new style crag Eastside by Mammoth + Lee Vining: family

Working on the northern sectors of the new Silver Lake crag has gotten them to where they're at least "presentable" as a possible option for families looking for fun easy/moderate climbing with short access, convenient set-up for top-roping and easy leading, with a great view - (also for non-families who like that sort of thing.

What makes the style "new and different" is that most of the routes have anchors for Top-Roping, but no intermediate bolts for Leading.

Each sector has one or two of its less-difficult routes bolted for Leading -- so it's easy to get to the top of the cliff to begin (without losing sight of children). Once there, it's quick to set up top-ropes on other routes.

. . . (the sectors most developed so far are 7-Melchsee, 8-Miroir, 9-Lavorgo).

details:
* mostly slab, but the rock is quartzite with lots of positive and interesting holds, instead of the usual frictiony slopy granite.
* also "facultative" bolts or anchors above the top of the cliff, so can attach a rope for protection and/or aid when accessing a Top-Rope anchor from above.
* most of the anchors have lower-off hardware (like most other Eastside crags) but here more modern than tow-hook "mussys" or rappel-rings.
* wonderful view over Silver Lake.

Also some multi-pitch routes:
* which go to an actual summit (well ... mini-summit).
* with an easy walk-off on a well-maintained official hiking trail.
* in addition to the non-difficult 2- or 3-pitch routes, a short walk to above hiking trail leads to a more-difficult 4th pitch bolted years earlier, called (surprise) the Family Wall.

Of course these sectors could use lots more work, especially making the base areas more friendly -- and at least one more pass of cleaning vegetation and loose rock from the routes.
. . . (and I'd be happy to see some more routes get bolted for Leading).

Ken

If you don't like the names, just use the sector numbers.

Or just pronounce each sector name in whatever way seems easiest for you -- No worries about "correct".
. . . (somehow lots of American climbers have a good time in France, despite totally mangling the pronunciation).

Or make up your own alternate names? Lots of non-climbing "routes" (notably streets) have multiple names.

The names of the sectors are from crags (mostly quartzite) in Switzerland -- because some people think that the June Lake Loop is a sort of "little Switzerland".

Ken

Thanks for your + Russ's advice.

I'd like to follow it.
. . (I previously tried to follow somebody's June Lake theme, but sounds like that was not one that resonates with anybody any more).

I have no need to impose "little Switzerland" on the Eastside. June Lake stands in its own just fine as a destination. So . . .

What more friendly naming scheme(s) might you suggest?

Thanks a lot for helping.

Ken

Russ Walling wrote:

<snip>Par exemple: Sound of Music Wall:  The hills are alive, Julie does Zurich, Riccola, Giant Horn, Nazi Gold, Vons Trapp, Salzburg Hustle... 

Hahha, A-Game Mussy.

Y'all a bunch of haters. Guy spends a bunch of time on a crag and no one gives any props, just complaining about the area/route names. 

Looks like a lot of work went into this, thanks to all developers involved!

I see no problem with the names, I especially like Melcheesee but having spent time in Wisconsin, perhaps I'm biased.

Simon W wrote:

I especially like Melchsee but having spent time in Wisconsin, perhaps I'm biased.

Special about the Melchsee-Frutti area in Switzerland is that sounds much like the June Lake Loop -- family climbing and low-key lift-served skiing around a lake.

Makes me want to go visit there.

Ken

The first idea that hits me for a new scheme for naming sectors is:

Persons who have made contributions to climbing (or perhaps ski mountaineering?) for the southern Eastside Sierra and southern California (focus more there than on Yosemite Valley or Tahoe area).

No requirement that these persons be dead.

Glad for more suggestions for other themes for Silver Lake -- but also I know at least one more new climbing area which might want a change in sector names -- or might want to use other themes for route names within some sectors.

Ken

That crag looks great. Not many places out there have that concentration of climbing in those grades. Nice work. I think the Swiss names are cool.

What's the best time of year there? Like, April/October?

Lived in June Lake for 2 seasons..I LOVE IT THERE!!! Cant wait to go back and chk these routes out this coming summer.

Ken, 

Who around June Lake did you contact to find out who was developing routes at these areas before you re-named and posted their new routes/areas online? 

Did you leave this green flagging trash that I removed from trees 5 feet apart, on the "trail" across from Silver Lake?.... The same green flagging/spray paint found along the "trail"  to the Grant Lake crag? 

Russ Walling wrote:

Not haters, just not handing out participation ribbons this week.  IMO the route and sector names are cumbersome and lame, thus no props regardless of how much time the OP has invested in this project.  Maybe you can send him a gift card or something?

Someone develops an area, makes the information available, but you want some credit because you think you've come up with some witty route names?

You're right, no participation ribbon for you.

Lame

Nathan E wrote:

Who around June Lake did you contact to find out who was developing routes at these areas before you re-named and posted their new routes/areas online? 

hi Nathan,

Great to hear from you.

Look forward to talking with you and working with you on further steps in improving and helping more people enjoy the great climbing on the June Lake Loop. Please have other people working around there get in touch with me also.

Unfortunately I won't be around Junk Lake any time soon (but perhaps in winter for backcountry skiing?) -- and not out on snow-free rock there until next summer.

But if you send me your phone, I'll be glad to pay for some phone calls so you can tell me your vision and plans for climbing around June Lake - (and I'll send you my phone).

Same offer and hope applies to other climbers and workers you know around June Lake.

I have been repeatedly posting here on MountainProject, and even more so asking other climbers I meet around Mammoth and June who had done the work already -- so I could give them credit -- and inviting other climbers to join me in working (and some have). But so far only one who actually lived around June, and he said he did not know who had done the previous work.

Ken

JCM wrote:

What's the best time of year there? Like, April/October?

Most important to know is that it's usually covered with snow from December through early May. Or at least cold, at altitutude over 7000 ft. And that section of the June Lake Loop road is closed in winter and early spring (but it's not a long walk from the south closure gate).

The Silver Lake west side rock faces overall SouthEast, so it gets hot mid-day in summer -- but then goes into shade say around 4pm, since the sun sets in the NW in summer.

Nearby alternative with better exposures for managing temperature is the Rush crag, which has some N-facing sectors in addition to lots of SW-facing sectors. SW is great for cool-weather afternoons. Or a summer strategy could be to climb Rush in morning thru mid-day, then when that warms up, move over to Silver Lake later afternoon. Rush is fun featured granite (instead of Silver Lake fun featured quartzite), but so far does not have much less than 5.8 -- and Rush requires a creek-crossing (which some of us view as part of its fun), which prevented climbing for much of this summer with the big snow-melt run-off flow in Rush Creek.

There's also a June Lake beginners crag on the Northshore Rd above the N side of the lake just a minute from roadside parking, but it is S-facing (so not helpful for mid-summer), lacks the great lake view of Silver Lake -- and to me the rock looks like slabby / flaring cracs / low-feature granite -- not my preferred style (but I have not actually climbed there).

So I'd say early summer and fall are best times for just Silver Lake "easy family" climbing, but for overall easy-moderate around June Lake, mid-summer is fine too, especially as Rush gets developed more.

Ken

Russ Walling wrote:

Bzzzt.... wrongo.  Maybe read the thread again.

Russ, you're not adding anything constructive - just performing the usual schtick for the geriatric fan club.

You don't like the names of a bunch of moderate TR routes?  Don't climb them.

Ken: Thanks for doing this work.  Good on ya for taking the high road here.  I spend a couple of weeks every summer in the area and will definitely check these crags out.

Guy Keesee wrote:

Still moving forward on changing to new better names for sectors of the Silver Lake crag.

The theme for naming (unless someone suggests another concept) is . . .
Southern Califorrnia or Eastside Sierra persons (who could be still living) who have contributed to southern Eastside climbing (or perhaps backcountry ski mountaineering) -- (especially around June Lake + Mammoth) -- or perhaps to climbing generally worldwide.

Since Silver Lake is cut off from most of northern California several months of the year, I gave first try at suggesting / commenting on new names to the MP Southern Caifornia forum. My research following up on those led to yet more persons who impressed me with their contributions -- and made me feel like this is great theme for naming climbing sectors -- so I'm thinking to use some for more other sectors around June Lake Loop than just the 10 of the Silver Lake crag.

Now I'm looking for suggestions from Northern California climbers (and backcountry skiers).

Here's my current list of candidates:

whose work I feel specifically helped me + Sharon:
* John Moynier
* Peter Croft
* David Talsky
* Marty Lewis
* Yvon Chouinard
* R. J. Secor
* Lynn Hill
* Doug Robinson

contributions to southern Eastside:
* John Bachar
* Dick Erb
* Urmas Franosch
* "Rescue Team" -- Mono county SAR ... specific members ...
. . * Dean Rosnau
. . * Pete Schoerner

long ago:
* Glen Dawson
* Francis Farquhar
* Norman Clyde
* Galen Rowell

For some of those it might help for me to add explanations, but that would make this post even longer, so for explanations
- - [ See the MP Southern California forum thread ] - - 

Thanks much for your input on this naming -- since it will be some months until get back to working on climbing there.

Ken