The History of the Oak Creek Overlook

Paul,

Awesome history on the Overlook, One of my most favorite climbing areas in Arizona! On my first experience of the Overlook, my friends and I did Papa Bear and I got a lead on Porridge Face. Porridge face is fun as long as you trust the #0 Metilous cams in the tiny face slits. My friend was next up Papa Bear and I was the belayer. I noticed at my feet that there was a lot of beer cans laying around in the leaves and in the pine needles. Back when I was a kid in Michigan I collected beer cans and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All of the cans had flat tops, made of tin, and you needed a pointed opener to get the beer out of the can. So most of the cans were 1962 and below, most of the cans turned out to be from the 1940s and 1950s. 1962 was that wonderful year that we finally introduced the "pull Tab" onto cans. The following weekend I drove back up to the Overlook with a few tools and bags with the intention of obtaining beer cans. I brought a rake, poker, shovel, and other items for my archeological dig. I should have brought a helmet since a lot of tourists were throwing rocks off of the overlook especially in the Geology Sign area. Between the bombing from above, I filled three bags worth of cans. I mean these cans were absolutely mint mint condition! The winters somehow preserved the cans over rusting them over the years.
At the time I as moving out of my apartment so when I got home I laid out all of the cans and was totally psyched on what I had. This was pre Ebay where Psyched these days goes further on ebay. Anyways it was a total gold mine of first edition A1 beer, Miller highlife, Lucky with the "X" on the front of the can, and I unfortunately showed my cache to my landlord. He too stood in amazement of what I had found. I left to the grocery store and when I returned home an hour later my landlord said that somebody had broken into my home and took my belongings. Actually the thief somehow unlocked my door with a key, and only took the cans and nothing else, but I was never able to pin the thievery on my landlord that for sure stole the cans.
I never collected cans again at the Overlook but the Overlook quickly became my favorite climbing area in AZ, sans the wasps. I have three FAs' at the Overlook:
5.9 Circus Circus (right of Obediah)
5.11+ Busting out the Jones (Davey Jones Locker area)
5.12b Excalibur (Overlooked area)

I was able to lead the Left line which I still think is 5.12a,
but was never able to figure out the top sequence to the right line.
Waugh said that he stemmed between both routes at the top to get his leads, but I thought that was cheating. Both routes the same finish? The Left Line goes without the stemming but takes one good scream to hold the final hold. The Right Line top sequence I still ponder over. I have climbed every route at the Overlook but have never done the gridle traverse.

Martys favorites:
Amateur Hour 5.9, totally classic route!
Isaiah 5.9, with left 5.10- start variation, total classic.
Devils Deed 5.9, I love the exposure!!
Obediah 5.9, cruiser but super fun!

Looks like I like the 5.9s. Maybe I need to up my game a little!
I believe the Overlook closure happened in 1990-91 then soon after the new outhouse building was constructed. We still snuck in to climb the Bear routes, and Procrastination and Hesitation. I believe the closure was due to the climbers causing curiosity to the tourists. The tourists would jump the fence at the top of the viewpoint to watch the climbers and the rangers were weary that some tourist was gonna fall off of the cliff someday. Also the tourists throwing rocks off of the cliff which were hitting the climbers was not good as well. It became a no win situation.

Thanks again guys for sharing the history of the Overlook.
The Overlook Rocks!

Marty

Well, I think Pablo's history of the Overlook is pretty accurate- some details differ in my memory but who really cares. I do think that Mark Force also put up Magumba's Corner, maybe Grossman did the second ascent?

But perhaps I can add some faces to the stories. Photos come from the combined collections of myself, Jim Haisley, and my bro. First- tough guys Ross Hardwick and Paul Davidson on the rim of the Canyon (going in or coming out from S Face Zoro)

Then the ever-smiling Jimmy Haisley (I'm sure drugs didn't have a thing to do with it) and Randy Mettler.


A forgotten Overlook classic in the closed zone: Deutschland (uber alles) 5.10, Ed Webster leading on the second ascent.


Since he mentioned it, Paul leading the Overlook Prow.


And our long lost friend and hero, Dugald Bremner on the crux of the Mace.


Grossman freeing the last pitch of the Dong as recounted by PD above.


Too many photos of Tim to pick the best one, but one of my favorites is this shot of the summit of Keeler Needle after our 10 hour ascent of our first Grade V in a day.


And me- oh, to have that body again with what I know now...


The one who started it all: Scott Baxter on the "death pitch" of Pointed Dome, Sedona.

Well, I guess I should throw in my two-cents worth. Let my whiskey and time-wracked memory be the disclaimer for what follows.

The first wave (circa early 70's) consisted of just two guys: Eric Karlstrom (Karl's older brother) and Hugh McLean. Dusty Teal (who later owned Maria's Bookstore in Durango) preceded them, but his attempts to aid the Trinity Cracks with homemade wooden wedges failed. Anyway, Eric and Hugh got the ball rolling at the Overlook much the same way Geoff Parker did in Sedona. Their FA's include Mint Jam, Long Walk, Alley-oop, Syzgy, Duck Soup, George's Niche.... Karl and his first partner, Mike Kuntzelman, probably had a hand in these early lines, too.

At the time, I was still fixated on Mt. Elden dacite; I didn't even know what a hand jam was. On an early trip to the Valley I fell off Reed Pinnacle Direct--and broke my leg--while trying to face climb right beside that perfect hand crack! It was obviously time to learn some crack technique, so it was off to the Oak Creek Overlook-- what better nursery than the Trinity Cracks? I eventually led the Left and Middle; Rusty Baillie grabbed the Right. Other nice lines followed: Morning's Mourning, Isaiah, The Prow, Orange Out Direct, Devil's Deed.... Actually, my first first ascent at the Overlook was a free-solo of Everyday 5.3--pretty secure except for the final moves up and left off the Mint Jam pedestal.

In spite of the great climbs at the overlook, I've always been uneasy hanging out at the base of the cliff because one has no control over the rock-tossing tourists overhead. Others have died there in other ways, but it's a miracle that no one's been fatally conked on the head. I rarely climb at the Overlook anymore, but when I do, I always wear my helmet.

p.s. I'm still learning about these new-fangled contraptions called computers. I've got some cool old photos to supplement Larry's once I get the technology down. Watch for them any year now.

p.p.s. Thanks to those who expressed an interest in the history of the Overlook, and thanks to Paul, Larry, et. al. for their contributions. It's an ongoing team effort, all of us sewing together a patchwork quilt.

All right Scotty !
Now if we could get you to contribute to a Syndicato thread, that would be the ticket. Stories of a lot of those exciting FAs would be most welcome.

Had you done that Everyday exit before you third classed it?
I 3rd classed that one time, and only once before deciding it would be too easy to fall off of it. I think I might have gone up Mint Jam, which I did again last fall on a quick trip through and thought was challenging 5.8 Not the old walk up it had been.

How about Crack-N-Up, that's one of yours isn't it.
And it used to be one of my favorite climbs.

And Larry, as always, great pics, Thanks.
I don' think that's Randy in that photo, looks a bit like him but I'm thinking that might be Larry Flurky, remember him ? But maybe he was dark haired. Does Jim know who it is ?
(If Mark did Magumba's, he named it something else. That's an old term of affection SG and I used to use. That's the thing about the Overlook, you just never know, hey ?)

Marty, good to hear from you, especially considering. I hope the recovery is coming along well. And nice history additions! I can see there will be a wave of metal detectors out there soon ;-)

Those are some classic lines in your list. Post up the description of Circus Circus in the Overlook route section. There is a picture of Swedish BritFast Crack that might cover where it is. Download the pic and draw the line in if it's visible. Post the other two also, although I don't think anyone has started those areas yet (go for it.)

Nice to see Larry and Scott showing up. I admit I was a bit concerned that they'd say I had it all wrong....
I'll see if I can't get Karl to chime in if he ever has any free time.

Hi Greg. About those pictures. I think the top is the one and only Bill Sewrey. Then left to right Tom Kreuser, Bill again and I think Don Weaver. The guy in the poncho is Tom K again. Hope This is a help. THX TOM

Great to see you posting up, Tom :)

Greg - my vote would be to leave up the pictures. I've heard so many of these names from Tom and company and it's nice to put some faces to them.

Although I can't contribute much in the way of history to this thread, I enjoy climbing at the Overlook and appreciate the history lesson. Good stuff!

Cheers,
Marcy

Cmon Tom, give us some stories!

Or Scott, give us some stories about Taber.

Hi Rick. Tom's bus now lives outside of Concho AZ. I hear the people who have it now are taking good care of it. It no longer serves as a Bar.

Wow - great stories guys. I'm just wondering if anybody knows of any marathon feats of climbing at the overlook. E.g. - have all the routes in the foldout been done in a day? I was thinking of a "nose in a day" push at the overlook (34 pitches in a day)... any trip reports of anything similar floating around out there?

While digging around for info on something, I again came across this thread.

Since this time of year is just primo Overlook climbing time (warm stone, colors changing below you....) and in honor and hopes that Scott, Larry and Taber will chime in with some more of their recollections of the Overlook and Gnt Mnt, etc... I just have to bump this thread !

Tyler (better late than never reply):
I've heard of guys trying to lead as many routes in a day as they can but don't recall the numbers. I think the most I ever did was the 15 or so on the Gridle. Go for it and post it up.

Thanks Paul,

Wow what a trip down memory lane. Chris Dunn here. I don't know if you remember me but we did climb a couple of times together in the 80's. Tall red bearded guy back then. One day I remember we were taking turns trying to bag a new boulder problem at Elden. I think you got it first. I think it was to the left of the bolt ladder boulder. A skinny little fir tree kinda in the way.

I started climbing at the Overlook in 1979 before I started school at NAU. I remember many of the folks mentioned except the 1st. wave. My first partner was Gene Harris who lived with/hung out with Mark Peterson, BJ Boyle, Mike Lawson, RJ, Pete McFarlane, Jeff Ingalls. Over the years I climbed mostly with Mike, Toula, John Gault, Jimmy Gaun, Charlie Honsinger, Jim Erdman, and others. I still say Jimmy Gaun is the best all around rock climber ever in Flag. The guy is still firing up hard aid lines on El Cap and can boulder like a kid.

Some other interesting tidbits I can add.

I took the late Todd Skinner to the Overlook in 1983 and he soloed all three trinities on-sight as soon as we set our packs down. I believe he was even still wearing tennies when he did it.

Going with the theme of locals not recognizing other's FA's.... I still claim one FA at the Overlook on a route that I think Tim or Larry later claimed as Head Cheese. Mike Lawson and I did it and based on the loose blocks I pulled off near the beginning I was sure I got the first. Either way I'm sure whatever name we gave it was better than Head Cheese! If I remember correctly Mike had spotted the line but broke his ankle while bouldering at the base before we did it so I got the lead.

Wasps. I think it was Sin Tisa where John Holt was stung right between the eyes and his face swelled up hysterically. It seemed that we often had problems over there. The next time we climbed there he had a can of Raid taped to a sling on his rack.

I remember when it was illegal for the indians to be there selling jewelry to the tourists. When Sheriff Bob would show up they'd quickly wrap up all their stuff in a blanket and run into the woods. We often found jewelry they dropped during their escape. We frequently had problems with their kids throwing rocks down on us though.

Mike Lawson tells a story of some tourists pulling up near the Monkey Cage while he was belaying his partner up. As they opened the door their little yap-yap dog sprinted toward the edge and leapt to its death. I guess he retrieved the body for them. Seems like he said he was climbing with Haisley.

The climbing closure really is stupid. As somebody once said it is like a guy crashing his car because he was distracted by a pretty girl walking down the sidewalk and so they write the girl a ticket.