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paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 28, 2007 - 01:17am PT
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Since I have yet to write one of these up, I'm gonna go long...
Tuesday. I was supposed to leave friday night the weekend before, and a friend of a friend is prolly wondering where the hell his partner is since we are supposed to be fixing Castleton Tower. The other person I thought I was fixing for has already tagged his tower too, so I'm not too worried at this point and there isn't a lot I can do. I can't find the problem with my car and don't want to spend 500 bucks getting the check engine light dealt with when reverse is almost gone, one axle bootie is shot, and the roof is starting to leak - I've decided I'm going to buy another ru and turn the jetta into a baja mobile, then drive it straight to victory or hell, quite possibly both.
Riley is coming in at noon with a rental car, and we will hop in and go. He gets in a little early, I'm still showering and packing and sending emails to my boss while he sits on the couch reading about the Fisher Towers in my copy of Desert Rock 3. I'm amped beyond belief, having just gotten my finger back sort of after blowing a pulley being impatient, the towers are calling my name, and I haven't been to the creek in a year.
One creative left on red arrow (this is SLC...) and a subway sandwich later, we are off and running. I yap on and on and on until Riley falls asleep somewhere around the San Rafael swell. He's awake again in half an hour, and we decide to head straight to the towers of Fisher rather then the creek once I explain the distances involved. We stop at Pagan Mountaineering where I spend too much money on sh#t I can live without, and Jeneane (? I think that's her name ? Janice ?) behind the counter gives me the name and number for the local BASE jumper association when I tell her we were supposed to hang ropes but aren't now, but I blow that all off thinking we don't have time to get any ropes at this point. Lame, yes. By the time we stop at the spring on River road its well past dark, and we drive to the Fishers.
It is cold the first night. Very f*#king cold. We grab a spot and throw up my tent and get in it. I dream vividly of being dressed in a dark jedi-style robe, I leap from tower to tower with almost effortless abandon, then I have a dream where Riley is waking me up to ask me if it is OK for him to read with the light on. Oddly enough, he wakes me up and asks me the same question in real life about ten seconds later...
We get a late start and are making breakfast when the parking lot starts to fill up. I walk up to admire the view and say "Hello !" to the crowd piling out of a couple cars - they look at me and say absolutely nothing. I'm sorta stunned - maybe they didn't hear me, but I think they were just worried we would run in front of them to tick ancient art. If you guys didn't hear me, that's totally cool as I am known to mumble, and if you did, well, bite me ;-)
Riley has never been here before, and is blown away when he sees the place. I understand completely - some people fear the towers, and some feel the incredible current that runs through this ancient place, the undeniable pull of the majestic mud magnet...Sooner or later we are off and walking to the base of the Kingfisher.
I'm staring at the cobra as we walk past, and my foot slips out from under me. I instinctively stiff-arm the ground to my left. 11 months to the day since I had my shoulder repaired for almost the exact same injury, and my shoulder goes numb as it jams into the socket. In less than a second I'm seeing all my plans for the next 6 months turn into sitting in a chair and staring at the walls, again...I try to rationalize the injury - it's not the same angle, I fell slower, etc, but here it is a week later and the thing is looser than it has been all year, weird cracks and pops and sliding sensations inside the socket - maybe its nothing, but I'm sorta of the opinion I f*#ked it up again as part of the learning process I am so horrible at.
We fix the first two pitches and make it back to camp in time to watch the sunset and moonrise. We meet Jeremy, who is doing the sick-ass Beaking in Tongues line across the way from us - he's totally cool, totally chill, I'm pretty sure he was even carrying the remains of his portaledge on his back. I note he uses ski poles to hike with, and start thinking about my shoulder again. Note to self - trekking poles with heavy loads...
The next morning we race to the tower to get there before a solo climber that we met in the parking lot. I'm tired just walking in at this point, totally feeling like a vampire and not generating a whole lot of energy like I would normally be doing when out climbing. Riley leads the crux and the 4th pitch, and I bonk hard at the capstone. I'm hanging there completely spent, watching some BASE jumpers drift by, Riley has been freezing at the belay waiting for me to jug up to him, I'm jugging with a pack on for some stupid reason and didn't sleep the night before...we have to bail. I could have put on a sleeping bag and sat there while Riley tops out, but he takes the smart route and doesn't even show his disappointment as I totally suck and we rap off.
It was funny the night before though, as I woke him up to tell him he was snoring. In his sleeping-pill coma he mumbled "You woke me up just to tell me I'm snoring and you can't sleep ? That's a selfish thing to do..."
We drive to the creek. It is thanksgiving night at 8:30 pm - no grocery stores, no liquor stores are open at this time of night, and I'm sake-less due to poor planning and logistics. We stop at a gas station and load up. Driving into the creek proper Riley hits a deer, and we pull over to deal with it. I'm digging for a big knife to slit it's throat and put it out of its misery when a pickup drives up - Riley asks if they have guns and explains the situation, and these dudes pile out all psyched to shoot something. The deer is just standing there at this point, looking at us with one good eye, legs shaking and about to buckle. The first guy doesn't take the shot when the thing is right f*#king there, and the deer finally stumbles off down the embankment while his friend gets his gun out. He shoots several times and I swear all of them are high and left - wtf ? All psyched to kill something, and now they are bad shots ? Nerves maybe I guess, but its sorta weird how casual it was when we asked, and then the reality of the situation. Still, without them we would have had to do it by hand, and I'm pretty sure neither of us really wanted to do it that way, so thanks and props for being there guys.
We get to camp finally, only really knowing we are in the right spot by Mister E's van, which is weird since he's not supposed to be there. Oddly enough the rental car is completely undamaged. The Crew has buried a turkey in the ground - we yap and drink and sit around the fire and talk about how good it is going to be. I'm reminded that 1) I was supposed to be there early to snag a site and 2) I'm totally empty handed save for a twelvepack of rolling rock.
That night it snows. You've seen the pics - it snows more than its snowed in the wasatch up here in salt lake for f*#k's sake. The next morning is a very very slow and cold one - We say hello and goodbye to many people that are bailing, and I spend an hour getting some dude's VW van going so he can get back to ft collins. We blame vapor lock, which will prove to be an ongoing theme with the large propane stove and the propane space heater as the rest of the weekend progresses. The turkey is only partly cooked, we wrestle it back from the dogs and I cut chunks off and fry them in the fire while we stand around and freeze, socially...it's actually pretty damn yummy.
Later on in the night I'm telling Donini that I've never seen the desert with snow on it since I'm in SLC, and whenever it snows I'm skiing. I tell him that as much as I love climbing, I love skiing even just a little more. He looks at me and says "That's kinda gay." Sweet - Dissed by a legend...other highlights of that day include Crista taking most of my money at the card table (yes, five of one suit is something, and beats my two pair dammit...), and meeting Tracey at the Outpost by Canyonlands - she's totally cool, btw, as the good Dr had promised.
I don't climb the next day, but get to see Riotch tag a sick lead on that 5.11something crack on the left side of the tooth. Totally sweet to watch him work it, and I film thirty minutes of his ass as he sends (how did that come out anyway, G ?). Everyone is stoked to be warm and on the rock playing - Just like the Dr says - from 11 to 2 it is the Perfect crack weather. We get back to camp, catch the warm inversion just before the sunset temperature plummet, and enjoy a rather mellow evening as the crowd has whittled down to just us hardcore freaks at this point. I still feel like a chump for not bringing a gallon or two of sake...
Prod gets mad kudos for lending two almost complete strangers his entire rack so they can be armed to the gills for their next week there. Seriously Guy - I don't think I've seen such generosity since my rental car j tree fiasco, and this was certainly many pesos more you were willing to hook them up with - mad kudos indeed. The next day we tag a few random lines here and there, and we are off to the races and back in SLC by 9. Yaro and Riley crash over here, we eat pizza and yap on and on and are just generally psyched to be warm again.
Two days later and I'm still missing the towers and the cracks and all the cool people we were with. There are three pieces of the hazel cran bread left, then its just all memories and pictures til the next one...
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 28, 2007 - 01:34am PT
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Well put!
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paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 28, 2007 - 01:37am PT
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you know we are going back and tagging that f*#ker as a warm up to the titan, right ?
magic mud magnets be callin my name...
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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Nov 28, 2007 - 02:09am PT
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"He looks at me and says "That's kinda gay." Sweet - Dissed by a legend"
classic
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
the only coast
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Nov 28, 2007 - 02:27am PT
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yea, very cool write up. ditto what the guys said
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Ricardo Carlos
Trad climber
Off center, CO.
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Nov 28, 2007 - 03:21am PT
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Tom
That was really good!
The cold seems a small thing now compared to incredibly good food and friends.
I hope your shoulder is better soon less is more sometimes. The rock awaits your next accent.
Rich
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
the only coast
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Nov 28, 2007 - 03:31am PT
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i would wake someone up to tell them to stop snoring too!!! lol it would be fine if they asked me to stop also. and i used to sleep like an egg beater (toss and turn) but now i don't.
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paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 28, 2007 - 03:41am PT
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I miss you all - seriously... I sit here and tick off the days til we all meet again (warmer, more guitar, and SS you need to make it to one too)
On the one hand its totally cool to know so many incredible people. on the other hand, i'm drunk, bored, and need a belay to nail up the side of the wells fargo building (disclaimer - any resemblance to any real building, living or dead, is purely coincidental and can not be enforced in a court of law).
All that glass must go at 11+ ? 9 if we smash it and drill...
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
the only coast
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Nov 28, 2007 - 03:50am PT
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yea really! i'll play the tambourine!
hang in there buddy if it happened all the time it wouldn't be as sweet
someday we will hang. we will put on stunna shades and listen to christmas reggae :)
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paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 28, 2007 - 04:07am PT
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dude i miss you too riley - that was funny ;-) "why the f*#k is he poking me ?"
not all brothers grow up under the same roof...
edit to add : diggin the canadian spelling of PAGAN ;-) red wings...
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paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 28, 2007 - 04:13am PT
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AC you should come out to some more too, my friend.
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
the only coast
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Nov 28, 2007 - 04:15am PT
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p.s. i am kidding about the tambourine
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 28, 2007 - 04:19am PT
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I would NEVER, wake some one up to tell them that they (she) was snoring, though I've had the opportunity with each one, it's a for better or worse, kind of issue.
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Nov 28, 2007 - 09:46am PT
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Pagan,
Great TR. But it was not my entire rack, 13 biners, 13 cams, a sling, and my signed guide book. If the cams never came back, I'd chalk it up to life experience but I'd be sad if I lost the book. That being said I have no fear that I'll see all of the above in a week or so, Hamid and Riley are solid guys.
Was that my little angle that took all the money at the poker table? I donated $15.
Prod.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 28, 2007 - 10:48am PT
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Donini only dissed you because he can't ski for sh#t. Imagine Ichabod Crane crossed with a windmill and dressed like Jean Claude Killy. Then toss in a car crash--a rollover no less.
That's Donini skiing.
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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Nov 28, 2007 - 11:07am PT
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this is a great TR pagan! smilin' over it right now. very funny, mal re donini haha.
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yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
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Nov 28, 2007 - 11:20am PT
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nov 28, 2007 - 12:36pm PT
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Nice write up Pagan!
I liked the Dr's too.
These things go by in a blur...
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Nov 28, 2007 - 01:25pm PT
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Tar, Tom, & Nature.
Riley & tooTALLtim.
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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Nov 28, 2007 - 03:00pm PT
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Nice TR. Kind of a stream of conciousness TR. Or frozen waterfall maybe, based on your report.
Umm, getting on wide fetish is maybe not such a good thing, IMO.
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