Author Topic: Late Season Granite  (Read 18773 times)

Brad Young

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Late Season Granite
« on: September 25, 2017, 02:33:45 PM »
Pinnacles season starts one month from the inception of this thread. Meanwhile the temperatures, conditions (and, for some of us) location are perfect for late season granite.

Here are some photos of recent granite fun:

Brian leading "Fine Feathers," a new two star 5.7 on Toller Tower:










Toller Tower now has seven routes on it with one project to go (hopefully this weekend, it is after all, late season and we might not get another good weather window). The project will go at sustained, high 5.10 with a mixture of bolts and gear. The other routes have very clever names (although, aren't all climb names clever?). All have to do with our dogs' breed:

A.  White Paws  5.10c ***  FA:  Brad Young, Vicki Young, Brian Hamilton, 8/27/17

B.  Gorgeous Eyes  5.6  FA:  Brian Hamilton, Whitney Reynier, Brad Young, 9/16/17

C.  Cleaning Up the Yard  5.2  FA:  Brad Young, 8/20/17

D.  Rabid Retriever  5.8  FA:  Brad Young, Vicki Young, 8/27/17

E.  Fanatical Fetcher  5.8  FA:  Brad Young, Vicki Young, 8/27/17

F.   Sticks  5.10c *  FA:  Brad Young, Jennifer Wang, Brian Hamilton, Robert Behrens, Steve and Laura Dawson,  10/1/17

G.  Snowballs  5.8 *  FA:  Brad Young, Vicki Young, 8/27/17

H.  Fine Feathers  5.7 **  FA:  Brad Young, Makena Klatt, 8/17/17


Here's Brian on the first ascent of Gorgeous Eyes:




And from another relatively newly developed crag (at elevation and warm in the afternoon sun). Brian is leading a three star, bolted 5.6 (65 feet high, well protected and just great moves), Jennifer is leading a three star 5.8 which is protected by bolts and gear (note that in the first shot I asked the two belayers to turn around and face me for a moment). Both routes were put up by our own Mungeclimber:







More to come (I'm supposed to do Snake Dike on Thursday with my favorite 22 year old in the world)….



clink

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2017, 05:58:06 AM »
Thanks for the pics and update on the locals.  :)
Causing trouble when not climbing.

Brad Young

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2017, 07:30:09 PM »
Tuolumne County native, long-time family friend, and U.C.S.B. Excursion club climb leader Makena Klatt leading the first pitch of "You Insolent Peasant" on Hummingbird Wall at Chipmunk Flat (two pitch 5.9 ***):




Notice the September snow at 8,000 feet? Here she is rapping off the formation; look at the amount of snow up higher:



CruxLuv

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2017, 12:24:12 PM »
Great pics!  And it makes me super happy to see Vicki on FA's.  :)

I wanna know what munge was gaping at...
The "best" climber is the one having the most fun.

clink

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2017, 05:22:31 PM »
The silhouette of a perched bird that resembles a bottle BLL.
Causing trouble when not climbing.

F4?

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2017, 07:37:22 PM »
He was giving the proper spot for the climber. Likely distracted by visions of bud lite lime.

I'm not worthy.

CruxLuv

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2017, 08:39:02 AM »
Squirrel! 

Naw - you're right...BLL no doubt.
The "best" climber is the one having the most fun.

JC w KC redux

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2017, 06:21:56 PM »

I can't wait to get back home and get to Pinns. All this "it" talk is enough to cause a rash.  :lol:
One wheel shy of normal

JC w KC redux

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2017, 06:49:11 PM »

That being said, I traipsed around on some Mesozoic Mud today with KC.
The only thing close to "it" we've touched was some countertop material yesterday  :yesnod: :yesnod:
Looks like next week will only be in the 80's so it will be good times back on the "ite".

Choss is still boss in my book  :crazy: :arf: :ciappa:
One wheel shy of normal

Brad Young

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2017, 09:52:53 AM »

Great pics!  And it makes me super happy to see Vicki on FA's.  :)

I wanna know what munge was gaping at...


Thanks Crux!

Vicki and I get to "sneak off" now and then after Tricia leaves for school. It's just one more way that I'm lucky to have her....


Brad Young

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2017, 09:59:10 AM »
I'll post some photos later of our climb of Snake Dike yesterday.

Meanwhile, here's what we saw from the top of the route (these photos are from Thursday - the day the rockfall was many, many times as large as Wednesday's "massive" rockfall). (RIP Andrew Foster, a victim of a terrible, terrible "wrong place at the wrong time" coincidence.):

Thursday, September 28, 2017, 15 minutes (about) after El Capitan rockfall (from the top of Snake Dike):






CruxLuv

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2017, 11:43:45 AM »
Wow.  Just wow.

I wondered if you were still there.
The "best" climber is the one having the most fun.

Brad Young

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2017, 12:08:28 PM »
My guess is that the top of Half Dome is maybe six miles (in a direct line) from the east side of El Cap (?). There was a gentle breeze from west to east while we were witnessing this event. By about 45 minutes after the rockfall we could distinctly smell pulverized granite (anyone that's every put a bolt in or removed a piton from granite will know the smell).

Brad Young

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2017, 09:10:57 PM »
When she was 16 years old, Katie thought that I was the least cool substance in the universe. This may have changed over the last several years. How do I know that this may have changed?

Well here's one recent piece of evidence:




Let's see, she wants to do a route I've done before. But I prefer doing routes that are new to me, not stuff I've already climbed. So doing Snake Dike with her would mean a whole day "invested" for no "gain." Yes or no?

Yeah, right. In real life there wasn't any such debate. It's Katie. My response was quick and absolute: "Of course; name the date."

And she did. So I've got some more shots of late-season granite.

She's living with and working for Ron and Liz right now at their bed and breakfast. I drove over to crash there the night before. We got a "civilized" start, beginning the hike up to the base at 6:30. We moved quickly and soon got an early morning view of Half Dome:




We took the shortcut between Liberty Cap and Mount Brodrick:







This guy "magically" appeared at the base (he'd actually driven up separately and started the hike long before us). He's lived in El Portal (four miles from the Highway 140 entrance to Yosemite) since 1970 and been a climber that long too. And he'd never done Snake Dike (which is pretty clearly one of the 100 most popular multi-pitch climbs in the U.S.):







We knew we'd have a line of climbers ahead of us with our "late" start, but the wait was worth it; once we started our team of three (on one rope) had the route to ourselves:










The second pitch:










And the dike continues:













Katie seemed to be enjoying our day up high:




It wasn't all that long until we topped out (end of the fifth class):







Katie gallantly volunteered to carry Ron's pack up the endless class three to the summit (notice the second pack, on her front, in the second photo):







This was Katie's first time on the summit of Half Dome:










And, like me, she's now been down the cables but never up them:




On the way out we took the John Muir Trail. This is longer, but unlike the Mist Trail (which is essentially two long, long sets of granite stairs), it's gentler on the knees. I'd only gone down this way once and I'd forgotten what a great view it provides of Half Dome, and Snake Dike, in the afternoon light:




All in all, a great day with a 22 year old punk who I seem to get prouder and prouder of with each passing week.


F4?

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2017, 06:14:08 AM »
Great job! That brings back fond memories of when I climbed it with my buddy in '91.

That was my 1st big valley route.
I'm not worthy.

clink

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #15 on: September 30, 2017, 07:22:31 PM »
Signal is good in Lee Vining. Thanks for the pics and report Brad. You're kid(s) is cool!
Causing trouble when not climbing.

Brad Young

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #16 on: October 01, 2017, 03:38:24 PM »
Updated the route list in the originating post to show our completion of "Sticks" by way of a redpoint today. Pretty chilly in the shade at 8,000 feet (Pinnacles is coming).

CruxLuv

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #17 on: October 02, 2017, 12:00:56 PM »
Great pictures!  I'm so happy for you.  :)
The "best" climber is the one having the most fun.

mynameismud

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #18 on: October 02, 2017, 08:10:08 PM »
Awesomeness
Here's to sweat in your eye

Brad Young

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Re: Late Season Granite
« Reply #19 on: October 13, 2017, 02:53:43 PM »
God the weather is perfect up here.

I replaced some bolts today and then got to run some hard crack laps belayed by this beauty: