MudNCrud Forums
Climbing and ... Climbing => Masters of Mud -- Pinnacles => Topic started by: Atomizer on January 16, 2013, 10:03:15 PM
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So whats the story? Who is going where for what?
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Looks like I am going nowhere fast. I realized yesterday that with the holiday I have the next 6 days off.
Problem is - KC is going through her busiest time of the year at work and can't take any time off. Boo hoo.
Guess I should have been prowlin' on here for someone to go to JTree. I may have to go find and do all of Brad's tour routes I haven't done yet and then do the tour with them next November - or this summer when the days are long and it isn't Pinnacles season :)
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I'll be at the Pinns, climbing on the east side on Saturday then monitoring falcons in Bear Gulch over to the Yaks. On Sunday I'll unofficially see how falcons are responding to people while on the west side, and will plan to climb at Balconies with my wife Alacia. (We'll start off with Lava Falls and Shake & Bake, then see what else she'll be willing to belay me on!)
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JC, if you do head out to do some of the Pinnacles on The Tour, I would suggest having a short shoestring rope, if you don't already have one. I use a 30M 7.5mm for such occasions. It weighs nothing in the pack and is about the size of two softballs. I would say that for Little Flatiron you might want it. I either do a Dulfelsitz rappel or bring my really little black diamond ski mountaineering harness.
I would say that doing one half of the tour is an attainable goal. Do the first half! It's super fun and the Neglected Valley is amazing right now.
Gavin, as for Falcons, I did have something give me a pretty good warning. I never spotted it in my hasty travel, but I think I was on Frothy Flake and it was towards the southeast. I descended quickly to get below its perch. But it may have also been in the Crowley Towers.
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Sat would be nice....
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JC, if you do head out to do some of the Pinnacles on The Tour, I would suggest having a short shoestring rope
Appreciate the suggestion Adam. I don't have one.
By the way - how would that help with Little Flatiron since there is no summit anchor listed?
Tie off to something below - a shrubbery perhaps? Ni!!
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Not every anchor is listed in the book. I believe there was one up there. But you could tie something off then rap the other side.
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I'll be at the Pinns, climbing on the east side on Saturday then monitoring falcons in Bear Gulch over to the Yaks. On Sunday I'll unofficially see how falcons are responding to people while on the west side, and will plan to climb at Balconies with my wife Alacia. (We'll start off with Lava Falls and Shake & Bake, then see what else she'll be willing to belay me on!)
If she won't belay you, I will. So want to get LF.
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Not every anchor is listed in the book. I believe there was one up there. But you could tie something off then rap the other side.
10-4. Another example is the Three Bears - Papa and Mama Bear list nothing but they both have two bolt anchors with chains. I'll add it to the corrections sticky.
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Gavin, as for Falcons, I did have something give me a pretty good warning. I never spotted it in my hasty travel, but I think I was on Frothy Flake and it was towards the southeast. I descended quickly to get below its perch. But it may have also been in the Crowley Towers.
Adam, thanks for the heads-up... There is a territorial peregrine falcon pair near Frothy Flake (and extending south past H&L Dome) and a prairie falcon pair at Crowley Towers... I would guess you heard them both. They are starting to get more territorial... Climbing closures right after MLK Day (starting on the 22nd) should be soon enough for them.
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Today we saw some Falcons swooping repeatedly into a cool hole/perch on the upper left of the main Balconies Wall above and left of Peregrine. It was a beautiful day to do a painting of The Balconies. The Hawks, Falcons, and Condors seemed to be having a great time in the very welcome warm sun.
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And how do you tell the difference between Peregrines and Prairie Falcons? Is it tail shape or size?
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Adam, I think I know the cliff cavity you're referring to at Balconies - a prairie falcon pair has often used that site in past years for nesting (including last year). I was out monitoring South Balconies a week or two ago and a prairie falcon pair is definitely in the area again.
As for the difference between prairie and peregrine falcons: they are pretty much identical in terms of tail shape and size. The main differences are in coloration and plumage. Prairie falcons are brownish on the backs and crowns, and have whitish chests / undersides with some dark spotting on the chests that is not usually visible in flight. They have facial striping that looks a bit like a mustache. Viewed from below in flight, they look whitish, but with distinctive dark "armpits" or auxillaries.
Peregrine falcons look steely gray on the backs, and have distinctive blackish hoods on their heads. Viewed from below in flight, they look grayish due to consistent banding across body and wings, with a whitish patch of throat feathers sometimes visible as well.
Both species are cliff-cavity nesters and highly territorial. They both have very similar wailing and "kekking" alarm calls. At Pinnacles, the only confirmed peregrine falcon pair is at the Tuff Dome / Frothy Flake area, though there may be a peregrine pair moving in near Yaks as well. Otherwise, nesting falcons at the park - at High Peaks, Chaos Crag, Resurrection Wall, Pig Canyon, etc. - are prairie falcons.
Hope those details aren't too long-winded. Thanks for the observations!
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If she won't belay you, I will. So want to get LF.
Hmm... Munge, I'm pretty sure Alacia wants to climb, but you're welcome to join us if you can make it down (and if folks aren't already on Lava Falls). We'll try to get to the base of the climb around 8:30 or 9:00, I reckon.
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There should be some people out form the Monterey area. There has been talk about Balconies routes. Unfortunately for me, I'll be riding a desk and strapping climbing holds to bare walls this weekend...
When do the closures actually go into effect? I would really like to get the third pitch of Conduit done and free Peregrine. I always forget about closures and then rush to get things done last minute...
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http://www.mudncrud.com/forums/index.php?topic=1788.0 (http://www.mudncrud.com/forums/index.php?topic=1788.0)
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Kyle, as Munge posted with the link, closures go into effect in 4 days, on January 22nd, the day after MLK Day. So if you can't get out to the Balconies this weekend, you'll be out of luck until later in the year!
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Don't worry, Peregrine is cleaning up with all of the traffic. By next opening in August....all the good holds will be chalked.
I'm in the same boat..oh well.
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Kyle, as Munge posted with the link, closures go into effect in 4 days, on January 22nd, the day after MLK Day. So if you can't get out to the Balconies this weekend, you'll be out of luck until later in the year!
Yes!!!
I can get out on Monday and send the gnar before it's too late.
Psyched!
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Yes!!!
I can get out on Monday and send the gnar before it's too late.
Psyched!
Sounds good. Keep in mind that there is a falcon pair in the area... The birds shouldn't be too aggressive at this point in the season, but if they start wailing and diving at you, it would be worth backing off the climb!
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All this talk of climbing at Pinns over the MLK weekend, and I am not going to be there. Crap, crap, crap.
I'm thinking maybe I should cancel the week in Josh and get my butt down there before those closures kick in...
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Now your thinking.
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Hey Mud, we did not get to that project that I phoned you about. Next season you'll have to get out there with me to push it higher or put in a second bolt.
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All this talk of climbing at Pinns over the MLK weekend, and I am not going to be there. Crap, crap, crap.
I'm thinking maybe I should cancel the week in Josh and get my butt down there before those closures kick in...
Axing JTree would be crap crap crap. I've got JTree envy and you've got Pinns Envy - guess we'll call it even!
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Axing JTree would be crap crap crap. I've got JTree envy and you've got Pinns Envy - guess we'll call it even!
I think they call these "first world problems."
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I wish I could join in the fun but I'm heading up to The Valley. Now is the time to climb The Capitan in Winter...
Wish me luck.
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Wish me luck.
You don't need luck.
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Send it
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I'm heading up to The Valley.
I didn't think it was Valley season? jk
Happy trails Atom!
Had a fun day finishing up my onsights of everything on Pop, Possibility and Punctuation Pinnacles.
Onsighted Pop and Andy's Sunset today.
KC thought she might want to lead the Cone so we skied the scree to get down there.
She wasn't feeling it, so I led it and did a take so she could run up it.
It felt a lot different than the first time I led it - more fun and less terror :)
Temps were superb and we spotted at least half a dozen condors - one close enough to see that it had a tagged wing.
Condor spotted from Pop Pinnacle
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3f-fzDMKNc8ZzWrBCtbHjPDKlGGGf9msg0xD_PkEkhXuE78FQKWOpEwOm_zXNiL4UQpyB9hjrX_Ojt6eAARSOAdnE9ZK9ofONmHzlGaL3_D4khBbIRGiuOAyLNTRjosTtWqoSySoLxGClNB72o7hKkZ=w659-h625-no?authuser=0)
JC w KC summit Pop Pinnacle
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cXb6DA6_d4-y_gxrbJfyPciJRNY5uIKHvu-GXx7Q8pjow3j9RLYfPr9KqSEEMO7lyi3-wLFmfhe0B7aiNYZ12IiZD3F4MX_0Ui_VHnE_df0-vjW5ax_3FNPxN8zHzGn7hfeizxvars1GsYtEXAycdG=w834-h625-no?authuser=0)
Leaving the first bolt on Andy's Sunset
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cNVS0Pzuj-qg56tPfMJyqlDvIcrrtMwdEv_qLrj1wpeO7HlPXpCMNE20ySfCwRqtVfP5Unrl2Y1tgBo0v0U0URk1Y0HZiFqO85tbyXgD0ImlXzjhWQTrsi1XmmU9mXmveLweGdhwc9AWWUr2orGxYt=w469-h625-no?authuser=0)
Cone repeat - just plain fun!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3f_MlRZpzvdNE2rj04CtE9GUy3L0GZ-CSMfq4YDAHSsMkzdzTQ77Oh9D2KSWeaeM4_m0gixF-NnMRWlGby4FoYtfqHwYKsAvk2qBxrQJ3dxzYtB5RusIA146aA-nV9qj7GZRIerbGxOmZFFQKOi2O1y=w469-h625-no?authuser=0)
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Team BLL report in?? And with pictures...
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Neck jacked. Going to bed. No climbing tomorrow.
Not happy.
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The surf is up so I've put off The Captain. May head down tomorrow anybody going to be down? I am trying get Haven into doing Condor Condiment, but that might not happen.
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I edited my TR from yesterday to include some pics.
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The surf is up so I've put off The Captain. May head down tomorrow anybody going to be down? I am trying get Haven into doing Condor Condiment, but that might not happen.
sent you a PM
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Adam can't make it tomorrow.
Anyone else want to meet and climb?
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Nice climbing, JC. I did Lava Falls and Shake & Bake again at Balconies today... Alacia had never been on Shake & Bake but walked up it smoothly. Great weather today, and not many folks out climbing on the West Side.
I'm running errands in town tomorrow, so can't make it for climbing. Not sure if folks know, but MLK Day is a fee-free day, so no entry cost into Pinnacles on Monday!
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Nice climbing, JC. I did Lava Falls and Shake & Bake again at Balconies today... Alacia had never been on Shake & Bake but walked up it smoothly. Great weather today, and not many folks out climbing on the West Side.
I'm running errands in town tomorrow, so can't make it for climbing. Not sure if folks know, but MLK Day is a fee-free day, so no entry cost into Pinnacles on Monday!
thanks Gavin. Looks like climbing will have to wait for me - no takers and it's past my bed time :)
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Off to Yosemite for me. I hope the weather holds, or the seamgrip still seals the portaledge fly.
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Send
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Climbed the first six pitches of Zodiac today. It was tshirt weather between the drenchings by blowing waterfalls. Camped below the Black Tower tonight and into The White Circle tomorrow. Supposed to snow But we should be well sheltered through tomorrow.
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Send that rig!
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Wow... Good on ya. Sounds like epic fun. Stay warm!
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Bailed... Partner lost his head and the weather looks a little rough. If was really hard to bail off of El Cap as I'd never had to do that before, 5for6 now. I dont have the head or skill set for bailing.
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No worries. Stone isn't going no where. Yeah, bail on overhang is hard than going up!
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Bailed... Partner lost his head and the weather looks a little rough. If was really hard to bail off of El Cap as I'd never had to do that before, 5for6 now. I dont have the head or skill set for bailing.
Good that you're back down okay. Looks like weather is moving in all over this week. I just checked JTree - hope Brad and friends don't get too waterlogged. Getting soaked by waterfall spray sounds wild Adam! Just a few sprinkles along the coast today.
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Been on the route in a major storm. It is fine while in the great circle but once you leave the great circle some of the upper pitches can get ugly.
Thankfully we had clear weather for the final pitches.
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Glad you are safe. We lost a buddy almost 10yrs ago....who went solo and then tried to bail in a blizzard.
At least folks have Iphones now.