Sunday, September 20, 2009

Happy Birthday

The Basins sharp but classic Transmaniacon!

Pilo on Trans

This weekend we kicked off the fall season with the annual Buck and A-ron Birthday roundup.Temps are getting better! Alan and I have a ton of work to do this fall on the guide and every ones help with problem names, grades, projects, pics, or any other information pertinent to the guide book such as getting contact info for oldschoolers and prior generations of Black Mountain climbers who might like to put in their two cents. Get the word out!...we can be reached here or at our email blackmountainblog@gmail.com. This is your time to tell us what you want out of the guide, when you did it, what you called it, and how hard you think it was regardless of whether it was last spring or back in 82'. We are nearing completion on the majority of topos for main and peripheral areas created in illustrator with the help of gps mapping software, aerial photos, and forest service maps, however, getting accurate names and consensus grades is going to be our biggest challenge.
In other BM news...fall is approaching which means great temps accompanied by anxiety that the gate might get closed at the lightest dusting of snow. Alan and I are in communication with the forest service to potentially put in a higher gate at the OK Corral that would be closed first, allowing longer access into the winter. For this to go down climbers might need to help raise funds to pay for it and believe or not, those gates are not cheap. One way to raise cash that we have been talking about would be a raffle of donated items from socal gyms, retailers, gear makers, and anyone else willing to participate. Another good, although slightly contentious idea would be hosting an online auction to give climbers the chance to name an unnamed boulder problem of which Black Mountain has its fair share. If anybody has any other ideas or input regarding a new gate, winter closures, or lobbying the forest service please get in touch with us.


So back to problem names and an example of the historical tangle we are up against. The images below, shot Saturday, are of a prominent triangular overhang on the west side of the road between group site 3 and sites 4 and 5. It is uphill about 50 or so yards and easily visible from the road. The climb starts on two diagonal incuts from a squat start, throw to a shelf, make your way to the right arete and then compress to the top at about v7ish. It is a quality line with a little spice at the top! Locals claimed the FA in 03' and dubbed it Vegan Shoveler, however, rumor has it that a season or two earlier a crew passing through from Arizona did it. In addition to this there have been capable climbers frequenting the outer flanks of this mountain discretely for decades. An obvious line, a stones throw from the road...could have been done in 82'.


Bridget, A-ron, and Isaac on "Vegan Shoveler" v7