Zee Tree 

fun route for those not ready for the mondo bolt spacing on the dike route. the route climbs quickly so it is good to squeeze in after you've already done something harder earlier in the day. not to mention the approach is 2 min.

Has anyone (ASCA sponsored maybe) thought about replacing the bolts on this route? It is a very popular route and has some rusty 1/4" or 5/16" button-heads. Especially the two-bolt anchor on the top of the 3rd? pitch. Granted you are not going to generate a lot of force sliding down this slab but there is no telling what these bolts look like under the rock.

Brian,
Hmmm....I'm pretty sure that there are not any 1/4" bolts on Zee. I don't recall there even being any 5/16" bolts (maybe just a couple?). I think most of the bolts on there are 3/8". Perhaps Greg Barnes will see this post and comment, but my recollection is that he told me that those 5/16" rigs that you see all over California are actually pretty truck. That is not to say that the bolts on Zee don't need replacing (though I don't remember being nervous and I am pretty whiny about rusty old buttons), but there are probably many other candidate routes that need the hardware more than Zee does.

Also, I think that the route description needs to be updated, because there definitely aren't any Leeper hangers at the anchors on Zee any longer.

On a much more sad note, I think that the last time I drove through the Meadows, I thought that I noticed that the namesake tree is missing from the little bowl it was in. Can anyone confirm this?

They were there in July. Definitely button-heads with Leeper hangers. I wish I took a photo of them.

J. Albers,

You ever climb this route or are you just guessing about the bolts? I looked on SuperTopo and someone said the same thing I did about the bolts.

From SuperTopo: Posted July 23, 2011 "At the bolts for the top of the third pitch, there are two rusty buttonheads that look like they would tear right out of the rock if the leader fell. Above that, the first bolt is a spinning rusty buttonhead that doesn't inspire a lot of confidence given what the belay bolts are, and the lack of gear above that spinning rusty buttonhead. They should be replaced for the safety of the climb."

Yes Brian, I have climbed Zee at least 3 times over the last 5 years.....and I surely don't remember clipping any old Leeper hangers. There is a big difference between a couple of 5/16" buttons with SMC hangers (even spinners) and a 1/4" bolt with a Leeper hanger. While possible, it is hard for me to believe that I wouldn't remember if the belays were quarters with Leepers.

I don't want to get too far down in the weeds as to what they are. I can't tell from the button-head whether they are 1/4" or 5/16", a 1/16 of an inch difference. The point is they are old rusty spinners that should be replaced on a highly travelled route. And as of July 2011 they were there. This is approximately what they look like.

Rusty anchor Submitted By: Brian on Nov 12, 2011

That's definitely a 1/4" Star Dryvin (www.safeclimbing.org/education/dangerbolts.htm) with a Leeper hanger but I'm surprised they were on Zee Tree as I don't remember any of the anchors being in such bad shape.

Yeah, that is definitely a Leeper, but that is not an anchor bolt from Zee. Is it possible that either: (a) you wandered a bit off route and clipped that thing; or (b) that was an intermediate bolt between two good bolts that during a rebolting effort was just left in place?

I remember the bolts being pretty new and the some of the pictures posted above seem to corroborate my recollection. Moreover, if you look up Zee Tree on the ASCA website you will notice that the bolts on Zee Tree have indeed been upgraded.

www.safeclimbing.org/areas/california/tuolumne.htm

If you read the notes on the ASCA website, it states "Replaced 4 bolts; all others good." I think this precludes the possibility of a StarDryvin with a Leeper hanger on Zee. If looking at the ASCA listing of Zee Tree, notice that there is a route immediately right of Zee Tree where Greg et al. replaced some bolts, but left at least one old bolt alone. Perhaps you wandered onto this route?

Yes it is possible that I, and the person who posted on SuperTopo, were off route. Although it was pretty much straight under where you traverse over to the off-width corner crack. I go to Tuoulumne every other year. Next time I'm there I'll climb the route again just to take a photo (if they are still there). I saw that ASCA replaced the bolts in 2005. I can't believe that they wouldn't have replaced the ones in question so I can only conclude that I was off route. Although I don't think there are any other routes close by.

From my recollection of leading the route two years ago all bolts were confidence inspiring back then.

No leepers on this route.

Only buttonhead I remember (w/ good SMC hanger) that wasn't replaced is the most tightly spaced bolt on the first pitch - didn't expect to see that one so close to the bolt above and below it (which is why they didn't replace it).

Fun route, take the first pitch - its the most exciting, rest is cruiser. On the third pitch, I recommend clipping the first bolt, then heading up the black streak - easy, secure climbing and more enjoyable than going up right past the second bolt.

A much saner way to the top of the dome than Dike Route! 5.7 for the P1 slab is typical for Tuolumne grades but to me it seemed much harder than the 5.7 finishing crack. In UK grades I'd give the latter pitch HS 4b but P1 HVS 5a/b.