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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 11:08am PT
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I'm still spinning w/ the Robbins Crack first ascent account - really great story - finally I know.
There was even some doubt - a murmur of speculation that Robbins had actually been there and done it - that the name had derived from some other means - and been attached to the great Yosemite pioneer through association.
Any future definitive topo guide to Woodson - you'll need aerials -
would of course benefit greatly from as much accurate first ascent data as possible. We can pin all the unclaimed controversial first ascents on Piggot.
Who's got an airplane? Send me the digitals and I'll make them into perfect line drawings - no charge.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 11:15am PT
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The last time I was at Woodson -
1998 with Eric Beck, pretty out of shape for rock but in ok physical condition - managed a clean top rope of Drivin' South,
first try. Had to use my feet.
Did Bachar do the FA of this thing? This incredible little gem which has spanked so many "hard guys"?
The "truth" about "friendly" Mount Woodson is sickeningly clear standing there looking up into those brutal locks.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 13, 2007 - 11:28am PT
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ray --
the way i jeard the story was that bachar on-sighted soloed both drivin' south and hear my train on the same day in 1974, and they were both f.a's.
even for folks like us who've climbed there for decades, the early history -- 60's through early 70's -- sure was murky. by '76 - '77 people like off white and watusi and i were climbing there three or four days a week so if anything went down we were there to see it.
yeah, somebody really should do a decent guide that will actually get people to the routes, and has a good, well-researched history in the introduction. i think a big, big reason people don't go there so much now has a lot to do with the fact that finding anything -- even roadside problems -- without a local showing you the way, is pretty hopeless. can you imagine trying to find widow bereft or the star wall or clockwork orange off a written description?? fuhgedabouddit.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 12:33pm PT
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Where's Bachar?
Dude, tell it like it is.
You're only one of the most influential climbers in the the history of the sport, please tell us the story of the first ascent of
Drivin' South
and
Hear my Train a Comin'
Who was there? What was it like? Who's ego got destroyed? How many went home with crippled self esteem?
C'mon John...
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 12:46pm PT
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Please see drawing sample below.
In my opinion this is about the right technique to produce an accurate guide to Woodson. It blends geological and topographic features in a clear yet realistic way.
Woodson - I think - has three main faces. All three need aerials.
In addition the various well defined clusters need detailed art, similar to what is above but from the air.
For the user to associate with the topos while they hike up the hill, use black and white photos, taken from the road, with a corresponding index to that found in the drawings.
The hill south of Woodson gets the same treatment.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2007 - 12:59pm PT
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Beauutiful drawing, Ray.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 01:06pm PT
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Stuff like the above is of course more convenient to do now w/ modern tools.
Back then I had a single-slide slide projector pointed straight down onto my work table. I could adjust for scale and keep it focused. I'd put paper underneath and "trace" images I needed,
pretty common set up for illustrating.
The advantage of the drawings is - of course - so that the most relevant (key) features can be selectively shown, since photos are rife w/ confusing shadows, etc.
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crotch
climber
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Mar 13, 2007 - 01:41pm PT
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Pretty Deerhorn drawing Ray.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 05:11pm PT
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FYI Greg and others, I see Tom Gibson around Boulder now and then.
Maybe it's in this thread and I missed it but, just who exactly were the Poway Mountain Boys - did you go to the same high school together? Can you list them for my edification?
I don't think there were any other climbers down in the Imperial Beach/Chula Vista area except later I met this guy Craig Snortland. He climbed with Ken Turley who lived up in Lyons Valley near Lawson Peak. They did some nice climbs out there - I think Lawson comes up on a google image search.
Craig, Piggot, Carmel and I went up to the Ogre one day. I led it onsight and did a good job protecting it without any real fuss.
Around that time I dubbed Piggot
"the Clint Eastwood of Climbing".
Speaking of google - I have a feeling bvb is going to show up with perfect Google Earth Pro aerials of the Woodsonian and say "get to work froggy".
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2007 - 05:48pm PT
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Ray, I can't believe that you independently came up with the Piggot-Clint Eastwood angle. I've always said that Rick's glare reminded me of Clint's. I was glared at by Rick plenty, or so it would seem. Leroy once said on this forum, something to the effect that "My how Rick could fill the room with his silence".
The Poway Mountain Boys. I've mentioned it in a couple of other threads. We all went to Poway High (except for the honorary members). We actually had an official climbing club at school. There were a few others who came and went, but the core group is/was: Dave Goeddel, Denny Adams, Bruce Adams, Kinley Adams, Rick Piggot, Colin Piggot, Jim Cameron, Greg Cameron, Tom Gibson, George Manson (honorary), Dennis Sullivan (honorary).
Edit: Jeez! I forgot somebody...what was I thinking!...and the Big Duke himself, Dan Heiser(honorary).
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 06:06pm PT
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Thanks for reiterating the list for my benefit Greg.
Just sitting there, Rick Piggot exuded a powerful presence, an energy that could easily be misunderstood until you got to know him a little. He'd crack a smile, it was amazing.
I took Piggot on a tour of Mother Grundy peak once, my girlfriend Ann was there too. There's this thing that is EXACTLY like Woodson's Test Tube but at least 120 degrees overhanging. It was near the end of the day. I fit in the thing perfect and ratcheted off the moves. Rick, long framed and pretty darn tall got completely shut down. It was the only time I've ever seen him even slightly ruffled. End of day.
Rick is a great guy. I can't even imaging doing those El Cap routes he did, clearly an excellent climber, I'd say in a sense world class for sure.
Thanks Greg.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 13, 2007 - 08:36pm PT
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yeah, i climbed with piggot a whole lot between 85 and 89. it was a priviledge and a real eye opener -- not matter how wired a woodson master you'd think you were, one day with piggot would set the record straight. the guy is a true jedi master.
ray, remember, after i'd moved from san diego to yosemite, when i was supposed to hook up with you and piggot and you guys were gonna show me some huge new off-width roof somewhere in the east county? and i didn't show, stood you guys up? next time i saw piggot he briefly mentioned that and i felt about three inches tall. heh. he really knew how to psych a guy out.
so where was that roof, anyway??
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 09:25pm PT
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You got me bvb.
Roof?
I can't remember.
hmm
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 13, 2007 - 09:35pm PT
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december 1998, christmas break, big, dead-horizontal roof, not woodson, not rainbow, perfect stacking size, 20-footer.
where the hell was that sucker?? you guys had me reeled in...but family sh#t interposed....
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 13, 2007 - 09:40pm PT
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must be a Piggot thing.. I'll keep scanning the data banks, maybe it'll come up.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Mar 13, 2007 - 09:43pm PT
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Hey Bob Van Belle,
Kinda off topic, but you've lived in some cool cat spots, or at least been crag side such wise, like The New, Capitol Reef. How's comes we ain't seen many pics from those escapades?
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Mar 13, 2007 - 09:57pm PT
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Jesus, either be more careful what you ask for--or get more bandwith...
Curt
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Mar 13, 2007 - 10:21pm PT
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hehehe.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Mar 14, 2007 - 11:09am PT
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This kinda pushes the thread to include greater San Diego.
Jeff Almodovar enjoys a December day repeating my Deerhorn Valley classic Full Moon Boogie 5.11a/b. Greg Epperson Image.
I did the FA of this climb with Paul Wheeland around 1977 after being motivated by Woodson; pre-friends, pre-Fires, it involved a protracted effort. I recall being so pumped I couldn't untie. Don Reid loved the thing, thought it was 11b. Sustained textbook 1" jams up a really nice and truly vertical wall.
When I see this picture I remember why I climbed at all. If there is any route that has come to represent my San Diego years and my contribution to the crags, this is it.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 14, 2007 - 12:02pm PT
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yep, full moon boogie is mos def a classic. loved climbing past the loose flake jammed in the slot to get to that splitter on the headwall.
hey ray, what was the name of the 5.11c splitter to a groove, maybe 40' high, on the formation behind full moon boogie? snakefinger, i think? i bouldered that thing on sight (insert sound of vigorous vigorous chest thumping here) and even the usually droll eppi was impressed. man, i've had some of my best crack days ever at deerhorn. in some ways it's like woodson on steroids.
somebody has GOT to get the access to that place opened up again. why was it closed? what happened?
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