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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 26, 2009 - 12:55am PT
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The psyche of America is tied up in the "road trip." When you think of it, we're a restless culture always thinking about going somewhere else hungry to taste those exotic flavors of far off places. Think of the great American novel, Moby Dick which is essentially a road trip novel... or Kerouac's On The Road. There are those American's that thought that staying put was just as good, Thoreau disdained the European Tour Circuit and stayed put in the Northeast. But he also has some profound thoughts, of course... “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”
If I have not been present on these pages for a while it is because I was living... now is the time for writing.
What a road trip it was, to Vedauwoo 09. We have past the way before, this time in 510 OW, Jay and I, with much uncertainty as to who would be there. We landed Saturday nigh at Mike "Freddy" Friedrichs' place in Salt Lake City. This is now a much anticipated way station to adventure.
Mike had been communicating with Dingus McGee, who had a special spot to introduce us to... now a prelude to our visit to Vedauwoo proper... somewhere in the Laramie Range, a climbing area being developed, and we would have the privilege of a first climb on its routes.
Five hours of highway driving, 50 odd miles on dirt roads, "trending Northeast" and we arrived. Dingus was waiting for us... but it was late and we ate and retired for the morning.
Isn't it wonderful that there is always something familiar to see, even in the new world. Take a moment to watch the stars...
We were to visit two cliffs in the morning, the area? well I can't say, but it does exist... and you can find it if you know where to look:
don't take the name too seriously, it was what I was allowed to say because Dingus knew you'd ask.
A bit cool, this is a summer crag, Jaybro lights a fire, Mike gets the water on for coffee, and Dingus looks over the operation
Did I mention the frost, and frozen water bottles?
and the clever use of dry wall tools
and soon enough we're on our way in the classic climber's van
to the path in the woods to enjoy a day of climbing.
Mike is the designated rope gun, he's the youngest of the group with ages greater than (or equal to) 50 years. Stacking our ages up one atop the other nearly takes us back to the birth of our nation...
...he gets a start on a route "A bit harder than it looks, aye Freddie?"
Up a 90' cliff in a drainage filled with Aspen...
Dingus is really interested in a particular climb, he later named Bear Humper rating unknown, but maybe Mike can chime in, something like 5.11. The start
the first attempt on the roof, Mike cuts loose
but figures out the more effective way
albeit strenuous
unlocking the climb and reaching the logical high point
We went around to the face shown below to do a couple of warm up 5.9 climbs, and a run at another line.. Dingus was happy and would return some other time to continue his labor of putting the routes in...
a fun crag.
More spectacular all in all was the second crag with some nice 5.11 sport routes... this was our afternoon repast. Mike leading the first of three on this crag
and the last few moves to the chains
Jaybro takes a lap too!
Mike reaching on another route, excellently steep and featured face climbing
We packed up and headed out to Vedauwoo to meet up with the crew... we didn't know that there was a change of plan... but we did know that we three would be there on Tuesday.
Dingus' share was quite a nice little start to our trip. Maybe someday soon there will be a guide to some of these little areas he's got spread out all over creation.
Hopefully Jaybro and Mike will add some thoughts and photos...
...next will be Vedauwoo...
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 01:22am PT
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Good stuff! Like that first pic.... I swear it starts to move or something....
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 01:36am PT
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That first one was like.11a+ the second hard one (that Mike led) was about a number grade harder. That wierd top rope one that hammered me was pretty hard, too...
Warming up the photobucket...
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 02:29am PT
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"The icy blackness doesn't last long, just long enough to choke you and freeze you to death."
Much as I love the works of Kerouac, he could often appear as a half empty kind of guy, happily our own experience was more Positive.
Photo taken from the Cab of Fred's luxurious new Tacoma, he was able to parlay his '82 Toyota pickup (300k miles) into a $4500 credit via Cash fer Klunkers. Good things occasionally really do happen for good people...
Fred, Dingus Mcgee and Lute on a typically balmy heavy frost morning in August in the Laramie range. Note Lute eyeing the fire, he snaps at sparks, this may figure into later reports in this ms.
Mike leading the Bear humper, our .11 warmup on a morning just over 32º, all that saved me on this route was being taller than these guys and having a plus 4" ape index....
Then we did some legitimate warmups and a TR variation that tweaked me hard. we went back to the original wall, now in sun, for Mike/Fred to jump on this 5.12, A3 thing, here he is, nearing the Bidness, and yes the business was sport climbing;
Mike contemplating the aid section
before it was decided that the belay anchor would be lower.
Stay tuned for more, as the Voyage of the Magic bus continues.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Aug 26, 2009 - 09:46am PT
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MUCHOUS THANKS. . . ED.
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE REST OF THEM!!!!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2009 - 11:50am PT
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On Tuesday we find that the Colorado contingent is not due in until Wednesday evening, and that Em (aka Nurse Ratchet) will be flying in and we will pick her up then... so we are free to play around.
Out to Poland Hill to do Fantasia, which Mike and Jaybro haven't done in decades...
They warm up on Sugar Crack 5.7 which I top-rope, and we all TR Escape from Vaudeville 5.8 right next to it... ah touching those crystals again...
Then around the corner, Mike starts up Fantasia
and has no problem sending it, even if he changed from right to left side in a number of times...
Here is the video of Mike's lead:
http://www.vimeo.com/6282510
We also TRd Piece or Dirt 5.11a right next to it... even more and sharper, but smaller crystals...
Wandering off into the prairie to find some boulder problem projects, here around the Bistro Boulders as we leave... though I can't recall the name of this.
Mike also works the starting moves of another wild crack boulder problem, but we are content and leave for dinner, end of day 2.
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goatboy smellz
climber
लघिमा, co
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Aug 26, 2009 - 11:57am PT
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I think I bruised a lung up there, either from laughing or thrutching.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 12:04pm PT
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Basecamp in Vedauwoo established,
But, what is this?
Time for Poland Hill;
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Aug 26, 2009 - 12:21pm PT
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Cool ! Looking forward to more ..
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Redlands
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Aug 26, 2009 - 12:31pm PT
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Yahoo! More please.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 12:46pm PT
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Ed's butt headed up sugar Crack, which I would reccomend for any one's classic tour/warmup circuit what a fun climb!
A footnote to Ed's photos, really competent lead belayers always stand when on duty, though some of us are lulled into complacency, belaying guns way below their limit even when they go wrong side in.
Fantasia was the first route in SE Wyoming rated 5.10. Currently it's .9 and has been .8 Cavaet Emptor ! harder than say Chingando...
So, after Fantasia we turned to Piece 'o' dirt, a truly ferocious for the fingers .11 razor sharp crystal quest;
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 12:52pm PT
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On to those Bistro Boulder problems,
Note that young Sprout Mike, (50) almost sending some scary flarey shitd in his Acopa Scramblers;
He had it! what a weanie, har!
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Aug 26, 2009 - 01:58pm PT
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NICE!
Wish I could of made it this year...the pics help ease my pain
Thanks!
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 03:05pm PT
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Have no fear Tom, we prolly got another thousand shots to pain you with. and all kinds of narrative drama that may or may not be unfolded...
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goatboy smellz
climber
लघिमा, co
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Aug 26, 2009 - 03:21pm PT
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We need Captain Manny to post up his collection, I sent him the one shot I have around the scuffy tree, hopefully he'll show up right on narrative time.
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L
climber
Return of the Rebel L Gang
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Aug 26, 2009 - 03:26pm PT
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Edzilla,
You are the best!
It's been worth the wait.
FYI--your TR's, aided and abetted by Jaybro's witty supplementations, are what climbing and the Taco are all about.
(I'd be lying if I said I was patiently awaiting further Alien Invader reports...so... ;-)))
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Aug 26, 2009 - 04:13pm PT
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UNFOLD UNFOLD!
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 04:54pm PT
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Yeah, Cap'n Manny, what ever happened to that hombre?
hangon there's more
a'foot.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2009 - 05:23pm PT
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I think the alien theme comes back in towards the end of the trip...
...I've got something hatching...
...sorry for the linearity of this, time-wise... it's the pre-geometry thing
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 05:27pm PT
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you and your theories, the proletariat has nothing to lose but his strings...
is a succubus an alien?
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