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clode
Trad climber
portland, or
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Jul 17, 2008 - 04:10pm PT
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Great work guys, but puh-leeze, protect your eyes from flying rock and metal when you go to pounding drill bits with a hammer! And no, closing your eye lids with each hammer blow does not count as eye protection!
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jul 17, 2008 - 04:14pm PT
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Roger, I do have about a dozen SMC hangers, but I don't know how to get them to you in time ;-)
After ME, what's your schedule??
Man, I can't wait to go and climb some of those beauties!
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Jul 17, 2008 - 05:15pm PT
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Kelly,
After ME we will replace everything we can reach from our high points. "Road to Ruin" and "Orange Peel" are now complete thanks to the fine work by Clint and Bob last Sunday. We still have the last 2 pitches of "Exodus" to get to, the last two bolts and anchor of "Tears of Joy" and the anchors of "Home Run" and "5 O'clock Shadow" need to be checked. We will do the first 5 pitches (some we already got) of "Smith Crawford" and what we can get to of "Crazy" There are some short routes in the area we can get also. Then its off to our old friend GPA. We plan to fix to the "Coonyard" then on to the "Oasis". That should keep us busy for the rest of the season. We are pretty flexable, our plans could easily change.
Roger Brown
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Jul 19, 2008 - 03:54pm PT
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Clint,
The flake below and left of Kevin is where I was setting up an anchor to position the rope a little better for the two bolts on the 5th pitch when I spotted the hangerless bolt just a little above me. Then I could see 2 more bolts directly above that spaced around 10 feet apart. They were old thin SMC hangers. I had already looked at the 4 "Mother Earth" bolts above the flake on this pitch and they were right where the topo showed them to be. One of them can be seen just to the right and a little above Kevin. The 2 extra bolts were to the left of Kevin. I'll get some pictures of them when I go back up and probably just leave them alone. A little "mystery of history" so to speak :-)
Roger Brown
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Jul 20, 2008 - 05:47pm PT
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Incredible job Roger, Clint, Bob, and others!
Eric and I are getting fired up by the idea of climbing ME with the new bolts in place. We've been up in Tuolumne for work, and for play for the last week. We established a couple of new climbs on Peak 11,357, (not on the clock!) the forgotten cirque of the Cathedrals above Nelson Lake. Totally awesome out there, and a great alternative to the crowds around Cathedral Peak.
Roger, I'll see you tomorrow for trail work on Middle. Sorry to pull you away from ME for a day. I know you are itching to get back up there.
See ya,
Jesse
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jul 20, 2008 - 08:04pm PT
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Jesse, that would be great if you guys went up there on M.E. after Roger gets through rebolting it and tell us what is actually up there. All of us on the first ascent (30 some years ago) don't have any idea how it fits into modern standards -present-day climbers might find it easy sailing, but I think you would value the moves and the location. Only one way to find out . . .
JL
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NinjaChimp
climber
someplace in-between
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Jul 20, 2008 - 08:05pm PT
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Dick Cilley said "Why dont the young valley hotshots repeat these routes.Maybe these threads will inspire them like they have me.Tommy??? Dean???I know where IŽd be climbing today if I was in the Valley."
I can't speak for Dean, well actually I can't speak for Tommy either, but I have asked him this very question. He said he was mostly just interested in climbing on the "best rock" and that the sometimes grungy nature of the rock on the south side of the Valley just isn't as appealing to him.
Also, Jesse if you or Eric bail I'd be psyched to jump in. We'd have to climb fast though because I work at 6pm :)
-Justin
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 20, 2008 - 09:41pm PT
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Hard not to fall for such a pretty face! Not much grunge on the routes that I've done.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Feb 14, 2009 - 02:46pm PT
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Aha!! I finally found some of the Mother Earth info I was looking for!!
What an inspiration.
My own Middle C. efforts are more limited. DNB in 6 hours with Royster in 1980, Central Pillar, East Butt. and some dabbling on low pitches.
But it is interesting to read here about Black Rose/Primo also.
I think I did the 3rd or 4th ascent with Kim Carrigan in 79?
It may not have been the 3rd, but I'm sure Carrigan advertised it to me that way.
He was having trouble finding a partner, and I had the face climbing rep among the Oregon gang. We swung leads equally, but he led the crux.
It got chilly when we finished in the shade and the wind picked up, so I ended up wearing his super-ghey frilly shirt on the rap down....I wish I could forget.
Thanks for a great thread.
Edit: Ninja chimp said Tommy or Dean referred to it as "grungy" over there?? Hruumph.. Anyone who has climbed over there can tell you there's PLENTY of quality stone. I think Largo said "only one way to find out..."
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martygarrison
Trad climber
The Great North these days......
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Feb 14, 2009 - 03:59pm PT
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Great thread! I was never much of a face climber but boy these look like good adventures! Thanks to the team for the rebolting, a great service.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 14, 2009 - 07:37pm PT
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Somehow during the summer I got far behind with posting photos.
Here are several more from July 12-13 with Bob Steed, and one from July 23 with John Imbrie:
Bob Steed, partway up the Gunsight, festooned with 4 of Roger's ropes. I had 2 ropes and other stuff in a big pack, and I couldn't keep up.
Bob has scrambled up the Gunsight and over to the start of the 5th class on the Middle Cathedral North Face Traverse.
Bob has led halfway across the traverse to a bush belay, with all those ropes still tied around him.
Partway across the crux on the traverse, looking back towards Bob. Fortunately Eric Gable had been in the area and had replaced some of the key bolts. There was a comical soft steel fixed pin near the start which I clipped, but Bob cleaned by jerking it out.
It took me a combined 3 hours to lead and haul this pitch, mainly due to the epic haul of 5 knotted ropes and a pack through an unfriendly tree. Finally Bob got to follow.
Bob starting across the crux.
Bob at the end of the traverse, now above the lower part of Mother Earth. We realized at this point that our original plan to continue to the top of the Smith-Crawford was not so good, as our rack was minimal and the next pitches looked harder.
We replaced the first protection bolt on the upper part of Mother Earth, so we could rap from it.
After a 55m rap, we were on a nice ledge with no fixed anchor in sight, so we chose to place a new rappel anchor near the left end of the ledge. We tied Roger's 6 ropes together and fixed them to this anchor.
After another 55m diagonal rappel left, we could not reach the bolted anchor below the crux pitch on Middle Earth, so I replaced the bolt at the start of the traverse, which was at a good stance.
Nice long bolt, but ready for an upgrade.
We rapped down Mother Earth in the dark, anchoring Roger's ropes at each fixed station, until we reached the top of p2, where Eric Bissell and I had already fixed 2 ropes to the ground.
On Sunday, Bob and I went up Roger's fixed ropes on Orange Peel / Exodus, to try to advance the high point on those routes.
Bob did a bold combination free/aid manuver to get to the top of Orange Peel. He tensioned off the red rope to the Orange Peel corner, then liebacked holding the rope, with his feet on the corner/arete. He managed to reach the anchor and replaced it.
"Where's Roger?"
(Already up on the 8 fixed ropes on Mother Earth, busy replacing bolts).
At the same time, I went to the top of Quicksilver and rapped down Roger's fixed lines to the left, where I managed to tension over to the top of Road to Ruin.
The Road to Ruin anchor had two 3/8" Rawldrives (split shaft), so I replaced the hanger on the right one. The left one was more rusted, and it sheared off when I was trying to remove the nut. (Unfortunately I hadn't thought to bring 3-in-1 oil with me). So I drilled a new hole to replace it. At this point the clouds opened up and I got a bit wet....
After I got down from Road to Ruin, we met up with Roger, and I delivered the new Hurricane Wilderness drill holder generously donated from Bruce Hildenbrand to him. Compare with his old one, which had shortened about an inch due to peening from replacing hundreds of bolts. It had long since gone beyond the old cable groove, and Roger even had to shorten its rubber grip and he didn't have much left to hang onto!
John Imbrie on Exodus, 7/23/08. I'm "leading" by running a miniTraxion up Roger's fixed line. I couldn't lead this like Ryan did - that takes talent and commitment.
Eventually I was able to repeat Bob's runout tension/lieback manuver from 7/13, to reach the top of Orange Peel (we had forgotten to leave the fixed rope clipped there). I then led an easy traverse across to the very top of Exodus, where we fixed a rope so Roger could replace the bolts in its final pitch.
By the way, Roger did find the "5.12 or leap" at the end of the Mother Earth traverse - he has photos and the bolt which protected that move.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Feb 14, 2009 - 09:20pm PT
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Thanks Clint. Nice!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 14, 2009 - 11:28pm PT
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Great job guys! Can't wait to give ME a go with the new steel!
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Feb 19, 2009 - 06:10pm PT
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Finally getting around to finishing up my 2008 report to the ASCA.
Here is the North Apron part.
Ramer, All Bolts Replaced
Spank Your Monkey, All Bolts Replaced
Road To Ruin, All Bolts Replaced
Ticket To Nowhere, All Bolts Replaced
Quicksilver, All Bolts Replaced
Walk Of Life, All Bolts Replaced
Freewheeling, All Bolts Replaced *
Bottom Feeder, All Bolts Replaced
Cat Dancing, All Bolts Replaced
Orange Peel, All Bolts Replaced
Exodus, All Bolts Replaced
Tapestry, All Bolts Replaced
Five O'Clock Shadow, All Bolts Replaced
Home Run, All Bolts Replaced
Desperate For Doughnuts, All Bolts Replaced
Ennui, All Bolts Replaced
That'll Teach You, All bolts Replaced
Crazy, All Bolts To The Top Of The Fourth Pitch Only
Smith/Crawford, All Bolts To The Top Of The Fifth Pitch And First Bolt Of Sixth Pitch Only.
Mother Earth, All Bolts To The Top Of The Tenth Pitch And The First Bolt Of The Eleventh Pitch Only.
The Following Folks Worked With Clint And I On The Project:
Jesse McGahey
Megan McGahey
Roger Putman
Eric Bissel
Kelly Rich
Bruce Bundy
Ryan Mattock
Micheal Flood
John Imbrie
A Total Of 270 Bolts Were Replaced
Special Thanks To Bruce Hildenbrand For his Donation Of A Like New Wilderness Drill Holder
* The First Three Pitches Of This Route Had Been Previously Been Replaced.
Roger Brown
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Feb 19, 2009 - 06:38pm PT
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Roger Brown you have influenced alot of people in this climbing community. You really are an important icon for me.
thank-you!
hope to help you this summer.
Ryan and Emma
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2009 - 06:50pm PT
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Roger,
You're a force of nature!! If any of us tried to do this, we might last for about 20 bolts over a few days. But you show up in a back brace and rebolt your way through rehab! 330+ bolts later in 2 months spread around another injury rehab, you decide to take a break and start working long hard hours in construction....
We're all ready to help out, just say when!
P.S. Way, way up high on the helpers list is Jesse. He made a huge difference by getting Roger registered as a volunteer, so that he did not have to waste a lot of time and gas camping out at Crane Flat. Plus he organized a big posse of psyched climbers for leading / fixing ropes on Roger's first day of rebolting! That was awesome.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Feb 19, 2009 - 07:13pm PT
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Man, you guys rock. Now I have no excuses for not dragging my fat, lethargic A#@ up there.
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Tork
climber
Yosemite
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Feb 19, 2009 - 07:27pm PT
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Thanks Roger and Clint!!!!
Also thanks to the rest of you that helped.
Jeff
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Feb 19, 2009 - 07:58pm PT
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Climbing mag or whoever it is, get it together and award a golden piton - no make that platinum - to Roger in a special category of selfless service to the whole climbing community. Unbelievable, no amount of thanks is enough for you and all the rest who rebolt routes for all the lazy asses like myself who just climb them (if we even get that motivated!). Thanks, thanks, thanks. Free beverage of your choice, anytime.
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