Reed's Pinnacle

location: Reed's Pinnacle, Yosemite National Park

conditions: February with strong hints of spring

Yesterday was perfect. The weather. The climbing. And the climbing partners. It was shirts off weather at Reed's Pinnacle by mid-day, and we were soaking it up.

Yes, I know I always say that. But really, the forecast for this entire week looks INCREDIBLE for the Valley. It hurts my brain to think about how good the climbing is going to be this week while I am working. Ouch.

Anyway, before yesterday I had never made it to Reeds. Having been there I realize what I was missing. The first two pitches of Reed's Direct are killer. I grabbed the rack at the base of pitch two (yes I know hardmen just do them both as one) and set out for what I thought would be one hundred feet of locker 5.9 handjams followed by an short 5.9 off-width (OW) finish. I climb the first five feet by pinching constrictions and jamming odd pods. I wiggle in a few nuts and tell myself the glory jams are just a few feet higher. After 90 feet of odd and physical jamming I'm finally resting at a ledge. Wow! That was one tough 5.9.

granite

P2 of reed's direct

When I started up the final OW section I was actually happy, for the first time in my climbing life, to make some fist jams. Somehow, that last section was a relief compared to the funky-ness of the lower half.

lower merced canyon

w/ climber, cookie cliff, and pat and jack's behind

So, enough whingin' and moanin'. I build a belay at the ledge. Put my partner on belay, and start enjoying the sun. The waterfalls are cranking down valley above Pat and Jack's. (Anyone know what creek that is? I can't think of it.)

stone groove

Its a perfect spring day in February.

We rap off from the ledge and then head over to Stone Groove. My buddy had a good lead. Stone Grove was tougher than I had thought it would be. Maybe the winter is turning me into a softie. Bummer.

stone groove

We finish up with that climb and then trot over to the base of Lunatic Fringe. It looks awesome! Oh wait, two folks are already racking up at the base. Shoot. None of us feel like hovering over two strangers while they trying a 140 foot 10c so we shuffle back to the car.

Guess that just shows you should jump on the gems when they are open!

We drive around in circles because of the typical Valley detours. Pick up some supplies at the store. Then we finish the day with the two mellow pitches of Jamcrack! Yes I know, doing a cruiser 5.9 when you said you had your eyes on a 10c. What can I say? The light was fading and so was the energy.

pitch one of jamcrack

Summary: thankful to have experienced the Valley in peak condition.

after the storm...

location: Yosemite National Park

date: feb 6 & 7

weather: wet

I woke up on Saturday morning and knew I had to go to t

he park despite the rain. Maybe things would clear up tomorrow. Anything is possible in Yosemite, right? After twelve days of work non-stop I needed some space.

The drive on 120 went quickly. Not too much traffic or ice on the roads. I grabbed a spot in a deserted Camp 4, and then headed up to check out the Rostrum. I had heard there were some dry pitches near the halfway ledge. After post holing and sliding down to the ledge I didn't see much of anything dry.

Rainy/Snowy Rostrum

rostrum from below halfway ledge

fern and moss

wolf lichen

It was starting to get dark so I snapped a few more photos, and then went back to the warm car.

After a quick rainy day dirtbag dinner next to the bear box, I caught the shuttle to the Ahwahnee Lodge to write a few letters and high class it for a bit. The couches are big. The fires even bigger. And the WIFI even freer.

Waiting for the shuttle back to my damp tent in Camp 4 the snow was falling at 9.30 on Saturday evening. What would tomorrow bring? Rain, snow? Was there any chance of climbing anything? Where would I find a partner. Things were grim.

But then I woke up to this...And I knew I had made the right choice...

Royal Arches and Half Dome from Ahwanee Meadow

Sentinel after storm

(too bad this photo doesn't show the whole thing, it looked straight out of the Himalaya)

Royal Arches and Half Dome

after winter storm

from Ahwahnee Meadow

Royal Arches with rolling mist

So there I was strolling about. Snapping photos left and right, watching the walls dry out. Maybe there would be some climbing after all! A quick text to some friends in El Portal. What? They are going x-country skiing on the Tioga Road. Would I like to join them? Oh, would I ever.

And so that is how I ended up spending sunday sliding around in the snow on the Tioga Road. We made tracks all the way to Gin Flat. Had a drink and a bite

road closed to automobiles

break time at Gin Flat

snowy fir trees

So, I didn't get to sink any killer hand jams, or pinch tiny holds, but the Valley still delivered. It wasn't what I was expecting. It was even better.

before the storm...

The rain has arrived and shows no signs of letting up. There should be some serious snow accumulation by the end of the week, up to 10 feet. Luckily, the weather was fine and clear on Saturday and most of Sunday. I snapped the above picture late in the afternoon just as the rain moved into the Valley.

After a quick chat at the Church Bowl lot we decided the day was ripe for Royal Arches. The first time I did this route I went up the chimney pitch to start, but Saturday we went for the crack start to the right. Good choice. That first pitch is fun. After that, the climb started to blend into a mix of hand jams, perfect granite, and occasional smears to avoid water streaks. Some of the face moves to avoid wet sections were more then I would have normally take on, but I had a good spotter. The traversing pitch after the pendulum was wet but not really an issue. After a dozen or so palm and sole smears across the final traverse the climbing had ended, but the descent had just begun! (no camera on this climb, photos are from Sunday's hike up Indian Canyon)

The views were great. We stopped to rest along the way. We soaked it up as much as possible knowing the storm was on track for a week long stay. At the bottom we checked out the start of Astroman. Not ever having been to the start before, I was surprised by how much the Harding Slot stands out. That thing looms. Word on the street is to lay it back until until your shoulders wedge. Then wiggle. And wiggle, until you cut your feet and make one desperate move to get them up into the chimney.

We did most of the descent in bare feet and happily strolled back to the Awahnee lot by 3. Deli. Sandwich. Beer...

Found a seat by the fire in the corner and brought out the Ukulele. No one seemed to mind my strumming, so we chilled for a bit until motivation returned. I would have gone farther into that six pack of green label but my partner was keen.

We finished off the day with After Six just in time to watch the sunset. Lovely red clouds as the sun sunk below the hills. Thankful for another day in the Valley.

yosemite update

over the river...

through the woods...

to some strange place we go....

Is it Bowser's Castle?

or something else...

location: lower tenaya canyon CA - USA

temp: ~50 degrees F

snow line at base of Mt. Watkins

Spotted new rock fall debris at base of 5.8 ow on approach to the South Face of Mt. Watkins.

it's a big rock...

Back from another weekend at the center of the universe with plenty of stories to tell.

Walking off Higher Cathedral Rock as it grew dark I felt as dry as a Utah Juniper in August. Half way up the North East Buttress route my partner and I had consumed all of our water. Thankfully, the second half of the climb was in shade, but those chimney surely make you work up a thirst! At the top of the tenth pitch I caught up with two of our friends who were climbing in front of us. Luckily, they had one mouthful of water to share.

After bringing up my partner I screwed on my head for my eleventh and final lead of the day. That last pitch brought a wide hands roof, another cruiser 5.9 roof (the fifth of the day I think), and one final chimney! Leading such a long continuous block of climbing really allowed me to enter into an amazing head space. No wonder climbers are always looking for longer routes and link-ups. When you get into that magic climbing zone the feeling is pure joy!

Anyway, after thrashing through the bushes to get back to our shoes at the base of the route we were worked. As the final light of the day faded I considered the coming boulder field and slippery trail. So thirsty! Hadn't had a drink in hours. By the time we made it over the boulders and onto the final stretch of steep descent over roots and rocks I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.

But then...

I started thinking about a conversation I had at the elementary school where I work. My young kindergarten friend had cut her finger. She was fretting at the pain of washing it out with soap and water. Tears were starting to show in her eyes. Remembering the way she screamed and cried when a lady bug landed on her another day I thought I would try a new approach.

What if I could convince her that the pain was not that bad? That a cut was not worth crying about. Was she too young to categorize pain into a manageable little box? I don't think my experiment really worked for her. She couldn't seem to understand why I wasn't comforting her with words and hugs that she wanted.

Now hiking in the dark I was myself the same question. Can I categorize my own pain? My own confusing thirst and fatigue. Why was I complaining to myself about my dried out tongue and tired limbs? Having all of these thoughts about my own suffering was not doing anything to alleviate them. Slowly I started to direct my mind elsewhere. I thought about others who had really suffered. People crushed by the arm of brutality. Heads cracked and arms broken.

I began to categorize the sensations my body was sending to my mind. They were manageable. Normally I live in a world of comfort where everything and more I could want is all around me. I had just climbed up a 900 feet of difficult granite rock and I was worked. But really I was already on my way back to the road. The car. The water. The comforts of civilized life.

I realized I wasn't really suffering. I was just a little tired and thirsty. Shortly I would be back. I decided to enjoy the pain. I took control of my thoughts and remembered the view of the high country from the top pitch. I imagined myself inside a chimney perched on a chock stone high on the wall. Happy. Climbing. Entering a new mind.

consider the climbing

Just like other body movement practices climbing reveals itself more and more with repitition. Yoga postures and transitions flow in new ways with each session. Playing the guitar becomes an expression of the internal once the muscle movements are well learned.

Right now I am in one of those lucky moods where my climbing is an expression comfort. Finger locks reveal themselves and all at once I'm connected to the rock through my senses and emotions. My feet find the holds. My body adjusts and moves up the wall with just the right amount of effort.

Not that it is easy to move vertically. Difficulties are encountered. Technique meets power and you move upward with your speaking mind momentarily silenced. This is when the best moments of meditation are combined with a physical intensity that becomes graceful rockclimbing.

The real trick is carrying this memory when you no longer have the rock to guide your body and mind.

weekend warrior

When you get weather like this there is only one place to be: the Valley. With perfect temps and two days to climb we returned to Yosemite for another serving of granite rockclimbing.
Approaching the Nose with the intent to climbing to Dolt Tower we ran into two parties. One team of two was about to rig the fixed lines to Mammoth Ledges and the other fellow from Eastern Europe was looking for the start of the Nose so he could rope-solo the route.

On pitch one of the Nose I quickly gave up trying to free the reachy 10d pin scar moves and instead grabbed the fixed gear hanging right in front of my face. What can I say? Old habits die hard. Allen had better luck on second and managed to make it through with some funky knee bars. The rest of the pitches up to Sickle Ledge were sweet and I really enjoyed cleaning the last traverse to the ledge. Grated the hell out of two knuckles just by brushing them against some super sticky piece of granite.

At the ledge we parked our selves at the belay and watched a show unfold before our eyes. The party with a red portaledge we had spotted while approaching had only managed to move their bags two pitches up. Another party of two was in the process of retreating from the top of the seventh pitch.

Upward progress looked grim for us day climbers so we did the four raps to the ground and walked over to the Manure Pile Buttress. I pulled the mantle roof on the last pitch of Nutcracker just as darkness crept in. Despite the seriously wet pitches and the long waits behind two uber slow climbers the climb was classic. I hope to climb it many more times!

Spring Fling

Just got back from the Valley over the weekend. On Saturday we were up on Serenity Crack and Sons of Yesterday. Was the first pitch of Serenity Crack wet? It wasn't wet. It was green and slimy and dripping. Wow. But anyway it went down and the rest of the climb was even better than I remembered. Talk about splitter.

At the top of the climb, sitting 900 feet above the Awahnee, I watched the gray clouds move and swirl around the Cathedral group. Just before twilight the sun split through the clouds and two planes left white trails against a blue window.

RED TEAM GO RED TEAM GO

RED TEAM GO RED TEAM GO
UP MOUNT WATKINS
HALFWAY THERE!!!
THEN COMES THE RAIN

Jefertiti do you care to fill in the details?

This is your Captain speaking...

You can see...

I'm still wearing my winter hat.

But soon I'll take it off....

And then...

You'll be here

Climbing up my walls...

All the best,

-El Capitan

Spring Wild Flower Hunting in Yosemite

Bobbie-Joe says...

Its spring. Let's go to the Valley and count wild flowers. The Valley. The Valley. The Valley.

Me and Bob load up the wagon and blast off Friday morning.

Heading east...past the endless almonds...climbing through the foothills (still green)...and up the Old Priest grade into the mountains.

The shops are selling snow chains!!! A cloud of doubt momentarily passes over our wildflower mission but our collective will for wild flowers obliterates reality and the quest continues...

Entrance booth. Flash the Park Pass that Bob's Sister's Boyfriend gave us...High five! We are so in.

Under the trees the last big snow drifts are still hanging around. Our mission propells us forward.

Whoa!!!!! Look out. Major road repairs. (We wait five minutes at the first temporary traffic light and probably 25 at the second light where they are working on the road by the river. The river ate part of the road over the winter!)

We fill up a couple of jugs with some spring water and then watch the falls rip for a few minutes.

Evening stroll under the Column and then over towards 1/2 Dome.

Flower Count, Day One: none

(Except for the ones the begin to grow out of Bobbie-Joe's head as he absorbs the Valley's magic call.)

Sat morning and we bus it to Badger Pass (gratis). Postcard views of Bridal Vale and El Cap brushed with snow. With two pairs of rented X-Country skiis the wild flower hunt is on for REAL! We shuffle up the road towards the Dewey Point turn off.

Our sources indicate a meadow up ahead. Just how many flowers will we see???!!!

Side note: You all know Bobbie-Joe rips it up on da skiis. You seen me shredding on Utah's finest. Recognize! (Do not mention that time I forward flipped over my tips Lucky Bucky!)

But let me just say this...these rentals were like riding on two plastic knives from taco bell. Many falls were had by BJP and Bob.

Undaunted by numerous diggers we pursue our quarry with a determination rarely encountered among flower lovers.

We locate the meadow. Bob scours the terrain for wild flowers....

None are to be seen.

Oh well...

We had fun anyway getting amped on chai and eating a pound of chocolate.

Summary:

Inside my head the thoughts become as large as the walls. Hopes for future adventures awaken my spirit. I dream of flowers growing out of the snow. Intent creates reality. Yosemite stands alone.

Post Summary Thoughts:

Thats what I says. I be Bobbie-Joe Panguitch. And this is my cat. Tigre. Stay up!