What connects us to Southern Yosemite

[susan]

What draws you to Southern Yosemite?

Enjoyed reading Stephen McCabe's post on his initial attraction to the area, especially sparked by the article West Side Story. Also, am curious as a group what connections we may have in common, and who was drawn by impressions of the area given by this or another article or by who has been exploring here from long ago to date. For me, I remebered having read the article by Doug Robinson and Sean Jones on "the Hinterlands."

Most of all it turns out to be the freedom experienced here that draws me back again and again. The freedom has everything to do with the solitude, the lack of crowds...  How many times over the years climbing and camping elsewhere had I wondered what it must have been like to pull up to a beautiful view and just camp right there, the middle of anywhere.. enjoying an area without so many prohibitions.

What about for you?

[mungeclimber]

That's what drew me to the Nordern Hinterlands.

But my first exposure to the Southern realms was seeing Spencer's book in REI years and years ago. Then on a solo trip to Yosemite, I saw it still in print in the mtn shop. Quite glad to see it, I snatched it up for the dirt cheap price of $16.00.

But didn't actually get a chance to go out til Matt Schutz extended the invite to a gathering of the SSCA, where I met Ger and climbed with Torey V. and the crew on Chiquito. It was just a sampling of what was to come after meeting up with Mucci, Dave and you guys.

I'm still just getting my feet wet, but I'm enamored with the place, without question.

[susan]

First weekend we saw you out there, with the Lost Eagle crew at Gray, was a lot of fun. As were all of the visits that followed since then.

We've been to a few organized gatherings out there. One which I think we nearly missed at Lost Eagle that John tells me was SSCA-related, and later, one larger at Gray camp with Albert and the SYMG. At this latter gathering, the first night involved a small group. The next night, the group had grown to a point it separated into two campfires at the two separate camps nearby. One was quiet with a large group where one conversation seemed to occur at a time, while the other was loud with a lot of conversation erupting constantly, which was a lot of fun.

Just remembered that I otherwise first heard of the area through an environmental company I used to work for which sends biologists out there to do environmental studies for weeks on end. I would end up in conversations with some of them as to how much fun they would have, and had to answer questions why anyone would go to places like Yosemite Valley when a place like this exists. They would urge me to check it out, saying they saw climbers out there fairly often.

[DaveyTree]

I was introduced to climbing by a budy at Toll house. As soon as I finished my first TR I looked at him and asked where I buy gear. I branched out and have loved every aspect of growing in climbing. TR to lead to Yosemite to going to those places where you don't see another soul. I was inviteds by Graham Doe after I alled him for beta. Went to Shangrila and later a couple others. I am now in a place where solitude is key and FAs are my goal. The adventure keeps my heart pure and climbing is the only sport I have ever played where you think of nothing else when on the sharp end. With so much solitude and adventure in the local hills, it draws me when awake and asleep. Shuteye is one of those places.

[John]

I was introduced to climbing by a budy at Toll house. As soon as I finished my first TR I looked at him and asked where I buy gear.

Classic.

[susan]

Glad to read your post, DaveyTree! That is classic. I caught the climbing bug instantly too. Great to have a passion like this, that's for sure. Enjoyed especially where you write:

Adventure keeps my heart pure and climbing is the only sport I have ever played where you think of nothing else when on the sharp end.

  Yup!
 
 
 

[NateD]

I like that Davey touches upon what connects him to climbing in general, as well as SoYo.

When I was first introduced to climbing, it seemed like a natural progression from hiking in the mountains I so loved. Additionally, it felt safer than some of the scrambles on steep terrain where my father, brother and I would get in over our heads. I also enjoyed and excelled at art from a young age, and climbing was also such a creative process and challenge on a micro and macro scale. I got hooked pretty quick.

Getting out there on the big rocks and feeling really really small, while also feeling empowered is a cool thing. There are few activities, I reckon, where we can experience nature on such an intimate level, while also being overwhelmed with it's magnitude. The flow of the movement sticks in my memory for quite awhile, but simply being out there in these amazing places is even more rewarding.

My father in law grew up in North Fork, and decided to retire there (now Bass Lake). He drove us up Beasore to cool down and take in the sights. I was astonished at all the beautiful domes rising like ships out of the sea of trees. I found the Spencer guide in no time and visited the Balls in the mid 90s or so. Coming from about 6 years of climbing along the Wasatch Range in Utah and occasional jaunts to City of Rocks Idaho I was pretty wowed by next to never seeing another climber in SoYo, despite it's accessibility. This remote feel was pretty alluring.

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.)

[DaveyTree]

Nice Nate. Related to so much of that. Thanks all.

That freedom and fluid of movement is what I love. Figuring the moves with a simple hip twist or change of footing. The first time I climbed at Fresno Dome was with a couple guys who had many years climbing. One of them was leading and I commented at how smooth he appeared to be moving.His buddy told me something I have always remembered. -"Climbing should look like water flowing up hill."

[mungeclimber]

great quote Daveytree

[Jerry]

Enjoyed reading the responses to Susans original question. A bit of back ground on why  SoYo is so special and we love it so much. Since age will eventually catch up with me every route is special and I do feel time pressure as I start into the last half of my 60's.

I've been climbing longer than most (all?) of you have been alive. I started at Stoney Point in the San Fernando Valley in 1962 and was lucky enough that that was the winter area for the likes of Robbins, Chouinard, Frost, Lauria, Hennek, Boche, Higgins and Kamps among others. With those folks as mentors I felt confident enough to make my first summer in Yosemite 1965 and moved there for good in 1966.

I was never, and still am not, a bold climber and was satisfied with established climbs until New Years Day 1970. 22 years old, stupid and very drunk, Jim Pettigrew and I decided to do the first fa of the decade which resulted in the "The Caverns" at the Five Open Books area and a quick sober up 50 foot fall for me.

Yosemite was different then. Just a few climbers all striving to do their best and with one exception (who I won't mention) the competition was friendly. It was a new world then, if you could lead 5.9 people watched and 5.7 A-3 would get you up just about any big wall. I did Moby Dick with TM Herbert about 1966 and probably half the climbers in the Valley came to watch even though at the time there people like Pratt and Higgins 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 which brings me to Susans original question.

We discovered SoYo quite by accident in the late 80's or early 90's and fell in love! We could camp where we wanted, no people, certainly no Rangers, no BS, stellar rock and incredible beauty. Even though times have changed from the 60's, or even 80's, in regards to the use of bolts, rap bolting, how many routes on a formation etc SoYo is still, to this day, a place to go and just enjoy or find as much adventure as you want. I was impressed with John and Susan doing the "Plate Route" on Tempest Dome. No real topo, certainly no Supertopo, just look for the first bolt, hope for the best and go for it! Cool but I haven't got the nads for that anymore! 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!!

[NateD]

Great contribution, Jerry! Love the tidbits of history - a glimpse into the culture of Yosemite climbing.

SoYo is still, to this day, a place to go and just enjoy or find as much adventure as you want.

Perfect.

[Jerry]

Nate- I should have mentioned you along with John and Susan for bold. Lost Eagle was a real inspiration on doing routes in good style. Super job!!

[daniel banquo merrick]

Thanks Jerry, great post. I'm just finishing "Pilgrims of the Vertical: Yosemite Rock Climbers and Nature at Risk" by J. E. Taylor. It is basically a social history of Yosemite climbing and climbers. You might bid it interesting.

[NateD]

Golly, thanks Jerry, but I am no way in their league!

One thing that's so great about SoYo is the varied rock, allowing for all types of climbing from smooth slab to wide cracks to super featured faces. The latter just begs to be climbed and to me, always feels more secure than runout slab, so I don't consider myself terribly bold in heading up those faces. Not to say I haven't been scared at times, like most of us.

[daniel banquo merrick]

My first visit to the Southern Yosemite area was in 1972 when I was 15. My brother and I left Tuolumne Meadows on a 2 week backpacking trip to Devil's Postpile, and back the the valley. It rained every afternoon and evening which made things pretty miserable since we had down bags and no tent. We gave up and bailed to the Granite Creek campground where we hitched a ride from a Forest Service guy. While driving out of the mountains we listened to the weather report on his radio and since it sounded promising so we had him take us back. That ride in the USFS truck was my first view of the area, I loved it and vowed to return. We hiked up to Isberg Lake at 9800' for a rest day. The weather was good and we dried out and slept well. The second evening there it rained and we woke up to several inches of snow. Hypothermic and wet, we beat feet the 32 miles to Camp Curry. Helicopters worked all that day hauling frozen people out of the backcountry. The little Yosemite Valley was flooded and I recall being in chest deep water on the trail. The weather was perfect after that.

I did go back to the area after college and about when the Spencer guide came out I started climbing. I didn't have any partners or mentors, I simply bought gear, read books and went. I cajoled an unsuspecting non-climber friend into going with me and did my first lead at Boulder Garden Slabs.

You have to love the purple corduroy cutoff shorts. This was before I grew my hair long. I'm not sure about the pose but suspect I'm scratching mosquito bites.