City of Rocks June 2016 Climbing Party Get-Together Thread.

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Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 18, 2016 - 10:26am PT

6/1/15 UPdate! We are planning on a City of Rocks Climbing Get-together, nights of Sunday June 19 – Weds. June 22, checkout Thursday June 23. We have the same camp spot as the last two years reserved at Twin Sisters (Twin Sisters Group Camp).

Our campground is somewhat short on level tent spots, but has lots of parking for campers, a Deluxe shitter, 2 picnic tables, & a nice firepit.

As of this date our group-camp is full, but folks are invited to visit.

No cell phone or internet access, & no water, except what we bring in (Mark & I will have some 5 gallon containers of water), & no garbage service.

Camping expenses. I won’t know exactly until I get a final head count by night, but I will be asking for about $15.00 per camper for 4 nights, or $3.75 per night.

We have attendees sponsoring dinners, with others adding on H'ordeuvres & fine beverages before, or with the meal. Donations are very welcome & accepted to help defray expenses.

Currently we are thinking:
Night 1. Grilled BBQ Pork Riblets, salads, & grilled Naan bread. Fritz, Heidi & helpers
Night 2. Spaghetti, green salad, bread & likely grilled Italian sausage. Mark & helpers.
Night 3. Jim & Angela will sponsor a main course of marinated chicken or pork loin. 11worth & Jordan will also provide salads.
Night 4. Moosedrool with: a Polish version of a Hungarian dish called Lescó. Recipe Cook together equal amounts of, Bell pepper, Yellow onion, Tomato, Smoked sausage. We are looking for Moose-helpers.

For shared camp dinners, we will share a deluxe large 4-burner propane stove, a large charcoal river grill, a supply of pots, skillets, bowls, a few dishes, some utensils, a 3-part group dish-washing system, & a foot-operated hand-washing pump that cooks & servers are requested to use.

Sponsors for paper plates, napkins, throwaway utensils, fine beverages & pre-dinner snacks & beverages to share, are solicited.

Attendees should bring their own camp chairs, utensils, & beverage containers.

Attendees are on their own for breakfasts & lunches, although Mark & I will sponsor a pot of cowboy coffee every morning & folks are welcome to boil water on the camp stove.

Firewood! Last year we had too much firewood. Heidi & I will bring a bunch of our “free” wood. Please don’t spend your hard-earned money on firewood----------instead----spend it on fine wines, beer, & great H’ordeuvres to share.

We'd love to see you there! Let me know your thoughts or questions?

Notes:
1. The no small children (under age 10) & no pets policy has worked so well, we are doing that again too.
2. If you plan on attending, post here if you want your name on ST as an attendee, or contact me, if you would like to be anonymous?
3. Campsite costs will be shared and donations accepted for food. All campers are expected to help with the work load.
4. We do welcome diversity, & young & fun climbers!
5. I should note that there is now a ban on Drones (the motorized kind) at COR. We are still tolerating human drones in camp, but prefer “worker-bees.”

Namaste,
Fritz

Current attendee list: Maximum in camp = 30

Jim & Angela Donini
Fritz & Heidi
Mark Mason
Mark & Kathie Force
GT Rider.
J. Tackle
Hardly Visible
ImStein & friend.
TWP
Moosedrool
Clark from Idaho.
Grippa & maybe a few friends.
2 Anonymous from WA
3 Anonymous from AK
2 Anonymous from BC-cancelled 6-12
2 Anonymous from UT
2 Anonymous from San Francisco Bay Area
Clark from Idaho via Seattle
GLee
Kevin from Idaho
Ralph T for Moday-Weds nights.
= 29 campers which is nearly a full camp!
Plus staying a couple miles away, but visiting are 11worth &
Brokedown Climber, and Jordan from UT. will have his son staying with us on Mon & Tues nights.

We've had a few dropouts, who will be greatly missed:
Spider Savage, AK Trad & Friend, Pat Tackle & 2 Anonymous from BC.

However, we can now add 1 more person.

ImStein & friend will be staying at another camp Mon-Weds nights, so we can also add one more to our camp group for those nights. (One of those spaces is now reserved.

Post here or email me, or both.

There are likely nearby pet & small-children friendly campsites available, but you need to get off your ass and reserve them in advance.
Here is a link: http://www.reserveamerica.com/ Look for City of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho.

As of 5/11 there are 3 out of 65 camp-spots left at City of Rocks for nights of June 19-22. Campsites rent for 12.72 a night and will hold up to 8 people (although there may be only a couple tent sites in a camp), pets on leash, & two vehicles Campsites closely adjacent to the Twin Sisters Group camp are #1 - #4 & are already booked during our party

The same search also shows nearby Castle Rocks State Park with 22 of 42 sites available.
Their Smoky Mountain camp offers deluxe camping with water, flush toilets, showers, cell & internet connectivity at reasonable prices. Of the campsites available there, #23 - #28 are not at all suitable for tent camping & lack shade. Rent is $29.00 a night.

Looking forward to it folks. I can't hardly restrain myself.

SC seagoat

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone

Jan 18, 2016 - 10:34am PT

Unfortunately I'm out this year. :/
It's a sailing year. Hawaii and Alaska bound.

Susan

Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 18, 2016 - 05:19pm PT

City of Rocks weather for the 3rd week in June?

Bear in mind its northern latitude & elevations that range from 6,000 to 7,000 Ft. Then add in the hot desert air flowing up from the Great Basin & California. Think about nearby 10,000 ft. plus mountains that tend to hold in storms & stir in Global Warming.

As a lifetime Idaho resident, I love to predict the weather, so here it goes for our ST party.

I predict highs between 50 & 90 degrees f. on some, or all days.

I predict night-time lows between 25 f. & 55 f.

I predict perfect dry conditions,or a week of unsettled weather with violent thunderstorms and snow down to 6,000 ft. Or anything in between those two forecasts.

Welcome to the northern Great Basin folks.

Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 18, 2016 - 05:50pm PT

Moose: I bounced your meal offer off Heidi & she is agreeable, although neither of us are familiar with the dish.

She asks: "Is it a one-dish meal, or do should we solicit side-dishes to complement it?"

anita514

Gym climber

Great White North

Jan 18, 2016 - 05:52pm PT

No pets... does that mean no HARLEY? :(

Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 18, 2016 - 06:40pm PT

Moosedrool! Whoooo-hooo! We're on for Lescó.

Thank you for being willing to share a gourmet meal with us!

Since we are uncertain about what "spicy" is in Polish cooking, can you give us comparisons to what we can relate too in other regional cuisines?

Mexican, Thai, western U.S.?

Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 18, 2016 - 07:34pm PT

Moosedrool! Thank you again for the awesome meal offer! Lots of us will be willing to help you with food prep, cooking, and drinking. Just ask for what you want!

Anita!

Harley, the cat, is available 2 hours west. The last official pet at our COR party was Pente, the world's best dressed cat in 2012, courtesy of Crimpergirl & Brassnuts.

She was the guest of honor.

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Jan 18, 2016 - 09:36pm PT

Fritz-

As you already know--I'm always good for some fine (cheap) wine as my contribution!

BDC

Wayno

Big Wall climber

Seattle, WA

Jan 19, 2016 - 09:31am PT

Masha and I hope to make it but I can't say for sure yet. If we do we will probably get our usual site across the road. We have the dogs, so a separate site just makes sense. Boris was older and well-behaved but these new pups are still learning how to not chew the crap out of everything.

Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 19, 2016 - 11:47am PT

Wayno! We hope you & Masha can attend. It wouldn't be a party without you.

Unfortunately, I just heard from Big Mike & he isn't going to be able to make it down.

Wayno

Big Wall climber

Seattle, WA

Jan 19, 2016 - 12:39pm PT

That sucks. I was just thinking that I would love to spend a whole day out cragging with Big Mike. I'm gunna miss you there, buddy!

Is this guy gonna make it?

Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 19, 2016 - 07:00pm PT

Wayno? The legendary Mouse From Merced?

I just emailed him to let him know we are asking for his attendance.

Spider Savage

Mountain climber

The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles

Jan 19, 2016 - 10:36pm PT

I am in as usual. Part of a complete summer road trip.

Whatever is needed, I'll bring it.

Big Mike

Trad climber

Jan 20, 2016 - 03:04am PT

It is with great disappointment that I must pass on this awesome get together this year.

It is simply too long to leave a new employee, still in training with my manager. I made this mistake last year and it didn't end well. I think i can manage a couple days to sneak away for a long weeked but a week is just too much. Hopefully i will have things more stable for 2017 and i can return again.

Have fun everyone!!

Mike

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Jan 20, 2016 - 07:55am PT

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Big Mike-

Sorry to hear we will not see you this year. I was looking forward to getting a climb with your, after a long time of talking about doing so....

Rodger

KristenB

Sport climber

Almo Idaho

Jan 20, 2016 - 08:12am PT

Hello,
An update on the food availability in Almo.
The Tracy Store (now under new management - Kent and Janice Durfee) does not sell alcohol. They have a few more more grocery items.

They have expanded their breakfast options. Commercially made frozen breakfast sandwiches.
They also have breakfast burritos made by a local woman. They are under $3.00 in the store.
They are frozen in the store and still tase very good when reheated in the microwave at the store.
They are egg sausage potato and bell pepper wrapped in a flour tortilla.

If you would like to get an order together she will make up a bunch for you and can do a veggie version if needed. I had her make a bunch for a two day NPS meeting in October and she brought them to the meeting in a crock pot - hot! Each person got one burrito with a small container of OJ and a shared bowl of apple slices for $5.00 per person.

She will need about 2 weeks of lead time--we dont go to town that often out here :-).

Janis does egg sandwiches at the store - made to order.
Janis also has sandwiches and a hot lunch special (under $8.00).

The Steakhouse is closed for the winter but should be opening in March.
The Almo Inn and Outpost restaurant is for sale 1.3 million if anyone is interested. Under good management it would be a going concern so think about it.

Rock City is still Rock City and will be jam packed again this summer.
They have sandwiches in the cooler and the best beer selection in hundreds of miles.

There are people in the Almo area who are fabulous cooks and would welcome the extra cash to "cater" rustic meals for groups.

Perhaps that is an idea for the Wednesday night meal????
Most of them would probably do dutch oven meat and potatoes and dessert with salad. No idea on price but I am betting you would think it was a good deal.

See you all in June!
Kristen