2002 July

Johnnie and Patrick from Tehachapi were out again today. We did a quick problem in front, Johnnie effortlessly sailed up Walters crack. Then Greg took us to the back, straight to the problem on the little loaf that spanked me mercilessly twice before. You get a left foot high on an edge tucked under a bulge. Every fiber of your body tells you not to stand on it. You creep your hands onto two holds about a foot apart straight over your head. Then you force yourself to stand on that foot. I tried and tried it, then finally got it, the whole time my brain screaming no, no, no! On the top I bellowed in frustration and victory. We finished off on the overhang there, I came close to getting the sit start but not quite yet…

Went with greg to the area north of the front where we were Sunday morning. Got that flake problem right off, then came very close on a slopey pull to the left of that. A couple east facing problems made me happy, especially one where you match hands on a knife-edge flake, get your toes on nubbins, then pop up to a horn with the right hand. Seemed like one of the harder problems I’ve gotten. Then greg showed me slab problem on the other side that really fucked with me. I could not on it in any hopeful way, had to give up.

Slept out again, this time managed to get up early. Did some of the same problems I hit with Rich on Friday so Ted could nail them. Rich got the funny dish problem this time, and pulled on that crazy sloper finger hold again. Me and Ted are nowhere close to getting that one. We all got my favorite slab, and the harder left route on the Mohawk. I popped for the left hook this time and got, dangle for a second, and finished. We went down to the area due north of the front. I messed around on a waist-high flake, but couldn’t quite get on it. Then we hit an arete/traverse that’s solid but disconcerting, and moved onto a face Rich pegged at 5.13. Theres a shallow knob about 10 feet up, and I got so I could put my right foot on a tiny edge and reach the knob w/ my left. Everyone was disgusted. I couldn’t quite crank on it, but I think eventually I will get up this one.

Found Greg and Barry on the hilltop, playing on the Mohawk rock. I did the easier sidepull-right move to warm up, then tried to follow greg again on the left route. Couldn’t quite do it without some extra help standing on the right foot – this from a knobby right hand. Once up I can reach that left hand hook without too much trouble.

113 degrees today, went to the wash, north of the road, for shade. One good shady wall with three problems kept Greg, Roy, Brian and I busy for a while. The hardest problem involved standing on a good right foot with only a right sidepull at bellybutton level, trying desperately to get the left foot up and out. Couldn’t do it, ripped off a pad trying. Got the other two tho – one on an arete that even gave Greg some trouble (but he got it of course). We moved to new ground and all pumped up some easier pulls on a rock with a nice, pay-attention downclimb. Had a good blister by the time we finished there.

Hit the Buttermilks at 0600, before the heat, with Colby, a PCT hiker and climber who wanted to see them. I got up about 6 problems total, two of them after many tries. Another two defeated me, one a beefy overhanging jug haul. My best victory was an arete with very thin feet, the first good hand about ten feet up. It finally went with a right foot hooked around the arete and two tenuous pinches before reaching the good hold. Even after that, thin moves to the top. Very satisfying.