Trip Report
Two days at Woodfords
Wednesday September 30, 2009 2:22am
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Panorama: Cloudburst Canyon - One of These Days Cliff
Panorama: Cloudburst Canyon - One of These Days Cliff
Credit: tadhunt
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Over the last few weeks, I've been checking out this cool area near South Lake Tahoe called Woodsfords. It is an obscure area, with not much of a guidebook, except an old old one that you can download here:

http://www.supertopo.com/topos/obscurities/woodfords_guide.pdf

That old guide lists about 90 routes. According to Dan (modern route developer and all around cool dude), there are now more than 225 routes spread across many crags, with year round climbing.

Some recent discussions on Supertopo got me interested in checking it out. I have to say, that this place is a worthy destination. Since it's not very popular, most of the lines are a little dirty, but not exceptionally so. On top of that, there are just lines everywhere awaiting development.

Here's some overview pics with routes sketched in, most of which I have climbed:



One of These Days / King Diamond cliff. Routes from left to right:

* (unmarked) Unknown (5.??) -- I saw bolts going up the left-hand arete, but didn't ask about it
* (unmarked) Unknown (5.12b) (didn't climb this, but it looked cool) -- Bolted face just left of One of These Days.
* (red) One of These Days (5.10c) (onsight) -- sweet 5 star route. Great moves. Fingers and hands. 120 feet.
* (unmarked) King Diamond (P1: 5.11b, P2: 5.9+) (didn't climb this) -- I think this one goes up into the low angle corner and then up the diagonal crack splitting the sunlit face
* (yellow) Pictures of Me (5.10c) (TR)
* (purple) Bush League (5.10a) (onsight)
* (green) Little Mrs. Manners (5.11d) (TR - 1 hang)
* (blue) Dan's Unnamed FA (5.10b?) (put up on 2009-08-10) (I didn't climb this but watched him put it up)


Visit on csh-east.org





Next up is __ cliff (I forgot the name). We did two routes on this cliff, both of which I would consider 4 star routes at any other cliff. These climbs were my introduction to Woodfords and Cloudburst canyon. We used a 70m rope, and were able to lower off. I don't think a 60m would be long enough.

Routes left to right:

* D-Cup (5.10c) (onsight)
* Offwidth Your Panties (5.8) (onsight)


Visit on csh-east.org





Another great crag, no real name, other than Cloudburst Canyon - West Side - Second Tier This one is on the bottom left side of the canyon, up on the 2nd tier of cliffs above the valley floor. You hike up just past where the trail to King Diamond / One of These Days cliff splits off left, and then head off right, cross the creek, and scramble up some slabs. The trail is well marked.

The first four climbs share an anchor. There is a low anchor without chains, and a high anchor up in the corner with rap rings. Skip the lower anchor and just use the upper one. A 70m rope gets you down, not sure about a 60m.

Left to Right, the marked climbs are

* Unnamed - Left Arete (5.10d) (TR)
* Cartwheel (5.10b/c) (TR)
* Numb Bunion (5.10d?) (didn't climb)
* Groove Tube (5.11a) (TR) -- can't see most of this in the photo, it starts on the right arete in this photo and works up the face and the next arete to the right. Don't get sucked into the lichen covered face right of the hidden arete -- the climb finishes on the face itself, with some fun, hard slab moves.
* Dan's project (5.11-something)
* Ativan Grin (5.10b) (onsight) -- fun, balancy moves, slightly tricky pro.
* Halcion Hallucination (5.9) (unmarked, didn't climb) -- anchors under the little roof right of Ativan Grin


Visit on csh-east.org





If you're interested in photos, I've got more on my blog: http://www.csh-east.org/blog/2009/08/two-days-at-woodsfords/. Scroll down to the bottom of the posting (since you just read it here) and click on any photo to start a slideshow from that point. Most of the pics have captions.

  Trip Report Views: 4,064
tadhunt
About the Author
tadhunt is a dirtbag trad climber from Sunnyvale, CA. He attempts to write an interesting climbing blog at at http://www.csh-east.org/blog/

Comments
seth kovar

climber
Reno, NV
  Jul 9, 2011 - 12:56am PT
Cool beans... bump for the woodfords
Daphne

Trad climber
Northern California
  Jul 9, 2011 - 01:04am PT
Right on for the bumping of the TRs!!!
kennyt

Trad climber
Oregon
  Apr 29, 2013 - 08:18pm PT
Nice.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Apr 29, 2013 - 08:33pm PT
Wow, how did I miss this one before? Because political crap flushed it off the front page?

Really nice. I love the photos with the lines drawn in.
kennyt

Trad climber
Oregon
  Apr 29, 2013 - 08:35pm PT
Woodfords is underated
kennyt

Trad climber
Oregon
  Apr 29, 2013 - 08:46pm PT
Sh#t Ron yer guides like twenty three years old It's reaching classic status. do you have any decent copies left? mines fallin apart.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  May 2, 2013 - 09:41pm PT
Sweet
msiddens

Trad climber
  May 3, 2013 - 12:47pm PT
fun little place....gotta get back up to that
csevans

Trad climber
sonora
  May 9, 2013 - 02:58pm PT
There was a nice article on Woodford's a few months back in California Climber. Never been there myself but the place looks sweet...
Urmas

Social climber
Sierra Eastside
  May 9, 2013 - 08:07pm PT
Drive by all the time. Must climb there soon!
kennyt

Trad climber
Oregon
  Jun 5, 2013 - 12:11pm PT
it's beautiful here today
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jun 5, 2013 - 12:12pm PT
BBST!
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Jun 5, 2013 - 12:22pm PT
One of These Days has that legendary look to it.
kennyt

Trad climber
Oregon
  Jun 5, 2013 - 12:24pm PT
^^^and feel
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