Best US bouldering - Vol. 2

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Jello

Social climber

No Ut

Feb 13, 2007 - 09:06pm PT

Burp, back in the 60's, when I grew up in Ogden and my brothers and friends and I bouldered here, we didn't even think to name most of the rocks, let alone give names to the individual problems. So all the names are new to me. It would be interesting to walk around with someone from the modern era, to match old routes to current names, see what V-grades my brother Greg was pulling back then, and see all the new problems that have been done in the last three or four decades.

Broken, visited E-rock in 1977. Whole Earth in Austin invited me down to do a slide show and seminar. On the plane on the way down I sat next to a pretty spiffy dude dressed in a white linen suit and hat. He was cool, though, and we made some small talk before I fell asleep. The plane made a stop in Lubbock, and the well-dressed fellow got off. Immediately a stewardess (that's what they were called back then) ran up the isle to me all-aflutter.

"How could you have slept the whole way from Denver?", she gushed.

"Don't you know you were sitting next to Steve Martin?"

"Who's Steve Martin?" I responded. I really didn't know, as I didn't own a TV set or watch TV for the entire decade. She thought I was joking, but filled me in on Martin's comedic genius. I became a big fan after seeing some of his early films.

Back to E-rock. Spent two days doing a clinic but got to do a bunch of easy solos of slabs and cracks in the area of a moderate offwidth called Motorboat. Then the organizers took the group over to the area around Fear of Flying, a beautifull 80 or 90 foot corner to offwidth climb that everybody wanted to top rope. One of the organizers said he'd run around to the top and set up an anchor, but I stopped him saying I'd just go ahead and lead it to set up the anchor. He protested, saying something like no, you don't understand, it's much harder than it looks and it's never been lead. Then he went on to relate the story of a climber who had tried to lead it just the week before, fell from near the top, hit the ground, and was still in the hospital. Well, the climb really wasn't that hard, actually quite secure if you just jammed the offwidth at the top like I did. But it's a classic little line, with super-clean rock. It will have a place in the book I'm working on, in the "Small Gems" chapter.

Found a pic of FoF on the internet;

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Feb 14, 2007 - 12:34am PT

finest moment of my climbing life: mortimer's look at the deli when i informed him i'd just soled coonyard. i was powered up on a six of OE800 at the deli, amazed i was stil alive.

actually, not. was wired on slab and had done the route 25 times.

never again.

uhhhh...is coonyard a bp???

Jello

Social climber

No Ut

Feb 14, 2007 - 12:41am PT

bvb- I think it is, if you solo it. Just a little bigger boulder?

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Feb 14, 2007 - 12:57am PT

heh. j-lo. u da man.

i guess it's just me, myself and i, eh? as i was rapping off the route i ran across two brits whose only unflappable comment was said "goin' it alone today, eh?, mate?" god,i love teh english.

but i suppose tracking them down would be pretty tough as it was 29 years ago.

oh well. another shot at the immortality i've lusted after all these years shot down.

guess i'll have another drink....

Jello

Social climber

No Ut

Feb 14, 2007 - 01:01am PT

I'll have a drink with you, bvb, and toast those extra 29 years you've had. Longevity rocks!

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Feb 14, 2007 - 01:17am PT

i'm gonna hold you to that sir lowe, as i am not worthy. need someone to take pics........

Ksolem

Trad climber

LA, Ca

Feb 14, 2007 - 03:05am PT

Joshua Tree is a pretty good bouldering area too. I especially like the ones with a crux down low and an easy high topout.

Then there are some others which are pretty unique.

You won't find a problem like that just anywhere...

Broken

climber

Texas

Feb 14, 2007 - 11:15am PT

JB-

Yep, Erock is kinda like a mini-Jtree ('cept with granite landings). I've compared them before, though I was wary of doing so here and committing blasphemy...

Jello-

Not many climbing at Erock in those days. I've read the guidebook tales and wondered what it must have been like then. Lotta scary slabs put up on the backside of the big dome in 70s/80s. Funny story about Fear of Flying. You should have motioned him aside and said, "Ahem! I AM JEFF LOWE!" (and hiked it solo)

(kidding, of course)

One of my fondest climbing memories involved a cool October day at Enchanted Rock, alone. I wandered up to the Triple Cracks area for the first time and cruised a few lines. Easy lines for some, but solid enough for me - 5.8-5.9 cracks with some weirdness.

After feeling like a hero on Middle Crack, I backed off of another one at the crux and climbed down. Laid there on a boulder in the shade and stared up at the route, smiling. Though it was fall, the breeze was almost warm and I soon drifted into sleep. I'm not sure how long I was out. When I awoke I immediately pulled my shoes on, imagining that I'd float the line before the clinging remnants of my afternoon dream slipped away.

The line seemed to lean and flare, though, and I couldn't stay cool. So I climbed back down and returned to my perch on the boulder. Guess it just wasn't my day.

(oh, but it was...)

jlnclimbs

climber

Feb 14, 2007 - 12:59pm PT

I would be honered to show you arround my place for a while John.I am there most of the time by myself as there are endless boulders!All are solid granite with every feature from edges to chicken heads.Recently I have established about 40 trad and sport routes, and hundreds of boulder problems up to V6.I would e-mail you pics if you like.

Take at least a day to visit me next trip to J tree.I climb there a lot too as my place is on forty acres just an hour away from there.

You have helped me and the sport out, for sure in your life.Thank you John, for climbers and all people -you are truly an inspiration.
Good Luck with Acopa and all your endevors.
-from another jon

NinjaChimp

climber

someplace in-between

Feb 14, 2007 - 01:00pm PT

southern sandstone

oops pics didn't come up, what gives?

handsome B

Gym climber

SL,UT

Feb 14, 2007 - 01:01pm PT

burp

Trad climber

Salt Lake City

Feb 14, 2007 - 01:08pm PT

mojede,

Great info! Thanks.

Will give me an excuse to stay a while rather than a pitstop on the way to Canada.

BTW, do you know anything about climbing in or around the bitteroot valley, south of Missoula?

Enjoy!

burp

bachar

Trad climber

Mammoth Lakes, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Feb 14, 2007 - 01:12pm PT

Wes Allen - great pics of the SE. Rocktown looks cool - actually all that stuff looks killer. I take it the sandstone is quality no? that's what people say...

good website too...thanx

burp

Trad climber

Salt Lake City

Feb 14, 2007 - 01:28pm PT

jello,

I think the names have changed considerably from the times I began bouldering up there, due to the advent of guidebooks.

I've perused the guidebook out of curiosity, but haven't used it really. My old circuits are still ingrained in my memory and the projects I was working on 15 years ago, I still can't do. Plus, there are so many individual variations that the guidebook is blind to.

The boulder I was referring to as the Lowe Boulder, Platform Boulder, or ? (not sure what the guidebook calls it) is in the south end of the upper boulder field by Taylors Canyon. It is kind of hidden in the trees a bit, overhangs to the west at a consistent angle (about 110 degrees), perfect landing (hence the old name - platform boulder), and smooth with obvious holds.

The main problem used to be legendary ... "only done by Greg Lowe and Allison Osius" was the rumor. Reality was that many folks (including myself) had done it, but didn't tell anyone ... hence feeding the legend. The problems are only around v3 in the guidebook, but I used to try to go statically straight up off the main problem to the top thinking that would have been the way Greg would have done it making it much more difficult. Was never able to do it, though.

Enjoy!

burp

James

climber

A tent in the redwoods

Feb 14, 2007 - 01:55pm PT

These pictures make me want to go climbing. Espescially Wes's Rock town ones. What's the name of the girl in the first picture? I met her and her boyfriend in Squamish this summer. I think they moved to Vancouver. She's cute.

randomtask

climber

North fork, CA

Feb 14, 2007 - 02:12pm PT

Micronut,
What's the access like during weekdays, I've only gone out there on weekends. I always wanted to bring some gear and climb some cracks up on the hill, but didn't know how sensitive an area it is, easier to hide if you're just bouldering. Have you had problems? What is the name of the traverse about a hundred to 200 feet above the parking spot. ITs a boulder with a right to left traverse using a horizontal crack. To the right of the trail that follows the fence line??
-JR

mojede

Trad climber

Butte, America

Feb 14, 2007 - 04:52pm PT

Burp, I'm not the best beta source for Missoula climbing, but there are decent guides available that cover most of the area. Mostly cragging stuff, but Blodgett Canyon has multi-pitch lines to 1000'--I hear that Alex's "My Mom's Muscle Shirt" (IV 5.10) on Flathead Spire is one of the better long ones there.