Quest for Mud (Special Edition)

[Tuff Chik]

Same here for Mrs. Munge and I.  We might do little things during the week, but trying to go out or big batches of flowers on the day of is pure insanity. 

Right there with you guys - nothing fancy for us either.  Usually JC makes me a card which is so much better than a store bought one.

[mynameismud]

I got the dog a bone

[clink]

 We are having a "meat" themed Valentines.

[clink]

 
 A lovely Valentines Day joke;




 MARRIED TENNESSEE FOOTBALL PLAYER

Q: How can you tell if a University of Tennessee football player is married?

A: There is tobacco spit on both sides of his pickup truck.

[clink]

 JC, you should write for Hallmark.

[JC w KC redux]

Kat and I climbed the Shako today and the routes are fun.

Back Track feels old school and like a mini mountaineering adventure.
In terms of gear I used a red alien, a blue tricam and a blue camalot.
The upper loose part felt a little scary mainly because it is awkward with no pro.
I put a sling on the tree before I leaned back and started climbing. I put another sling on the high crook as a directional for Kat. There is a wide crack/squeeze chimney that could be climbed if the tree ever bites the dust.

Hat Trick was fun. The pin protects (what felt like the crux of the climb to me) perfectly.
The bolts and the anchor are very nice. I didn't place any gear but there were a few opportunities.
Cool spot and a nice addition to the ridge.

Never gonna do it without your fez on...

[JC w KC redux]

Done with Shako.
Time for a late lunch Snack-o 

[clink]

 Nice pic of you two 

 Rose and Jason climbed four of the snakes and were asking when are we going climbing next. Brad and Brian battled over the bulges this weekend. Caleb and Layton jumped into all the mix.

[JC w KC redux]

Forecast was pure funk today and Kat was feeling a bit under the weather so we sat it out. Looks like it was a frigid day with high temp of 47 and sun peaked, then took a dive around noon. Brad and crew were supposed to be out there - musta been butt cold - especially since wind was still gusting up around 20mph - peaked at 27 at 3:30.

We hiked down from Pea Break to Nebulous Knob yesterday and took a gander - looks like a cool route but I figured I'd wait until I can replace the bolts and climb some of the other stuff around there - plus we were tired and it was already cool and really windy (wind was up in the 30mph range yesterday).

Climber coffee was fun yesterday. Stop by and say hi 8:30 to 10:00 on Sundays for the next couple months (bring a mug).

[Brad Young]

Kat and I climbed the Shako today and the routes are fun.

Back Track feels old school and like a mini mountaineering adventure.
In terms of gear I used a red alien, a blue tricam and a blue camalot.
The upper loose part felt a little scary mainly because it is awkward with no pro.
I put a sling on the tree before I leaned back and started climbing. I put another sling on the high crook as a directional for Kat. There is a wide crack/squeeze chimney that could be climbed if the tree ever bites the dust.

Hat Trick was fun. The pin protects (what felt like the crux of the climb to me) perfectly.
The bolts and the anchor are very nice. I didn't place any gear but there were a few opportunities.
Cool spot and a nice addition to the ridge.

Never gonna do it without your fez on...

Figuring out a finish for Back Track was difficult.

I agree that the upper loose part (just before reaching the tree) was scary and awkward. I was relieved to put a sling around its trunk. And then I tried the short chimney section just left of the tree. I got in a poor quality cam and the moves felt like they were going to be 5.8 or 5.9. I liked the sling around that tree. But even doubled in length it still created a cluster f#$%. And finishing a fun, mountaineering-type route with a difficult, poorly protected chimney seemed like a bad choice (especially since Tricia was following).

Moving right to finish on Hat Trick didn't seem like a good choice either. Too far right.

I didn't like the "tree-assisted" finish, but it was the lesser of three evils.

[Brad Young]

Forecast was pure funk today and Kat was feeling a bit under the weather so we sat it out. Looks like it was a frigid day with high temp of 47 and sun peaked, then took a dive around noon. Brad and crew were supposed to be out there - musta been butt cold - especially since wind was still gusting up around 20mph - peaked at 27 at 3:30.

We hiked down from Pea Break to Nebulous Knob yesterday and took a gander - looks like a cool route but I figured I'd wait until I can replace the bolts and climb some of the other stuff around there - plus we were tired and it was already cool and really windy (wind was up in the 30mph range yesterday).

Climber coffee was fun yesterday. Stop by and say hi 8:30 to 10:00 on Sundays for the next couple months (bring a mug).

I arrived at upper parking yesterday to very light snow flurries (I was the first one there). We hiked to and climbed the JC/KC/Clink routes in the New World. In snow flurries. I spent most of the day in two shirts and two jackets!

This morning it's 18 degrees here at home.

Any details about the coffee? Lots of visitors? Ratio of climbers to curious non-climbers? Quality of the coffee

[Brad Young]

^^^

Photos coming, but I haven't even unloaded the car yet.

[clink]

Quit lollygagging.

[JC w KC redux]

Figuring out a finish for Back Track was difficult.

Sounds like the origin of the name.

I agree that the upper loose part (just before reaching the tree) was scary and awkward. I was relieved to put a sling around its trunk. And then I tried the short chimney section just left of the tree. I got in a poor quality cam and the moves felt like they were going to be 5.8 or 5.9. I liked the sling around that tree. But even doubled in length it still created a cluster f#$%. And finishing a fun, mountaineering-type route with a difficult, poorly protected chimney seemed like a bad choice (especially since Tricia was following).

Moving right to finish on Hat Trick didn't seem like a good choice either. Too far right.

I didn't like the "tree-assisted" finish, but it was the lesser of three evils.

I stepped up on a boulder at the base of the tree and girth hitched a sling up above my head to get started and then eventually another in the upper tree crook. I laid back off the left trunk of the tree with both hands on opposite sides and just monkeyed up until I could swing into the crook between the two trunks - discarding any sense of rock climbing and channeling my inner chimp. I girth hitched the second sling and then cast off a second time on the tree to gain the top of the rock. Kat traversed around right after the initial tree climb - avoiding the second shorter tree climb. She didn't have to go very far and it seemed way easier.

Eyeballing the second of three phases on Back Track.





Moving through the attention getting section above bolt 1 on Hat Trick

[Brad Young]

Taking belay duty seriously (at The Northeast Frontier, while Brian drills):




Top Knot Pinnacle yesterday (in conditions that are about as different from the first ascent as possible):







Snow flakes blow by as Sonja rappels from The Flask:




Snow as we hike out:










Snow as we pass Cortadura Wall:




Snowing lightly with the High Peaks in the background:




None of the snow stuck of course. But I kept laughing at our cold conditions as I compared them to the wilting heat that the first ascent party encountered in The New World  

[JC w KC redux]

Those are some great people and summit shots - especially The Flask.
The hero shot on Top Knot is fun too.
I was surprised by the size of that summit - it looks so small from certain angles.
Looks like you guys had fun despite the weather.

[JC w KC redux]

Who is behind Sonja in the trail pic?

[Brad Young]

Who is behind Sonja in the trail pic?

That's her boyfriend Eban (no typo). He's Skelton's age, started climbing in 1968. Hasn't done much at Pinnacles though. He seemed to have a ball (as did all of us).

[JC w KC redux]

That's her boyfriend Eban (no typo). He's Skelton's age, started climbing in 1968. Hasn't done much at Pinnacles though. He seemed to have a ball (as did all of us).

I may have met him a few weeks ago when I talked mostly to Jennifer in the parking lot. That reminds me - I left her a note that I would post a pic of them on the Hand. I think I fell down on the job.

Did you guys have tick talk? Kat and I picked up a multitude of them on the exploration of Nebulous Knob - due to the cool temps no doubt. I figured you guys would be inundated up there.

Here are a pic of Jennifer on Love Line

[JC w KC redux]

clink, KC and I finished a new route in the NE Frontier on Saturday while Brad and Jennifer were finishing another route.
clink took the lead and drilled two bolts from awkward stances to set me up for the crux.
It was funny, because looking at that section from below, it looks like it is just going to be fun. Then you get up there and realize how awkward and strange the movement is. I have to compliment clink on his choice of placements and how well protected the climb is through the difficulties. Mud and I were discussing clink's ability to tough out weird stances and get bolts in quickly. His abilities are truly admirable.

After he set the trap, clink came down and suggested I go up and check it out, clean some (by hanging if necessary) and then see if I could get above there and get another bolt in. I got up to a good stemming stance and started reaching around. Spoiler Alert - To my surprise, there was a deep and very secure mono digit that you cannot see. It doesn't help you make progress, but it allows you to feel around and get set for the moves. What I find even more amusing is the fact that there is also a mono digit on Soap Box Slab (the next route over).

I brushed off a foothold on the face with my fingers and decided to try moving up. I thought I heard clink say - There he goes.

Once above the crux, I placed a bolt from a slabby stance and looked ahead. We decided the most logical path would be to join Soap Box Slab at its next bolt. clink lowered me off and I led clean back up to the bolt I had just placed. From there, a mossy and slightly loose traverse up and right gets you to the stance and 4th bolt on Soap Box Slab.

Trifecta 5.8      Trifecta starts 20 feet left (downhill) of Soapbox Slab and climbs past 5 bolts, joining Soapbox Slab at its 4th bolt, 60 feet from the start. Finish on Soapbox Slab (2 more bolts).   
FA Party: John Cook, Jon Cochran, Kathy Cook   FA Date: 2-24-18 

clink drilling the crux bolt utilizing  his strength, stamina and Pretzel Logic 





Sussing out the crux section