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Mt. Rose Slushy
Snowshoes or no showshoes? That’s the question of the day at the Mt. Rose trailhead. My cousin Dewey is visiting, and I don’t want too miserable an outing for him, but I decide we can do without the snowshoes. On the trail Most of the relay peak trail and road is just a little slushy.…
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Thomas Creek to Mount Rose Trailhead Run/Hike
New local discovery of the day: Thomas Creek has at least four trailheads! I thought a bunch of friends were leaving from the trailhead I thought of as the “lower” one, but it turns out there’s a lower one still. Then two in the middle and one more up high. Maybe more, who knows? It’s…
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Sawtooth Ridge Climbing
Why have we walked twice as far to Big Chief all this time, when there is climbing much closer to the east at Sawtooth Ridge? No idea. Wes, Aaron, Ann, and I make a successful exploration of this area. The crack Wes and I climb is unpleasantly mossy and dirty, but the sport climbs are…
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Crystal Boulder Climbing
It’s not the day to drive through Truckee, but none of us know it. Ann, Wes, and I blithely plan to check out Sawtooth Ridge, a crag south of Truckee that we’re all curious about. Then we become curious about the many police cars, traffic jams, and bicycles everywhere. Finally I remember: the Tahoe Ironman…
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First snow of the season verified
We take our visiting friend Peter out for a hike even though it’s raining, figuring it might be fun to get a little wet. At first it is, sloshing through puddles in our minimal footwear with no socks or insulation, but then the temperature starts to drop. And snow starts to fall. Finally I call…
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Happy blue skies at Grouse slabs
Gabe drives Ann and I up to the gloriously clear skies and fine views of Donner pass. We do a little bouldering and all climb the classic Jellyroll Arch 5.8. It feels like summer has re-emerged from the smoke… Gabe climbs the warm up boulder Gabe leads Jellyroll arch http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyberhobo/9780411465/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyberhobo/9780500573/ Ann and I also…
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Mt. Rose Loop w/ Smoke Below
John joins me for a dawn run up Mt Rose. Smoke was settled in the valley, leaving the air up high pretty good! Great day for the Rose. Smoke Sunrise John's on the Mt Rose summit Smoke on the water
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Mystery Route at Big Chief
Wes joins Ann and I for some climbing at Big Chief, all of us hoping for breathable air. The smoke is definitely back, but seems tolerable for climbing, and the temperature is perfect. We do a few of our trade routes, and Wes leads his first 5.10a (whoop!), but the highlight of the day is…
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City of Rocks becomes our Magic Kingdom
Ann and I haved always found a special kind of allure in landscapes filled with rocks. You could guess it from hints like our wedding in Joshua Tree, and a month living in a camper in Vedauwoo. We now have a new rock wonderland in our collection of places that call to us in dreams,…
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Just right at Big Chief
Ann and I are becoming regulars at Big Chief this summer. On a not-so-hot day like today it’s about perfect in the morning. We repeat a few of our favorite climbs and and try some new ones until we hit one we can’t finish :D. Routes: War Path 5.8, Route Stealers From Hell 5.10a, Force…