Author Topic: Pics of Balloon Dome  (Read 56752 times)

NateD

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #15 on: April 18, 2013, 05:20:56 pm »
Always nice to have a friend with an airplane!

mungeclimber

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #16 on: April 18, 2013, 06:17:31 pm »
wow, Cat wall looks prime!

we need an xrez camera. :)

John

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #17 on: April 18, 2013, 07:23:05 pm »
Confluence Dome?

Isn't that the dome we discussed a couple of years ago, Nate? You know, the "Secret" one? Sure matches my photos but the aerial angle looks a little off.

I don't dare post my photos since I understand at least one person I know of may be bummed about it. Still true?

NateD

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #18 on: April 18, 2013, 08:24:08 pm »
No, not the same dome.

I know nothing. What was the question?

John

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2013, 08:28:56 pm »
"None of Yer Damn Business" Dome.

John

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #20 on: April 18, 2013, 08:32:36 pm »
How it this for a bummer of a smudge on my lens!


Clint Cummins

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #21 on: April 18, 2013, 09:12:57 pm »
Yeah, that smudge is a bummer.

Confluence Dome is where 2 forks of the San Joaquin come together.
It's even more difficult to access than Balloon Dome.
Last May, Dan and Ford tried to reach it by using the approach marked, but then hiking south in the forest on the east side of the river.
They were stopped by too much poison oak!!

It's marked at 4684' in this topo map:



Confluence Dome

It looks like a fun ridge scramble after reaching the south end of Balloon Dome.
If you could easily float down the San Joaquin, it looks like you could do some cool climbs up it from the river.

I have a good shot of the dome behind it, too, but that one would be accessed from above using a different road.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2013, 09:38:11 pm by Clint Cummins »

mungeclimber

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #22 on: April 18, 2013, 09:42:30 pm »
Nunya Dome

NateD

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #23 on: April 18, 2013, 10:22:47 pm »
Neat pic, Clint.

Çonfluence Dome could be accessed much more easily from the South Fork Trail. Grahm and Leo hiked down there, said it was straightforward, and found a fisherman's camp with old pots and lawn chairs, I believe. Stuff folks hauled down but didn't want to hike out. Anyhow, the two brought float tubes, with hopes of going downriver all the way to Mammoth Pool over the course of 2 or 3 days. Turned out to be very difficult and slow going and then a storm came in. The slept in a cave, left most the gear, and hiked out in heavy rain. Upon returning to retrieve gear a month or so later, much of it was mauled by bears. Leo said he's never seen so much bear sign as along the river down there.

Then there are Sean's stories about the mountain lions up river, and sleeping in portaledges with guns, out of fear.

Any signs of the abundant wildlife for you guys?

The big dome downriver, whatever ya'll want to call it, has been climbed plenty for years. :-X
« Last Edit: April 18, 2013, 10:30:16 pm by NateD »

NateD

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #24 on: April 18, 2013, 10:32:17 pm »
Ya know, the Low Sierra is fascinating. Many remote canyons to explore.

John

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #25 on: April 19, 2013, 06:02:49 am »
Confluence Dome and Dome Behind Confluence Dome from the South Fork Trail:


Clint Cummins

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #26 on: April 19, 2013, 03:15:11 pm »
Good point, Nate - the South Fork Trail ends a lot closer to Confluence Dome.
There is also the problem of usually only being able to cross the river in low water / fall.

We saw a few bear poops, some fisherman junk, and a bear also opened Bob's metal cache "can" (this resulted in a wet rope).
« Last Edit: April 19, 2013, 03:16:47 pm by Clint Cummins »

larsj

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #27 on: April 20, 2013, 05:28:16 pm »
Nice to see Confluence Domes Clint.  I took a trip out to the south side of Balloon Dome on road 6S02 then hit a trunk road out around Brown Cone to Cow Meadow. [about 15 years ago].  Camped in a clear cut just above the confluence of the South and Middle forks of the San Joaquin.
Would like to see what activity has transpired there.

lars

daniel banquo merrick

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #28 on: April 28, 2013, 09:52:47 am »
I believe this is looking up at what Clint called the Cat Wall. Mostly overhanging I think




NateD

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Re: Pics of Balloon Dome
« Reply #29 on: April 28, 2013, 03:21:36 pm »
Cool pics and impressive wall, Dan. From the following description by Sean Jones of the Cat Wall, (and Clint's aerial), sounds like it's significantly bigger and further upstream from your pics. FYI, Sean descended further north from you guys, from around Squaw Dome.

"But it took so much longer to reach the bottom than we expected, with all the bushwhacking and rappels, that we were committed to climbing back out by a new route. We scoped an obvious line up what looked to be a not-so-big wall and started climbing at 4:30 p.m., knowing darkness would be upon us by 7:30. The line goes directly up the center of the largest south-facing wall opposite Balloon Dome, but slightly upstream, thus taking us back toward our approach descent. We named this wall the “Cat Wall.” But cracks that looked open from the ground pinched down in places and didn’t all connect. Our sweet 5.9 simul-climb and jog to the beer store turned into a thin- at-times, run-out, 1,400' 5.11c. We had no bivy gear, extra food, or other way out, so we had to focus and keep pushing. We managed everything onsight and topped out at 10 p.m. on a moonless night. Wearing shorts and T-shirts, with fading headlamps and no extra batteries, we ditched our gear and bushwhacked uphill for four hours, worshipping the car like a god, when we finally found it, and drove home, arriving just before sunrise. We named the route Heaven and Hell. The route name fits the entire canyon."