Category — rocks

I am not sure what the name of this route is because I am really bad at that sort of thing, but it is a picture of me climbing one of the bigger walls at Stoney Point in Chatsworth, CA.

Here are some photos of the same climb from different angles and positions:

Me at the start of the Climb

Partner-in-Climb on the same route

The worst part about climbing at Stoney Point is chasing the shade to minimize exposure to the heat and sunlight. I recommend lots of good sunblock, a hat and something to sit on when you’re not climbing because the rocks get REALLY hot. A towel is OK, but I recommend a good camping chair like a Crazy Creek chair or some other collapsible chair. That little added bit of comfort helps make the heat and the waits between climbs more comfortable. I especially recommend one if you plan on doing any belaying.

It’s a good idea to get to Stoney Point early, to beat both the heat and some of the crowd. It is a really popular destination for climbers and families just out for a hike or a picnic, in addition to some weekend climbing schools. If you have your heart set on top roping one of the bigger walls, it is essential to get there before the crowd to get a route. Otherwise, be prepared to boulder.

It has been SOOOO long since I have been to Joshua Tree. At this time last year, I was making plans to move to J Tree by September 2007. Obviously that didn’t happen. I am not too sad about it, because I really like where I am at right now, but I do miss Joshua Tree and I am always up for a trip to the high desert. So I think we will be heading out this weekend in spite of the gas-induced crunch on our budget. It will be so nice to climb, but I am feeling a little out of shape. I did some yoga and weights this weekend to start unwinding from our road trip, and I am feeling it today. Plus, I know from the last time we went to Stoney Point that my grip strength has really decreased since I stopped doing hang board training. So it may be a humbling climbing trip, but at least it will be fun.

I think most of the wildflowers will be gone by now, but as long as we get the chance to climb, I’ll be happy. I had the chance to test out my new sleeping bag on our recent whirlwind road trip, and I am pretty confident it will be perfect for the weather at Joshua Tree this weekend. I am also really excited to pay another visit to Country Kitchen for breakfast. The restaurant is super tiny and usually very crowded but their delicious homemade food makes the wait worthwhile. Their light, buttery biscuits and gravy are pure heaven; my mouth is watering just thinking about them. And they are the perfect energy boost after climbing.

Ok, I am getting super excited about heading out to J Tree this weekend. I need to focus on work for a while. Will write more soon.

We headed up to Ventura County yesterday to scope out Echo Cliffs. Partner-in-Climb (PIC) wanted to see how Big Old Dog would handle the trail before committing to a full day of climbing, and frankly, I am not quite ready to shove my nail-less toe back into climbing shoes just yet. (Yes, I know, that is not very hard-core outdoor-sy of me, but whatever. Unless I’m in some kind of competition, I don’t engage in personal discomfort unless it is an absolute emergency. :P)

But I was really up for a hike, and we had the perfect day for it. We parked at the Mishe Mokwa trail head parking lot and headed up the connector trail, then down into the canyon. The view from the trail is amazing. There were a couple of climbing parties set up on along the large wall, and another party on Balance Rock. I found this close up of Balance Rock online:

You can see it above Echo Cliffs in the first picture, but this close up gives a better idea of the kind of precarious perch the rock balances on.

PIC has climbed at Echo Cliffs before, but usually turned down a side trail to head straight to the climbing spots. We attempted to take the side trail, but Big Old Dog was struggling to keep his footing, so we returned to the main trail and followed it down to Split Rock. The main trail is incredibly accessible and easy to hike. There were a few trail runners, and we encountered several groups of older hikers who were doing fine with just a little help from trekking poles. After some scrambling on Split Rock and a quick snack, we headed back to the car. Big Old Dog seemed to make it back with no problems and was moving around pretty well today, so I think we’ll be heading back to Echo Cliffs in the very near future.

I also found a couple of cool sites while I was looking for info on Echo Cliffs and the Mishe Mokwa Trail, which I will be adding to my blogroll, but you can check them out here in the meantime:

• Rockgrrl.com
• GetBeta.com
• The (Single) GeekHiker

PIC and I collect rocks from different places we’ve climbed or visited as mementos, and while most of the rocks are small, there are a couple in our place that are around 15 lbs. each and are placed decoratively near the fireplace. At least, they are usually near the fireplace. Recently, Partner-in-Climb has gotten into the habit of using the larger rocks as weights, which I guess makes sense for training for climbing, since the rocks force different grips than free weights do. They seem to be a decent substitute for the Metolius hang board that we had at our last place, and I don’t have a problem with him using them, except for the other evening, when they did not make it back to their home next to the fireplace. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that the rocks weren’t back by the fireplace until I was walking through the living room the next morning–before I put my contacts in–and so I walked at full speed into the more jagged of the two rocks. I will not get into a graphic description of my injury, because it is REALLY gross, but I believe from the persistent pain I have been experiencing since that moment that I will be losing this toenail very soon. I am not quite sure if it is a really bad bruise at this point or a fracture, but in either case, it means a few days of reduced activity until the swelling and pain subside. I cringe at the thought of even trying to put on my climbing shoes or biking shoes at this point.

However, the weekend is coming and I know I will get stir-crazy if I am stuck in front of the TV without a plan for some activity, so I think I am going to do some gardening and figure out how I want to set up our patio and porch for spring and summer. We have tons of plants already for ambiance and scenery, now we just need furniture! I was looking for some design ideas online and saw that Design On A Dime is re-airing an episode on outdoor patio design on March 26th, so I will definitely tune into that to get some ideas. I think I want to get a set of steamer chairs for the porch, and then have a grill and small table set up on the patio, but who knows, maybe I’ll get more inspiration from the show.

In related garden news, the feverfew, chamomile and lemon balm I planted a few weeks ago are really taking off! I still have to get around to writing a post about lemon balm. It’s a really beautiful and fascinating plant. I started a few of the babies on our spider plant in their own pots last weekend and re-potted some of our older plants, who love the weather at their new home and have been growing like weeds since we moved in. The next mission is to get some sunflowers started.

I realized the last set of Bishop photos didn’t really demonstrate just how large the boulders are. In this photo from the Sad Boulders, the cars in the distance give some idea of the scale of the boulders.

The weather was amazing. It was hard to believe it was late November. At night, the temperature dipped below freezing, but during the day in was in the high 70s and incredibly clear and sunny. It was absolutely perfect for scrambling around on the rocks and hanging out and working problems. Here are a couple of photos of Partner-in-Climb (PIC) having fun at the Sad Boulders:

We couldn’t find this problem mentioned in any guides, but there were some chalk marks on a nearby problem, so it might be an area that is still under development. I didn’t try this problem because what you don’t see in the photos is the sheer drop on the backside of this boulder. Yes, I am a big chicken sometimes. But that’s OK with me.

We had to head back to camp around 4:30 PM because the sun was going down and the temperature was dropping quickly, but we did have several great hours enjoying the sunshine, the boulders, and the scenery. Here’s a pic I took at sunset back at the camp.

The dusty crash pad in the foreground is truly one of the best investments anybody who spends any amount of time bouldering can make. It’s the Black Diamond Mondo Crash Pad and it rules. When not actually using it as a crash pad for bouldering, we have used it as a “camp couch” and a camp bed. It’s really amazingly comfortable. When the straps are underneath the pad, you can’t feel them at all. The first time we used it as a bed, I thought it would be a “princess and the pea” situation and I’d be turning all night, but the foam or something seems to absorb the straps so it’s just pure relaxation.

It came in very handy on the cold Bishop nights as well. It’s about 5 inches thick so it was a nice layer of protection against the cold ground. I highly recommend it.

I wish we had the chance to stay for a longer time on our last day, but Big Old Dog was hobbling around so we decided to head home a little early to give the poor guy’s hips a rest. He loves to run around when we go out exploring but he usually needs a day or two to recover from all the fun. I totally understand how he feels.

I saw a golden eagle on the side of the road just as we turned onto 395, but I fumbled with the camera and wasn’t able to get a photo. It was eating some roadkill, so it might be best to just leave it to my memory anyway. The site didn’t really do much to kill my appetite;I think I was too much in awe of the eagle. We stopped at Schat’s Bakkery on the way home and loaded up with treats, including a sticky pullaway bread that was mostly devoured by the time we were back in Los Angeles. I am really looking forward to the next road trip to Bishop. Bishop is really an amazing place.

Ok, I admit the title is a bit alliteratively cheesy, but I am in that kind of mood. I haven’t really had a chance to write about our Thanksgiving trip to Bishop yet, other than a few notes here and there, so here is the first official installment of “Bishop
Boulder Bonanza 2007″.

The trip from Los Angeles was amazing. The full moon was rising as we drove through the desert near Edwards Air Force Base and I caught this pic:

It really set the tone for a fantastic trip. We arrived in Bishop well after dark that night, but the moon was so bright details of the mountains were still visible. I don’t even think I used a headlamp most of the time when we were setting up the tent. The Pleasant Valley Pit campground is set in the middle of a lot of desert scrub and vegetation, and under the light of the moon, it was so easy to navigate all the way around the campground, from the dumpster to the restroom and back. I walked out into the brush very, very late in the night because I couldn’t resist getting to a place where I could feel like I was completely alone out there in the middle of this beautiful moonlit plain surrounded by the Sierras. Walking off marked trails is usually a huge no-no with me because there are a lot of important microbes in the soil crust and I don’t want to screw up the ecosystem, but it was such a rare opportunity I could not help myself. While I was in the brush, I found an almost new Thermarest sleeping pad that must have blown away from someone’s camp site and was therm-a- resting on some bushes, so I picked it up and brought it back to our site with me and went back to bed. The owner of the Thermarest, unfortunately, was nowhere to be found the next day, so I still have it.

The plan was to get to Bishop at night, sleep until the sun woke us up, then spend the day bouldering at the Happy Boulders. We did manage wake up early, and instead of making breakfast at camp, headed to town to Schat’s Bakkery. Now, I have only been through Bishop twice before on my way to and from Mammoth, but I did stop at Schat’s Bakkery both times, in addition to sampling the one in Mammoth (which, by the way, is not affiliated with Schat’s Bakkery in Bishop, but that is another story entirely. Suffice it to say, there seem to be some “eccentricities” among the bakers that will become apparent if you visit.) My partner-in-climb (PIC), who lived out of his van for 2 years to dedicate some quality time to climbing and bouldering and spent several months camping in Bishop, had not been to Schat’s Bakkery even once before. We needed to remedy that right away.

As I suspected, it was total “love at first bite”. I got a ham, egg and cheese croissant and a mocha latte, while PIC had a cherry danish, I believe some sort of breakfast sandwich, and a caramel latte. Neither of us are huge coffee drinkers, but Schat’s has AMAZING coffee and it was the perfect accompaniment to their light, buttery pastries. I don’t know if it’s the fresh mountain water, or the Farmer Brothers coffee with the slightest hint of cinnamon, or some other secret ingredient, but man, that is some fantastic coffee. They have a little outdoor patio where were sat to savor our heavenly treats, and we overheard this teenage straight outta the OC whining that she wanted to go to Starbuck’s. Silly Ugg boot wearing child!

After that breakfast, it was pretty much a sure thing that we would be eating breakfast there every day for as long as we were in Bishop. We got back in the 4Runner and headed out in search of the Happy Boulders. After a few minutes of map time fun and a short detour in the wrong direction, we finally made it to the first boulder spot, the Sad Boulders. We decided to just park and explore the Sads for a while, since there weren’t a lot of people there yet and we could have our pick of problems. The name “The Sad Boulders” is a little misleading; they may be “sad” in comparison to the Happys, but they are really fun in their own right.

OK, gotta work for a bit… To be continued…

It’s been weeks since I have been out in the wild, partially due to a very rainy winter (I know, I should not complain, we desperately need it), an arthritic dog and general laziness on everyone’s part. However, before this long hibernation set in, we took an amazing Thanksgiving trip to Bishop, CA, and passed Vasquez Rocks along the way. I have been really fascinated by these beautiful rocks for a while, but I haven’t yet had the chance to visit them. Perhaps this weekend, if the weather holds like it is supposed to…

Although Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is reportedly a great place for hiking, climbing, and general outdoor fun, they are best known as the backdrop for TONS of films and TV shows, from Dracula (1931) to Cars (2006); Trekkies will no doubt recognize the rocks from both the original Star Trek series and TNG.

The rocks are formed by the San Andreas fault, so I am really anxious for a chance to scramble around and explore, but I totally need a camera upgrade. I am still carrying around my Canon PowerShot from 2004; I think it’s the PowerShot S60. It does the job but it totally looks like it’s been through a war. It’s partially my fault; I took for granted that it was rugged enough to survive me. For my next camera, I am totally getting a good camera case from day one. It’s worth it.

Santa Clarita Guide to Vasquez Rocks

Vasquez Rocks Official Site

I just found out a local astronomy club has Star Parties there, and I think that sounds like a lot of fun, since it provides an opportunity to be at the rocks after dark (the park usually closes at sunset.)

Directions from Los Angeles: take the I-5 North to the 14 East (Antelope Valley Freeway.) Exit Agua Dulce Canyon Road and turn left, continue to Escondido Canyon Rd. and make a right. The park is on the right.