Sunday, April 5, 2015

Where the Hell is Elbert Lake ?

Well, you start by hiking to Cabin Fever, go up a trail, follow down trees, cryptic river crossings, marshes, beaver dams, trolls, bushwhacks, and anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours later, you're there.
    Two years ago, Jarrad Wyckoff found this neat little zone that is very reminiscent of the Mountain Beavers. While the zone was indeed rad, it was guarded by a hike that is not very far but a bit involved when it comes to navigation. That same year, Jarrad, Kenyon Smith and I visited this area non stop for about 4 months until we were chased away by killer mosquitos. But in that four months about 50 problems or so were established. The area seemed to yield very good and unique boulders that are typically above v5. After the first year, no one cared. It was decided that perhaps because of the difficulty in describing the approach, this area was maybe not guidebook material. Plus, anyone who has the Tahoe Bouldering Guidebooks know that it has plenty of info as it.
   Last year, Elbert saw a big group of visitors for a short sample day. Ever since it lay dormant for a while now. But a couple of weeks ago, Ian Cotter Brown and Erin Ayla said that they wanted to go off the beaten path. They wanted adventure, allure, and a place with an exclusive feel. Elbert stood out in my mind as one of my favorite areas. With the help of Charlie Barrett and Joe Debaun, we quickly packed our shit and trudged up the canyon to this magical spot. Every trip has a theme, crushing, developing, injuries, but this one was just pure fun. All smiles, beers, serenity and enjoyment. Quite an experience for all involved. And, of course, we just could not help but try to share this experience with the community. I hope everyone enjoys this video.