Jackson Falls, Sept 6, 2008

post by Calvin

We've been making several trips to the Red and Jackson, so I thought I'd start posting a few more blurbs even though I don't have pics (Soph?).

SO Ill, another day trip on Saturday. Soph, Yusuf, Calvin and Jon made the trip. I tried to corrall Angie (sore finger), Caroline (physics homework) and a couple others, but they all bailed. Losers.

Soph drove, which is always appreciated, and picked me up on the way to Yusuf's place. She was a few minutes late, which is a shocker - Soph is *always* on time, and blamed her troubles on the alarm clock. Usually, that's my excuse. Anyway, we got underway with little trouble after stopping by Yusuf's.

Jackson is a great location - after making the turn off the highway, you have to negotiate some back roads and a couple miles of gravel, but it's fine. We actually ran around a road grader, which made the way in kind of screwed up because of the gravel, but the way out was much nicer. Good tradeoff, even if we almost collided head-on with some jerk-off barrelling 45 mph on what was effectively a one-lane road.

The climbing was good too. We started out warming up at the Gallery - some 10a I don't remember the name of and Group Therapy, 10c. Everyone seemed to negotiate it pretty easily, but I thought the rock felt a bit slick, so that made me worried.

John Payne (sp? - I'll call him JP since there's another Jon) also joined us, an older gent who's been climbing in the area for over 20 years. Cool dude - skated up the warm ups like he'd done them 100's of times, which I imagine he has. Yusuf queried him on this 13, and beta for that 13, stuff I didn't really listen to since I don't climb 13s. Later, JP and I would chat a bit and I would learn more about his climbing history in the area. Like I said, cool dude.

Next, we headed over to Beaver Wall. First thing JP noticed was a dead rabbit about 10 feet from the base of Everybody Needs Friends (12a). Nice. Not quite decomposed, so we figured maybe it died the last night falling from the top of the cliff. Right next to it was some sort of dead mouse, same state of decomposition. Freakin' free-soloers. Soph suited up for us and got rid of the rabbit by just picking up the darn thing, while I was trying to find some sticks to do the job. Clearly, women have stronger stomachs than I do. Or at least Soph does.

Jon opted to try for the onsight of Everybody. I happily gave him the draws. He almost made it up to draw #3, then pumped out and sat. Everybody is a super-fun route and is pretty physical the whole way - a kind of mini-crux after the 3rd draw (only 4 bolts + anchors), so if you spend time searching for holds, an on-sight gets pretty difficult. I traded off with him and fell going for the anchors. Sucks, (slick holds?) but there you have it. JP then got on it - and showed some nice beta: knee-drops, a few hidden crimps and was breathing hard enough to power a church organ, but one-hung the thing. Impressive. Jon and I then sent it next go.

Meanwhile, Soph worked on an 11a around the corner - next to the Birthday Route. I forget the name. Soph, you remember it? Broken Toe, Earth Smoker, something like that? Effing memory. This route had defeated her on a prior trip with Tony (which I'm sure they'll post soon) and she was determined to get the send. After hanging the draws, and being a saint belaying Yusuf on a project, she then worked the beta and went for the send. We all cheered - but it wasn't to be that time. At draw #4, there's a tricky move on slab, with a few breaks and crimps. Soph hung on for what looked like an eternity (while Jon regaled me with plans to get a German Shepard - I'm not sure if it's going to happen, but apparently it's effing expensive), then went for it but fell.

Of course, she then worked out the beta, decided to come down and sent it next go. In Style.

Meanwhile, Jon and I tried Frizzle Fry 12b, next to Everybody. POS. Just kidding. It's great - but very sustained with a definite undercling crux 4 bolts up, then you get to chance the "tricky ending." I'd heard about this tricky ending before - from Kelly, Tony, Soph, Mike White, others - but you never really know what it means until you try. Tricky Ending indeed.

It goes something like this: At the last bolt, you pop your left foot up to the side, about chest level, lock off and go for a good crimp an arm's length up. Not much feet because the rock angles out underneath the bolt, so you just high step up, making sure to step under the rope while you wonder about the tree behind you and if it's far away enough for a fall to be a non-factor (it is). You bring your left foot in, then lock off your left arm, and bring your head up to see the top of the climb - this is how all Jackson climbs end - you have some slabby work before clipping the chains - sometimes easy, and sometimes 'tricky.' There's a nice crimp for your right hand, and a scoop underneath it and you're looking at the chains, about 4 feet up; just a bit too far to easily clip. Of course, there aren't any other obvious holds, just a few 1 pad finger pockets that look (and unfortunately feel) slopey here and there and your feet are unstable on the incline - so you don't have good feet to help you.

I'll spare you details, but yeah, it was tricky. And we didn't get the redpoint that day. We did try it a few times each though, working out our particular beta and swearing that it, "would go" in a few tries. We'll see.

Yusuf, as usual, climbed Red Corvette (13a), Legends of the Falls (13a) and then Shortie (13a), all on that wall. At various times, I remember him swearing, attempting what looked like giant moves on questionable holds and taking nice falls.

We got a bail draw that day off of Frizzle, which is nice. I remember getting one off of Sex Farm at the Red, but I left it at the base, in case someone else needed it. Booty is booty, and I don't have a problem with it, but I left it for good karma. I'm sure I'll need it sooner or later.