We awoke at 4:45 a.m. on Saturday, September, 17th, brewed a giant pot of dark coffee, loaded up our car, and hit the ground running. We arrived in Meyers (4 miles south of Lake Tahoe) at around 8:30 and parked in the lot next to the Divided Sky bar and restaurant. There we met up with friends Jeff & Mandy, registered for the comp, and after milling about and meeting a few dozen other climbers, we headed straight to the Pie Shop Boulders. Located just North of the Agricultural Checkpoint in Meyers, the Pie Shop Boulders sit just off the right hand side of the road 0.25 miles after turning left onto Sawmill Pond Road. Park in the dirt pullouts on the left. (Note: There are homes adjacent to this area, so please be respectful and noise conscious entering and exiting the Pie Shop area to ensure continued access!) The boulders here feature very large grained granite leaving very sharp and friction-friendly boulders. There is everything from patina faces, to cracks, to exfoliating flakes. There are traverses, highballs, overhangs, slabs, and sit-start aretes. Basically, some of everything, just come prepared to lose some skin!
Upon entering the area, we approached our first problem for the day. A mid-height crimper affair on mostly featureless granite. Excited, I threw my boots on and fired the thing, laughing and jokingly congratulating myself for a flash ('flashes' or 'on-sights,' given extra weighting in this comp, refer to the successful ascent of a boulder, problem, or route without ever having seen or tried it before...). Only then did I realize I had committed bouldering's original sin and forgotten to circle the boulder first to ensure and locate an acceptable down climb. Benighted for a few minutes, our small posse had a good laugh before I finally negotiated a partially blind and slightly overhanging down-climb off the back side.
Now both physically and mentally warmed up, we began a nearly two hour rampage through Pie Shop's spectacular offerings. All throughout the boulders grappled fellow competitors, the spirit of the day less competitive, and more the jovial collegiality of climbers enjoying a beautiful mid to high-70's day in the insurmountable beauty of the Lake Tahoe area of the Sierras.
Gang spots, stacks of crash pads, and cheering sections lead each of us to surpass ourselves. High balls and problems of each successive difficulty fell as the energy rose.
Our fingers already beginning to show significant wear and tear, we decamped and headed for the small local grocery. After restocking our supplies, we went back down Sawmill Pond Road to its terminus at Lake Tahoe Boulevard. There at the top of the 'T' at the intersection there is a large dirt parking area. Twenty feet behind the 'T' is the Glass Boulder, likely named for the unfortunately high quantity of broken glass at its base. On this note, a suggestion: If everyone bouldering here picked up one or two pieces of glass on their way out, this area might see improvement. We cleaned up what we could find, but I'm sure we missed some. Keep an eye out and be careful if walking barefoot around the boulder between attempts!!!)
The Glass Boulder sits approximately 15 feet high and has several excellent lines on it - all in the sub-V4 range. It can be a bit high in places, but has a nice and easy sloped descent line. We greatly enjoyed a V2 arete problem on the back left side and a V2/3 SDS ('sit down start') to crack line. Jeff sent an amazing flaring corner which we believe may be V4-ish, before Thuy topped-out the crack problem with an unbelievable heel-hooking mantel. We cheered her courage and ingenuity. Breakthrough moments! So fun to watch, experience, and be a part of one another's athletic and mental breakthroughs! The best part of it all of course is that, in climbing, as long as you are excited and challenging yourself, it's 'always just the beginning!'
We went back up Sawmill Pond Rd and turned off onto the Access Road for Sawmill Pond. There is a large paved parking lot with two pit toilets and trash cans next to the pond. We parked here and after a short walk up a dirt road arrived at the Hemorrhoid Boulder. There looked to be many great problems here, but as it was surrounded by a large throng of climbers, we went back down towards the road and after a brief hike into the woods, arrived at the Bob Boulder. This boulder is high and steep and offers several problems from V1-V9. We climbed and enjoyed a good deal of success before packing up our shoes and crash pads for the day.
We went back to the registration parking lot where we enjoyed the free festival and gorged ourselves on pulled pork and pizza (from local restaurants). We watched as climbers and spectators tried out Aerial Yoga on a giant tripod with long ribbons of fabric (picture Zumanity without the nudity.) We checked out the booths, watched some slack lining, and then had to make an early departure back to the Bay.
While we weren't able to stick around to see who won each division or for the Dyno Competition, we felt overwhelmingly satisfied, tired, and happy. Keeping with the spirit of the day, we didn't even turn in our score sheets. It was never even a discussion. After all, the day wasn't about winning or losing, it was about getting out with friends, climbing in new areas, learning and evolving, and having fun!
