20080812 Big Meat Pizza 5.8 - Icehouse Canyon Trad Climb

TRs for the San Gabriel Mountains.
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Taco
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Post by Taco »

More correctly, in Sheep Canyon, but more folks know Icehouse.

Brian Yang (Crazyaznboy or whatever his damn lame name is here, FOOL :twisted: ) and I set up to go do some climbing near the headwall of Sheep Canyon. Got to the trailhead around 1100 or so. Really nice day, all day long. I had a few spots in mind, and as always, plans don't survive first contact, so, as usual, we roll with whatever we get. We went up a crack/gully and gained a ridge next to Magical Kimchi (west ridge bordering Sheep Canyon).

The rest shall be spoken wif pichurz.

I should have the video done whenever I'm not really tired, or at work, or busy.

Link to presently-incomplete route page: http://www.summitpost.org/route/431119/ ... 8-R-X.html

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good looking stuff on Ontario's West Face, and Sugarloaf Peak.

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Cool slab, upcoming short trad climb project, perhaps.

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Brian following up the screeslopes.

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Brian

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Anyone know what plant this is? It stings like crazy for a while. Stinging Nettle?

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Sheep Canyon

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Something

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Brian

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"Cracks"

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Looking at Telegraph

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Sheep Canyon's Primary Crack, which I climbed the lower 1/2 to 1/3 of during my last visit with Marc.

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Belaying Brian up pitch one, above the cracks. We selected a crack after I halfassedly led a couple that turned out to be too damn loose. Got one that wasn't as bad, moved up. All above this is much better climbing, by my standards.

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View from belay stance for the 3rd pitch. (I didn't take many pics while climbing...)

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Wedged rock in tree

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Looking down at Icehouse Canyon

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Brian doing stuff at the 3rd stance

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We decided to stay away from this wide stemming portion, and head up the wall to the left. Looks like we made a good decision, based on views from the top of the chockstone.

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This is the wall we went up. There is a crack on the left side, with lots of lichen and moss. I felt it was around 5.8-ish, as it felt about there but was iffy with the moss and lichen, limiting holds and destroying smearing. The crack was nice for fist jams. Rawr.

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Here I am, looking like some sort of wierd 1980's Nintendo character.

Ended pitch 4, belayed Brian up to my horrible belay ledge (left him shell shocked due to rockfall, hehe). Brian wanted to 4th class the rest, as it looked fun and easy, so we did.

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Brian moving up

And I caught some shots as he caught up to the top.
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Brian coming up

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Allahu Akbar

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Brian and I at the end of the route

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The "summit block" of sorts. All beyond this terrain is class 1-2 scree for a short while, to class 1 to the summit of Ontario Peak.

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Crag on Ontario

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Telegraph

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Artsy macro shot of Metolius nuts and chocks

We walked down to see the top of the headwall for Sheep Canyon, but there were too many steps to try at this time, as we were tired.

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And my favorite shot:
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Tele

We moved down a gully nearer to Delker Canyon. Ic an't find my map (lost it the other day), and Google Earth ain't too helpful with the mis-represented terrain on Ontario's North Face evident on all maps I've used.

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Scree skiing down, no rappelling needed.

We hit Icehouse Canyon Trail, and booked it out.

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Brian at my favorite tree, the flipoff tree.


Some sunset shots
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406
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Post by 406 »

nice pics.
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Hikin_Jim
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Post by Hikin_Jim »

Very cool. I'm envious. I tend to freeze up on class 4/5.
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Taco
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Post by Taco »

So do I, ask Brian. 8)
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kgw
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Post by kgw »

Tres Chic! 8) . . . I tend to freeze up if I sit too long in one position :wink:
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AW~
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Post by AW~ »

TacoDelRio wrote:More correctly, in Sheep Canyon, but more folks know Icehouse.
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Not sure why its called a canyon at all....you were close to the dropoff...the hill on the left(which has a nice view at the top as well) is where I came down, farther on....borrowing your picture of the headwall....


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Anyways, cool deal....liked it all...I think that plant is stinging nettle(could easily be wrong though). Hehehe, there is another vine much more destructive that one day I will get a picture of.
FIGHT ON

Post by FIGHT ON »

kgw wrote:Tres Chic! 8) . . . I tend to freeze up if I sit too long in one position :wink:
I freeze just looking at the pics!
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Taco
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Post by Taco »

AW, thanks for that beta you put on the photo. We climbed up the main crack once before, and it get to be very difficult the further we went up with overhanging sections.
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Taco
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Post by Taco »

Video is up:
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He219
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Post by He219 »

Nice! See any Sheep?
:)
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Taco
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Post by Taco »

Nope. :lol:
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