cyberhobo

Month: November 2003

  • Climbing Dictionary

    A few non-climbers have, bravely or foolishly, attempted to read my climbing posts and soon asked me, “Is there a secret decoder ring somewhere?” Well, it may not look as cool as the one in the Ovaltine jar, but the folks at RockClimbing.com have put together a pretty good glossary of climbing terms. If it…

  • Rattlesnake Canyon, Joshua Tree

    Ann’s cold is worse today, so I head off for Rattlesnake Canyon with her dad Bob under grey skies. It had rained during the night, so the pools in the arroyo are all fresh, and soon we’re scrambling up the bed of a running creek. Many of the boulders are masses of golf ball-sized crystals…

  • Indian Cove, Joshua Tree

    We wake up slowly in our tent, groggy from the late night drive. It’s good to be back at Indian Cove, though, for the first time since our wedding. We are in campsite #7 with Ann’s parents, right below Dark Shadows Rock, so after breakfast I wander up and rig a toprope on it. We…

  • Performance: The Felici Trio

    I’m amazed to learn that these musicians are based here in the eastern Sierras, in Mammoth Lakes. It may have to do with being starved for good music, but my jaw dropped several times during this performance. Brian Schuldt on cello and Rebecca Hang on violin both played expertly as far as I could tell,…

  • Movie: Saving Grace

    A fine British film. It does give in to the excesses inherent in the subject at times. I’m guessing it was inspired by the American film Homegrown, and if it doesn’t quite live up, it has fun trying.

  • Great Falls Basin

    On our way home from Wildrose Canyon we stop at Great Falls Basin to get a couple of climbs in. The air there smells a bit like cat urine, an odor we have noted before in the desert after recent rain. This time we connect the odor to a particular plant that flourishes in the…

  • Wildrose Peak

    It is one of those mornings when Ann and I both want to do the same thing, then proceed to frustrate each other’s attempts to do it. The proposal is to drive to Wildrose Canyon and hike up Wildrose Peak. It’s Ann’s idea, but she doesn’t want to be pressured to do it. I like…

  • Mixed up pets

    In the evening our dog Jezze looks at me with big, question-mark eyes, and I notice her bowl is empty. Usually Ann feeds her, but I grab the nearest food bag and pour some in. Instantly I see it’s cat food. Jezze doesn’t care though, and starts munching away. Out of curiosity, I pour some…

  • Wagon Wheel

    It’s the first daytime Wagonwheel session I’ve attended for a while. Curtis is the only one there at the proposed 11 am. I roll in at 11:30, then Ted, Randy, and Greg show up. I feel kind of unmotivated, but warm up anyway. Soon I’ve done a problem on the Big Loaf that I’ve only…

  • Movie: The Hours

    A stark look at several characters throughout the 20th century dealing with depression and insanity, contemplating whether suicide is justfied when life has become unendurable. Although the movie’s message comes through clearly, the story line and the role of Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway in the screenplay can be confusing, especially if like me you…