Indian Creek  11/17-24/90

Went to Canyonlands (near Moab Utah) Nov. 17-24 with Marc Sheppard;
it's only 12 hours from Marc's place in Bakersfield.  The weather was
great, although fairly cold at night.  Rock is fairly steep sandstone
with many textbook cracks, in case you haven't heard or been there.
  11/18 (Sun):  Supercrack Buttress.  I tried to lead Supercrack 5.10c,
but I downclimbed from above the roof after I declared that I wasn't
having any fun (it's #3.5 Friend/fist size for 50' above).  We were
"taking turns", so Marc led Fingers in a Light Socket 5.11d,
with 2 hangs.  This is a lieback from #1 to fingertip size.  He could
have used a warmup route, as he nearly got sick at the belay, and his
arms hurt a bit.  I TRed it with a little inadvertant tension at the
crux.  I led Keyhole Flakes 5.10a.  Marc led Noname Crack 5.10b, and
I led The Incredible Hand Crack 5.10b -- my perfect hand size; felt
super solid even though the crux overhangs.  Ran into Warren Harding
there; he's living in Moab now.
  11/19:  Battle of the Bulge Buttress.  Marc led a 35' 5.8 warmup
route.  I tried Trout's route M [Hole in the Wall], cranking the
flare/hands, but found #3.5/fist size above where it had promised #3/hands.
In spite of a good tape job, my knuckles were a little sore from cupped jams,
so I backed off by placing a bolt (faster than downclimbing, and Marc
got to do the start this way, but I still felt bad about it).  Marc
led Crack Attack 5.10d -- steep but many rests and jugs.  I led Our
Piece of Real Estate 5.10c (short 1.25" crux at start).  Marc led
Jane Fonda Total Body Workout 5.11b -- one fist/ow move at start, then
much thin hand liebacking with climactic crux at end (good toe jams).
  11/20:  It was cold (cloudy/sprinkly/windy), so we did a recon of
Cat Wall (marked on Trout p.2, recommended by Joe Shiefman).  We
identified 29 existing routes (15 with "plaques" -- small carved
loose plates at base with name and rating/FA date).  It cleared later,
so I led Anasazi 5.10d (Supercrack Buttress).  Windy rainstorm at
dinner time.
  11/21:  We returned to Cat Wall, where Marc tried to lead a 5.12 FA
just right of Johnny Cat.  It features a fairly easy double roof
start (lunge or long reach); then it's 40' of uniform .75" finger
size with some calcite patches for footholds.  Marc quit just above
the roof at first where it's .5" (painful), but I reached past to
sink my fingers deep and advanced the siege line another 12'.  Marc
then advanced it with more dogging to where it thins to tips/nails.
I tried to TR, but got only to my previous dogging high point before
running out of lock-off power.  Marc TRed it to the last move in a
powerful effort, and placed a 2-bolt anchor.  We were going to name
it "Fingerlocks or Litter Box" if we had been able to free it.
[2006:  this route is now called Cat Burglar 5.12 ***]
I then led Kool Cat 5.11a lieback, with a climactic tips lieback
finish.
  11/22:  Battle of the Bulge Buttress.  Marc attempted Digital
Readout 5.12 finger crack, but his fingers were too sore, so I
downaided it to clean the gear.  I led Noname/Black Corner 5.11a,
finding many rests as usual.  Marc led Battle of the Bulge 5.11c/d
with 2 falls/hangs.  This climb features a long lieback with no
rests (like upper part of Astroman/4, much easier on TR).  I tried
Quarter of a Man 5.11d, but took 4 hangs.  Had 9 #2 Friends but needed
more like 12 with the backcleaning I did "en hang".  There are several
rests, but 2 "miles-long" sections of 1.25".  The corner is not that
steep, but the edge of the crack is obtuse, so liebacking is not very
effective.  We both took a hang in the lower section; Marc got the
longer upper section free while following, but I took 3 short hangs
(placing gear free, but then grabbing it to clip in and hanging to
back clean the previous #2).  I reverted to my old "karate chop"
hand jamming technique on this route:  crude but fairly effective.
BBQed a turkey and had a steaming feast in the cab of Marc's truck.
  11/23 (Friday):  Marc's arms were aching pretty bad from all those
cranks, and I was getting a little sore so we decided to stop
cragging and try some desert towers.  Did Lightning Bolt Cracks 5.10d
on North Six Shooter Peak.  We utilized a dawn start and Marc's
4WD truck in an attempt to bag it quickly and then drive to Moses
while some daylight remained (scary road description in Trout guide).
The first pitch was so taxing to our sensitive arms, however, that we
could barely manage to finish it.  Marc led what would have been
straightforward thin-hand cranks with no footholds to easy fist moves,
then the upper hand/fist bulge (after tricky switching back and forth
from left crack).  We both arrived at the belay in great pain; he
wasn't sure he was going to be able to belay me at first....  After
taping, he felt better, but Moses was out.  I led the second pitch,
which features classic exposed hand jams above a roof, and Marc did
the final 5.8 squeeze.  Given the useless state of our arms, we
broke camp and drove back home immediately.  We'll have to get Moses
and more of those other classic cracks next time.