CLIMB-ON MAPS
  • Home
  • Buy!
  • Maps
    • Hiking
    • City of Rocks, ID - Climber's Map
    • Joshua Tree, CA - Climber's Map
    • Red Rock Canyon, NV - Climber's Map
    • Smith Rock, OR - Climber's Map
  • Map Details
    • Quality
    • Map Elements
    • Methodology
    • Environment
  • About
  • Blog
    • The 15-minutes from Red Rock Restaurant Tour >
      • Indian
      • Sushi
      • Vietnamese
    • WTF 5..7 Tour - Red Rock >
      • General >
        • The Plan
        • Managing the Desert Heat
      • Black Velvet Canyon >
        • Lazy Buttress/Whisky Peak E >
          • Day 79: Schaeffer's Delight
          • Day 83: Ballantine Blast
          • Day 86: Lazy Buttress (Climb)
      • Calico 1 (1st Pullout) >
        • Amusement Park
        • Day 17: Civilization
        • Day 20: Panty Wall
        • Day 14: The Slab
        • Day 21: Wall of Death & Hamlet
        • Day 24: Child's Play
        • Day 49: Ultraman
        • Day 50: Dog Wall & Fixx Cliff
        • Day 51: Tuna and Chips
        • Day 53: Viagra Towers
        • Day 59 Iron Man - Necco Waif
        • Day 80 - Tuna Cookies
        • Day 80 - Diamond Dance - The Oasis
        • Day 81 - CarlyQuinn Crag
      • Calico 2 (2nd Pullout) >
        • Day 13: Meetup & Black Corridor
        • Day 28: Retirement Plan
        • Day 52: The Walrus, Running Man, & Sweet Pain
        • Day 54: USS Crag & Tsunami
        • Day 56: Great Red Book Wall
        • Day 66: The Gallery
      • First Creek Canyon >
        • First Creek Slabs >
          • Day 40: Falling Stars & Bad Moon Arising
          • Day 67: Smiley Face
        • Lotta Balls Wall >
          • Lotta Brews
        • Romper Room >
          • Day 42: Algae on Parade
          • Day 67: Romper Room 2
        • Schoolyard >
          • Day 44: School Yard 1 - Deja Vu & Short Subject
          • Day 77: School Yard -Sunday School & Dunce's Corner
          • Day 89: Schoolyard Bully
        • Slot Club Area >
          • Day 78: Escondite
        • Strawberry Hill >
          • Day 43: This Ain't the F'n Way!
      • Icebox Canyon >
        • Day 12: Sunnyside & Frigid Air
        • Day 39: Necromancer - Hop Route
        • Day 57: Tarkus Crack (Tiki Cliff)
      • Juniper Canyon >
        • Jackrabbit Buttress >
          • Day 16: Myster Z
          • Day 35: Mz. Why
        • Rose Tower >
          • Day 64: Canola Cracks
          • Day 87: Olive Oil
      • Kraft Mountain >
        • Day 6: Conundrum Crag
        • Day 7: Caligula Crag
        • Day 4: Three Peaks and Yin & Yang
        • Day 10: Winter Heat
      • Mt. Wilson >
        • Day 41: Limon
        • Day 72: Gentleman's Club - Silicone Sag
      • Oak Creek Canyon >
        • Day 37: Johnny Vegas
        • Day 65: Tan Line
        • Day 68: Byrd Pinnacle
      • Pine Creek Canyon >
        • Day 22: Mescalito E - Too Many Tantrums
        • Day 23: Mescalito E - Pauligk Pillar
        • Day 27: Straight Shooter Wall
        • Day 31: Robin Trowel (Abutment) & Stick Gully 1
        • Day 32-34: Flight Path
        • Day 34: Stick Gully 2 - Prelude
        • Day 36: Birdland
        • Day 38: Diarrhea Dialect (Bullnose Wall)
        • Day 48: Cat in the Hat
        • Day 62: Stick Gully - Box of Rain
        • Day 63: Cookie Monster
        • Day 69: Soloist Crack
      • Red Springs >
        • Day 2: Cowlick and Cannibal
        • Day 1: Cut Your Teeth, Hide & Seek, Happy Acres
        • Day 3: Dickies (Seems Like a Butt)
        • Day 8: Fringe
        • Day 5: Moderate Mecca
        • Day 9: Reptile & Fox Walls
        • Day 45: Gnat Man
        • Day 55: Coco Crag
        • Day 58: Ridinghood - In Through the Out Door
      • Sandstone Quarry >
        • Day 29: High Scalin'
        • Day 47: Man's Best Friend & Americrag
        • Day 66: Hall of Fame - Ms. Adventure
      • Southern Outcrops >
        • Day 70 & 71: Chocolate Rocks
        • Day 82: Illusion Crag - Part 1
      • White Rock Springs - Angel Food Wall >
        • Day 11: Group Therapy
        • Day 25: The Ledger
      • Willow Springs >
        • Day 15: Mother's and Outhouse
        • Day 18: Mossy Ledges - Pussy Nuts
        • Day 19: Mossy Ledges 2
        • Day 26: Graduate Cliff - Pre Skool Part 1 >
          • Day 46: Pre Skool Part Deux
        • Day 60 & 61: Graduate Cliff 2
        • Day 30 - Gold Digger
        • Day 61: Ragged Edges - Footloose
        • Day 62: Case Face - Space Case
        • Day 73: Ragged Edges Area
        • Day 74 Peaches (Children's Wall)
        • Day 75 N' Plus Ultra 1 - Geezer Face & Lucky Charms
        • Day 76: N'Plus Ultra 2 - Pillar Talk & Chocolate Tranquility Fountain
        • Day 84: N'Plus Ultra Part 3 - Cereal Killer
        • Day 84: Lost Creek Canyon - Grey Matter
        • Day 85: Communist Plan at Lost & Found
    • Meet Our Tools >
      • GPS Units
      • Lifeproof Phone Cases
      • Van Life: Tankenstein >
        • Tankenstein Gets Gutted
        • Van Life: Rebuilding Tankenstein >
          • Glowing Disco Counter Top
          • Cold Food Storage
          • Bouldering-pad-bench
          • Insulation and Vent Fan
          • Quick Fixes
          • Kingsized Pullout Bed
      • Ultralight Exposure Protection Gear
    • For the Ladies >
      • Cry
      • Getting Women Climbing Outside
      • Women's Resources
    • Red Rock Canyon, NV >
      • Camper Van Epic in Vegas
      • Mapping with Lady Lockoff
      • Vegas-epic-2
      • Vegas Mini-epic 3: Really?!?
    • Joshua Tree, CA >
      • Caterpillars! Van Rescue!
      • Gram Parsons' Logbook
      • Oh Shi*! Bees!
    • Hmmm or Haha >
      • Althea Crag & Mapping Dog
      • Exposure!
      • Realities
      • Silliness
      • Utterly Heinous Approaches
      • Podcast Interview: Ogden OUtdoor Adventure
  • Contact
    • Feedback
  • Retail Stores
  • Media Coverage
  • Calendar

Adventure Blog:


Mapping with Lady Lockoff

The first time I saw Irene Yee’s (@ladylockoff) photos on Instagram, it was the color and clarity that initially captivated me. But, instinctively, almost  instantaneously, it was clear there was more to these images - the texture of rock, the tools of the trade, the placement of pro, unique emotional expressions, the movement of the climb. Irene didn’t just capture climbing, she captured ambience, angles, and even more powerfully, she captured the human spirit behind the climbing.
 
One day Irene posted photos of Harmony Calhoun (@harmonycalhoun). Harmony’s beauty was naturally attention-getting, but there was also something I had never seen so astutely in a climbing photo - serenity. A successful advertising campaign occurs when it grabs you somewhere – in your insecurities, in your desires – and makes you say “I want that.”
 
Yes, of course I wanted Harmony’s beauty, her grace, her serenity on the rock – so calm and effortless on an upper 5.10 something. But, eventually, there comes a time in one’s life when self-acceptance finally makes a consistent showing. Since I could never be Harmony, I wondered, what would Lady Lockoff's photos reveal about me? At that moment I resolved that, although the when or how was still unknown, Irene would photograph me climbing.
 
About a year ago I spawned an idea and shared it with my husband, Rick. So many times we have bemoaned, between ourselves and among climbing friends, about getting lost when approaching or walking off a climb. I wondered, what if we used his professional GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping skills to make maps of climbing areas? We discussed, explored, experimented, tested, and then quit our jobs. Climb-On Maps was born.
 
When the first list of areas we would map came to life and Red Rocks was identified as a location, I shared another idea with Rick. What if we professionally photographed our mapping process? With Lady Lockoff in mind, I shared her photos with him. He instantly got it (I think he wanted to be Harmony Calhoun too…).
 
We decided two photo sessions would capture what we do – mapping approach trails and climbing to map walk-offs.
Mapping
Mapping approaches involves walking, looking, puzzling, getting lost, rerouting, going up, going down, following trails that dead-end, following good trails, following confusing braided trails, bushwhacking, messing with equipment, struggling, and getting our asses kicked. And, not just a little bit of all that, A LOT of it.

We also map in any weather. Precarious situations have been made even scarier by things like, water, ice, and snow. (Hover over or click on images to see captions - which tell more of the story.)
For our first photo session with Irene, she joined us to map part of Pine Creek Canyon. It ended up being a day of record-setting rains. Trails were already flooded and creek beds roaring from the all-night deluge. Later that day, the park was actually closed and evacuated. Rangers lead people to exit the park by reversing the drive around the one-way loop because of the impassable low-water crossing near the normal exit.

When the forecast predicted more, all-day rain, I certainly did not expect Irene to join us. But join us she did. She covered her precious camera with zip-lock baggies and got drenched right along side us.

After the rainy-day session, my first hope was that her equipment was not damaged. My second hope was that the photos would turn out. When I looked at my snap shots, they seemed flat. Lighting was certainly not ideal. And, we were stuck in jackets with hoods. In addition, compared to climbing, we were doing something quite boring to capture on film - hiking around looking for stuff. But capture it she did. She found light, color, action, and expression and revealed it via her own unique manner and style. Here are the inspiring (and informative) results.
Climbing
The second photo session occurred on a sunny day, long after the delicate sandstone dried. Now it was time to photograph climbing!

I wish I could say a good proportion of our mapping time is spent climbing, but the truth is, it is not. We selectively identify climbs that have walk-offs and climb them only when we are uncertain of their top-out location and walk-off trajectory. Some climbs clearly exit one way and you can easily tell where the climb ends. In those circumstances it is much quicker (but far less sexy) to hike up then map the best way off.

Sometimes there are circumstances where multiple climbs on physically different walls top-out at the same or similar locations (e.g. Whisky Peak). In that situation, we select climbs at opposite ends of the walls. Then, via climbing, we can confirm the route exits and their endpoints relative to the other climbs on the walls in between. With this approach we get the entire walk off for multiple climbs/walls, with out having to climb every one. 

There are occasions when we need to climb a single a route to obtain a walk-off for an area. In those situations we may not have the luxury of route choice. Sometimes we look at each other and say, "oh, shit, we have to climb that one?" Admittedly that uncertainly adds to the adventure. Sometimes we find a truly hidden gem or have a pure five-fun experience. Other times, however, we are met with non-ideal circumstances that can turn adventure into yuck. Irene was present to capture both ends of that spectrum. Here are the photographic results. The story continues in the photo captions.
I extend my deepest gratitude to Irene for helping us truly capture our work, our passions, our lives. Originally, I wondered what her photos would reveal. I wondered if I would cringe at seeing myself or whether her photos would show my own beauty. Her camera -- her eye -- genuinely captured us, in all our goofiness, joy, work, injury, and serenity. It even captured a moment when I was shaken to my core.

It is often through photography that our perceptions of beauty are shaped. Canned shots with photo-shopped-faces can skew us into an unrealistic alternative reality about beauty. Phone-snapshots of ourselves in bad lighting can skew us further into that reality, where we believe "I take crappy photos, therefore I am not beautiful."

Naturally, we each seek to define and find our own unique beauty, and we know, ultimately beauty comes from within us, from our attitudes and actions towards ourselves and the world outside of ourselves. That is the real truth. But, still, admittedly, I am prone to external influences and sometimes those deep and heady concepts feel like filler - like something I tell myself because I know I am not and will never be model-esque. These photos, however, showed me something important. They showed me myself in a way I rarely get to see, beyond quick phone snapshots, that, in their limited pixels and haste, do not tell the whole story.

These photos reveal my own unique beauty and Rick's unique beauty. Perhaps, more importantly, I feel they reveal my place in this world - which I, too, have struggled with. I can finally say, with satisfaction, that "Yes! This is me!" It is from this experience I recognize that sometimes we have to step outside of ourselves to see ourselves. I truly wish that gift for everyone and I'd highly recommend a photo session with Irene as one possible path to helping you see another side of yourself.

Thank you Irene - @ladylockoff.  Lady Lockoff Photography website; Lady Lockoff Instagram.
Stay Updated!

Menu

About
Blog
Buy
Contact/Stay Informed
Environment
Maps
Quality
WTF 5.7 Tour
© COPYRIGHT 2017-2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Buy!
  • Maps
    • Hiking
    • City of Rocks, ID - Climber's Map
    • Joshua Tree, CA - Climber's Map
    • Red Rock Canyon, NV - Climber's Map
    • Smith Rock, OR - Climber's Map
  • Map Details
    • Quality
    • Map Elements
    • Methodology
    • Environment
  • About
  • Blog
    • The 15-minutes from Red Rock Restaurant Tour >
      • Indian
      • Sushi
      • Vietnamese
    • WTF 5..7 Tour - Red Rock >
      • General >
        • The Plan
        • Managing the Desert Heat
      • Black Velvet Canyon >
        • Lazy Buttress/Whisky Peak E >
          • Day 79: Schaeffer's Delight
          • Day 83: Ballantine Blast
          • Day 86: Lazy Buttress (Climb)
      • Calico 1 (1st Pullout) >
        • Amusement Park
        • Day 17: Civilization
        • Day 20: Panty Wall
        • Day 14: The Slab
        • Day 21: Wall of Death & Hamlet
        • Day 24: Child's Play
        • Day 49: Ultraman
        • Day 50: Dog Wall & Fixx Cliff
        • Day 51: Tuna and Chips
        • Day 53: Viagra Towers
        • Day 59 Iron Man - Necco Waif
        • Day 80 - Tuna Cookies
        • Day 80 - Diamond Dance - The Oasis
        • Day 81 - CarlyQuinn Crag
      • Calico 2 (2nd Pullout) >
        • Day 13: Meetup & Black Corridor
        • Day 28: Retirement Plan
        • Day 52: The Walrus, Running Man, & Sweet Pain
        • Day 54: USS Crag & Tsunami
        • Day 56: Great Red Book Wall
        • Day 66: The Gallery
      • First Creek Canyon >
        • First Creek Slabs >
          • Day 40: Falling Stars & Bad Moon Arising
          • Day 67: Smiley Face
        • Lotta Balls Wall >
          • Lotta Brews
        • Romper Room >
          • Day 42: Algae on Parade
          • Day 67: Romper Room 2
        • Schoolyard >
          • Day 44: School Yard 1 - Deja Vu & Short Subject
          • Day 77: School Yard -Sunday School & Dunce's Corner
          • Day 89: Schoolyard Bully
        • Slot Club Area >
          • Day 78: Escondite
        • Strawberry Hill >
          • Day 43: This Ain't the F'n Way!
      • Icebox Canyon >
        • Day 12: Sunnyside & Frigid Air
        • Day 39: Necromancer - Hop Route
        • Day 57: Tarkus Crack (Tiki Cliff)
      • Juniper Canyon >
        • Jackrabbit Buttress >
          • Day 16: Myster Z
          • Day 35: Mz. Why
        • Rose Tower >
          • Day 64: Canola Cracks
          • Day 87: Olive Oil
      • Kraft Mountain >
        • Day 6: Conundrum Crag
        • Day 7: Caligula Crag
        • Day 4: Three Peaks and Yin & Yang
        • Day 10: Winter Heat
      • Mt. Wilson >
        • Day 41: Limon
        • Day 72: Gentleman's Club - Silicone Sag
      • Oak Creek Canyon >
        • Day 37: Johnny Vegas
        • Day 65: Tan Line
        • Day 68: Byrd Pinnacle
      • Pine Creek Canyon >
        • Day 22: Mescalito E - Too Many Tantrums
        • Day 23: Mescalito E - Pauligk Pillar
        • Day 27: Straight Shooter Wall
        • Day 31: Robin Trowel (Abutment) & Stick Gully 1
        • Day 32-34: Flight Path
        • Day 34: Stick Gully 2 - Prelude
        • Day 36: Birdland
        • Day 38: Diarrhea Dialect (Bullnose Wall)
        • Day 48: Cat in the Hat
        • Day 62: Stick Gully - Box of Rain
        • Day 63: Cookie Monster
        • Day 69: Soloist Crack
      • Red Springs >
        • Day 2: Cowlick and Cannibal
        • Day 1: Cut Your Teeth, Hide & Seek, Happy Acres
        • Day 3: Dickies (Seems Like a Butt)
        • Day 8: Fringe
        • Day 5: Moderate Mecca
        • Day 9: Reptile & Fox Walls
        • Day 45: Gnat Man
        • Day 55: Coco Crag
        • Day 58: Ridinghood - In Through the Out Door
      • Sandstone Quarry >
        • Day 29: High Scalin'
        • Day 47: Man's Best Friend & Americrag
        • Day 66: Hall of Fame - Ms. Adventure
      • Southern Outcrops >
        • Day 70 & 71: Chocolate Rocks
        • Day 82: Illusion Crag - Part 1
      • White Rock Springs - Angel Food Wall >
        • Day 11: Group Therapy
        • Day 25: The Ledger
      • Willow Springs >
        • Day 15: Mother's and Outhouse
        • Day 18: Mossy Ledges - Pussy Nuts
        • Day 19: Mossy Ledges 2
        • Day 26: Graduate Cliff - Pre Skool Part 1 >
          • Day 46: Pre Skool Part Deux
        • Day 60 & 61: Graduate Cliff 2
        • Day 30 - Gold Digger
        • Day 61: Ragged Edges - Footloose
        • Day 62: Case Face - Space Case
        • Day 73: Ragged Edges Area
        • Day 74 Peaches (Children's Wall)
        • Day 75 N' Plus Ultra 1 - Geezer Face & Lucky Charms
        • Day 76: N'Plus Ultra 2 - Pillar Talk & Chocolate Tranquility Fountain
        • Day 84: N'Plus Ultra Part 3 - Cereal Killer
        • Day 84: Lost Creek Canyon - Grey Matter
        • Day 85: Communist Plan at Lost & Found
    • Meet Our Tools >
      • GPS Units
      • Lifeproof Phone Cases
      • Van Life: Tankenstein >
        • Tankenstein Gets Gutted
        • Van Life: Rebuilding Tankenstein >
          • Glowing Disco Counter Top
          • Cold Food Storage
          • Bouldering-pad-bench
          • Insulation and Vent Fan
          • Quick Fixes
          • Kingsized Pullout Bed
      • Ultralight Exposure Protection Gear
    • For the Ladies >
      • Cry
      • Getting Women Climbing Outside
      • Women's Resources
    • Red Rock Canyon, NV >
      • Camper Van Epic in Vegas
      • Mapping with Lady Lockoff
      • Vegas-epic-2
      • Vegas Mini-epic 3: Really?!?
    • Joshua Tree, CA >
      • Caterpillars! Van Rescue!
      • Gram Parsons' Logbook
      • Oh Shi*! Bees!
    • Hmmm or Haha >
      • Althea Crag & Mapping Dog
      • Exposure!
      • Realities
      • Silliness
      • Utterly Heinous Approaches
      • Podcast Interview: Ogden OUtdoor Adventure
  • Contact
    • Feedback
  • Retail Stores
  • Media Coverage
  • Calendar