looks great. Thanks for your continuing historical threads!!!!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 27, 2010 - 10:51pm PT
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I would love to see some topos especially the route described in the postscript!
You out there Ermas?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 28, 2010 - 09:29pm PT
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Der Golden Bump!
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Greg Barnes
climber
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Sep 28, 2010 - 09:38pm PT
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And Urmas went back in 2003 and replaced his own route with his own bolts - nice!
Golden Dawn, Mt. Watkins All bolts (23) replaced by Dustin Clark and Urmas Franosch, as well as 3 bolts along the approach rappel route. Replacement done with personal gear, and Urmas was one of the FA team 20 years ago - a big THANKS to these guys! NOTE This route usually approached from Hwy 120 near Tuolumne, so we've included it both in the Valley and Tuolumne sections. 09/03 Dustin Clark, Urmas Franosch http://www.safeclimbing.org/areas/california/tuolumne.htm
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 28, 2010 - 11:25pm PT
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Way to follow through!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Sep 28, 2010 - 11:54pm PT
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Steve, thanks for scanning and posting this. Somehow the Austin-Cantwell route was left out of the Reid guidebook, but I have added it to my list now. I added it to the Long, Hard and Free page, too, with a link back to this thread.
http://www.stanford.edu/%7Eclint/yos/longhf.htm#watkins
There is a topo for Golden Dawn on p.205 of the 1994 Reid Free Climbs guidebook. I have a corrected version from Brian Cox which I will try to scan and post at some point.
I don't know if the Austin-Cantwell has ever been linked with Golden Dawn or Escape From Freedom.
Urmas (Urmas), Chris (ghostfromthepast) and Bruce (Bruce Morris) have all posted on supertopo in the recent past.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 28, 2010 - 11:59pm PT
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I really don't remember hearing much about them at the time, oddly enough.
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Chinchen
climber
Way out there....
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Sep 29, 2010 - 12:09am PT
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Hmm looks good! I just hiked around the wrong side of Watkins this weekend.
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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Sep 29, 2010 - 03:46am PT
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Classic post, cheers SG!!
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bob
climber
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Sep 29, 2010 - 09:36am PT
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I did Golden Dawn a couple summers ago and thought it to be an excellent route. So beautiful. Man those dikes!
If doing in the summer hike down at 10 or so. It get shade the second part of the day.
There sure are a lot of lines drawn on that face over there. Just sitting anywhere above Tenaya Canyon like that puts me in a trance.
Thanks for the post.
Bob J.
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homemade salsa
Trad climber
west tetons
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Sep 29, 2010 - 11:30am PT
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We did an early repeat of this route back in the 80s (spring of 84?). Myself, Bruce Morris, and Gary Robie. Remember being really cold at the belays as the wind whipped up the canyon. The dikes are dramatic, though.
Then we got to the top of Watkins as the sun was setting over Half Dome- gorgeous! But then Bruce tells us that he has no night vision and can't quite remember which way is back to the Highway. A long bushwack through residual snowfields underlain by cold water. Stopped and made a fire a couple of times, and the second time saw headlights slice through the trees above us; "the road!!" Then when we got to the road, a fierce argument ensued about which way to turn.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 29, 2010 - 05:28pm PT
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Cameras along guys?
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Sep 29, 2010 - 05:48pm PT
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I love slabs.....
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 29, 2010 - 05:51pm PT
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I loathe slabs. Hold on bluering, if we all liked the same things it would be a little crowded out there- enjoy!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Sep 29, 2010 - 06:06pm PT
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Good point, Jim. Very true.
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curt wohlgemuth
Social climber
Bay Area, California
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Sep 29, 2010 - 06:38pm PT
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Thanks very much for posting this Steve, and for writing it, Bruce! Great stuff.
How hard is Golden Dawn itself, with the "usual approach?" I don't have a guidebook here at work...
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G Murphy
Trad climber
Oakland CA
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Sep 30, 2010 - 12:15pm PT
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That side of Watkins is pretty impressive. Feels remote, fabulous location, and an amazing amount of exposed rock. Bruce and Urmas'
Escape from Freedom (near New Golden Dawn) has got to be one of the best long routes I've done.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 30, 2010 - 12:49pm PT
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I am proud to be a slab climber! Can't get enough, of that knobby stuff!
If times are tough, the edge of a nickle will do! LOL
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