Pins Sunday

[looks easy from here]

Yeah, it was a pretty full value day. Started East Side at 10 am, and decided to not start Solotero Pina Especial at 4:38 (sunset was at 4:51, and though we both had headlamps neither of us were particularly interested in pushing that hard to finish the formation).

Mud Diamond's "unlikely-looking bulge" was great. Here's Mud in Your Eye and Top of the Mudding were all great-both steep and sustained at their grade for most of the route (and the rock in both so cold that we lost all feeling in our hands halfway up both lines). We called shenanigan's on the moves to Mudster's Ball's first bolt and TR'd the sucker (we weren't super big fans of any of the knobs leading to it and both thought it might deserve an R). The couple harder moves off the ground on Bathing Beauty made the rest of the romp up the arete all the more rewarding. Squeaky Clean Mud was fully dripping, so it became a stemmer's delight with a slight grade bump and the mantra "Don't pull on anything wet, don't step on anything wet, don't fall on anything wet!"

As an added bonus across the board all the routes were remarkably clean and solid for being so new. Not sure how much of that was scouting, and how much was cleaning, but either way we were both appreciative of efforts on both fronts. The only major bit of exfoliation we got all day was on Bathing Beauty as I tried to move around the arete and a frisbee-sized piece of veneer came off under my foot. Fortunately I had 3 other good points of contact, so I didn't follow it.

TL;DR-fun day, thanks for all the work.  

[JC w KC redux]

Mud Diamond
Here's Mud in Your Eye
Top of the Mudding
Mudster's Ball's
Bathing Beauty
Squeaky Clean Mud

As an added bonus across the board all the routes were remarkably clean and solid for being so new. Not sure how much of that was scouting, and how much was cleaning, but either way we were both appreciative of efforts on both fronts.

thanks for all the work.  

Looks like you hit some choice routes. Mud Diamond, Squeaky and Here's MIYE were all really clean to begin with and such a pleasure to work on. Too bad you didn't get the full enjoyment from either because of the cold and or wet but it sounds like you still had a good time. I was surprised to hear you guys even went out there after all that rain and the shady locations of so many of the routes. It truly was the summer of mud.

As to Mudster's - I wanted it to be a total departure from Here's MIYE so it's no wonder you didn't try it cold and wet.

I'm guessing Summer of Mud was absolutely soaking and it is dirty and mossy - too low angle to even attempt to clean it up - just a fun romp.

Speaking of that - I don't quite recognize where your buddy is in the second picture. Did you guys go up that grassy section of chute that is up from the upper part of Summer of Mud? I see your stuff down below which looks like it might be near (a little uphill) from the start of Bathing beauty. Funny how stuff can look so different from different angles.

[JC w KC redux]

Steve was flying up it. He drilled 3 of the 4 bolts. Fun route to find and it was warm in the sun, mostly moss free. Perfectly Pinns day. Any pics JC?

First glimpse of lasher drilling bolt 3

[JC w KC redux]

You two are a hardy team. Cool pics.

Agreed...and funnier than Laurel and Hardy  

NOAL and I need to do a route and call it Burly and Girly's Excellent Adventure

[NOAL]

interesting drop zone start

Drop zone? Did someone deposit something at the base?

[JC w KC redux]

Drop zone? Did someone deposit something at the base?

It's not a full body fall like Maniac's but it was still a slightly scary lean over for the first bolt - you can't just walk over and clip it.

Hoffa may be down there  

[mynameismud]

Drop zone? Did someone deposit something at the base?

yes, it takes a mind like yours to see the humor.

[JC w KC redux]

yes, it takes a mind like yours to see the humor.

Most or all of the holds are probably down there too from the free attempts.

[looks easy from here]

Looks like you hit some choice routes. Mud Diamond, Squeaky and Here's MIYE were all really clean to begin with and such a pleasure to work on. Too bad you didn't get the full enjoyment from either because of the cold and or wet but it sounds like you still had a good time. I was surprised to hear you guys even went out there after all that rain and the shady locations of so many of the routes. It truly was the summer of mud.

As to Mudster's - I wanted it to be a total departure from Here's MIYE so it's no wonder you didn't try it cold and wet.

I'm guessing Summer of Mud was absolutely soaking and it is dirty and mossy - too low angle to even attempt to clean it up - just a fun romp.

Speaking of that - I don't quite recognize where your buddy is in the second picture. Did you guys go up that grassy section of chute that is up from the upper part of Summer of Mud? I see your stuff down below which looks like it might be near (a little uphill) from the start of Bathing beauty. Funny how stuff can look so different from different angles.

We knew what we were in for, we dressed for it, and we're "roll with it" kinda guys, so I was all a ball. If anything the conditions just added more to the story of the day.

Given the choice between the two, I'm glad you chose to better protect HMIYE. It was a much more fun route and I'm glad I was able to lead it properly. And Mudster's ran fine as a TR off HMIYE's anchor with it's (Mudster's) top bolt as a directional.

Summer of Mud was nice and mellow, warm(ish) catching some low angle sun, UNTIL I hit the slot in the headwall where the angle picks up a bit and it became completely soggy and crummy. 

My cousin's scrambling up the chute that leads to East Side's first bolt. Just Chute Me lies 2 troughs behind him.

Full tally for the day, we both climbed all your new lines, plus East Side, full break down (iirc): me-9 leads, 2 seconds, 2 TRs, cousin-5 leads, 6 seconds, 2 TRs (his all in approach shoes!  ). 6 months of JC's work=1 day of lefh's climbing. 

[JC w KC redux]

We knew what we were in for, we dressed for it, and we're "roll with it" kinda guys, so it was all a ball. If anything the conditions just added more to the story of the day.

Given the choice between the two, I'm glad you chose to better protect HMIYE. It was a much more fun route and I'm glad I was able to lead it properly. And Mudster's ran fine as a TR off HMIYE's anchor with it's (Mudster's) top bolt as a directional.

Summer of Mud was nice and mellow, warm(ish) catching some low angle sun, UNTIL I hit the slot in the headwall where the angle picks up a bit and it became completely soggy and crummy. 

My cousin's scrambling up the chute that leads to East Side's first bolt. Just Chute Me lies 2 troughs behind him.

Full tally for the day, we both climbed all your new lines, plus East Side, full break down (iirc): me-9 leads, 2 seconds, 2 TRs, cousin-5 leads, 6 seconds, 2 TRs (his all in approach shoes!  ). 6 months of JC's work=1 day of lefh's climbing. 

Thanks for clearing that question up and for the feedback - looking at it now makes total sense, especially since he is carrying the rope.
Man I bet Call of the Crud and Summer of Mud were kinda hairy with all that slickee. SOM is actually really fun through that part when it is dry. I really liked the way it turned out albeit easy.
How did you guys like Bottoms Up? No one else has led that but me.

[looks easy from here]

That explains why there wasn't a nice line to follow through the lichen to the summit. 

The traverse with the ground dropping out from underneath was cool, as were the moves past the second bolt and up into the saddle (and, unlike Mudster's, I liked the slingable knob there  ). Past the rap anchor I ended up working way out to the right along a lower angle shelf and some big knobs before moving up to the ring bolt, but for the downclimb I stayed right in line with the rope down the arete. You can see the features I followed well in this pic:



Overall it was fun, but the ringbolt+belayed downclimb seemed a bit overcomplicated relative to the rest of the climb, and almost seemed to break it up into two too-short pitches. Though I understand the logic of not wanting to put a rap anchor right over a rap anchor.

[JC w KC redux]

That explains why there wasn't a nice line to follow through the lichen to the summit. 

The traverse with the ground dropping out from underneath was cool, as were the moves past the second bolt and up into the saddle (and, unlike Mudster's, I liked the slingable knob there  ). Past the rap anchor I ended up working way out to the right along a lower angle shelf and some big knobs before moving up to the ring bolt, but for the downclimb I stayed right in line with the rope down the arete. You can see the features I followed well in this pic:

Overall it was fun, but the ringbolt+belayed downclimb seemed a bit overcomplicated relative to the rest of the climb, and almost seemed to break it up into two too-short pitches. Though I understand the logic of not wanting to put a rap anchor right over a rap anchor.

I climbed slightly left of the anchor straight up the arete along what I perceived as the line of least resistance. Do you think we should alter the description? Brad hasn't climbed it yet. Going way out right sounds scary and exposed - sounds like you found another way. I agree that it does feel like a short upper pitch since you get a topping out feeling in the notch. I did a single ring for belayed downclimb because it felt so easy and you're right - another rap anchor seemed excessive. I was just going to end it at the anchor but clink wanted me to go all the way to the summit. He hasn't climbed it either 

[looks easy from here]

My way was definitely exposed and licheny, but not too loose, and only 3rdish class, and by "way out right" I really only meant 20' or so; I headed up around the two big lodestones (one right over the other) to the left of the trough that splits the face in the last pic I posted.

Re: the description, it seems fine to me. Anyone with the sense of adventure to get out to Crud & Mud to climb a route that isn't in the book, with the important info already listed (ringbolt+downclimb), will probably have the wherewithal to pick their own line the rest of the way. And it's not like you're in a tenuous position when you have to choose-you can spend all day lounging in the saddle deciding which way looks best.

And, despite the convolutions that resulted, I'm glad clink pressured you to run it to the top. It's a cool little summit, and the more I think about it the more I like that it presents a little different challenge from most other routes.

[clink]

Lot of sun forecast for Pinns this weekend.

[F4?]

Mid week as well for some.

[clink]

Mid week as well for some.

 The jealousy rages that some have been climbing during this sunny weather while I am finishing up outside work.

[JC w KC redux]

The jealousy rages that some have been climbing during this sunny weather while I am finishing up outside work.

Don't be envious.
We got rained out today and it looks like the same for tomorrow.
We drove all the way to Soledad without a drop.
As soon as we headed into the Pinns it was raining lightly and light showers continued to move in...in waves...

[mynameismud]

We got rained out today and it looks like the same for tomorrow.

blasphemy

[JC w KC redux]

blasphemy

Don't worry Mud - it won't put you or NOAL off.

[mynameismud]

5 AM at the Pioneer.