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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 19, 2008 - 03:34am PT
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Vedauwoo Boogaloo Two Trip Report
August 9 - 17, 2008
Jaybro, Mike Fredrichs & Ed Hartouni
I'm sitting in traffic just outside of Sacramento, Jaybro is piloting Debbie's new Honda Civic, the viciousness at the end of a trip is harshing my mellow, especially 'cause the traffic is stop-and-go as we make our way 'round to I-80 West. We had left SLC about 12 hours ago. I'm glad that Jaybro was along to drive, and that we are able to keep each other sane.
We had stayed at Mike's house in SLC that night after bailing from Vedauwoo Saturday morning, completely wet and 41º F lows... Jaybro had the insight that the trip had come to an end when a cloud blew by between us in Site 7, our home for the Boogaloo.
Saturday morning I awoke after a pretty good night, sleeping in the cool air after having spent that Friday down in Laramie hanging at Coal Creek Coffee Company in the morning and at Bill "Captain America" Keustner's in the late afternoon and evening for a lovely dinner with his wife Jill and one Dennis Horning, aka "Dingus McGee." Jill showed us a recently excavated Bison skull, uncovered in the backyard project.
Upon arriving back at camp that evening, we found Brutus and Nurse Rachet had vacated the premises in their Prius, we didn't know to where. Saturday morning coffee revealed their potential whereabouts:
That Friday morning they were slated to go climbing with Mr. & Mrs. Museum, who dropped by and sat with us under the dripping tarp at Site 6... Jaybro's favorite site from the old days...
But as you can see for Brutus of Wyde, the beer for breakfast indicates the already understood possibilities for the day, or at least climbing for the day. Mr. & Mrs. Museum were interested in Buritos in Fort Collins, not sitting about in the wet for hoping for non-wet.
I seem to have digressed somewhat.
Where were we? Climbing... yes, that would have been the point of making a 2,436.8 mile round trip. Hartouni's First Law of Climbing Road Trips: the time traveling shouldn't be longer than the time climbing. At roughly 34 hours, we'd have had to climb for about 4 days to satisfy that.
We had launched to Mike's house in SLC on the way out, and Mike had arranged to meet Dingus McGee at a new climbing area that Dingus had been developing, on our way to Vedauwoo. We had started out on Saturday morning, I was in Chicago on Friday and when Debbie asked when we were going that night she was a bit disconcerted when I said 7:00 am the next day. I called Jaybro from the gas station at 8:30 am "I'll be there in about 20 minutes, we're right on time!".
Mike was waiting for us late with dinner and beer. The next morning we convoyed out to the climbing spot... I'm not at liberty to reveal its location, but we decided it was somewhere beyond Valley Massif, which would be true even if it were in the wrong direction.
Here we are on the way in, with a view of our initial destination.
The quartzite cliffs in mid-picture was our destination, we were surrounded by bark-beetle infested conifer forests and large fluffy clouds.
The existence of clouds wasn't a surprise as we had seen them for hours on the way in...
Even invoking our good friend's name wouldn't chase them awayJaybro told a funny story about having been in the Valley in his youth with this band of Wyoming climbers. Someone asked someone about Merry and Werner "Does Werner have a girl friend?" the reply: "Monks don't have girl friends!" Boy were they wrong.
Mike is driving us on, we've got a few hours to go before sunset, it isn't raining, and he wants to hit the crag fast.
He's in his climbing getup faster than you can imagine, and we're all trying to catch up to him and McGee, and Dingus' dog Luke. This was all so fast I didn't have time to pull my camera out (full disclosure, that picture was taken the next morning, but it fits in here for the story better).
We hear Bill and Jill driving up, they volunteered to bring a tarp in case it rained, and they're getting instructions from about three different people, only two of which had been their before, about how to find us. Bill rents to Dingus... we're also with Neal Backstrom and John Matteson from Colorado... Dingus has us going up to the "Four Stories" so named for its separated tiered cliffs. "We're going on up to the second story, I've put in a Via Farrata" Dingus states, but he is unsure of the translation which Wikipedia says is Italian for "iron road." This one turns out to be a lot of old ropes. Dingus learned that the rats will go after the ropes only if they can reach them with their haunches on the ground no higher than they can stand. He had a bit of a problem before he understood this particular aspect of rat natural history. The ropes don't look too bad now.
The major problem was that we sorta pulled and pushed some stuff off the cliff, intentional and unintentional. Jaybro showed a particular aptitude in dropping loose stuff. Now that we were with Dingus, Mike became "Freddie," as Mike has climbed extensively with Dingus throughout the ages. Dingus has Freddie go up some warmups, and then a bit harder route. Mike coins a couple of new phrases here... "just like climbing the Eiger, only warmer" explains the mud glued blocks on the top of the second tier.
I liked the new characterization of this kind of climbing: Alpine Sport; it's well bolted, and you have to watch out for the rock fall. This chased Bill and Jill away, they were late coming up and were below the six of us. They beat a hasty retreat after a volley of rock fall made their way.
It was getting late, Mike, "Freddie," round us up and had us go down. We hurriedly got our tents up as it began to rain. Under Bill and Jill's tarp we cooked dinner, drank beer, wine and scotch, and talked... mostly about boating or kayaking... as John, Neal, and Bill have a lot of experience in the boats. Neal had asked me if I knew Buddha and Em who took him climbing in Sonora Pass, he put up a climb, an FA, he wanted to name The Return of the Galoot (Neal being "The Galoot"); "do you mean Brutus and Em?" I asked, though I very much liked the idea of substituting Buddha for Brutus.
We retired to our tents, cars, bivis for the night, Bill and Jill drove back home.
The next morning, Monday, we continued on our climbing... this time at the lower tier... starting out was Freddie and Dingus, and Luke
with Neal getting readyalong with Jaybro and John
This being a "Sport" crag, we have all the conveniences of home, like a realtime thermometer, guess the temperature!
Dingus gives Freddie the beta
not sure what Jaybro is doing...
and then Freddie is off, Dingus belaying.
I'm not sure I had ever seen Jaybro heel-hook
now later and everyone is working on some route, Jaybro is throwing sticks for Luke, Luke had us all trained to provide entertainment for him.
Dingus going up a 5.12a route (or at least 5.11d)
Freddie doing it a different way
Shortly after this, we descended to the camp, pulled up stakes, and headed out to Vedauwoo. One and a half days of climbing...
we act like turons and shoot pictures of the fake police cruiser near the "Old Corral" perhaps Jaybro can tell a few stories about that place.
Ensconsed in our Site 7 digs, we go out 700N to find the rest of the Boogalooers, only to find a sparsely settled encampment. We decide to "poltergeist" the place
and meet Tom and Pat Kingsbury driving in... we have a chat and head back to bed.
The next morning we sort gear
and go off to climb a bunch of things...
MRC Direct via the Finger Trip Roof 5.10a variation. Mike had fun with that one! And Jaybro lead us off the top doing Straight Edge a 5.9+ fist crack. We find out that my new rope at 80 m just makes it to the base of MRC from where we started to the chains up above.
After getting down we wander off to Hull's Boulder where I learn about Vedauwoo friction, though I don't unlock any secrets. Mike and Jaybro find a way to the top. With motivation very low, and Mike having to go off and find Bill soon, we finally decide to go and solo Edward's Crack 5.7, which we do.
We run into Neal and Brutus and Em and ask Em if we can rap their ropes... Brutus yells "OK!" and we are off. Getting to the top about the same time as they do, Mike decides to down climb Walt's Wall and head off to find Bill.
Jaybro and I decide to go do Lower Progressive but a pickup truck heads straight for us on the road out, it's Bill driving, we dump our packs into the back and walk over to where they're headed, Fall Wall. Bill leads Five Eleven Crack 5.8, we all follow, and then we top rope Gunga Din 5.11a and we call it a day. Back in camp we find Dingus, Luke and everyone else. We start eating dinner and drinking beers, Dingus is drinking San Pellegrino Acqua Panna...
three and a half days of climbing.
As we have been climbing now a few days in a row, and Mike had been climbing on the Saturday we had arrived, we decide to take a rest day and go into Cheyenne to the Sierra Trading Post. We also find a place to eat and post on the web (and get email). No good coffee is had, service at the hotel restaurant was very, very slow.
We walk off to The Holdout. Mike and Jaybro talking about the climbs. Mike recalls it was a very long time ago when he first lead Currey's Diagonal 5.10b.
the sun setting on a very nice day...
Some climbers are late getting off of the Nautilus
...using the overcast moon as light
Back in camp Brutus and Em return from their Laramie run and start to cook dinner.
The next day it's off to Blair, which is decided just prior to the equipment sort
Our first climb was the "warmup" When You're Strange 5.11b, here is Mike getting in the first pieces
and getting the crux move, a long push-pull to a left hand jam
nearly done, though Vedauwoo finishes can often vex
Jaybro at the rest
and looking at his feet to finish
We then went over to Little John's Tower and did Baobob Tree 5.8
photo by Mike Fredrichs
which has 25 feet of really perfect hand crack
photo by Mike Fredrichs
Jaybro had spied a line he wanted to try, but he also wanted a bit bigger gear. So back to the car to get the stuff while Mike and I did Ultra Violets 5.10d (but easier, more like 5.10a). Jaybro took a ride on that when he got back, then went to work on the route I.S.M.W.W.C.I., here he is in the first difficulty
stylin' in his Stonemaster jeans, just before the crux section
and grunting through to the top
The weather was starting to go south (literally)
I went up and Jaybro lowered me. Mike went up and then they searched around for a way off, "there's always a way off." In their searching they heard voices... they called down to see if the climbers thought they could get down... then the searched for an anchor. The choices seemed to be a small tree, or a large tree a leap away. Just as they contemplated the leap, Mike observed "...or we could use these chains..." which had been hidden. They threw the rope down on the party below... with their knowledge. That wasn't all, Jaybro got down on the belay device I had lent him to lower me with (he had neglected to bring one on his lead), Mike didn't have one so Jay attaches the device to the rope and Mike pulls it up, throws the rope down again and threads the device, oops, realizes he doesn't have a 'biner either. Repeat, now with the 'biner, and a third rope drop on the very tolerant party. They're off, finally.
We pack up and head home. Four and a half days of climbing. We are released by the rule.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Nutsonthechin, Wisconsin
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Aug 19, 2008 - 04:42am PT
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BOSS™™™
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dogtown
climber
Where I once was,I think?
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Aug 19, 2008 - 05:11am PT
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Groove,you all had a better time than us. (rain)
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cowpoke
climber
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Aug 19, 2008 - 07:24am PT
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looks like loads of fun despite some unusually wet weather!! I'm looking forward to more stories and pics.
I love the tourons shot of the "fixed" cop car in Centennial...did you happen to stop in the Beartree for a bite?
Edit: forgot to mention: you guys' idea of a Vedauwoo warmup is impressive!!!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Aug 19, 2008 - 08:02am PT
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Nice, Ed. . .
Wish I'd been there!
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Aug 19, 2008 - 08:54am PT
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Man, that makes me feel like I Was there, oh wait...
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Aug 19, 2008 - 09:11am PT
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And you look very stylish in those white capris J.
Rockin trip report Ed!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 19, 2008 - 10:01am PT
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thanks for the comments.... enjoyed playing with my new camera
a Fujifilm S5 Pro, which has a Fuji sensor in a Nikon D200 body... I've had it less than a month and have shot a lot of images...
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Aug 19, 2008 - 10:05am PT
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Some Folks handle harsh conditions more adroitly than others
Take Em 'n Ed for instance.
Mike, Dingus, Ed, John, & Neil on the Via Ferrata
Dingus McGee, man of titaniun, aka Dennis Horning, in the flesh. Truly a unique human. Climbing 5.12 @ 60 is so, just the tip of the iceberg. I climbed with him thirty years ago and he's a stronger climber today.
Ed preparing to take a climbing off ramp from the Iron Path
Ed was a little cagey about the location, it Is over by Valley massiff, but the best way to get there is to go behind Reynold's hill take a right in either direction at Soft Parade, and wander into the Aspens, can't miss it
oops, we weren't going to talk about this one
Hull's boulder, V-? first climbed circa 1965 in mtn boots
"Lightning always strikes twice in the same place," William S Burroughs.
Walk softly and carry a loud rope, even if it blots out ambient light, Mike trips peacefully up fingertrip roof.
Did we mention the hail?
Stay tuned for more
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Aug 19, 2008 - 10:35am PT
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Ed
That's in the Snowies, eh?
Climbed there in ugh, 1976. . .
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Dick_Lugar
Trad climber
Indiana (the other Mideast)
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Aug 19, 2008 - 10:43am PT
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Looks like you guys salvaged some good climbing despite the inclement weahter, but @ 8,000+ ft., gotta be ready for anything, right? Good to see Dingus climbing strong. I was there a couple years ago when he had the neck injury from his pro wrestling debut (but that didn't go so well). He's a tough nut, that's for sure. Jaybro's still crankin' hard too. You guys are an inspiration for this early-40-something. Once I get past this first year of our new daughter, I'm draggin' her butt to the rockgym and get fit again. Thx. for the TR report, brings tears to my eyes...
Frank-Laramie ex-pat
edit: Nothing like the harsh realities of CA traffic after driving through the steppes of WY eh?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 19, 2008 - 11:07am PT
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y'all best be contacting Dingus about the just where that place is... he'd be pleased as punch to share, I'm sure...
...as for wrestling, well, there are risks to being a certified climbing character and celebrity, all the more so in Wyoming.
And I think that we caused a major traffic jam in Cheyenne when we rolled the window down and asked the old fella who was out for a walk wheeling his oxygen tank out in front of him for directions to "downtown." The one car behind us became impatient when the light turned green... we were feeling kinda bad when the old fella ran his walker off the curb. But his instructions were AOK! It wasn't his fault that Cheyenne was, well, Cheyenne.
But we fantasized about the conversation at home that that guy behind us probably had, "you wouldn't believe what happened today, I was in a traffic jam! all those people from Utah are just clogging the highways! I had to wait after the light turned green to go, and only after I honked."
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scuffy b
climber
Elmertown
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Aug 19, 2008 - 11:32am PT
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Sweet. Good to see a good time being had.
Did you check out the problem down hill from Hull's?
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Aug 19, 2008 - 11:58am PT
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Nice call, Lugar! That is the Dingus thing right there, that someone knows about and refers to his "professional wrestling Debut" out of the blue, speaks volumes.
On Friday we walked into that venue after copius Caffeine consumption across the street. Mike calls out
"Heard ya got some good Wrastling here!"
"Only if you want your neck broke," laughed counter dude.
Even that story is just fractal to the full Dingus McGee experience.
But enough of that!
I almost forgot;
Fred 'n Ed on Ed's, crack
And since we were talking about super heroes,
How about some love for Captain America?
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Aug 19, 2008 - 12:09pm PT
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Kind of a bummer not being able too hang out with you folks this time around.
I just couldn’t bring myself to drive two hours only to sit in the rain on Saturday.
Maybe we should have another off width party in JTree this winter; we can call it the Josh Squash.
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Dick_Lugar
Trad climber
Indiana (the other Mideast)
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Aug 19, 2008 - 12:13pm PT
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I know Dingus pretty well Jaybro, not as well as you obviously. Oddly, I never went out climbing with him personally...not sure why, I guess since I didn't want to be humbled on the rock, quite honestly. He did quite a bit of climbing with my sister's ex-boyfriend and another buddy of mine worked for him for a summer. I've shared a few beers with him at Altitudes and always enjoyed his company. I'm still in awe of the # routes and quality he and Sanders put up on the Tower. Btw, I take it you visited Dingus's climbing crag he's been developing over the past few years. How was it all in all? Looks pretty good from the pics.
Edit: Have shared a couple of TR's at the Voo w/Dingus, but never got the full Dingus 1 on 1 experience!
Edit, edit: Interesting rope/anchor system at Dingus's crag???
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Aug 19, 2008 - 12:38pm PT
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That's what I gathered, Lugar, hope I didn't seem to imply anything else.
I met Dingus at the tower in the dark ages when I was in Diapers and he was the hero (that Frank guy, too). I was in awe and intimidated. Then later, in the fall of '79 the forces that be™ caused me and Dennis and Hollis (Saw her last week as well, now there's an unsung, fascinating, amazing person!) to spend the better part of two weeks in Tuolumne and the valley together. It's been a geographically intermittent, but warm friendship ever since.
In ~sept/Oct '79 we climbed the direct Northwest face of Lembert dome. I thought it was hard. About a month ago Daphne and I climbed it again (I took a biscuit, shoulda taped my fingers) not only is it still hard, but I probably drove poor Daph, daffy crazy with Dingus stories ("there was this guy that talked like Deputy dawg...")
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Aug 19, 2008 - 02:12pm PT
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Nice pics! Fun stuff for sure.
The poltergeisting was particularly funny...seemed to happen on more than one occasion too...
Should I be posting pics on this thread?
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Aug 19, 2008 - 02:22pm PT
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Here or on the fetish, Tom, content as appropriate....
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Dick_Lugar
Trad climber
Indiana (the other Mideast)
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Aug 19, 2008 - 03:34pm PT
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No, not at all Jaybro, I was just making sure that I wasn't sounding like I was trying to one-up you about Dingus. I was just excited to be able to talk shop from afar about him and climbing in WY. Just green w/envy is the bottom line. Dingus is one of a kind, just glad to have got to meet him and hang out with him in Laramie. Thanks for sharing some of your nostalgic stories as well. I'll try to make the Bugaloo next year!
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