Southern Yosemite Climbing Discussions
Southern Yosemite Categories => West of the San Joaquin River Canyon => Topic started by: John on May 28, 2013, 07:44:24 pm
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Memphis Blues - 11a
FA: Stephen McCabe, John Stoddard, Mary Ellen Lawrence, 10/1978
Pro: Thin to 4", long slings
Oh, the ragman draws circles
Up and down the block
I'd ask him what the matter was
But I know that he don't talk
And the ladies treat me kindly
And furnish me with tape
But deep inside my heart
I know I can't escape
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.
Bob Dylan, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
This climb is really outstanding.
Stephen McCabe said he has never heard a peep of feedback about this climb since they finished it in 1978 so I think it is long overdue for some exposure and praise.
Sue and I did a recon a while back this year and did pitches 1 through 3. The first pitch put up a hell of a fight with Sue and she had quite the bloody shoulder to prove it. We tend to always start too late on everything so we only got to P3 and had to bail since it was getting dark. From that recon we learned several things, like we were pleased to find that someone had rebolted P3 but I thought I saw old bolts on the rest of P4 and would want to come back prepared for some rebolting work.
We also agreed that we really really wanted to continue up the rest of the beautiful dike we were bailing from. It is gorgeous.
On this recent trip we came with rebolting gear but found that either I was mistaken about seeing the old bolts or someone had rebolted the rest of the route since we were last there. We were really happy to learn this but had to haul up a bundle of heavy rebolting crap for the rest of the route. Oh well, no big deal.
By the way, if you are the one who rebolted the route and are reading this, thank you for your hard work and excellent camo job on the hardware.
Here are some shots and simple descriptions since I don't want to give away too much information.
Here is a shot of Sue smoothly sending her second and much less bloody ascent of P1:
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g388/jhgodar/Public%20Pics/P1000330_zpsc025af70.jpg) (http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/jhgodar/media/Public%20Pics/P1000330_zpsc025af70.jpg.html)
P1 does require some 3-4" gear and the more the merrier. We considered lowering off some bigger pieces since we assumed that the rest of the climb was mostly face but we found that at least one 3" and one 4" would have been fine for above, but really only for P2.
Here is Sue following P2:
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g388/jhgodar/Public%20Pics/P1000335_zps897fd398.jpg)
There is crack the entire way but you can't see it in the photo. You link thin flakes to reach an arching wide crack that leads to the "Mobile Ledge". P2 is pretty hard for "5.8"
Here is P3:
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g388/jhgodar/Public%20Pics/P1000350_zps092e7ab6.jpg) (http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/jhgodar/media/Public%20Pics/P1000350_zps092e7ab6.jpg.html)
P4 from the first bolt:
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g388/jhgodar/Public%20Pics/P1000354_zpsd2b5f7d6.jpg) (http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/jhgodar/media/Public%20Pics/P1000354_zpsd2b5f7d6.jpg.html)
This is the last half of P5:
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g388/jhgodar/Public%20Pics/P1000379_zps7a52b46b.jpg) (http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/jhgodar/media/Public%20Pics/P1000379_zps7a52b46b.jpg.html)
Looking back from the second crux of P6 (not a good shot, except for the pretty girl):
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g388/jhgodar/Public%20Pics/P1000385_zpscd0c96e9.jpg) (http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/jhgodar/media/Public%20Pics/P1000385_zpscd0c96e9.jpg.html)
P7:
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g388/jhgodar/Public%20Pics/P1000386_zps06637a07.jpg) (http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/jhgodar/media/Public%20Pics/P1000386_zps06637a07.jpg.html)
We started to do P7 and decided to not commit to the runout section and instead bail from here to our bags and headlamps that we left on the ground. You can get to the P2 anchor from here with two 70m ropes, but I am not positive about with two 60's. Very likely though.
This climb does have several, long and runout do-not-fall sections on reasonable ground, each about 40', and that goes for leader and follower so there ya go. It is otherwise safe at all cruxes since there is smooth slab below every one and nothing to hit. And with the new bolts, what do you have to worry about?
We really enjoyed how the trajectory of each pitch allows the leader and belayer to see and hear each other for the full shared experience and some great potential photos too.
This climb is beautiful in every way and we were in total awe and respect for the FAists after we did it. They should be very proud of what they left and perhaps this thing can get some more love after all these years.
We would highly recommended checking it out.
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Eye popping!
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Wow, looks grand! A mini Karma of sorts. Good going!
I look forward to more details.
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http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=230752
That first photo of the ST TR link does look similar.
Memphis Blues is a stunning climb. Felt an overwhelming thrill even following the traversing pitches. Some moments gave me serious pause. Airy positions, beautiful sweeping views of rock enroute,.. made for a very memorable and rewarding day.
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I just checked out the link. Wow, it does have a Karma look to it!
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Hey, just read your updated TR above - very nice!
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"do not fall"
"otherwise safe"
LOL
I love ShutEye!
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"do not fall"
"otherwise safe"
LOL
I love ShutEye!
Oxymoron maybe? Like jumbo shrimp? Military intelligence? Pretty ugly?
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Thought I'd insert this little bit from Stephen McCabe regarding the route/FA:
"In spite of the wandering, I think it is a very high quality route. Every pitch is interesting, with some challenge. The second pitch is fine, but is the lowest quality. We put bolts close to anything we thought was harder than 5.9. There are runouts on 5.8. We kept in mind followers too in placing bolts. The crux is fairly close to but not right next to bolts. There is a bolt before and after the crux so the follower is protected too. The follower should be a pretty solid climber too because of the traverses, but it's not bad. A party of 3 could have a weaker climber in the middle who could ask for a back belay too on the 4th, 5th and 6th pitches, but that might be overdoing the safety procedures.
We mixed bolts so we didn't have bolts from the same batch at the same belay. We may have had one long and one short bolt at each belay. Probably no 2 bolts in a row were from the same batch. We color coded the hangers so no two in a row were from the same batch. Our shoes were EBs on the first ascent.
The last bolt before the crux was placed by John standing one foot in an aider attached to a lousy pin (since removed with little effort) and the other foot on a hold. On one of the bolts on the last pitch John had one foot on an aider on a hook and the other on a hold. All of the rest of the 24 bolts were placed on stances on the lead. There is one fixed pin on the 5th pitch, so you might take a hammer, if it hasn't been been hammered on for 30 years."
Was the fixed pin still there, John?
Hopefully Stephen will visit this site, and who knows, maybe he got out there and replaced the bolts, like he did on the Big Sleep. (But I reckon you've been in touch, JG.)
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Thanks Nate. Great info you added! The piton is still there and looked to be in pretty-good shape to me. Another thank you to whoever rebolted this route!
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Here is a photo of the topo for Memphis Blues from Stephen McCabe and also includes the Sword of Damocles left and right, too:
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g388/jhgodar/Public%20Pics/memphisbluestopo_zps8d4c298d.jpg) (http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/jhgodar/media/Public%20Pics/memphisbluestopo_zps8d4c298d.jpg.html)
This topo seems to have retained all of it's detail and scale when it was redrawn for Mark Spencer's Southern Yosemite guide which is really difficult to do.
By the way, the "dead tree" has finally fallen down but the stump can still be seen from the base. Now armies of crazed fire ants rule that ledge so you have been warned.
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Way to go John. The 5.11 always scared me off.
I posted some pics in the other D Dome thread.
lars
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Nice work you 2!
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Thanks - we had a lot of fun!
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Great job John and Sue. That looks like a ton of fun. How was the approach? I have heard that getting to the base can be the biggest challenge.
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Aaron, Thanks!
Though what happens at Disappearing stays at Disappearing. Quid pro quo?
Ahh, just kid'n. :)
It IS a bit of a hike out to the base if you park where you maybe parked for Balloon, but also very do-able. One to 1-1/2 hours??? Depending... John?
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Whoa, 1-1.5 hrs.? There's a shorter way (not that I've done it).
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There are a maze of roads back there, so I wouldn't be able to describe it w/out guaranteeing getting someone lost. Not sure those who showed us a better way will be ok with posting that either.
We've hiked the long way a couple of times, and it probably wouldn't take anyone else that long. We were exploring, and distracted, checking out the views and wandering more than one path... so maybe an average time could be much faster.
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That's about right Susan. From the Balloon Dome overlook it's about an hour. I'm kind of slow though.
lars
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Regarding the approach, and assuming one knew the most efficient route to take, I vote that it takes about 45 minutes from the Balloon Dome overlook parking. We have traversed the hillside doing a very direct approach from there and that was really slow moving, like 1 to 1.5 easily.
The trick turned out to be ascending the hillside from the car very early on and maneuver through the manzanita the best you can and then traverse the hillside at the treeline above the cliff band the rest of the way. That lands you at the upper left end of the base. Very beautiful approach once you find a good path through the manzanita. Someone put up a few cairns around there, maybe Lars?
The other approach is about 20+ mins, but difficult to describe. We were shown it and I remember thinking I would never ever had found that way on my own and returned solely on mental notes for recognizing the way.
And by the way, the name Disappearing Dome comes from a story about early explorers out there getting lost and we also quickly learned it is really, really easy to get disoriented in that forest around the dome. We got super lost once so don't get cocky like we did!
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John and Susan,
Thank you very much for doing the route and your kind feedback! We liked Memphis Blues but didn't know what others would think. I had done a route, roped solo, where I had placed two bolts. I might have to see if I can find my list of first ascents, but I think Memphis Blues was the next route I placed a bolt on. So the first on the route was probably my third bolt and I think that's where I taught John to place bolts. The only person we knew about on that section of the forest that the Forest Service considered for possible rescue work was a non-climber "rappeller". So it felt like an adventure to us. John and I went back later and did a continuous ascent for the second ascent. Thank you to whoever replaced the bolts.
Stephen McCabe
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Stephen,
"So it felt like an adventure to us." Sure felt like one to me too. If you ask me, it's a route that maintains a sense of adventure for future ascents.
It's a treasure to hear all the information you can relay. It is always interesting to hear of some history of a climb and get to imagine what it really must have been like on the first ascents. Particularly enjoy hearing how a line was originally discovered, or the 'AhHa' moments that make it happen, especially when it turns into something so good.
It is clear that it is very thoughtfully put up. So, thanks to you, and your partners. I seem to be saying this a lot lately, but it truly is classic.
Susan
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Stephen,
I echo Susan's remarks on the history front, and would also find it interesting to know how you guys first came to climb at Disappearing, esp. as you were likely the first to do so. Were you out exploring logging roads or doing reconnaissance hikes? Analyzing topo maps? Aerial photos? Were you inspired to explore the region by hearing about it from any other climbers/mountaineers?
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I had the choice of working another year cleaning toilets at Hodgdon Meadows and Crane Flat or being a firefighter on Sierra National Forest. The Ascent article, "West Side Story" was in my mind, so I asked someone who had driven out there if there really was all that rock out there. They described the view from Mile High Curve and that sealed the deal. It is a long story, but because I'm a vegetarian, I almost got stuck in North Fork, instead of the Minarets Work Station, but I finally did get assigned to the MWS.
Every day off I would drive or go 4 wheelin' (ha) the logging roads in my blue '68 VW squareback trying to figure out how to get close to various domes from Shuteye to the Balls. The lone other climber on the staff, Jeff, was a gymnast too, so that seemed promising in terms of getting a partner. After months I finally convinced him to go to an outcrop right by the road that turned out to have lousy rock. Later my girlfriend and her friend came up and we did a 5.6 slab that I don't know if I could find again ("Gerri's delight"), tried something in the center of Chiquito Dome that turned out to have been done before and was harder than they wanted to do. We turned back at some fixed pitons. We did (note reference to Midsummer Night's Dream) Nick Bottom (5.6) on Jackass Rock, which was fun, but not special. Gerri and Jan then went back to their summer of backpacking, the "Grand Trek".
With Jeff I did Puck on Jackass Rock that had a great section of crack climbing on the first pitch at 5.9+ that someone on-line later rated 5.10. But that was it for Jeff, one good climb and he was done. I wasn't sure if at dusk, I almost grabbed a rattlesnake as we were finishing up or maybe it was just a branch by the ground, but I no longer had a partner.
I had heard that one could solo with jumars as long as one backed it up with knots in the rope periodically. I tried to lead a climb like that with loop after loop of rope dangling below me. It was hopeless, so I went around back and top-roped what turned out to be a 5.10 crack on poor quality rock. I never reported it because of the decomposing rock, but it may have been at what was later called the Letters to Paul area.
One day I climbed a huge pine tree using sketchy forest service tree climbing equipment and rapped back down. I was getting frustrated by a lack of climbing with all the granite around, so that day (or the next?) I went out to West Fuller Butte and started up a fourth class pitch, un-roped, to the base of a chimney. So I anchored at the bottom and climbed unprotected, with some 5.8 about 70-80' up the chimney, where it pinched off to a finger crack. In hindsight, a bolt in the chimney would be good. I placed the first protection gear in before I came completely out of the chimney and then finished up the second half of the pitch with some protection. I had abandoned the idea of soloing with jumars and decided I would only use figure eight knots tied in periodically. I'd give myself about 15' of slack, climb until the rope was almost tight, tie in again with 15' of slack and untie the first knot. The climb changed to face climbing for the second pitch and I kept giving myself more and more slack. At about 60' out from the belay with no other gear in besides the belay, I was looking at a 5.8 or 5. 9 face move. At this point, I really regretted saving weight by not bringing a bolt kit and wondered why it was that from the ground it looked like a much, much shorter and easier section of face climbing. After a fair while of looking and pondering, discretion suggested a retreat. It was delicate slow business down-climbing and retying they knots as I went. I rapped off the belay, and the next day came back and on the face pitch, chipped away at the rock to place my first bolt half way to the crux and my second-ever bolt before the move. With the bolt close by the move seemed casual, though I went back and forth for the guidebook about giving it a 5.8 or 5.9. I finished up the second and third pitches with no more bolts, but with good gear anchors. It was spooky that Gerri, 200 miles away, had dreamt of me being nervous in high places that the night I climbed the tree with bad gear and down climbed 60' of face climbing. The climb was "Easy Wind" after the song with the lyrics, "Chippin up rocks for the Great Highway". Well, I've rambled on too long...
S. McCabe
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Love the background, Stephen!
Post up more anytime. I know well the feeling of being out there all alone, desperate to climb something on all the rock everywhere.
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wondered why it was that from the ground it looked like a much, much shorter and easier section of face climbing.
love it!
hahaha
more more!
so, how many years did you have the place, almost literally, to yourself?
must have been driving you batshit crazy not to have a reliable partner nearby at that point.
:o
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Nate and Munge,
Thanks.
In the late 70s, early 80s climbers visited so little that I never saw anybody climbing out there, except us. I'll try to write more later in the week.
Stephen
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This is great stuff Stephen! I really hope you have more stories like these.
I totally understand your mentions of feeling truly alone out there on your adventures but can't even imagine what doing solo climbs out there 20-30+ years ago would be like. Sheesh.
Thanks for all of it!
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Stephen, Very much enjoyed reading your post yesterday morning while having coffee on the ridge, thanks to a surprising bit of spotty reception.
Will be so cool to remember your story while checking out Easy Wind sometime.
Here is a ST reference to the West Side Story:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=937441&msg=1001288 (http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=937441&msg=1001288)
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Glad you posted a link to that thread, Susan. As you can see, when that article was first shared on ST, it really got me thinking and asking about it's potential influence on climbers with a penchant for exploration back then. Cool to see it got your imagination fired up as well, Stephen.
Even when the Spencer guide came out years later, even though it didn't draw many new climbers to the area, as feared by some, it was one of those wonderful early guides that revealed more untravelled rock than existing routes on the simple topos. It raised more questions than supplied answers.
It's amazing to think about how many more avenues there are these days to share info and stories about the places where we play our little climbing game. And how less is more when it comes to enhancing adventure.
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Nate, true words.
Even when routes get into a print publication, some stuff is wildly unobvious.
Sometimes it's the photos that draw attention.
Sometimes the merest suggestion of a brushthwack will leave some at the crags close to the road.
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Aaron, Thanks!
Though what happens at Disappearing stays at Disappearing. Quid pro quo?
Ahh, just kid'n. :)
It IS a bit of a hike out to the base if you park where you maybe parked for Balloon, but also very do-able. One to 1-1/2 hours??? Depending... John?
Ouch! OK I deserved that! I will post up on Balloon and Courtright.
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Aaron, I really was just play'n, vollying one back at you. There's no tit-for-tat. Please don't feel pressured to divulge anything you or your partners rather not.
Am curious how was it at Courtright?
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HOT DAMN!
this thread has leggs up to the armpits...
Bravo on the adventure J + S! That route looks stellar, yet a touch out of my zone.
Stephen, great to hear your stories about your new routing, that is what I like the most in climbing....
The History.
New to drilling and putting up Memphis on stance....Whoa!
Hope to meet up with everybody soon!
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I found the original Easy Wind topo and it has the Zephyr topo with it. I couldn't decide if Easy Wind was 5.8 or 5.9, probably 5.9.
For Zephyr, my wife went on the long, tiring, hot hike to the base. Then she sat patiently in the sun belaying me placing bolts and on the 3 foot wide, weird undercling. Eventually, as I was feeling sorry for her, said she was too hot to climb and to just leave her there to eat fried marmots...
I figured it wouldn't be too hard at the end of the undercling, but I was tired and the climbing was awkward. If I'd had a #4 or #5 friend, it would have been fine. I finally wormed my way into a place I could place some protection and finished the climb.
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Fried marmot, eh?
Love it!! It really can get excruciating on hot rock in the sun.
Can you scan and share the topo?
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What is the best way to post photos or a photo of the topo? I attached it and that's how it came out.
Stephen
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John discusses posting photos here:
http://southernyosemiteclimbing.com/SMF/index.php?topic=26.0
The topo you posted is pretty small and hard to read even when I download the original. A bigger image would be much appreciated.
(http://danielmerrick.com/SOYO_photos/marmot.jpg)
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(http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y464/Dudleya1/SMc%20climbing/zephyreasywind_zps308628f4.jpg) (http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/Dudleya1/media/SMc%20climbing/zephyreasywind_zps308628f4.jpg.html)
I loved the Marmot cookbook image. Let's see if my pasting in from photobucket with a larger image works.
Stephen
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(http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y464/Dudleya1/SMc%20climbing/zephyreasywindphoto_zps2c101cfa.jpg) (http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/Dudleya1/media/SMc%20climbing/zephyreasywindphoto_zps2c101cfa.jpg.html)
Easy Wind is on the flake on the upper tier in the center. My topo shows the 5.8 after getting out of the chimney and thus there is some pro. The topo copied into the Spencer guide might make you think the 5.8 is in the chimney. Zephyr is to the left. To the fairly far right is a two pitch unnamed route that Jacob Miller and I did about 2 years ago. It follows thin cracks to the little bush at the far right of the yellow and grey roof. Unnamed is ok, but Zephyr and Easy Wind are better.
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Many of those trees look more like bushes in that photo and alters the scale of it all. That is a lot of rock right there.
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Knockin' on Heaven's Door topos are on the Disappearing Dome pics thread.
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"Fried marmot" and the marmot cookbook photo keep cracking me up.