Valley Part II

Well, surprise it rained for the past two days.  Knocked out Reed's Pinnacle (love this route!), Lunatic Fringe, and Stone Groove.  I was super psyched because I flashed Stone Groove which is a 10b and pretty darn solid for the grade according to the guidebook.  It would have been an on-sight but there were people on the route before me, and I saw them climb it.  No biggie, still good progress for me.  Time to move onto 10c and 10d for trad!!!

Last pitch of Reed's.  A must do route that involves chimneying for like 40 feet horizontally behind the pillar, and also three very good pitches of cracks. 

Also knocked out two moderates Braille Book and Regular Route on Higher Cathedral Spire.  Let me tell you that Regular Route is WILD!! I have never seen so many "airy" step and traverses marked on a topo before.  It was a decent route, I don't know about 4 stars?  You pretty much circle the whole spire until you get ontop of the thing.  The "crux" pitch was narley!  I had to do it in two tries, one of the hardest 9 move I have done maybe ever.  It involved trying not to get crammed into a bulge while pulling it on two finger locks, high stepping and trying not to lose your balance into a finger/hand crack thing.  Prior to that it involved put gear in rock that was less than bomber.  Don't like to sound like a whimp but that pitch was very challenging for the grade.  So I was trying to decide whether or not to post this, but then I though why the heck not.  I offically hate squirrels!  They tore into my poo bag while we were on Braille Book and I got to collect it all back into a plasitc bag.  Then the little craps ( no pun intended) did the same thing while we were on Higher Cathedral!!! That time it was worse, and this is gross.....ants got everwhere.  So I got to stuff this ant covered crap stuff back into a ziplock bag.  Not high on the list of to do's.  Then! I got to carry this mess by hand down the trail, which let me tell ya, is not a short descent!  Everytime an ant found his way thru a hole, I got to flick this probably crap covered ant off of me.  I really hope that there is a shit covered squirrel running around out there that is not happy, and that none of his squirrel friends want to hang-out with him. 

Braille book, actually pretty sustained for the grade.

View from ontop of the Spires.

Other than that, it's been rainy, trying to stay psyched.  Nose will hopefully happen on Weds.  Us and everyone else who has been waiting to get on the thing, should be a junk show up to Dolt Tower.  Really hoping that all goes well and can get ontop of El Cap Tower and hopefully be above/beyond the madness.  Going to head to Cookie Cliff tomorrow.  Hoping to work some harder routes, I feel like I am getting weak!!!  All cracks and rain do not work well for grip strength! 




The biggest pinecone in the history of pinecones!! Freaking ridiculous!

 Other than a very good grocery trip yesterday, things are quiet.  Hoping to get some bouldering in today and a run.  Other than that, started reading "The Life of Pi."  Will give a review when I'm done.  Miss you all, it's great to travel but sometimes you find yourself saying/thinking I wish so and so was here cause they would think this is really cool:)!