Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Spring/Summer Review

I've been wanting to to a wrap up of the Spring/Summer season for a while now. I finally got around to it and want to point out a couple of cool/notable things that have happened so far. It's always fun to look back on the past season.

Early in the season Travis Melin seemed to be on a mission to find a new "Campsite B" at Dodge. It seemed that a new area popped up weekly. While none of them turned out to be huge, a couple of them were noteworthy and definitely worth visiting. Maybe the most visited was Steve's ZZ boulders. They held the hardest new line at Dodge since the summer of 2008. Travis tagged it at V8 with a bit of sarcasm and humor tossed in for good measure. It received a couple of quick repeats from Sweaty and Mr. Eggbert who both commented on how terrifying the topout was. Remo and Dobbe followed suit and consensus on the line has come to about V7 right now. A nice, worthy addition.

We had some great spring weather for climbing a lots of people took advantage of it. On one random day at Group Camp B we saw maybe 20-30 people out at the boulders and the parking lot was full. Kind of cool to see and something that I definitely wasn't used to in Wisco.

Towards the end of April Nic and I started to talk about climbing up at the lake together. I'd been working on getting him down here for a while now and we finally met up in the beginning of May. Remo and Brian joined us at the Alpine Club and Beautiful Soup boulders. For a few weeks prior I'd been getting more and more tired of Dodge. The day that the 4 of us went out seemed to mark the start of a new life for Devil's Lake bouldering. Nic eventually sent both of the problems later that week for their first ascents since 2004, and seemingly everyone got psyched on the lake again.

Bouldering at the lake had long been somewhat defunct and I'm not sure if I ever saw anyone else at the boulders. With the help of a few instrumental people(Remo, RV, Mr. Eggbert, Rhoads and myself) life was all of a sudden shocked back into the scene. New areas started popping up on Mountain Project in the same fashion that they had last summer at Governor Dodge.

Alpine Club got an astonishing amount of attempts in the months of May and June and the Monolith area as a whole got more traffic in a few weeks than it had gotten in years. Brian was even able to coax Mr. Jamie Emerson into coming through town. While he was here he made a quick repeat of Beautiful Soup and noted that he'd like to come back at some point.

Rhoads went on a mission of taking pictures and firming up route info for as many areas as he could. At the same time he went and "re-discovered" Steinke Basin and made public the amount of bouldering potential the area held.

RV went on some sort of mission to go up to the Monolith Boulders more than anyone ever had and FINALLY repeated Venus Rising properly. The Anchorpoint boulders were put on the map again and the namesake boulder received numerous ascents. That area alone seemed to open many peoples minds into what still might be out there awaiting in the talus fields.

Other areas await even more potential and I'm so happy to see people out there enjoying the problems again. I'm only hoping it grows more throughout the year.

While there were lots of other notable sends and stories from this season there's one person I have to give credit to. Mr. Rhoads. As much as I don't like to give him credit cause it's just gonna go to his head, I kind of have to. He's been doing a phenomenal job of seeking out as many out of the way areas as possible and getting the info onto Mountain Project. He's also done some very impressive leads this year and I'm sure we can look forward to more of the same in the future.

It also works out well that in the wake of his searching, there's been a number of very cool potential boulders and one or two pretty cool routes he's found. Very well done Rhoads.

Here are a couple of fall predictions for you guys to chew on. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

Alpine Club will be climbed 2 more times before year end.

Beautiful Soup will be climbed 3 more times before year end.

Keymaker will get its second and third ascent.

Perfect Medium will get sent twice by year end.

The Greatest Show On Earth will get done at least once.

I will finally RE-find Massive Vertigo.

RV and I will finally fucking do Sandstone Violence and get that shit behind us.

I think that's it for now. Let me know what you guys think about all of this. It's been a good year so far!!

31 comments:

  1. I agree with the predictions as long as I am one of those many predicted ascents on most of the problems :-) fingurs crossed
    sweaty

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  2. Interesting predictions. I would be psyched to get fit enough to climb any of those problems, even the 1 on the list I've already done.

    It will be interesting to see how Greatest Show looks once/if someone takes the time to clean it up. It's one of the cooler problems at the Lake due to it's committing and tall nature but the choss is a definite negative.

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  3. steve just volenteered to clean it and then i can come up and climb it. perfect.

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  4. @Narc it should be noted that I cry a little everytime a 'traditional' 5.6 goes up on your 8a sir. I would much prefer watching you put up 100 v0's... I'm crying now just thinking about it.
    sweaty

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  5. Remo and I have made tentative plans to rap off of it together and clean it the hell up. I think it'll be fine if people keep up the traffic. Such a cool looking line!!!

    And sweaty and narc, you guys had better be part of the sending spree this fall. I'm hoping for many "45 and sunny" days.

    How was tuolumne, narc? Remo just called me from the approach to the 45 degree boulder. had to leave him a voicemail back. Said he might have refound massive vertigo!!

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  6. Sweaty, I hope to correct this problem soon. Standby.

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  7. Good luck with the cleaning. I'd be psyched if it cleaned up well. It probably will never be great quality but if it were climbable that would be great.

    Tuolumne was great, pictures and posts are forthcoming. The 90 degree weather this weekend should give me ample time to go through the pictures.

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  8. Yeah, I'm hoping for the best with greatest show. we'll see.

    I'm looking forward to seeing the pics!! Sweaty, I'll tell you about the cleaning right after Remo and i do it.......and then I'll be sure to moss it up again for you!!!!!

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  9. haha great thank you!

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  10. Great post. As for predictions, probably right. I am trying to think who exactly you predict will send each problem noted above; that would be a fun game. As for me I would be thrilled to send just any one of those mentioned, BSoup, AClub, PMedium, GShow, not sure what Massive Vertigo is but Keymaker probably is for Nic O as far as I am concerned, not me. Can't wait until my left foot can fit into a regular shoe again, let alone a climbing shoe... ce

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  11. Did you see some of Rhoads pictures of Boomtown on Mountain Project? I kept thinking it was a myth.

    Anyway, I do think the Lake will get a whole bunch of sends by year end. In my, albeit very short time here, I have not seen so many people excited about bouldering up at the Lake.

    Side note: Steve, we need to make a trip up to Jackson Falls at some point. There is a problem there with our name on it!

    By the way, which Chris is `ce'? Sorry, I get confused easily.

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  12. I am the Eggman, koo koo ka choo. Met you up at Anchorpoint, then I left abruptly at noon and without fanfare, leaving only my beloved sweatshirt, and taking only memories of your superb haircut and the pink hat. ce

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  13. That's what I thought. There just happens to be another Chris E around who is also super strong and my puny brain gets confused easily.

    Also, first rule of haircut club is that you will not talk about haircut club.

    Finally, I think everyone who climbs at the lake should get pink beanies made with Midwest Softcore logos on them!

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  14. "Super strong", LOL. Where should I send the check? If the dude who sent Sex and Chocolate is also Chris E., then there is a world of difference between he and I. That thing is hard! Anyway, I didn't realize you were under a time crunch to get Venus Rising done (again), good work. I would get a midwest softcore beanie. Name seem appropriate! ce

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  15. Anyone going to be climbing at the lake on Sunday evening??? Weather depending obviously. I was looking to stop thru the west bluff area on my way up to the cities. Is anyone going to be out... Steve, Remo (I don't have to ask Eggface cause he's all 'Lymed out' and working for that matter) who else reads this board, Dobbe?
    someone get back to me or there will be grave consequences.
    sweaty

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  16. Steve - nice post as always.
    The key to re-finding Massive Vertigo is to find the grass patch along the lakeside trail on the west side of the lake. It is closer to the north shore than the south and I think is essentially the only actual patch of grass (or atleast the largest). Walk in at the grass patch, through some firs, and up the slope for a couple minutes. That's the best description I gots. Best of luck.
    Jason

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  17. Sweaty I will be available by phone to take beta and directions phone calls for ya on Sunday evening. I have not been to the 45 degree boulder but have been to a couple of the other areas on the West Bluff. Let me know about Wednesday! Even if I can't climb I would be psyched to meet you out there and photographocally document your amazing sends for the world to oogle over. I'll be Baraboo for work both Wednesday and Thursday. ce

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  18. I just want to note that now, instead of being the third link down when you google "Sicky Gnar", this site is the first link. Yeah Steve! Sicky Gnar Gnar indeed! ce

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  19. Yeah I'm on this stupid site all day :-) It's nice that you actually put updates on your trips when you get back unlike some other Wisconsin blogger I know... yeah I went there :-)
    sweaty

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  20. Sweaty- you can find me bouldering=sweating and swimming on the west bluff on Sunday. Not sure how late we will be out, but let me know when you are passing through, that goes for anyone.
    Remo

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  21. awesome! im in. prolly wont be out there till like 5 or so... email me your phone number garageclimber@austrialpinusa.com I want to get on/crush anchorpoint(i have been gaurenteed a flash with Eggheads glorious beta... I know I was as shocked as everyone else to be getting and not giving beta from Eggnuts) Alpine Club, Beutiful soup, and hogleg. and anything else around there that you think would be cool for a gentleman that has never climbed over there before. psyched!
    sweaty

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  22. Damn, I leave for a day and everyone comes here to hang out!!! LOVE IT!!!

    I'm honestly always psyched that this is a place to make plans and talk shit. I couldn't have asked for anything better out of this site!!!

    Huston - Thanks for checking in and thanks for the heads up on massive vertigo! I wanna find it!!!

    I'm checking on the pink hats.......we'd all be rad then....

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  23. I am in need of a pink hat if they are to be found... we could use pink headbands in the meantime. I already happen to have one. Wierd you say? I don't think so my friend. I say we all go for headbands until the permanent pink beanie can be found. it should also be noted that the headband can be the official uniform for these 'warmer' months and the beanie can take over post 'warm' weather. Just trying to help in the quest for radness

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  24. Oh my.....

    http://www.promopeddler.com/04-41/unimprinted-perma-felt-propeller-beanie-hat-qqp374364.htm

    WE NEED THESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  25. so before i start climbing you can give it a spin for me and it will actually help propel my lame ass up climbs. i do need this, and any other help i can get. lol.
    sweaty

    ps the headband post was mine also

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  26. any of these would be more than exceptable...
    http://www.redhatsocietystore.com/Pink_Hats_s/21.htm

    sweaty

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  27. I kind of like the pinky stripe beach hat!!!!

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  28. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ID91HK/ref=asc_df_B002ID91HK874246/?tag=shopzilla_rev_11-20&creative=380333&creativeASIN=B002ID91HK&linkCode=asn

    this wouldnt be bad either
    or a bunch of these...

    http://www.bizrate.com/womens-hats/pink-beanie-hat/

    sweaty

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  29. The pink hat society. AKA midwest softcore. I will make bumper stickers. ce

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  30. somebody's gonna be like 'ohh thats so great that you are supporting breast cancer' or something and we're going to be like 'no we are just really gay rock climbers' haha
    sweaty

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