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Josh Higgins
Trad climber
San Diego
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Nov 15, 2009 - 10:46pm PT
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Warbler: Next ACSD meeting I should ask you about Bloodline. I might be willing to give that a go onsight... I intend to get out to EP more this year!
Josh
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Ray Olson
Trad climber
Imperial Beach, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 16, 2009 - 11:43am PT
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Deerhorn Valley - realm of the party gods.
How many times did we get sh#t faced drunk
and stoned out of our minds up there?
It went on for years. Before the climbs during the climbs after the climbs and
quite often too much beer camping out at night. I am sure the birds or the lizards
or whatever found my "burrito barf" in the bushes a rare treat. Holy sh*t.
If you took all the weed we burned up there from '75 to '85 you would probably
be looking at about three huge bails sitting in front of you.
This had an inverse effect that "stimulated" the climbing. When we
got too fukked up to climb, we grabbed our machetes, headed off into the
thicket, went exploring and found cool new places to do more bong loads
and cool new climbs, all over the place.
Once we were so trashed driving back to IB, I thought my truck was stalling out
for real - sh*t! Right in traffic about to hook a left up a freeway onramp. In a
panic I said aloud "there's something wrong". Dave glanced over, knowing smile,
message recieved, I pushed down on the gas pedal, the truck was fine.
True story.
Homegrown "grass", mexi, lumbo, thai stick, infinite variations of homegrown
green bud, anything we could get our hands on. And, the devastating uber-
lord of all, Humbolt; there was no fukking question about that. Dave had a
tree house and grew some green. He also had a pit in his backyard covered
with window panes for a hot house. Dave's weed was way better than mexi;
sometimes we'd break open an LB and find an old tennis shoe or other
"artifact" in it, not to mention all the stems.
We'd read how grit climbers often belayed at each available good spot, that
was good news, we could stop, hang out, and pull more tubes. The FA of the
Fang is a classic example. We needed to cut away some brush in order to have
a neat new spot to hang and rip some loads. Dave led the thing wearing a red
Wildy Klettersac (donini, now you know). Inside was his "unit", weed, and water
carried in a glass mason jar - how the hell did he do that? It never broke! At
the belay between the pinnacle and the main block, we consumed more
marijuana, prepping for the challenge of smooth white granite soaring above:
maybe 30' of actual climbing. :-)
Oh, we adapted to the "environment" alright. Strong steady onshores flowing
inland provided us with what can best be described as "god's own air
conditioning". Hard to light a match - Bics hadn't come on the scene yet.
So, having read Basic and Advanced Rockcraft by Royal Robbins, we used
our hard-wired "adapability" skills once again and developed our own
techniques to suit the specific demands of the situation. Magifying glasses
became a standard part of our kit and, the "Magnafry" was born - let the
wind blow, we lit our bongs with the Sun! Good god.
So, why all the "self medication"?
Mine would remain a deep dark buried secret and a burdon for years.
And I only learned about Dave a few months ago. I was told by a fellow
"I.B. youth" the truth. Dave's dad had been run over and killed by a car
just outside his house when he was a small boy. It was a terrible accident.
The person telling me looked me hard in the eye and said:
"they didn't even clean up the blood".
They put Dave on some kinda meds early, after that,
he was always considered a little "different".
So yes, rock climbing is good stuff, for all the reasons we know, "strong
medicine" as DR called it. Couldn't have said it better myself.
And Dave, I am so sorry that happened to you man. So sorry...
I will see you in the next life ol' friend, we'll get baked good - and climb
and climb till the sun don't shine.
Guaranteed.
Ray
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 16, 2009 - 12:12pm PT
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keep puttin' it down ray, 'cause i'm picking it up.
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Nov 16, 2009 - 03:43pm PT
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Rainbow is like a dream. A combination of so many of my favorite granite boulders.
Wasn't there during snaky-poo season....
Thanks for all this stuff guys.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C. Small wall climber.
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Nov 16, 2009 - 04:54pm PT
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Thanks Ray, Kevin et al - something good to read on a rainy November day.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 16, 2009 - 05:53pm PT
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in december, january, february, and march, winter storms will blow through san diego with lots of cool temps and rain, then the storm will clear out, the sun will be brilliant in a scrubbed sky, sometimes you get an offshore santa ana thrown in for good measure, and the grass and mustard just pops. it's gorgeous and the granite can feel like flypaper. when the conditions are just right in san diego, as they are so often during the winter, nothing else compares. it's simply the best.
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Anxious Melancholy
Mountain climber
Back of beyond
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Nov 16, 2009 - 06:56pm PT
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Climbers with the itch have been exploring SD County for decades, and there's still more unclimbed rock to be developed. As so many have noted here, a bit of brush, heat, snakes, or other approach hindrances are typically encountered, but these and other difficulties are a part of climbing's tradition. Living my whole life here as a frustrated mountaineer, there wasn't much choice but to get on the rock, with the icy peaks being set so far from my home base. But early day trips in the 70's to Corte, Deerhorn, Lakeside, Los Coches, Woodson, Santee, Mission Gorge, People's Wall and the beach bouldering below, Cajon Mt, Dos Cabesas, and Stonewall, lead to more current climbing at McCain Valley, Poway Crag, Valley of the Moon, Descanso Crag, Descanso Falls, Long Valley Peak, and Eagle Peak just to name a few. And its not over yet! I just started work on a 350' tall crag that surely is going to give up some great stuff over the next few years.....Yeah, SD's gotten huge, and we're stuck in the corner of the nation so it sucks when trying to get outbound, but besides our local crags, it really isn't too bad with Tahquitz and Suicide, Yosemite and the great Sierra, NV's Red Rocks and Mexico's Canyon Tajo as major destinations less than a days drive away. And where else can you visit desert, mountains and beach all on the same day? Yeah, the SD vibe lives on........
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Ray Olson
Trad climber
Imperial Beach, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 16, 2009 - 10:22pm PT
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good overview AM,
that's one of the things I was was fishing for here,
neat to hear about your crag - say, without giving
up too much, how 'bout posting a sneak peek pic
sometime?
be great to see...
thanks again for the post.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 16, 2009 - 11:48pm PT
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nice. soooo much rock in SD, it'll never run out.
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BeeHay
Trad climber
San Diego CA
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Nov 17, 2009 - 12:48am PT
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Whoa Ray,
I honestly couldn't follow all the tokin' up stuff, but, is that Dave Hatchet you're talking to? Is he gone?!
Good thread though...
Brad
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Ray Olson
Trad climber
Imperial Beach, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 17, 2009 - 12:53am PT
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Whoa Beehay, no it is no one you
ever heard of, why did you think Hatchett
would be down in IB?
never mind...
oh, and uh, glad you "couldn't get through it"
honsestly...
if there's anything constructive you'd
like to add about SD rock climbing,
love to read it.
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Fogarty
climber
Back in time..
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Nov 17, 2009 - 01:08am PT
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Bump...
FROG
Great post long time Mike Fogarty
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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Nov 17, 2009 - 01:26am PT
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This is such a great thread. I really love living in the Northwest, never really looked back, but this heady mix of nostalgia and splendid new stuff is pretty intoxicating. Thanks a bunch ya'll, got me thinking about a trip back to the spawning grounds.
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Ray Olson
Trad climber
Imperial Beach, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 17, 2009 - 02:54am PT
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Kevin, I sent you an email,
but have no idea how I can help
access. My honest feeling is that
access issues are the business
of todays active climbers.
I opened an area, Bill took it
farther. I dealt with access in
my own lo-prfile way for over
10 years.
If the climbers in SD want to
climb there, they should go
for it.
If the area doesn't see activity
it's ok by me, because it isn't
a resourse I need.
Bringing it up here is a matter
of sharing opinion having climbed
in SD a while, and some tid bits of
obscure history.
That is all.
Thanks for all the
great posts, everyone.
Ray
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Ray Olson
Trad climber
Imperial Beach, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 17, 2009 - 11:48am PT
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thanks Wes,
if you wanna check out me old crags
take hiway 94 east,
left (only) on Honey Springs Road
drive up a ways, right by the road
on left is a L arching crack (LaBanda) graffiti on it
a bit east, is an abrupt right hook
onto the Mother Grundy Truck Trail
the Pinnacles face west
short approach, can't miss,
you will see em on Honey Springs
road.
notes applying to access in full
or
keep going out SE on the truck trail
till it levels in a semi wooded area
look right, along a low hill are
neat things to climb.
or, keep looking to the right,
the Truck trail branches - the right
branch goes out to Blackout past
a gate - climb over.
not a lot for the first time visitor
perhaps, the climbing can be diffuse.
the Mother Grundy truck trail is neat...
at any rate, have a swell time. :-)
Ray
edit: google earth helps
search Mother Grundy peak
or Mother Grundy Truck Trail.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 17, 2009 - 01:35pm PT
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wes, your "girly" claims are so totally invalid without pics.
just sayin'.
p.s. i'll be in 'dago 12/24 - 28 so it looks like we'll just miss each other. so rest easy -- looks like you'll be spared the schooling you so richly deserve.
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Ray Olson
Trad climber
Imperial Beach, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 17, 2009 - 01:46pm PT
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Wes, watch out for "The Woodsonian Institute",
you may be sent to The Vice Principles Office"
if you don't already hold a "PHD"...
where many have received a well deserved "paddling"...
:-) just sayin'...
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Anxious Melancholy
Mountain climber
Between the Depths of Despair & Heights of Folly
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Nov 17, 2009 - 05:02pm PT
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Ray,
Here's a teaser, a view of the lower portion (100') of the rock taken from a friend's helicopter. Perhaps you'd like to go out there some time with me?
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Ray Olson
Trad climber
Imperial Beach, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 17, 2009 - 07:03pm PT
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amazing pic AM,
looks kinda like a euro crag - good find
and thanks for sharing.
there was a time I would have
loved to have had something
like that to develop etc.
have at it.
when I was openeing Deerhorn I'd
bring others out to send stuff I could
not so the pace could continue.
that stuff in the pic looks steeeeep
very cool.
I love going new places and exploring but
am fully beached these day, gotta pay back
to my body, and having neglected it, pretty
bad back thing, legs not doing well -
I may be on the couch for a year? tough
to say. I really appreciate the gesture -
what a thrill that would be!
thanks again for posting that pic
gotta say, overall, I'm blown away
by the SD offerings/potential - ha!
pretty funny...
have fun man
tear it up,
Ray
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survivalmademedoit
Trad climber
Grantham, New Hampshire
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Nov 17, 2009 - 08:43pm PT
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I cut my teeth in San Diego--mission gorge, woodson, santee boulders, etc.
Great to see how many of those i climbed with (BVB, Mike Paul, Tom Scott, Dan Carrol, BEEHAY, Adrian and Jeff, FROG, Greg E, Paul D, Werner) are still in the game or at a minimum, their efforts to make SD such a great climbing area still live on.
Great memories!
Mark Vojtko
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