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North Deerhorn Climbing
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ACSD has indeed helped the new owner. He is still working on a long term plan for access. He wanted to do it as a normal private purchase, as you can read on all the updates on gofundme. A formal easement for other uses is very complicated and was not necessary at this time. Someone who has been gone from ACSD for 11 years would obviously be uninformed about what happens. There is a big difference between limited usage by a few and public use. Rural land in Ray Olson's era was extremely cheap. Some long time owners of unimproved investment land might not be very concerned about recreational use. But that area is no longer inexpensive and had been closed since the 90s (the north area closing years before the south). For example, ACSD and the AF looked at the other Deerhorn area, when the upper parcel was for sale 6-7 years ago, which covers much of the upper pinnacles area. The AF will loan money out for crag purchases, but that has to be paid back, and someone has to manage the property for general climbing use. There was no feasible way to make it pencil out. It is now the amazing Crows Nest camp (Glamping) on HipCamp if you want to climb there. To buy it would have taken several hundred thousand dollars, plus yearly taxes. Plus property management. That property starts at the top of a locked steep loose 4WD private road, crossing 3 other private parcels before his land. The general area is all private property, with new expensive homes, and climbing is available on federal lands not too far away. The owner has put another fortune into improvements and maintenance, not including massive amounts of time and labor and property management. Someone has to check out the property after every camp rental, something only a local proud owner is going to do. Basically those properties are good ideas for a local private owner. ACSD is not a property manager, and has no paid employees to deal with the numerous headaches, best left up to someone with ownership ties. |
 Tektronics 11a. |
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Hello everyone! I have been helping Ben May for the last couple of months with trail maintenance at North Deerhorn. I met Ben through Randy Leavitt with a little luck and some good timing. I am passionate about this area and San Diego Climbing in general. In collaboration with Ben, I will be creating a guidebook for this niche area and there is still a lot of work to be done here, so I plan on taking my time in getting all the information I can to produce a quality book. It will be a challenge I am looking to pursue that will expand my skills as an artist. If you’re interested in the efforts at North Deerhorn please contact Ben through his GoFundMe or you’re more than welcome to contact me! I have no control over this area and ultimately go to Ben for guidance in any future plans, but I enjoy helping and giving people good insight on how to better the area. As for the guidebook I am looking for anyone with good information about Ray Olson, North Deerhorn climbing, or any information that can help provide a good background story of a spectacular climbing area lost in time! I am also looking to get in contact with Greg Epperson in regards to a photo of Ray Olson for some background information and usage in the guidebook. So if you have any good contact information or you are Greg Epperson please consider reaching out. Thanks! Email: Kyleheaveyoutdoors@gmail.com https://www.gofundme.com/f/climbing-at-north-derhorn |
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I'm a little confused by the GoFundMe - sorry if I'm out of the loop. Will access be available to all climbers, or does it require booking an Airbnb / campsite? |
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The end goal is to have it open to all climbers. For now, if you get in contact with Ben, he's super enthusiastic and will be more than happy to show you around and get climbing. |
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All of Ray Olson's posts are still on supertopo. |
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I appreciate all the responses! I have started a new forum and added some pictures I suspect to be Ray. Some of them make it hard to tell if it is actually him, but I hope the deep reaches of the climbing community might clear that up! I have a couple more photos to add, but MP limits my posts! I'll post the rest tomorrow. I am aware of all the existing information on Supertopo as well as Ray's Red Truck, by Roy (a little confusing haha) However I am also looking to get in contact with Roy McClenahan for permission to use his article. I know that Roy's health is a challenge for him and want to respect that. If any other friends of Ray's want to reach out I would love to put together his story as accurately as possible. My personal interest in this area and Ray stems from my connection to both. North Deerhorn was never on my radar until a friend told me about Ben and a gnarly video of a whipper he had posted somewhere. Coincidentally I reached out to Randy Leavitt and his plan was to visit this unknown place. Randy had introduced me to Ben, who was already somewhat of a faceless hero in my eyes, and we hit it off! I just enjoyed being out there by myself and getting lost looking at plants, dodging rattlesnakes, and cussing at rocks. After investing more time here I started to slowly understand the history behind this place and the characters that were here long before Ben. Here is a few excerpts from Roy’s article that resonated with me; Ray considered the trail building a type of resistance training, and it helped him to maintain his impressive fitness levels. But, what appealed to him above all was setting his own standard. It goes to the core of who he was when he said, “I think the highest goal any climber can aspire to is to pursue his or her individual desires to the fullest.”... ...Ray’s proudest climbing accomplishment was the development of his beloved Deerhorn Valley. He left behind access trails, established many new routes, and authored a guidebook. He mixed his skills as a sketch artist with his sardonic wit. The text on the cover of the guidebook was done by clipping out individual letters from various magazines, ransom-note style. His creative impulses were nurtured by doing route development close to home and off the beaten path. “Everyone’s out at Josh believing that’s the hot climbing scene in Southern California. But there’s something real exciting to me about developing a new area. In truth, I always was and will always be a San Diego rock climber. My main energy and best performances were in San Diego. Those hills and that winter weather. God it was exotic and solitary—many of my best memories were roaming around in the hills, soloing a little 5.7 pinnacle all by myself, scrubbing any tiny bits of moss and grain on the fly. Man I had a really fine time”. https://climbingzine.com/rays-red-truck-by-roy-mcclenahan/ I find great desire in climbing through many avenues such as long multi-pitches, short boulder problems, and even trail maintenance. It becomes fully immersive and a therapeutical way of coping with life. I have always been an adventure seeker with the idea that it lives within us and is not out of reach. Ray lived in San Diego and used North Deerhorn to find his own adventure without anyone else’s input, and rarely documented his findings. Although I find myself in a very different and privileged time of climbing history, I can relate to Ray in many ways, and it is upsetting that I couldn’t interact with him. I would have had so many questions for him, mostly relative to Deerhorn of course, but listening to his stories would be what I am most interested in. Ray may be gone, but he will not be forgotten. |
Adam Burch wrote: Well, he keeps it covered when I see him, and no I thought you can just do whatever you want in San Diego?! |
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For context, looking at Mountain Project posts, Ben recorded or took pictures of himself typically facing away from the camera. Honestly didn't know what his face looked like till I met him! He seemed like an illusive hard man that climbed rad and obscure places in San Diego! |
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Shoutout to Kyle for letting me know about this, just threw 100 bones towards the funding. I'm the red bearded dude you met near revision. I'd be interested in helping develop the area. Note: I know nothing about development but know how to use tools and learn fast (for a hotdog). |
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That's awesome! Email me if you're interested in the development of the area. I am currently out of a car, but willing to annoy anyone who wants to give me a ride out to Deerhorn! If you can pick up rocks and swing a shovel, you can develop trails! |
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Stumbling upon this- after donating how may one get in contact regarding any boulders in the area? Does the old topo have them listed or is there anyone to contact that might have further info? |
Karl Walterswrote: Find Ben May, the property is available on hipcamp also I think. |
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where is Ben best found? |
  Yesterday |
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That is one tough wall. Almost made it out there to join you guys but life got in the way. |
Karl Walterswrote: Ben actually reached out to me after I donated. Otherwise, DM me and I'll put you in touch. |
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New route up on Rip-Off rock as well!! A fun 5.8 slab on the approach up as well. Route: I’m just happy to be here (on rip off rock)
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