Season 2012: Wet & Clean (Sort of)

It was raining today, which made it a good day to walk the woods at Carver. The only trash I picked up  was a movie ticket stub.  Thanks to everyone for helping to keep the area clean.

I strolled out to the Titlest Boulders and cut back the nettles and brambles that are starting to grow along the trail.  My main reason for heading out there was to check out the condition of the boulders in that group.  I gave a shout out to Andy T. in my last post for cleaning the Water Tower Boulder (at least a large portion of it) back into a climbable condition.  Andy also cleaned and got the first ascent of Problem #17 on page 9 of the guidebook.  This problem is listed as the Water Tower Project in the bouldering guide, but now that it is no longer a project, Andy has named it Unearthed and goes at V1. Sometimes things are projects for the simple reason that no one else was ever motivated to clean it off.

Unearthed starts in the notch just behind the tree and heads up and right to finish just left of the high point on the boulder.

While I was out at the Titlest Group I rough cleaned the top of the right-hand side of the Titlest Boulder. I also cut back the landings around the James Dean and the Quota Boulders.

After that bit of work, it was off to the Bonzai Boulders to pick up any more trash I might find. There wasn't any, which was awesome! I was so stoked I rough cleaned the Ivy Boulder (on the map on page 35). This boulder hasn't been climbable in at least 6 years. There are two problems listed in the guide for this boulder on page 37, College Prep, grade unknown and Shop Class, V2.  Having now cleaned the ivy off this long, low boulder I also suspect there will be a lip traverse that starts the same as College Prep and heads right to finish Shop Class. There is also a little problem that will start under the little roof and move up and over for the exit.

The Ivy Boulder with a lot less ivy than it has been used too.

And after 4 hours of trail maintenance and boulder cleaning, some of it in the rain, I was really sweaty and REALLY DIRTY. My fingers even got dyed the color of my gloves.

So thanks again to everyone for helping to pick up trash, clean boulders and keeping the woods generally friendly.  Don't forget to be a patron of the Stone Cliff Inn every once in a while.  Mr. Rosenbaum has shown us a ton of support by continuing to allow climbing on his property and we should show him some gratitude by enjoying a beverage and some food in his restaurant. The patio does have a great view of the river.

If anyone has Carver photos or videos they would like to share via this blog, let me know and we'll set it up.

Season 2012: Dry & Green

Mark O. pressing the top out on a fun, awkward, steep & short V2 called Low and Inside.

I know it has been since last season since I've posted here and that is for a couple of reasons:

1. It is wet in Portland in the Winter and makes it hard to climb outside. Granted this winter was fairly mild and February had some good, crisp weather.
2. This one is more personal and even almost derailed the publishing of the guidebook - my wife was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma, on May, 11 of last year. She is 35 and a non-smoker and you can read more about her situation on her blog, Aquarius Vs. Cancer.

So after a very long year, I got back out to Carver, brushed some holds (OK a lot of holds) and had a fun afternoon in the woods. We cleaned a swath of boulders between the Cedar and Yosemite boulders.  

Climbing in this area also made me realize that I've left at least one problem out of the guidebook (I'm sure there are at least two more). Problem #3 on page 26 is an unnamed V0 near the Yosemite Boulder. There is also a V1 sit start on small crimps to the right of Problem #3. I guess we'll call it Problem #3a. I also cleaned off a problem that isn't in the guide that is probably V1. It is short sit start that climbs up though a slabby notch. If you look at the map on Page 27 of the guidebook, then this problem would be on the end of the Toe Boulder facing the parking lot.

I want to send a shout out to Andy T. who sent me an email several weeks ago. It seems Andy has taken some of his climbing time to clean off the Water Tower Boulder out near the Pioneer Church. I hope to walk out there tomorrow and check it out.

Here is another view of Mark O. on Low and Inside, but looking out towards the parking lot. Alison is standing in front of Problem #3a.

Thank you to everyone who has already bought a copy of the Carver Bouldering Guide. If you still need a guide, you can pick one up at:

• The Stone Cliff Inn (Make sure to go in a have a beer every once in a while)
• The Circuit Bouldering Gym (NE & SW locations)

Missing Moss

First, to everyone who has already bought a copy of the Carver Bouldering Guide, THANK YOU! That thanks also goes out to the businesses currently selling the guidebook.

• The Stone Cliff Inn (the owners of the restaurant and the property are being very supportive of the guide and the climbing community - go in a have a beer every once in awhile)
• The Circuit Bouldering Gym (NE & SW locations) 

A lot of people feared that a guidebook would cause the woods to be overrun with loud, dirty boulderers. If the past two Sundays are any indication, then those fears are unfounded. Well, OK, we have been getting a little dirty reclaiming some lost problems, but yesterday there were 6 of us total in the woods bouldering between noon and 5:30p.m.

The hand full of us, between climbing some already clean problems, managed to clean off the top to Optimus Prime (V3 - Yosemite Boulder), Emil Muzz (V2 - Dragnet Boulder), Universal Head (V7 - in the Dragnet pit), Joe Friday (V2 - next to the Dragnet Boulder) and last week we partially cleaned Soldering Iron of Justice (V5 - behind the Traffic Boulder) and Chipmunk (V3) and Fox Squirrel (V1) - both of those are on the little boulder left of the Angry Squirrel Boulder.

Thanks to Mark, Mindy, and some others for doing some scrubbing instead of just climbing.

I'll have new photos up in the next post and hopefully some video as well. I'm tweeting @CarverBoulders if you want to follow me there to hear about blog updates, access issues, where guidebooks are available and when I'm planning on being in the woods at Carver next. Hope to see you there.

Overview Map of the Carver Bridge Cliff Boulders

So the guidebook is going through a few tweaks/edits to the rules and some grade changes. In the meantime, here is an overview map of the boulder fields out at Carver - you should be able to download/print/etc. It is 11x17 and all of the boulders with problems on them should be shown in Dark Grey. Good luck and if you have questions, please post to the comments.

This map was originally hand-drawn on a very large piece of paper by Jered Bernert and with some help from a friend it was scanned, converted to a JPEG and then I digitized it in Adobe Illustrator and added the other various peices that make a map a map.

If you have specific questions about problems and such, you'll probably have to wait for the guidebook to come out.

Carver Bouldering Overview Map

Trespassers Ye Be Warned!

But first:

• Thank you to everyone who has joined/re-joined the Carver Climbing Club and keeps your membership card with you while you are climbing. The property owners are pleased with how things are going.

• Also a thank you to boulderers who are taking some time to clean some of the moss and other debris off the boulders. The long, wet spring we had has made for a more robust moss crop this summer.

And now:

• If you are using the property without a membership card and refuse to leave when asked by a card carry member, then you risk being charged with trespassing by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department.

As a member, the process goes like this:

• Inform the climbers of the Membership Card policy and that they cannot use the property without having a card physically with them. If they refuse to leave, please inform the manager of the Stone Cliff Inn who will call the sheriff's department. Try and give the manager as much information about the trespassers as possible (# in the party, car they arrived in, location in the woods, etc.).

Do not get in an altercation with anyone. Be as polite as possible.

Thanks again to everyone who is doing the right things to help ensure that the property stays open to climbing.

First Day of Summer

And Carver is still wet. The moss is thick and seeping. It is looking better for the next few days. If you're planning on going out to boulder, take a nylon bristle brush and clean at least one problem in the main woods before you head down to the Bonzai (frontside) boulders looking for drier terrain.

Also be sure you're a member of the Carver Climbing Club and you have your membership card with you - wherever you are in the woods, bouldering or rope climbing.

Thanks from everyone who wants to make sure the access stays open.

A Bit of Carver Climbing History

So a friend of mine had some old Carver Climbing Club stuff he loaned me to photograph. The first is the button you would get to put on your climbing pack to show you were a member of the club. I joined in 1999 and these were no longer in existence. This is the first one I've ever seen. You?


These next few images are of the pamphlet that was created to to inform climbers (this was before people really bouldered) about the rope climbing at the Carver Bridge Cliff.












Yep, the date on the cover of the pamphlet reads 5/14/91. Not too much has changed since then. You still need to be respectful to the landowner, Mr. Rosenbaum, and now also the Stone Cliff Inn Staff. And you still need to treat the land better than your own.

Carver Bouldering Has a Guidebook...Almost

So the proof copy was on my doorstep Thursday after work. I made a couple of tweaks and switched out two photos and sent it back to the printer. So it looks like two weeks before the Carver Bouldering Guide is available around Portland.

In the interim, if you are looking for a nice place to climb and still beat the heat, try the problems in the corridor behind the Cedar Boulder. There are a handful of problems back there along with a spot that stays around 65 degrees.

I bouldered there with my buddy Mark on Wednesday after work when it was 105. I was almost chilly in pants and a t-shirt.

So good luck and safe climbing.

Spencer out

Clean Holds on the Carpet Boulder

Out yesterday in the heat, we managed to eek out a pretty good session on the Carpet Boulder (situated between the two parking areas and looks like a submarine).

While we didn't clean off everything, there should be enough to get you going with problems from V1 to V8. It also sits under some shade, so that was nice yesterday.

Here are a couple of photos of a V5, Ten Dollar Bread. Crimpy, bulging, slopey: everything you want in a boulder problem at Carver. First up is Josh:

And this one is Dan making progress:

And the crux is getting past that bulge, so good luck and safe climbing.

spencer out

The Drake Boulder Is Clean

Went out yesterday afternoon and cleaned the Drake Boulder.

This boulder is next to the circle turnaround to the right of the Stone Cliff Inn. It is part of the Carpet Boulders Group. The problem this boulder is named after, The Drake, is now partially buried by the parking lot, but three other very fun problems still exist (and The Drake could be unearthed).

The problems are, Brakeman V3, Caboose V4 (recently broken hold), Rail Yard V0, Rail Yard Left V4, The Drake V3 (buried).

The photo of Avery on Brakeman is in this post. Caboose would start to the left of her feet (hold now broken, but still enough to start on) and climb into the arete. The other problems are around the corner to the right and exit up the slab which is now clean enough.

Also went out last week and sawed the fallen tree off the Water Tower Boulder, which is part of the Titlest Boulders near the Pioneer Church.

And the Guidebook has been sent to the printers.

Good Luck.

Spencer out

Titlest Boulders

The Titlest Boulders are most easily reached by parking along the road near the Pioneer Church and walking in from there. The trail to the Titlest Boulders begins just past the gate on the paved driveway. Hike a short distance to the obvious boulders on the uphill side of the trail. From the Stone Cliff Inn, take the main trail up to the cliff and head East away from the main climbing areas until you reach the Titlest Boulders.

This group of boulders hasn't been visited in some time and will need some cleaning. There is a wide selection of problems here and there are still some dry days left. So get out there and climb!

Enjoy

spencer out

Welcome

Kim W. on Legal System V3

This is the first post for the Carver Bouldering Blog. This blog will support the print version of the Carver Bouldering Guide which is being finalized.

First things: The Carver Bridge Cliff and the boulders are on Private Property. You must sign the release form at the Portland Rock Gym or at The Circuit and be over 18 to boulder or rope climb at this area. You must also have picture ID with you and be prepared to show it to representatives of the Stone Cliff Inn. Sorry, but those rules are the wishes of the Land Owner, Mike Rosenbaum.

Other rules are basic like: No glass containers and clean-up any litter you see in the woods. Keep your dog on a leash or at home. If you do bring your dog please clean-up after them. Keep your noise level to minimum and be respectful to the patrons of the Stone Cliff Inn.

You may park in the gravel lot by the Columbia Boulders except on Friday and Saturday after 5pm. After 5pm on these nights climbers should park near the intersection of South Gronlund and South Hattan roads and approach from the trail near the Pioneer Church.

There are over 300 boulder problems at Carver ranging from VB to V11. Like any area the problems range in quality and cleanliness. Quality is mostly dictated by Mother Nature. Cleanliness, however, is directly impacted by you. Please take some time to scrub holds and remove moss where appropriate. A majority of problems at Carver have to be cleaned every Spring to remove the rapidly growing Winter moss.

Please keep an eye on this blog to find out when and where the Carver Bouldering Guide will be available to purchase.

Thanks

spencer out