Trip Report
Kristen on Supercrack
Wednesday October 27, 2010 1:59pm
No car rental company should rent me a car. I scored big with the Toyota Camry this time, but it's low clearance meant that I smoothed off all the high ridges on approach roads on my month-log road trip. Heading south from Salt Lake City, I rolled into Indian Creek, set up camp in Creek Pasture, made friends with the natives, and cooked a fine dinner.
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Max, Sage, and the Camry at the Creek
Max, Sage, and the Camry at the Creek
Credit: AKTrad
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First thing in the morning, just as I was packing up for the day, Kristen drove her VW camper through, and I knew I had a partner for the day. Being the first time in a year that I had actually touched rock, we started on the warm-up climbs on Supercrack buttress. Amaretto (named for the "Alma Redd" signature on the rock) started the day. Then we moved over to Supercrack.
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Luxury Liner, the original name of Supercrack of the Desert
Luxury Liner, the original name of Supercrack of the Desert
Credit: AKTrad
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Although she protested that she hadn't climbed in a long time, Kristen made short work of the crack.
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Kristen surmounts the initial block and cracks
Kristen surmounts the initial block and cracks
Credit: AKTrad
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Kristen on the overhang
Kristen on the overhang
Credit: AKTrad
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At the chains
At the chains
Credit: AKTrad
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I cooked dinner; Kristen did the kitchen duties. Camp is a great place; we found Pete Athens, Bill Crouse and their friend Ray, a Red Bull motorcycle racer and belay slave. Off to the crags the next morning.
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Kristen, camp slave
Kristen, camp slave
Credit: AKTrad
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Pete leads off
Pete leads off
Credit: AKTrad
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While Ray belays
While Ray belays
Credit: AKTrad
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Pete places pro
Pete places pro
Credit: AKTrad
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Kristen follows
Kristen follows
Credit: AKTrad
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Later we meet Philippe and Rachel...the group expands:

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Philippe on lead
Philippe on lead
Credit: AKTrad
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Rain finally flushed us out of the hills.
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Kristen in the rainstorm
Kristen in the rainstorm
Credit: AKTrad
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  Trip Report Views: 3,009
AKTrad
About the Author
AKTrad is a mountain climber from AK.

Comments
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Oct 27, 2010 - 02:02pm PT
kewl





still don't understand the stone placards. meh
The Wedge

Boulder climber
Estes Park, CO
  Oct 27, 2010 - 02:06pm PT
Pete.......Nice syncro's. I loved those shoes, I just retired mine for a pair of Acopa legends.
rhyang

climber
SJC
  Oct 27, 2010 - 02:08pm PT
Cool pics, need to go there sometime !
dirt claud

Social climber
san diego,ca
  Oct 27, 2010 - 03:16pm PT
Man that rock looks awesome, thanks for the TR and pics, hope to make it out there sometime soon.
Prezwoodz

climber
Anchorage
  Oct 27, 2010 - 03:18pm PT
Hey Ralph! It was great running into you guys I wish we could have hung around longer and done some more climbing with you. Got any plans for some climbing in this winter? Give me a ring if you need a climbing partner. Or an email as well since thats an easy way to get a hold of me!
Dirka

Trad climber
Hustle City
  Oct 27, 2010 - 03:21pm PT
Nice TR. Thanks
Zander

climber
  Oct 27, 2010 - 03:43pm PT
Another nice TR! Thanks AK
Z
SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
  Oct 27, 2010 - 06:23pm PT

Kristen's smile says it all!!!

Great report, thanks for sharing!
tonesfrommars

Trad climber
California
  Oct 27, 2010 - 07:25pm PT
awesome.
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
  Oct 27, 2010 - 08:37pm PT
Living the good life.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Oct 27, 2010 - 08:43pm PT
Way to go Kristen! and AK. I
I miss Indian Creek.

was the 2nd route 'Hole in the Wall', aka 'Our our piece of Real estate'?

More pictures/adventures?
mark miller

Social climber
Reno
  Oct 27, 2010 - 08:44pm PT
Great TR....I went there about 7ish years ago in the "wettest" February on record for Utah....
After getting turned back in about a foot of Utahs "Fresh". I headed over to the Fischer Towers....Never saw them in the snow and almost got my 4x4 GMC stuck.
Hope to get back there when work picks up. Maybe I'll wait till March or April.......

Chinchen

climber
Way out there....
  Oct 27, 2010 - 09:12pm PT
Stand up Ray!!!
Looks like fun.
SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
  Oct 27, 2010 - 09:40pm PT
Beautiful...bummed I'm missing out on fall trip to Indian Creek...

Kristen looked very comfortable up there on those cracks.
Prod

Trad climber
  Oct 27, 2010 - 10:31pm PT
Sweet stuff.

Prod.
J. Werlin

Social climber
Cedaredge, CO
  Oct 28, 2010 - 09:26pm PT
Thanks AK, that delivered the goods.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Oct 29, 2010 - 10:26am PT
Thanks for posting!
Great Pics!
10b4me

Social climber
Lida Junction
  Oct 29, 2010 - 11:32am PT
I need to get back to the Creek. I got rained off Supercrack the last time I was there
slobmonster

Trad climber
SF (via NH & CO)
  Oct 29, 2010 - 12:14pm PT
Looks like you met an old friend of mine. Great lady, with enthusiasm to spare!
AKTrad

Mountain climber
AK
Author's Reply  Oct 29, 2010 - 12:15pm PT
Prezwoods,
I'll be back down to the Desert later in November; don't have a date, but sooner rather than later. Then ice climbing and skiing for Dec-Jan in the Ouray area. See you then!
wbw

Trad climber
'cross the great divide
  Oct 29, 2010 - 01:08pm PT
Nice trip report. I want to give a little history on the use of those "placards", which were used back in the early days of IC climbing, and created some controversy.

Some of the early climbers there, especially from SLC knew that there was not record keeping going on, so they created simple plaques and placed them at the base of routes they had done as first ascents: usually with the name of the climb, the rating, and the initials of the first ascentionists. Keep in mind this was at a time when very few people were climbing there, and it probably seemed reasonable at the time.

Some friends of mine and I who were also climbing there early in the day, believed these plaques to be vandalism, and started to systematically destroy them by trundling them. A buddy of mine even wrote a short article about climbing in the desert in a well known climbing mag., and mentioned what great trundling the plaques made for. A SLC climber wrote a response, essentially threatening to trundle the "puny bodies" of my friends if they continued to destroy the plaques.

Admittedly, I don't get to the dez as much as I once did, but I cannot imagine that given the heavy use of Indian Creek, that those plaques have been accepted. I haven't seen one in decades. Maybe I am out of line to say so, but etching the name of a climb into desert stone, and placing it at the base of the route is still VANDALISM. Please, keep the desert the pristine and wild place that it is! Even in a heavily used place such as Indian Creek.
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
  Oct 29, 2010 - 01:26pm PT
Ralph
Great TR and pics.
Who says you gotta have a partner in hand to go out on a climbing trip?
AKTrad

Mountain climber
AK
Author's Reply  Oct 30, 2010 - 07:22pm PT
Yes, WBW the placards controversy. Very few remain, and I don't see many new ones. They have never bothered me personally, but I understand that they do touch a nerve in some climbers. I'm sure it has been a subject of much discussion in years gone by. Thanks for your nice note. Ralph
Prezwoodz

climber
Anchorage
  Oct 30, 2010 - 09:29pm PT
wbw , I mostly agree with you but I think that ones such as the one at the base of Supercrack is not to bad. I mean its etched onto a broken piece of stone at the base. It is a rock that would normally be walked on, peed on, have gear slashed across it for hours. At its current state it can be turned over and you'd really never know it had a picture on it.

I still wouldn't make one myself but I wouldn't destroy one either. Would you find a rock with some petroglyphs on it and destroy them? These discussions could go on and on. :)
AKTrad

Mountain climber
AK
Author's Reply  Nov 3, 2010 - 01:03am PT
Just talked with Kristen who was amazed at the number of folks who look at these trip reports. She just went to The Creek solo and ended up finding a pile of people to climb with. It's an amazing place!
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