Mystery anchors on slab off of Highway 88 near Silver Lake

Some friends and I have been putting up routes on a big slab near Highway 88 ( mountainproject.com/area/11…). We were operating on the assumption that we were the first people to do any development out there as we did not see any evidence that climbers had been there before. Recently we stumbled across a set of old anchors which calls that into question. So I am reaching out to the community to see if anyone has any idea on the history of those anchors and any previous exploration and development in that area.

I've been all over the area. Did a lot of trad FAs just for fun. There's a long history of climbing in the hwy 88 area I heard. Here's the link to the camp bluff area
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/112064301/old-camp-bluff
In California next to a major highway there's no such thing as virgin territory. We're all just kids camping in the backyard.

Hey Maureen,
Thanks for your beta. I guess we were looking for someone who had actually been out there as we had exhausted everything that has been posted about the area online (I have found a number of old Super Topo threads about the area, none of which mention the area in question.) The Cake Wall is within a stones throw of the Highway on the Silver lake side. The area we are interested in is about a mile and half on the other side of the highway about a mile past OCB. (The link in the original post has the exact location)

Great I'll check it out. I'm out there regularly. What did those guys say? The fellow who operates climbing 88?  There's some recent development up at the pass.

Actually over the years of traveling around in there I've seen several of those rogue anchors , some quite old leepers.  Sorry re the cake wall photo ,  On my phone it was linked to the photo of some granite out in the area I saw on your strava post.  Might have been farther out   Anyway I never see anyone out there climbing but Ive heard about the history of it.  It's good to put some names to the area.

Purty sure my old partner and Kirkwood Local Bill Rose placed those or (maybe) Steve Scott went exploring. One of the two told me about that slab bitd.

Regardless, have your own fun.

Nice, Harumph.  What about Will Cottrell?  Have you guys climbed at Elephants Graveyard?

1. Anyway  I ve heard stories of many of the great climbers were out that way at one time or another...  Herbert, Robbins, Osman ...many of the Tahoe climbers . ... awesome

Yea I've been out to Elephants Graveyard plenty. Never put anything up though.

Bill Rose used to run the Kirkwood Touring Center and worked on the mountain driving a Pistenbully for years. Steve Scott was my partner in crime for a lot of stuff around there.

Also, Karl McConaughey and his brothers did a lot. Jay Smith and Paul Crawford etc.

Never reported anything...after going back after 30 years and finding it still utterly unspoiled I feel strongly it was the right decision. I reached out to Mike Carville to see if anyone has been reporting routes but so far no. That whole Carson Pass area is just small and short enough to be perfectly under all the radar.

I do not know anything about development of this slab. It looks great- long easy routes are not too common, so thank you for putting up routes carefully and conscientiously.
I suggest you talk with the guy who put up Old camp Bluff- he is likely to be the best source of information. PM me if you need his contact information.
Tim

Hello Bobby, et. al. I've  been all over the general area of Old Camp Bluff, the Silver Fork, and Shealor Lakes. In addition to incredible climbing and bouldering opportunities everywhere, especially alongside (high and low) the Silver Fork, and around Shealor Lakes, the slab, I think of which you speak, lies almost in an air line between Old Camp Bluff and Lower Shealor Lake. The approach from Shealor is a bushwhack. The best way is as follows: there are two gate entrances to the cabins which were part of the old Kays Resort (USFS has kept several of them intact). From the SW gate, walk in back to an old paved area and find a use trail in through the woods, going NW. Back in a ways (? 1 Km), bear off a little right such that the big bowl down and NW of Old Camp Bluff is to your right. About 20 min in, you'll come to the top of the slab, on a ridge, with views down into the whole Shealor basin. Follow the ridgeline to your right, NE, until you come to low angle slabs, not even Class 2. Hike down to the base of the vast slab, then easy scrambling takes you along the base of this thing (much like the E end of the Hogsback), that is nearly a km long. From the left, NE, to the right, SW, the slab steepens more and more. Routes from NE to SW probably vary Class 1 to upper 10's, maybe even an eleven or two. I've done exploratory routes there, more to the SW, and never saw a single sign of anchors or piton scars. A drawback to that wall is that there is only one tree at the bottom, for shade, and on a hundred deg. day in Sac., it is just too hot. In spite of the "old guys" having found just about everything, there are many, many undone climbs, especially around that area. BTW, anybody know of anyone that has attempted the Great Corner,or any of those 2000' faces, on Thunder Mtn? And BTW, there are some really good-looking short routes to the south of Hwy 88, just NE of the Shealor trailhead, maybe a great place for learners. No anchors are apparent, but it's easy to set top anchors. Another BTW: the cliffs around (just S/o) Upper Shealor Lake are of phenomenal quality and color, but/and, the brush is so nasty along those cliffs, it ruins the fun factor. Another BTW: there's been some route work on some domes and walls along upper Oyster Creek (next creek NE/o the Silver Fork). The developers were going to put in good number of new routes there, but they ended up going their separate ways, so route development was limited and spread out.
Climb hard, and mostly climb fun. JK

Hey Jerry,
Thanks for taking the time to share all the beta. I picked up your guide to the Carson Pass Summit area. Looking forward to checking out those climbs after the snow melts.
I think we are talking about the same area. We have put in a few routes out there (see link in original post). I would be interested to hear your thoughts if you make it out there.
I have explored a few of those areas you mention, and I am sure I will be checking out the other areas soon. 

I would love to finally visit this area with partners and have some time available Oct. 11-15 2019 (this coming weekend). Anyone interested in joining, please PM me.
Thanks

Hey Tim, Send me a PM. I would be willing to get out there first thing on Saturday.