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chirp
Mar 30, 2005, 8:16 AM
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Registered: Feb 24, 2002
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Since the Zion post is purely Zion Canyon, I am moving this out into its own. I would like to hear if anyone has spent some time in the Kolob and what adventures you had. ( mods feel free to delete my post in the "Zion History" thread) Sorry for dragging this back up but I missed any serious history on the Kolob district. I was active there in the mid 80's, working as a seasonal ranger and exploring and ogling all the awesome territory of the Kolob finger Canyons. I enjoyed reading the old route reports in the "Black Book", especially the "ancient" ones from Forrest and March regarding their bold forays into the then obscure "fingers". In my seasonal tenure there 1985-1989, I focussed on short route potential and canyoneering. But I was well aware of those :D that came before and the remnants they left behind. Some key moments: Our ascent of the free version of "Last Rites", found a 2" angle lying in the dirt at the top. An old and thrashed chouinard hammer in bleached out flood debris below Paria Point. (north face) Star dryvins, ratty slings, and a biner etched with the name "Trout" on the ridge of Beatty Point. ( Ken Trout I am guessing ) A cairn and more star dryvins at the top of "Rooster Pinnacle". Who climbed here, I have heard rumors and had the chance to meet several, including a visit by Forrest and March to Kolob where I was stoked to have someone stop by actually interested in climbing...little did I realize till too late who they were. Art Wiggins and Harvey Miller, doing the FIRST recon of what is now Wind, Sand, and Stars. Even several interactions with Dangle...some tense ( Meeting him and his mule below Timbertop) and some fun, especially getting a photo of him on top of a Garbage Dumpster with a CrowBar. I feel fortunate to have been able to spend several years cruising in the kolob, savoring its peace before the popularity boom. I remember looking up at the virgin wall of Namaste/Huecos Rancheros and wistfully thinking "someday" there might be routes there. My most recent trips up to Kolob in the late 90's have left me with a bit of a bitter taste, ropes abandoned and swinging, short routes with a bunch of ugly fixed gear that make major visual impact, all in the name of "getting a first", as well as graffiti and trash. I would love to hear some stories of the pre "modern" explorers, those that came and left in a vacuum, those with respect.
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rockprodigy
Mar 30, 2005, 3:11 PM
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Registered: Sep 10, 2002
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There were actually several references to the Kolobs in the main Zion post. I've hiked there several times, and I find it to be a truly magnificent area. I'm glad that the NPS has so far resisted building roads into those canyons. The only climbing I've done there is to climb those bolted routes. Those must have been quite an adventure to establish. I hope to do some longer routes there this spring...I'll let you know how they go.
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stroker
Apr 1, 2005, 6:56 PM
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Registered: Nov 27, 2001
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I did some fa's in the late 90's. Rooster pinnacle went up by the madman himself Jim Beyer (late 70's). The left side of rooster went by Bob Draney in 1995. There was activity here and there, but people wouldn't talk about it.
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skinner
Apr 7, 2005, 6:23 AM
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In reply to: I did some fa's in the late 90's. Rooster pinnacle went up by the madman himself Jim Beyer (late 70's). The left side of rooster went by Bob Draney in 1995. There was activity here and there, but people wouldn't talk about it. I would like to hear more :!:
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stroker
Jul 16, 2005, 9:41 PM
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Registered: Nov 27, 2001
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I think it was the spring of 1999 when I began hiking deep into the other canyons. I finally pulled my head out of myself and left the conveinantely located South fork. I discovered a crack system deep in the North fork that was begging for a first. Still quite lazy, and generally afraid of any committment, I recruited T.Phillips from Cedar City to help me with the route. Hailing from the White Harlem crew in Cedar City, we were prodded and questioned about this "project" that we were ferrying loads to almost every day. I believe that we ferried for about 8 days. As the ritual of hiking yet another load became easier, the idea of living in the back of the North Fork with added amenities became easier. T.Phillips was an employee at a local gas station, and convienantly loaded tons of beer in our bags. We stashed enough back there, to drink heavily for two days. I pulled out my river bag, and loaded it with dry ice. In the moring, we would stuff beers in the bag to ready the day with cold beers and climbing. About 4 hundred feet of the deck, T.phillips was out on lead, when the sound of a cold beverage being opened broke the silence of pure Kolob climbing. I was laying in a single ledge, with a half frozen beer at about 11:00 am. As ledges thankfully broke up the pitches, we laughed as another time of beer was enjoyed. I think the count of eight different brands of beer when up the route. Along with beer, we lived off gas station food, T.Phillips convienantly aquired from his gas station job. The route flowed smoothly, without a hitch. Rare for a sandstone first ascent in the backcountry. We even hauled rustable chain to equip the belays with to prevent visual eyesores. Other then the 4 rotten z-mac rivets placed on the first pitch, the route is good. LONG HAIL THE BEER-HEDRAL! first ascent: T.Phillips and T.Anderson V5.9A3
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stroker
Jul 16, 2005, 11:00 PM
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Registered: Nov 27, 2001
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The story of THE UPLIFT WHITEBOY PARTY PLAN to come...
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