What connects us to Southern Yosemite

[mike a]

i think it was in 1990, rock & ice had a article on shuteye showed queens throne, shangri-la, cat nap dome, high eagle, chiquito dome,the article was called, while the valley boys sleep, all the pix are in black and while, so it was hard to see details, but it was a pretty good article, it get me thinking about shuteye, a year or so later, doug robinson talked me in to meeting him at fresno dome and check it out, so i did, and i had a great time, and it's such a beautiful place, doug showed me his spencer guide book, and the stuff on shuteye looked awesome, so i checked that out as well, i have been hooked ever since, it's such a big place, i still have not checked it all out, every time i am there, i always find something new and super fun! but the bucket list is getting smaller, i love southern yosemite, and still to this day it's the place i climb at the most, and whats sooo cool about the place, there could been a ton of guide books to the place, but it's too close to yosemite for it to ever become over crowded, it will always remain it's sleepy old self :-), happy climbing all, mike a.

[DaveyTree]

Now this what a climbing site should be, not "What song are you listening to right now". All of your responses make me want to give up my projects up 168 for the year and connect with some of you for some SOYO. I dig the passion we all share for climbing SOYO, the freedom and solitude. The pushing ones' self physically and and mentally.

Regardless of guide books, I can't see it ever becoming crowded. Even in this media age of information, a lot of individuals just don't have that desire to be in solitude and a 20 minutes approach is too long to enjoy amazing rock and views.

Thank you John for this site where I can allow my mind to wonder and day dream to SOYO from my daily life until I can once again be in SOYO.

[susan]

Wow, so good to read your stories. Thank you for posting! More to tell, I'm sure. There is treasure in these stories. It’s true, everyone does seem most in love with the outdoors as a common basis, and I can't help thinking of Dan's roughing it to the point of misery those first days and loving it anyway. 

Great photo Dan! You look very happy and in your element. Be great to see some more photos.

As for bold, well, I am really cautious, actually. Though sometimes I surprise myself. I do think of John as bold, and have been fortunate to see him pull off some of what I feel are amazing feats especially on FAs. I also think he is careful and very rational about risk.

Regarding the Plate Route, it unnerved me because I knew it was a Higgins Route, but after climbing it I have to agree with John that it is not unreasonable for protection. It is an excellent route, and one I would very much look forward to doing again. 

Also, I absolutely love the Melting Wall at Lost Eagle and your influence there Nate. If I can get past the pools more often, I might finally get to sample more of the routes. John often says that place opened his eyes to what is possible in SoYo.

More to say but gotta run for now.   



 

[NateD]

Like the story, Dan. And to hear how you were turned on to SoYo Mike.
Agreed that seeing more pics of those early years would be fun.

To set the record straight and give credit where credit is due, Gerry J., Dave D., and Roger H. were all very much a part of the team effort at LE.

[NateD]

And Davey, Patterson Bluff and vicinity look pretty adventurous.

[susan]

But I have to add that I don't relate to being in a league of any sort, though appreciate your comments Nate and Jerry. I rather see that we all have good moments and lesser, times we are in better and worse shape, cruxes one body and mind are uniquely better suited to working out than the next for some uncountable number of reasons which might in any moment change on a dime... To me, there are so many variables, that it's not Not worth contemplating the more likely obvious factors, but I rather shy away from appraisal of climbing performance to a point of judgements about 'level's' among 'peers' because trying to do better than one's self and make our own unique connection with a climb is a better focus to me, more meaningful, more fun. Am I making any sense or is it just past my bedtime? Partly why it can be difficult to figure out a new climb's rating and why there can be such a low consensus sometimes.

[John]

These stories are really fun to read and thanks so much for sharing them. So many of you have such long histories with the area and keep coming back, some over a lifetime. I feel that we have only been visiting for a blip in time in comparison, but look forward to many more years of exploring.

Since he appears to get the ribbon for the earliest visit to Southern Yosemite described so far, I would wager that Dan can testify that the area hasn't changed from when he first visited all of those years ago. It does make me wonder, were the roads better or worse back then?

[DaveyTree]

Nate, Patterson is surely an adventure. Soo much rock and most of it is right in your face the entire time because of how big and grandios it is. It is another unique place in the our hills the draws those seeking solitude and memories I like to call 'brain stain', since you never forget! The drive is about 1:45 but usually takes me 2:30 because I am constantly stopping and gaulking over the rock porn.

[susan]

....people like Pratt and  Higgins [were] really pushing the free climbing standards. It wasn't an ego thing, it was seeing how far you could push and most used each other as an inspiration to do more. That changed by the late 70's and  the Valley wasn't much fun anymore. It was just a big ego trip with everyone bitch slapping each other. We still climbed  there a lot and  did a bunch of fa's but by the late 80's we were rapidly losing  interest. ...Mostly SoYo is still a community where people still respect each other even if they don't necessarily agree with tactics.  May it stay that way for a  long, long time!

Great post... Jerry, all of it! Cheers to inspiration and those last two lines in particular.
 
Also, it occurs to me that the Plate route wouldn't have originally been led with the gear that we have nowadays. Small nuts and cams and especially aliens with their small heads fit so well.   

[larsj]

Nice post! I came to Soyo looking for an escape from the valley/meadows scene in the late 80's. Believe it or not I found it hard to get my friends to climb here.  All the things I love about the area made it unattractive to most, no route guides, no campgrounds, no rules [except respect the land]. It still has a strong attraction even though I have to work harder to "get lost".  I'll be up for the 4th!

lars

[NateD]

Lars,
In addition to the reasons you mention why some aren't terribly interested in the area is a vibe I get that it seems some want to be able to say they've ticked off some classic climb everyone knows. If recognition is part of what motivates ones choice of climbs, or even areas to climb, then SoYo isn't on the radar. Fine by me.

[susan]

Well, may these places remain a space to get away from it all. And all the  latent classics on the verge of becoming more widely discovered, maybe they'll remain more obscure than seems possible at least in our lifetime.

Just when we start to wonder if the boundaries finally seem to be shrinking... I mean maybe we are running out of dots to connect so to speak.... areas to explore.... y' know how enjoyable it is to get disoriented and reoriented with the area by finding new viewpoints.... Yet we keep finding new places to get wowed about all over again.

 Glad you'll be up for the 4th, Lars!

[susan]

I always liked the quote from Aldo Leopold “What avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?” SoYo seemed to have a lot of blanks, and that was attractive. Climbing and exploring there keeps us curious, and that is a valuable thing. (And yet it's rather ironic that I, and others, have spent years filling in many of those blanks by seeking, collecting, and recording information, no? Simply human nature, I suppose.)

Ran across a quote by William S. Bracket that I like and which reminded me of part of your post in quotes above, Nate: "The swift metamorphosis and the onward march of civilization, sweeping ever westward and transforming and taming our wilderness, fills us with a strange regret, and we rejoice that parts of that wilderness will yet remain to us unchanged." 

[NateD]

I like it! Thanks for sharing.