Quest for Mud (Special Edition)

[clink]

Thanks for leaving the somewhat unique anchor and doing the restoration work. 

[JC w KC redux]

Thanks for leaving the somewhat unique anchor and doing the restoration work.  

You know it dude. The anchor wasn't in a good location to reuse the hole.
There also seems to be a contingent that likes to see some of the old stuff left for posterity.
If anyone leads the route they will be very glad to see the replacement modern hardware.
The FA party cut the pointy ends off the nails on the star dryvins. Not sure why.

[mynameismud]

Cool pic of the Condor.

Nice looking route.

[JC w KC redux]

Here are the old lead bolts from Doodlin' Dody.
The one with the shorter nail was the top bolt that slid out with fingers after driving the tuning fork under it.
Notice the pointy ends of the nails are cut off both of them. Different hangers too.

[Brad Young]

^^^

Keep up your good work and we won't have any reason to be afraid at Pinnacles anymore (well, sorta).

[JC w KC redux]

^^^
Keep up your good work and we won't have any reason to be afraid at Pinnacles anymore (well, sorta).

Fear the Walking Mud  

I think the best we can hope for on a lot of the old routes is to get a feeling of security similar to what the first ascentionists may have experienced when they finally placed a bolt.
Of course that usually only happens after you've nearly soiled yourself  

[Brad Young]

...that usually only happens after you've nearly soiled yourself

Reminds me of the time Forrest and I retreated from twelve pitches up the Pacific Ocean Wall in a storm...

[F4?]

Cutting the points off of the nails makes sense....that little point might split the whole rock...

[mungeclimber]

Here are the old lead bolts from Doodlin' Dody.
The one with the shorter nail was the top bolt that slid out with fingers after driving the tuning fork under it.
Notice the pointy ends of the nails are cut off both of them. Different hangers too.

Shazbat!

[NOAL]

I think the best we can hope for on a lot of the old routes is to get a feeling of security similar to what the first ascentionists may have experienced when they finally placed a bolt. 

Just think they had no sticky rubber climbing shoes, cams, passive pro, modern harnesses,  super stretchy ropes, and most likely used a hip belay.

Notice the pointy ends of the nails are cut off both of them. Different hangers too. 

Makin' shorties.

[JC w KC redux]

I spent the day yesterday torquing bolts on 3 new routes (22 bolts total) and putting the final touches on the new routes we did last week. I removed the old split shafts and patched the holes from the abandoned route (dubbed Hairy Pothead and the Half Drilled Bolts) by clink. If we lived in olden times he would be clink the Clever.

Here is the upper bolt they used to bail from.
You can just barely see the split showing from this angle (there is a little debris in the spllt).





Here is another view from the opposite side and you can see how bad the surface and cratering was.

I noticed that the end of the stud was a bit bunged up but the nut came off without a problem and I was able to remove the hanger and the tat and get the puller tool situated.








After a couple turns there was a fairly loud pop and the bolt slid out/fell out with no more wrenching.

Here is how much of the bolt was actually in the rock.




I pulled the lower bolt in the same fashion and there was no pop. Just a few turns and the bolt fell out.

Just for fun I checked the hole depths before patching them and neither of the bolts was under-driven.
Why did they drill such shallow holes?
Why did they abandon the route?
Some things aren't meant to be known.
One thing is for sure. There are now two really fun, long, well protected routes on good rock below Old Route. Old Route is also well worth doing - the moves are fun and the rock is really good.

I added chains to the anchor for Endeavor to Persevere.

When I was done with Crocodile Crag I went over to The Love Handles and torqued all the bolts on Muffin Top.
If you haven't done Muffin Top - take a walk over next time you're at the Sisters and give the holds a squeeze 

Here is the tallest Crocodile Snout. I noticed there are some excellent views of the routes on The Hatchet and Ridge Rock from the anchors for the new climbs. It would be a good spot to get photos of someone climbing either of those routes.

[F4?]

Bolt looked good, except the threads.

[JC w KC redux]

Bolt looked good, except the threads.

I hung on it - but no bouncy bouncy (for beanolar) 

[beanolar]

I like the spacing on those bolts!!!!
John u must have 9 lives for all the bounce tests on crud that you've survived...

[JC w KC redux]

Hey, did you do The Overlook?!

Yes and it was fun. On the way back we climbed down and into/through the tree where the 4th class section is. The ledge starts right there. We also did Chamber of Secrets and N Goal Post Shortcut (the short version).

Kat follows the ramp on The Overlook. Hidden Pinnacle is in the center in the background. It may become Lost Pinnacle one day when the tree falls.





From the Overlook we could see the dude. The dude abides.





And later in the day I did my favorite type of climbing...(part 1 The Chamber of Secrets)

[mungeclimber]

curious, why remove the abandoned bolts/patch?

(maybe it was posted elsewhere and I didn't see it?)

[Brad Young]

curious, why remove the abandoned bolts/patch?

(maybe it was posted elsewhere and I didn't see it?)

My view is that it's no different than cleaning up litter; junk that is now definitely going to remain unused (J.C. did the removal, but both of us agreed while we are doing the new routes that it was the correct thing to do).

Does that make sense?

[clink]

curious, why remove the abandoned bolts/patch?

Eminent Domain. No, the two half drilled bolts (with possibly slung knobs) and the second bolt had bail tat slung on it, were abandoned and crisscrossed what continued into two separate routes. The first route went to the right of the first bolt and split left of the second bolt up a face. The seond route shares the first 30(?) feet then continues past the old second bolt placement over a bulge to the top.
 
 We did find a large comb buried in the dirt at the base. The first group there may have been more interested in being photogenic than drilling bolts to depth and finishing routes.

[mungeclimber]

My view is that it's no different than cleaning up litter; junk that is now definitely going to remain unused (J.C. did the removal, but both of us agreed while we are doing the new routes that it was the correct thing to do).

Does that make sense?

Was looking for the particular reason on this route, not the general reason. Picking up someone or some entity's things after a period of time is not objectionable, per se, but as a pattern I would like to know why on each route. For example I wouldn't want someone removing my Ridge Rock lead bolts just because it doesn't look like it has been sent. A proper reason might be because my bolts go up and into a concave face with pink rotten rock above that is overlaid with a layer of moss with other signs of ascent. Pulling old bolts and patching them over (even though they look highly suspect) can hide a history of someone's interest in a high difficulty ascent, perhaps ground up, perhaps by pure stance.

JC's post doesn't give the details. Probably because he's very familiar with it already and has seen the reasons. Those of us behind a monitor haven't.

[mungeclimber]

Eminent Domain. No, the two half drilled bolts (with possibly slung knobs) and the second bolt had bail tat slung on it, were abandoned and crisscrossed what continued into two separate routes. The first route went to the right of the first bolt and split left of the second bolt up a face. The seond route shares the first 30(?) feet then continues past the old second bolt placement over a bulge to the top.
 
 We did find a large comb buried in the dirt at the base. The first group there may have been more interested in being photogenic than drilling bolts to depth and finishing routes.

Thx Clink! Figured it was proto-selfie soloist behavior!