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Ok, so for the last few years you've been hearing of a super-secret area just 20 minutes north of LRC with roofs the size of Texas'.  Well guess what, it's all true, except of course, the land has just been donated and is now a state park, making climbing not only legal, but also  guaranteeing free, uninterrupted climbing for years to come. 

Many moons ago,  then-Obed ranger Rob Turan (amongst others) began bouldering the Dayton Pocket area. Nathan Steele, among other locals, continued development for several years, but other than that, this area remained relatively quiet.  Finally, as Andy Salo was making a southeastern trip this winter (2006/7), he and Matt Bosley began exploring new areas on their rest days, including Dayton.  In his own words, " When we first walked into the  large cave, we freaked out and spent the rest of our trip putting in new problems and neglected every other area in the south.  All told, I would estimate that we spent several weeks out there exploring and establishing new problems. Somewhere along the way, we met Nathan Steele, a true local who showed us exactly what had been climbed and what hadn't." 

Since then, development in Dayton has been taken to a new level.  Local strong-man Ronnie Jenkins has gotten in on the action, while many more moderate climbers have been putting up problems with lighter grades.  

The place has something for everyone, and tons of virgin rock still waiting to be climbed.  The boulderfield is steep and some of the falls are a little sketch so bring the big set, but if you love cranking in areas long on fresh rock and short on crowds than this could be the place for you.

I am trying to compile information so that down the road, when D-Pocket has been climbed a little more, a guidebook can be made that respects the areas developers and first ascenders.  Drop me a line here about that or any other questions, FA's or overall Dayton spray.