Again during the fourth of July, I ran away to the New River to climb. Loaded down with camping gear and too many racks, John Lee and I drove up in his robust red Focus aiming to reach the Kaymoor area early Friday morning.
The hiking down into the Kaymoor Area was a cake walk because the sport areas are heavily trafficked and the trails are severely beat down. We met Aaron, Matt and Jason at the butcher branch, but soon made move to go to the Rico Sauvé Area. I almost onsighted “preparation h” but greased off after the crux, right before awesome rest below the chains. I tried “pockets of resistance”, but man that was hard. I couldn’t do the last move at all. John Lee almost onsite it too.
That night we went to the AAC campground for a BBQ, Beer, and a movie. They had a couple chickens and pulled pork sandwiches to feed a group of climbers up for the weekend. Everyone watched a local movie production, but everyone wanted to get good climbing on in the morning so we followed Aaron back to a farm between Fayetteville and Oak Hill.
The next morning after a great cool night of sleeping ( 50 degree temps ) in July, we rallied together and headed over to the Meadow River. After an ordeal with getting breakfast and coffee at Tudors, we all managed to show up and park along route 19 for the hike in. We went to the first buttress and found it surprisingly empty. We all got as many turn as we wanted on the classics. I was able to put up a great arête route that was too wet the last time I visited. John Lee hung the draws for me and tried to onsight push for me. He came close, but pump got the best of him at the top. I almost got the red point on it but I mess up the roof sequence and wasted all my energy trying to reverse it and do it again.
We then moved down to the 2nd buttress and found some great new moderates that were just put up. Two 5.10’s and a short 5.9. Thoroughly tired, we hiked back out in the daylight to give us time to go bathe in the river below the bridge. Us six sasquatches scared the other tourists away from the swimming hole. We grunted and splashed making sure all the accumulated grim was washed away. That night we went back to the farm for a cook out and party. Some people brought some fireworks out, and I showed people how to light them off in your hands (may not the best decision).
Last day, we went over to Beauty Mountain for some light trad. With getting attacked by ground bees, I thought we had had enough and we made our way out and started the afternoon drive back to Charlotte.
