Coffee Can Pinnacle: A Good Mystery?

[Brad Young]

In about 2004 I was working on The Gargoyle and Peidras Bonitas Cliff portion of the guidebook. These areas are toward the end of the East Side in the book (they're all on pages 142 - 144).

While out there I naturally looked for routes which had never been known or reported. I found the Valle de Baile stuff during my searching. Waldo later gave me the first ascent information for these climbs - and put me in touch with Holmgren for more details. While looking around then, I also saw a separate formation up on the ridge northeast of The Gargoyle (J.C. took this photo of it yesterday, against the skyline, looking over The Gargoyle):




I checked the pinnacle out then - I walked around it looking and third classed up onto an "obvious start ledge" to look around more. I even walked up to the summit just to the north - one can see down onto the larger formation's summit from there. There was no sign of any climbing activity. Nothing. I mentally marked the pinnacle though as an obvious, separate formation that had, apparently, never been summited. I told myself that someday I'd go back.

Well, yesterday was wet. So instead of climbing, the Inn Crowd went for a hike out the park fenceline from the West Side entrance. This brought it to the Piedras Bonitas Cliff area and I just had to check the pinnacle out again. Ron Skelton and I even moved up onto the obvious start ledge, and felt out some of the handholds. The rock seemed really good. John and Kathy checked out a summit just north of us too, and they took these photos from there:







I took photos also; from the ridge northwest of the formation:










It rained again last night. So things were wet this morning. But the sun was out and I thought the rock would dry some. I decided to attempt this summit, roped solo.

The ascent was easy; class three led up to the ledge, I moved 20 feet south and, near a weakness in the severe overhang, I placed a protection bolt (I belayed myself for this - the rock was so wet that I slung a stout manzanita on the other side of the pinnacle and tied in with the rope in case I slipped off while standing and drilling). A few steep, bouldery 5.8 moves over 35 feet of exposure then led to easy fifth class and the summit, 15 more feet away.

Naturally the first thing I did when I got there was look around. It's a fairly spacious and flat summit. I saw no immediate sign of any human presence: no bolts, no cairn, no anything. I looked more. Something about the rocks six feet north of where I topped out struck me. They weren't stacked, but they didn't look quite right either. I moved over for a look:







And then around to look closer, and, damn!!




I wasn't the first! A rusty old coffee can was well hidden under a rock:










Of course after my discovery, the next step was to open it. The questions were suddenly urgent: who'd been here before and when? How had they summited?

But the years had taken a toll on the can. The top was completely immobile with rust. I couldn't get the lid off! I tried several times, and with some force. But the lid was stuck completely fast; it wouldn't budge.

So I drilled the summit anchor (in bullet hard rock!). And I took a selfie to prove to my daughters that I am indeed modern:




And then I carefully tucked the can into my jacket for the rappel. I hiked it out. It's in the garage with my gear now. I'll open it in the morning in full light. It's weird though; it feels like all it contains is a rock. Maybe the size of a lemon. Something was rattling around inside the can every time I moved it. The can looked in relatively good shape in that it doesn't have any holes; but that's a lot of rust. Anyone have a guess how old it is? I'd say 1960s, anyway.

So will we learn anything when I open the can tomorrow (or break it trying)? Tune in to this same Bat station and we'll all find out.

P.S. Climberdude was out there too today, about 400 yards away, doing his own ground-up, roped solo first ascent (he's the one who suggested the name Coffee Can Pinnacle - which is the one that will stick unless there's some writing in the can giving it another name). Here are photos of Mark, low on his new route (on the bottom right of the light-colored slab in the low left corner of the photo):







See you all tomorrow, here again?

[JC w KC redux]

Well...isn't that special (and on a Sunday no less)
Kathy got this picture of me hiking out yesterday.
The legendary scowl - now even more pronounced with whiskers.
Not to mention that without the world's most digusting tennis visor there is plenty of available advertising space.

[Brad Young]

Well...isn't that special (and on a Sunday no less)
Kathy got this picture of me hiking out yesterday.
The legendary scowl - now even more pronounced with whiskers.
Not to mention that without the world's most digusting tennis visor there is plenty of available advertising space.



 

Great thread highjack!

Now I'm going to go to bed laughing (which you'll have to explain to Vicki).

[mungeclimber]

Cool historical find.


Curious, why the anchor to rap from after finding the route had been done?

[clink]

 Cool Brad.  

Curious, why the anchor to rap from after finding the route had been done?

 The pinnacle had been done, by which route? A guess would be with pitons up the left side of the patty, above the yellow spot of lichen. Probably did a pinns rappel.

 I saw a line on the far side not shown in the pic, whether the bulge will go or how the rock quality is TBD.


 JC, Harley Davidson should capitalize on that VACANT add space, while you are still sporting the goatee.

 A few of Harley's slogans(for you to demo);

 The Badder You Are, The Bigger the Gift

 Bring Out Your Dark Side

 For a Powerful Street Eating Machine

 Armed with Force

[Brad Young]

Curious, why the anchor to rap from after finding the route had been done?

I'd established a modern free climbing route and a modern anchor was appropriate.

And Jon, I looked and saw no signs of pitons. There were no old bolts either, not even quarter inch aid studs.

I think the earlier ascent was by a rope-throw and prussick; the bulge/ear-type formation on the uphill side (which I didn't see until I'd climbed it) can be seen from above. It would have been relatively easy to make a throw over this. The can was under a rock just above this ear-like feature, and don't forget that the first ascent of The Gargoyle, 100 yards downhill was done by the same method (rope throw and prussick) back in 1962. I wouldn't be surprised if the same party didn't just move uphill to climb this formation by the same method.

Here's the photo J.C. took from above which shows the feature I'm describing:

[Brad Young]

As expected - I opened the can and there was no usable information.

I used gloves to try removing the lid. But the twist quickly broke the can:







The contents included a rock (to hold the can down, even though they put a rock on top of it too?), a pencil and faint, faint scraps of paper:










I carefully unfolded and examined each piece of paper with 2x reading glasses. Nothing was discernible:







So we're left with a mystery. My guess is what I posted above. If it was done that way, we'd have two rope throw/prussick routes which would be close in distance, style and, given how old the can seems, time. Probably the same first ascent party too.

Let's leave the formation name as Coffee Can Pinnacle. The route needs a separate name though - there's at least one long line to be done still, the lowest angle face shown in the first photo in this thread. That might be a good line. It will certainly be long. And if that ever gets done? Well do we really need another "Original," or "Regular" route name for the route I did? No.

I've got an idea for the name. Since the formation name was suggested by another climber, let's let the route name come that way too:

Coffee Can Pinnacle - Your Ad Goes Here 5.8 (no stars; although the rock is really good, it doesn't have enough true fifth class climbing to get stars).

[clink]

Foreheadplay??

[mungeclimber]

Shame about the can contents, but not unexpected. The rope toss theory sounds as right as can be without more. Tfpu

[Brad Young]

Shame about the can contents, but not unexpected. The rope toss theory sounds as right as can be without more. Tfpu

A rope toss on this formation would have been easier than the rope toss on The Gargoyle (which was done from the top of a huge boulder, over the top of where Que Lastima goes now).

BTW, you, Munge, are you going to start making any appearances at Pinns any time soon?

[JC w KC redux]

As expected - I opened the can and there was no usable information.

Coffee Can Pinnacle - Your Ad Goes Here 5.8

I just got off the phone with Geraldo Rivera.

Capone's Canister

[JC w KC redux]

Speaking of mystery there seems to be a bit concerning the Gargoyle, Piedras Bonitas, Viva Zapatos Boulder and Valle del Baile.

Gruniga is literally not a word - is this The Grunt?

What a Shame seems like a weird name for a two star 10b. Maybe the good stuff was over too quick?

Where are these Pretty Rocks? Maybe this is a joke since no route was ever finished on this formation and the rotten overhanging faces are pretty hideous.

Long Live Shoes? Hmmm...maybe Jack and Bob's shoes were about to blow when they did that route and The Margin of Life.

Gajolotes is not a word either but Guajolotes is - meaning turkey, fool or idiot. This fits Pinnacles in multiple ways.

The other two translate to Dance of the Rebel and Dance of the Eagle. Both of those are pretty damn cool

[Brad Young]

^^^

These were distinctly Jack's names, and he was very careful in giving them to me (by multiple back and forth emails). And he was also clearly having fun with them too.

I may have mentioned how much I enjoyed communicating with him about this stuff? At one point, in one week I think I got 46 emails from him. He'd give me some details and I'd ask for more. A few hours later he'd email me again, claiming that I'd made him put on crampons to crawl down into his muddy basement to look for his notes. But I got the additional information.

After the book came out I had lunch with Jack in San Fransisco (I met him at his office after I had a business meeting there). It turned into something like a two hour event. A fantastic day.

[JC w KC redux]

Some things aren't meant to be known.
It's usually more fun to speculate about the meanings anyway.
Sometimes when you find out the true meaning it is less satisfying than what you imagined.
Viva Birdbrain 

[mynameismud]

While on the topics of the routes out there, can you make the correction on Dilemma and have it describe the correct start?  Start on a small boulder then move up and left into the water streak instead of move right into the water streak.

JC, I TR'd the long face of the big boulder and almost got it before a hold blew.  The climbing is quite hard but very entertaining.  Slightly overhanging, thin, loose, what is there not to like about it.  I did make it to the top but had one or two hangs.  It would be the obvious line to the right of Dilemma.  Good stuff out there for those that want some not so normal TR adventures.

[JC w KC redux]

While on the topics of the routes out there, can you make the correction on Dilemma and have it describe the correct start?  Start on a small boulder then move up and left into the water streak instead of move right into the water streak.

I guess the Czar will have to handle that request  

JC, I TR'd the long face of the big boulder and almost got it before a hold blew.  The climbing is quite hard but very entertaining.  Slightly overhanging, thin, loose, what is there not to like about it.  I did make it to the top but had one or two hangs.  It would be the obvious line to the right of Dilemma.  Good stuff out there for those that want some not so normal TR adventures.

Nice.
Hopefully clink will see this since he is the official TR guru.
If he can get the line clean - would it be okay if he claimed the FA credit for this one?  

[looks easy from here]

That's probably the least enthusiastic selfie I've ever seen.

But cool find.

[clink]

Haha.  He is the BOM

[Brad Young]

That's probably the least enthusiastic selfie I've ever seen.

I bitterly resemble that remark 

[Brad Young]

Haha.  He is the BOM

E.S.A.D.