Rainy Thanksgiving In Red Rocks

Go back to Red Rocks pages.

Words

Shirley nearing the top of pitch 3 of Ginger Cracks (Nov. 2004).

The most vivid recollection from our extended Thanksgiving Weekend in 2004 was the rain! We got a route or two in, then it rained for like 3 days straight. We were camping and that sucked. Much of the time was spent drinking coffee in Starbucks, visiting the local climb shop and REI and being generally miserable in the tent. I remember that we made a drive out to Joshua Tree one of those days only to find a ton of snow there and miserably cold conditions. On the fourth day, we hiked up to Ginger Cracks (5.9) but based on how the boulders on the approach hike looked (& chipped!!), we decided against climbing the route. We waited another day and then climbed it. Ginger Cracks was the highlight of the trip with interesting climbing throughout.

I no longer remember much about the other lines we did on that trip…just some random bits of feces. I recall two loud, middle aged sprayers climbing Beulah’s Book (5.9) right in front of us and chestbeating about their OW adventures in Yosemite only to ask to borrow our #4 Camalot at the crux pitch. I also recall some fecal matter being present in the lieback crack immediately above the bombay chimney section. Can you say brown fingers? Great Red Book (5.8) was a fun climb in a small package as was Healy’s Haunted House (5.7) on the Angel Food Wall.

Photos

Healy’s Haunted House

Angel Food Wall on White Rock Mountain...home to many Red Rock trad moderates (Nov. 2004).

Leading pitch 1 of Healy's Haunted House (Nov. 2004).

Happy Shirley flaking the ropes atop of pitch 1 of Healy's Haunted House (Nov. 2004).

Beginning the lead of P2 of Healy's Haunted House. The pitch starts with some 5.7 chimneying moves (~20 feet to reach a bolt). Shirley is belaying me from deep inside the chimney (2 bolts, November 23, 2004).

Beginning the lead of P3 of Healy's Haunted House. The pitch goes up the face with a finger crack in it, pulls over the small bulge, and continues up wide grooves/OW's to an uncomfortable belay slot near the huge overhang at top of photo (November 23, 2004).

Leading pitch 3 of Healy's Haunted House (Nov. 2004).

Shirley entering the chimney on pitch 4 of Healy's Haunted House (Nov. 2004).

Shirley nearing the top of P4 of Healy's Haunted House. This photo shows the typical climbing on the upper pitches of this route (leave the pack at the base!!!). Note also the #5 Camalot - the route sucks up big cams (November 23, 2004).

Great Red Book

Shirley on approach to The Great Red Book from the First or Second Pullout (Nov. 2004).

Leading P1 of The Great Red Book. This is directly at the base of the crux (?) corner section of the pitch. Note the beautiful orange/purplish smooth rock (November 23, 2004).

Leading the ~5.8 face of P2 of The Great Red Book (November 23, 2004).

Leading pitch 2 (I think) of The Great Red Book (Nov. 2004).

Shirley near the pretty little pool atop The Great Red Book route (November 23, 2004).

Shirley enjoying the nice little pool atop The Great Red Book (Nov. 2004).

Happy Shirley hiking out after our climb of The Great Red Book (Nov. 2004).

The Great Red Book route shadows the huge dihedral in this photo. It's a gorgeous short route! Climber on the face is at the P1 belay. Note the line of climbers that formed after we had hiked back down to the base (November 23, 2004).

Shirley on the beautiful hike down from the top of The Great Red Book (November 24, 2004).

Beulah’s Book

Mount Wilson at sunrise during our hike in to Beulahs Book route (Nov 2004).

Bridge Mountain at sunrise during our hike in to Beulah's Book route (November 2004).

Shirley on approach to Beulahs Book in Oak Creek Canyon (Nov. 2004).

Shirley topping out on pitch 1 of Beulahs Book (Nov. 2004).

Shirley admiring the bombay chimney from top of pitch 1 of Beulahs Book (Nov. 2004).

Leading the money pitch of Beulahs Book - the chimney that marks the lower part of pitch 2 (Nov. 2004).

Leading the chimney on pitch 2 of Beulahs Book (Nov. 2004).

Shirley belaying me on pitch 3 of Beulahs Book (Nov. 2004).

Shirley following the third pitch of Beulahs Book (Nov. 2004).

Shirley topping out on Beulahs Book route (top of pitch 3; Nov. 2004).

Beulahs Book follows the obvious right facing dihedral (Nov. 2004).

Shirley hiking out after our climb of Beulahs Book (Nov. 2004).

Joshua Tree Sidetrip

Shirley in the snowy Joshua Tree NP during a day trip from rainy Red Rocks (Nov. 2004).

Shirley and the snowy Joshua Tree in November of 2004.

Shirley admiring that sweet sharp granite of Joshua Tree during snowy Thanksgiving of 2004.

A joshua tree in Joshua Tree NP after a good snow dump in Nov. of 2004.

Ginger Cracks

Ginger Cracks (left, blue line; III 5.9) and Crimson Chrysalis (right, red line; ~1000 feet high III 5.8+) on the north face of Rainbow Mountain as seen from the approach trail near mouth of Pine Creek Canyon (Nov. 2004).