Balch Camp, a call to action!

[Jaybro]

President's day weekend. 2nd ascent Stuff to stump Scuffy, new routes at ALL levels.  one pitch, to grade fives. go to the "Passionate life", thread here, or similar on the taco, for details.
Who's in?
Bring hazmat suits, and any pruning materials, short of dynamite. contact me at jaybro1584at a o el dotcalm  or other emails you may have,  The drive in, alone, is better than disneyland. Makes mineral king look like your driveway..

[Jaybro]

Update;

I did a Recon down Balch camp way, today.  Some updates; the google  directions I posted for Ed work and will get you there ( past, I believe someone's secert bouldering area!)  But a better, faster way to go is this;

Drive to Fresno on 99 either from the north or the south, and get off at exit 133b, 180 East. Take this all the way to Fowler road, go south (right) about 1/4 mile until you get to (Belmont) that becomes Trimmer Springs rd, and  drive east on it until you get to Balch camp some 60? miles later.

When you get to almost to Balch camp,  drive over a steel bridge and go left. Ahead of you is the final bit to Balch camp proper (sign), instead hang a right and drive uphill and drive under the pipe you'll know what I mean.  Drive this narrow road several miles, over two upgraded, but still single lane bridges, and look for the 700' Granite face on your left.  The 240' by ~400' wide flake with two promenent cracks, is Balch camp flake.  watch for cars, or paper plates that say BAWC.

Photos to follow.

below are the directions I posted for Ed;

Ed Hartouni
Did "Cream" naked

Posts: 360



Living in the past


    
   
Re: Jaybro, what about The Passionate Life
« Reply #22 on: December 12, 2009, 01:31:10 PM »
Quote
Jaybro, you got directions on how to get there?
« Last Edit: December 12, 2009, 02:03:01 PM by Ed Hartouni »   Report to moderator     Logged
Jaybro
So Far Gone It Hurts

Posts: 846


    
   
Re: Jaybro, what about The Passionate Life
« Reply #23 on: December 12, 2009, 09:36:47 PM »
Quote  Modify  Remove






(Thanks Em)


Driving directions to Balch Camp, CA I remember ot being more straight forward, but it's a start.
202 mi – about 3 hours 55 mins
  
Livermore, CA

1.   Head northwest on S Livermore Ave toward 1st St      
105 ft
2.   Turn right at 1st St      
2.1 mi
3.   Take the ramp onto I-580 E      
9.9 mi
4.   Continue onto I-205 E      
14.6 mi
5.   Merge onto I-5 N      
0.8 mi
6.   Take exit 461 to merge onto CA-120 E toward Manteca/Sonora      
6.4 mi
7.   Take the exit onto CA-99 S toward Modesto/Fresno      
107 mi
8.   Take exit 133B to merge onto CA-180 E toward Kings Canyon/Airport      
4.0 mi
9.   Take exit 60A to merge onto CA-168 E toward Huntington Lake/Clovis      
18.9 mi
10.   Turn right at Sample Rd      
3.0 mi
11.   Turn right at Pittman Hill Rd      
1.2 mi
12.   Take the 1st left onto Watts Valley Rd      
7.4 mi
13.   Continue onto Maxon Rd      
5.0 mi
14.   Turn left at E Trimmer Springs Rd      
7.8 mi
15.   Turn right at Trimmer Springs Rd      
10.6 mi
16.   Turn left      
285 ft
17.   Turn left toward Trimmer Springs Rd      
3.2 mi
18.   Turn left at Trimmer Springs Rd      
423 ft
19.   Slight left at Sycamore Springs Rd      
279 ft
  
Balch Camp, CA

after you get to the Down of Balch camp  take the road to (Patterson Bluf  (you can see it from town [ maybe 100 people all employed by PGE) The road out of town (dubbed the disneyland ride) is steep and goes under Water pipes that are big enough to drive your van through. Bigger thatn the ones by ORG. at points it goes over wooden tressels (one lane that seem to be glued to the side of the cliff.  Worth the trip just to drive that road alone.
Leverss discovered it when he was in a small airplane taking pictures of backcountry domes.
 

[Jaybro]

Illustrated drive beta;
So basically you head out of Fresno on Trimmer springs and drive around a large body of water on it's north side, it looks like this;
looking west


Scenic 'n excrement




cross bridges that look like this;



go left



watch for rocks



Drive under this pipe



Road narrows,





Do the second ascent of this, on the way in;



Deja vu!




different Saab, different century, same climb!



if you ge there, you've gone to far!

[spyork]

I'm signing up for this rodeo. Not sure about how I'm getting there yet.

[Jaybro]

yee-ha! we'll talk about which wagons to circle! When do you want to go?  Em what's your schedule?

[Jaybro]

The good news is,



I don't think that's poison Oak!

[excap]

Nice. Looks like dedication(AKA foolishness?) to me.
Good on ya, JayBro.

[pkingsbury]

That "Pay at the Pump" looks very cool!!!!

Did that one take you some time Jay?!

[Jaybro]

One afternoon. I was as close to 'on' then as I've ever been, pulling juju from disparate spheres, but still I suspect I overrated it.


You'd flash it, Patrick.

[Ed Hartouni]

great show you guys and gals!
looks incredible

maybe next year for me
or maybe the fall if you're still working lines

[Jaybro]

Oh, there will be lists of tasks and objectives,  for the fall....

Zanderland Thursday?

[Jaybro]

Who is in for this weekend? Chance of rain. May be perfect trail building conditions!

I'll hit the usual Mai list.

[scuffy b]

Good chance.  See you tonight.

[mungeclimber]

good chance, but won't be able to do the drive up to Zanderland tonight.


alternatively, I'll be at PGscummyvale tonight late in the evening.

[Jaybro]

Looks like Scuffy and David Emrich and I are all in, we'll watch for you, Munge. In case of excessive rain we may relocate to PGSF, Sunday.

I'll be in iPhone/email contact until sometime east of Fresno tommrow afternoon, if you or anyone has direction problems. brings clippers and brush saws if you have em!

[Jaybro]

4:15 I'm going in. Out of email contact any minute someone try to remember trail marking tape!

[VLG]

Eery coincidence...didn´t Walt die on Dinky Creek?

Hope you boys get it done. I´m shivering my mule off down here at the southern end of the continent. A wave of splitter weather came through the Torres and several teams got up their projects, including the Kearny/Knight. The guy I talked to about it said he could see all the way to Cerro Torre from there!

The next empanada is for the Fetishists!

[Jaybro]

Walt did Die on Dinky creek. I like to think we get to  hear his cackle in the constant cascade of water sounds we hear while climbing there.

Just back from getting rained, hailed,  out, Scuff and I shared some laughs, that I like to  imagine wafted up to join with Walt's.

This may deserve a Haiku...

[pkingsbury]

I dunno about a flash Jay 

But it does look amazing!  What grade did you give it btw?!  Looks .12ish to me.....

STOUT!

[Jaybro]

I called it .12b, I suspect not one of my more accurate ratings...

I'm going in solo if need be, during the week, and cutting the trail, these are floodgates worth opening...

[Jaybro]

okay dudes and dudettes, it's on again this weekend! I'm dropping in, Thursday night, and not sleeping friday night until the trail is established.  Come one,  come all Saturday (or bring your tools of plant destruction and come any time) to reap the benefits!  There are other, closer to the road destinations as well.
anyone got a chain saw?

99 to Belmont exit drive it to the end, though it's better to go  east at exit 33b and hang a right at Fowler then left at the light and drive that (same road as rte #1) to the end. after the last steel bridge, follow the square happy 50th birthday paper plates.

[EsotErik]

Weather permitting, Skip and I are IN! Then Woodson the weekend after - wow! What a March! 

Thanks for the heads-up Jay. 

[Jaybro]

It'll be good to have you two as part of the force, Erik!

[Will]

Hmm, carpool E?
That roof thing I'm looking at looks about 100m off road.

[scuffy b]

It's a lot closer than that, Will.

[RussWalling]

how long in minutes is the approach to big stuff?  Remember I'm old and out of shape and will add at least one hour to whatever you young fit guys tell me.

[Jaybro]

For  a man of your skills, Russ , merely many, many minutes!

For the one Strong Young Will is looking at, seconds

[Jaybro]

It's SO, you, Will! You too, Erik!

[Jaybro]

Also Leversee said that Balch camp has the highest concentration of Mtn Lions in California, I saw one time before last.
Check out Balch camp flake Vet  Anne Yeagle's account of a close encounter
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1110110&msg=1112891#msg1112891

[EsotErik]

OK, we are for sure in! Will, the carpool thing sounds good. You come to our place, and go from there. You could come out early, if'n ya want and we could leave early Friday. We both have flexible schedules at this point, and a long weekend away sounds great.
 

[excap]

Man, some folks just know how to live, huh?
Some great tunes, Some W Y D E, & throw in a couple lions in, for flava.
Merely many minutes from the road. 

[HJ]

Wishing I could make it, but it's a bit far for the weekend. Get that trail in good for us northerners who have no resistance to poison oak built up. I will be busy ice-climbing.
cheers,

[em knot]

Hey Jaybro -- Too late for this weekend, but I've got a couple of chainsaws if you've got a cord long enough to reach the nearest electrical outlet.

Hey HJ--have fun on ice. OOO so wish I could be there too, sure love that cold blue stuff and none 'o the other wide folks seem to give it much mind

Hey y'all -- have a GREAT weekend! Looking forward to more pix and sends

[EsotErik]

Will called to say he was bailing cuz the weather looks iffy, looks like we are out (for this round, anyway). Have fun everyone!

[mungeclimber]

late start, but I'll try and find it.

[mungeclimber]

you guys missed a good day at Patterson. UH-MAZE-ING!

Extreme Gardening TR!

nice drive in complete with multiple waterfalls, check



stellar campsite complete with mountain Jay-hermit, check
just a touch of mist-rain in the ethereal clouds with a campfire, check
slow start, check
mungie wet approach, check
brush crashing, check
ticks, check



PO, check
much trail work completed, check
I stopped at the PO garden a few hundred yards from the flake. Jaybro had the summit fever and headed in (the joy of being immune to PO)



all in all a good day despite no climbing

[EsotErik]

Hope everyone had a great time - long drive for iffy weather.

Hope to join you guys up there soon. Skip and Erik

[mungeclimber]

Directions updated:

Be sure to fill up on gas in Fresno.

Drive to Fresno on 99 either from the north or the south, and get off at exit 133b, 180 East. Take this to Fowler road, go south (right) to first intersection just a stones throw from the offramp, don't miss it, until you get to Belmont Avenue (Chevron station on right). Take this Belmont Ave. East (left turn). Follow it for quite aways thru residential and some orchards. Belmont turns into Trimmer Springs road. Stay on Trimmer Springs road going east on it for a long long ways (passing Pine Lake reservoir and a couple bridges) following signs for Balch Camp until you get to Balch camp some 60? miles later.

When you get to almost in Balch camp you'll cross a cattle guard and then the first bridge in the 'town' area is a left. Going to the right is a dead end, but a nice one.  Cross this first bridge going northish. you'll pass a real steel bridge on the left, but keep going relatively straight thru PG&E housing area, follow the main road up a switchback to the pipe that goes over the road that jaybro posted. keep on this road til you drive up to the bluffs.

The BAWC signs were down when I left.

As for getting to Wide World, the trail is marked, but best to have a jay-hermit mountain man show you the way, or at least most. This trail could really get stabilized with the right kind of traffic.

I think a trail from the left end might work as well.

no itching today. 

[Jaybro]

Thanks Rob! But what about the eagle, hawks with prey shots?
Further wildlife; I had one tick in a delicate spot Sunday night, yarded one out of my leg Monday am, and caused another to become dis associated with my neck last night. I am currently bivvied on the couch at my ex's in Reno ( saw 'Alice' againlast night, in 3-d, with Natalie.) and will have photos posted later today when I get home. Wide world & Passionate life is counterparts look like very desirible, mellower objectives!

Potential other climb names; almost Alice, Absolutely Alice

[Ed Hartouni]

another route name.... from The Apples in Stereo I Love You Alice D, goes with the sunset and the lichen and the detailed paranoid attention to tiny blood suckers...

[mungeclimber]

special wide fetish exclusive...




bonus pic wildlife...

[Jaybro]

nice, Munge!

Also, but different,  I love you Alice b. Toklas,

[Jaybro]

Balch Camp, the Valleys of Neptune tour, gone forty years Jimi is still giving us fresh soundtrack;



Friday solo effort, trail cutting turned around at 5:30 maybe 3/4's of the way,  Rain didn't start until late afternoon







Rained all night until late breakfast Saturday.  Rest and firewood gathering;



drying out,


and looking at future objectives,



Then came Munge.




Sunday was  a full day of "extreme gardening",


But the approach was reestablished, we were back to the flake!



The Passionate life, along with .12a hands variation;



and the wide World



Both heavily fore-shortened, these are views up 240' of of Rock, the first part more than vertical.

Then we go behind the flake,
The rarely seen, Behind the Passionate life,


The wide world-beyond;


Both allegedly 5.10
There's more awaiting the next explorer....

[RussWalling]

OMG!  That looks like actual climbing out there!

[caughtinside]

sweet gay foot!

After a bunch of strange photos, a soaked and dirty Jaybro and a mysterious munge, you finally deliver some photos of the goods!  Looks like some good stone!

[Jaybro]

Correction.  The ratings on those inside cracks, according to Leversee are .11c for the one behind the passionate life and .11a? for the wide world one (Bonafide wyde inside?)

[em knot]

OMG, things u see on the internet while snow camping above lk tarhoe!
curiouser & curiouser!

[nutjob]

Hello... radar perking up... but what's this about poison oak? I dig suffering and all, but that's taking it to a medically unreasonable level?

[Jaybro]

It is, possible to climb there with minimal PO exposure.

[RussWalling]