Calico Basin 11/22; your love note

Also really excited that I correctly guessed that you wanted him to have a curable form of cancer

mpech wrote: Also really excited that I correctly guessed that you wanted him to have a curable form of cancer

Wasn't me... But funny thing... There was only one truck in that lot and probably 4+ folks commented on it while standing slack jawed in Kraft Parking Lot looking at two climbers (one on lead) working their way up pitch one of Big Bad Wolf. If you spend any time in Calico it's hard to think that 20-100 people didn't drive by and wonder "wtf" while seeing a singular truck parked and climbers on the face. Still don't understand why anyone would even take a pack and gear to the base of a climb when we got 1.5" of rain in 48 hrs. Be Best.

Locals Only wrote:

Still don't understand why Joe would take his pack and gear to the base of a climb when we got 1.5" of rain in 48 hrs. Be Best.

He didn't leave any notes tho, right? Cuz that would be bad!

Locals Only wrote: Dear Joe,
Sorry to hear about your experience at our wonderful Conservation Area last week. You, being a guide & resident of NY, are likely hyper aware that people protect their backyards, particularly when they are like Red Rock, delicate: ecologically & geologically. As to the scribbles and intent of the note, I cannot speak to that. My years of medical experience dictate ball cancer is hella curable and super common. Your high blood pressure is likely more worrisome at your age. Keep up with the prostate exams and breathe... Good job.

Having been in Calico that day for unrelated purposes; I couldn’t have missed your truck, parked solo in front of the approach to Physical Graffiti before 9 AM. I (as well as 4+ other people @ the kraft parking lot) noticed two climbers attempting Big Bad Wolf. I suspect, since your truck was THE ONLY TRUCK on the gravel “lot” in front of that wall (with few, if any cars at both Kraft & Red Springs), it likely appeared as a foregone conclusion to anyone who passed by that the driver of the orange truck with NY plates was the climbing culprit.

We watched as the two climbers (I recall leader had an orange helmet & belayer had a blue one) bailed off of Big Bad Wolf (FA team should inspect for damage). This was very shocking, given our weather data indicated it was pouring rain hours before. (In 48 hours we got 1/10th of our annual precip, 1.5” total accumulation.) NOTHING was dry (FYI for visitors to SoNV: winds & humidity affect rock friability [even overhangs], plus there is always seepage).

My point here: I’m interested in knowing how us locals encourage non locals (guides like yourself & regular Joes [pun intended]) to speak up (AMGA ethics style) about folks who are impacting our desert climbing areas? Hiking to the base and fist fighting seems archaic & overly dramatic. But.... These routes aren’t forever, especially if people climb on them when wet. Nor is it good for our SoNV community & relationships built with BLM and other partnering agencies to have sportos causing damage to resource and person.

Again, I’m curious why someone who guides, isn’t local, was possibly guiding that day(?), had the only truck in the lot, and admitted to having taken gear to the base of the route (but by your account “opted” out...maybe after one pitch?), decided to even consider climbing that day? If it’s for a buck, I get it... we all have to eat. So maybe we pitch into a fund and sit out tables with awnings for guides who can’t climb with their pushy clients, or holiday climbers who’s plans are ruined. Y’all can get coffee & a bagel on a rainy (or post rain) day & meet a local! :) A community & conservation approach.

If it wasn’t you, don’t start a war man. You seem to have guided lots here and likely profited on Red Rock routes. Pay it back/forward! If it was you: at least we all know what you drive now! :) Maybe we can all leave love notes on your car when you're at Red Rock. Regardless be an ally to conservation & pass on the message: DON’T CLIMB AFTER RAIN!!*

*I also noticed your social media feeds increased dramatically with that sentiment (don't climb after rain) after you posted here, so kuddos to you brother! Maybe it’s overcompensation or guilt (I hope not) or this too resonates with you (I hope so!). Maybe a little of both? Whatever the case, keep on advocating for no climbing after the rains please and thank you!

Final note, there were folks who certainly had cameras and binoculars that day... that’s partially how we knew colors of helmets... maybe YOU become vindicated soon (or not?). REMINDER TO US ALL: it’s the 21st century, lets photo document these unethical acts so there is no debating who the “F**ker” is that will get "ball cancer". I think this & related posts should focus on “DON’T THINK ABOUT CLIMBING AFTER RAINS.” I get it’s your holiday vacation, that sucks. But when you come back it’ll still be here; if you’re a guide you’ll be here next week and in the meantime I’ll meet you at the flagpole... by Dunkin Donuts where I’ll buy you coffee & a donut for doing the ethical thing.. then you too can troll this forum.

Don’t climb on wet sandstone.
-in the desert, even morally higher grounds still get soaked.

Killis, my man!

Locals Only wrote: Dear Joe,
Sorry to hear about your experience at our wonderful Conservation Area last week. You, being a guide & resident of NY, are likely hyper aware that people protect their backyards, particularly when they are like Red Rock, delicate: ecologically & geologically. As to the scribbles and intent of the note, I cannot speak to that. My years of medical experience dictate ball cancer is hella curable and super common. Your high blood pressure is likely more worrisome at your age. Keep up with the prostate exams and breathe... Good job.

Having been in Calico that day for unrelated purposes; I couldn’t have missed your truck, parked solo in front of the approach to Physical Graffiti before 9 AM. I (as well as 4+ other people @ the kraft parking lot) noticed two climbers attempting Big Bad Wolf. I suspect, since your truck was THE ONLY TRUCK on the gravel “lot” in front of that wall (with few, if any cars at both Kraft & Red Springs), it likely appeared as a foregone conclusion to anyone who passed by that the driver of the orange truck with NY plates was the climbing culprit.

We watched as the two climbers (I recall leader had an orange helmet & belayer had a blue one) bailed off of Big Bad Wolf (FA team should inspect for damage). This was very shocking, given our weather data indicated it was pouring rain hours before. (In 48 hours we got 1/10th of our annual precip, 1.5” total accumulation.) NOTHING was dry (FYI for visitors to SoNV: winds & humidity affect rock friability [even overhangs], plus there is always seepage).

My point here: I’m interested in knowing how us locals encourage non locals (guides like yourself & regular Joes [pun intended]) to speak up (AMGA ethics style) about folks who are impacting our desert climbing areas? Hiking to the base and fist fighting seems archaic & overly dramatic. But.... These routes aren’t forever, especially if people climb on them when wet. Nor is it good for our SoNV community & relationships built with BLM and other partnering agencies to have sportos causing damage to resource and person.

Again, I’m curious why someone who guides, isn’t local, was possibly guiding that day(?), had the only truck in the lot, and admitted to having taken gear to the base of the route (but by your account “opted” out...maybe after one pitch?), decided to even consider climbing that day? If it’s for a buck, I get it... we all have to eat. So maybe we pitch into a fund and sit out tables with awnings for guides who can’t climb with their pushy clients, or holiday climbers who’s plans are ruined. Y’all can get coffee & a bagel on a rainy (or post rain) day & meet a local! :) A community & conservation approach.

If it wasn’t you, don’t start a war man. You seem to have guided lots here and likely profited on Red Rock routes. Pay it back/forward! If it was you: at least we all know what you drive now! :) Maybe we can all leave love notes on your car when you're at Red Rock. Regardless be an ally to conservation & pass on the message: DON’T CLIMB AFTER RAIN!!*

*I also noticed your social media feeds increased dramatically with that sentiment (don't climb after rain) after you posted here, so kuddos to you brother! Maybe it’s overcompensation or guilt (I hope not) or this too resonates with you (I hope so!). Maybe a little of both? Whatever the case, keep on advocating for no climbing after the rains please and thank you!

Final note, there were folks who certainly had cameras and binoculars that day... that’s partially how we knew colors of helmets... maybe YOU become vindicated soon (or not?). REMINDER TO US ALL: it’s the 21st century, lets photo document these unethical acts so there is no debating who the “F**ker” is that will get "ball cancer". I think this & related posts should focus on “DON’T THINK ABOUT CLIMBING AFTER RAINS.” I get it’s your holiday vacation, that sucks. But when you come back it’ll still be here; if you’re a guide you’ll be here next week and in the meantime I’ll meet you at the flagpole... by Dunkin Donuts where I’ll buy you coffee & a donut for doing the ethical thing.. then you too can troll this forum.

Don’t climb on wet sandstone.
-in the desert, even morally higher grounds still get soaked.

Well, I put this out there so I guess I’ll play on.

If you were there that morning you would have heard a shout directed at the knuckleheads at the p1 belay of Big Bad Wolf echoing, “IT JUST RAINED!” (It surprised me how loud my voice was). The guys response, “we’re coming down”. 

Our gear never left the truck. 

I’ve been visiting the Red Rock since 1990 and have spent hundreds of days climbing and exploring there. Many of those days have included working for a service that sometimes won the permit lottery, else as a guest guide with Jackson Hole Mountain Guides. I spend six to eight weeks a year in the area. If you think that living a shorter drive from these canyons makes you love the place more you are mistaken. The days I have spent in the Red Rock with friends, guests or exploring by myself are some of my finest memories. Good land stewardship is interwoven into how I spend time out of doors. 
This note pissed me off because that’s what being falsely accused does. The person could not have been further off base. It also seemed cowardly because the cliff was close. If you thought somebody was climbing you could simply walk up there and tell them to cut the shit (I did). 
I wish I knew how to keep folks from going the wrong way, from bolting gear routes, spray painting rocks in Ice box Canyon, shitting by the Black Cooridor, dropping slurpy cups in Pine Creek, flying planes low over wilderness areas, building McMansions everywhere.... I do know that randomly tossing a ball cancer hex (treatable or not) doesn’t help the cause. In my experience speaking directly to people without ego or anger has best shot at getting the point across. 

It’s threads like this that make the inteweb an awesome place.  Anyone from the gunks has likley hung out with enough wiseacres as not to take life seriously and just try to outnote the note writer.....

The gunks proximity to the two places with the highest concentration of wiseacres ( LI and NJ) in the world should harden anyone to the point of seeing a note as described and laughed.  

I like leaving notes on cars with NY & NJ  cars just for the hell of it, although it is more fun to simply wait for them to come back and then insult them before saying where I grew up ( hint one fo the wiseacre places....) since if two NY’ers meet and insult each other, it likley is the start of a lifelong bromance.
Signed,
A guy who grew up climbing in the gunks, And moved west.....I was amazed at the amount of folks in Pine Creek on Wednesday with climbing gear...