The One That Got Away

As Mark and I recover from our Sierra adventure, the route that was clearly on our agenda, and that we were poised to blast - the link up of the North Couloir on North Peak and the North Ridge of Conness ( II, 5.6) - never materialized. Having done both routes previously, being fit, and all racked and ready to go, we were pysched, unfortunately the injury to Mark's left hand made it impossible ... another summer perhaps?

Video: the origin of the Fossils

Here is Mark again - at Tenya Lake - talking about how Lewie coined the term Fossils, and how he became known as El Presidente. (The sound in this short video is low, so please turn up the volume on your computer to its highest setting.)

Nordic Skiing ... a blast from the past

Back in the old days, when I was semi-stud I used to train with the BIG BOYS! One of the favorite workouts was up an over Cascade and Porter, with roller skis in our packs, and then a 20K ski back up the Keene Hill. Aside from doing this with Duncan Douglas - former Olympic biathlete - I also did this with Craig Ward former Olympic nordic skier. Click on the enclosed text to access Duncan's blog entry about those good old days ... know that at 40 he is mounting a comeback and trying to make the Olympic biathlon team this year. (Also, if you read his blog entry you will realize he is a true sicko, roller skiing down the Keene Hill.)

Good to be back

No matter how exciting and adventurous the trip to a far away mountain range is (the Sierras scored high in both departments), it is always a delight to feast your eyes on the mountains of your home. Here you see the view across a portion of our garden, to the greenhouses, and Cascade in the distance. (Climbing this mountain is an NCS graduation requirement.) The final totals for my week in the mountains: 43 hours hiking or climbing, 12,000', approximately 20 roped pitches, hundreds of feet of third-classing, and several yoga sessions.

Video: interview with El Presidente

This is a short 30 second interview with Mark - filmed at Tenya Lake - where he makes some pithy statements about Hock's mental and physical state.

Video: Geological overview

Hock narrates this one-minute video from the Lone Pine Visitor's Center, pointing out key mountain features in the Whitney area as well as pointing out the close proximity of these mountains to Death Valley.

Video: Tuolumne Yoga

Mark leads a yoga session at Tenya Lake on our day off.

Famous Photographs of the North Ridge

Many famous - and not so famous - photographers have captured the view of Lone Pine Peak, here are a few of my favorites. (Click on the images to enlarge them.)

Smokey's

On our return from climbing in the Sierras we went out for lunch in
Truckee. Here you see Fossilette Liz, Danny, and Mark eating their
pulled pork and B-B-Q.

Lunch

Mark carving up the cheddar for the bagel sandwiches ... Sardines to
follow! The view from the summit of Cloud's Rest is one of the best in
all of Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite Again

On our way back to Tuolumne after our rest day we passed by Bridslveil
Falls and the West Face of Leaning Tower. Mark and I continue to keep
that Grade V wall on our hit list. (For an inspiring video, use the
blog search function ... "video," "Lynn Hill," or "Katie Brown" ... To
see a free ascent of this classic aid climb.)

Reed's Direct

On our rest day in Yosemite Valley Mark and I relived a climb we had
done over 30 years ago. The route follows the absolutely perfect hand
and fist crack (the white streak visible in the photograph). At 5.10a
we were both feeling like studs, until we looked down and saw Kauk and
Bacher soloing the thing. We chatted for awhile and then they
proceeded to downclimb the route solo ... It put things in perspective for us. (Click on this photograph to enlarge the image of this classic rock climb.)

White Quartz

On our descent from Lone Pine Peak we followed the West Ridge, to an
ugly scree chute, that plopped us down by a series of small alpine
lakes. Shortly before descending the chute we ran into some incredibly
beautiful specimens of quartz.

North Ridge

Driving up to Whitney Portal, we stopped just past the Alabama Hills,
on our first good view of Lone Pine Peak. The mile-long rock ridge
that we climbed is the right-hand skyline.

Budd Lake

Just coming off the summit I caught this picture of Mark, notice how
much snow there still is in this relatively low altitude basin.

Cathedral: pitch 5

Shortly after the crux chimney on the south buttress, there is a
wonderful face that you climb on terrific - and classic - Tuolumne
knobs. Mark followed this pitch and topped out on the next one. (As always, click on the image to enlarge the picture of this classic rock climb.)

Hiking into Dana

I have just taken off from Reno airport and am updating the blog on
this leg of my return flight. This picture from early in our trip,
shows Mark on his way in to our warm up snow route on Dana. We got to
almost 12,000' before we downclimbed the gully.

Video: The Bivy

For the past several decades, Mark has an unwritten law that he is allowed one unplanned, open air bivy every ten years. His last bivy was in the Palisades - in a boulder field - after climbing the Starlight Buttress. Here, just shortly after he turns 60, and completed the North Ridge of Lone Pine Peak, is his bivy for this decade.

Video: Mark gearing up for the Sierras

More Valley Memories!

As Mark and I strolled around Camp Four on our rest day so many
memories: bouldering, parties, gearing up, selling gear to finance
another week's stay, and of course looking for partners. So much
history happened in this place.

Yosemite Memories

On our rest day in the Valley, Mark and I mused about climbs accomplished, climbs that got away, and climbs yet to do. We had serious talk over our beans and mac and cheese dinner about spending 10 days climbing in the Valley next June. This picture of Middle Cathedral recalls the East Buttress route we did (IV, 5.8 A1), the DNB which Mark tried with Gene Drake, and the Harding North Face route (5.10a) which was Hock's first Grade V done with South African Richard Wilmot. (As always click on the photograph and enlarge this image.)

Cloud's Rest

After we scuttled the alpine link up due to an El Presidente injury,
we decided to do a 5 hour hike. Spectacular day, terrific views, and
something I had never done. Almost all the peaks and famous rock
formations were visible from the summit ... From Half Dome to Conness,
Cathedral to El Capitan, and Tenya to Washington Column.

Ouch

The sagging pants mirror the sagging spirits. Mark was tossing bags around in the back of the truck, something slipped and either a tendon tear or a cracked knuckle resulted. The guy can barely grasp his coffee mug let alone an ice axe, so needless to say the North Peak-Conness link up is out. Instead, we are heading out on the 16 mile hike to Cloud's Rest. Tomorrow climbing at Donner Summit and then back East. (Click on the image to enlarge it and enjoy the full effect of this classic photograph of Mark.)

The Big Stone

To cap off our rest day we went down to the valley and cooked pork and
beans, as well as Kraft mac and cheese for dinner. Next week we will
have footage of our tour guide Mark talking about the "Big Ditch."

El Presidente

During a rest day, the boys are relaxing, reading, napping, and doing
yoga at Tenya Lake. We have great video footage - posted next week -
of Mark holding forth on subjects as diverse as: origin of the fossil
club, the three rules of the fossil club, the necessity of an open
bivy per decade, a trip overview, as well as a detailed analysis of
the north ridge of Lone Pine Peak.

Third Pillar Dana

We bivvied last night in a pasture a mile above Mobil. Fantastic
night, starry sky, and a much needed rest after last night's unplanned
bivy. (By the way we were only a quarter mile from the herd trail, but
with a boulder field to cross, and no sure knowledge of whether there
was even a trail.)

Anyway, having tea in the pasture, there was "the best 5.9 in the
universe" ... Brian remember that one?

Height of Friendship

My books are stored on his dashboard, as well as my moldy socks! This
trip celebrates a more than 30 year friendship. (As always click on the image to enlarge the picture.)

View from the summit

The picture was taken at almost 7:00 PM when we finally summited Lone
Pine Peak. It is a very long ridge - most of which is visible in the
picture. We probably roped up for 12-14 pitches and third classes
another half dozen ... Under-rated for a grade III.

Other Sierra Peaks

At one of our rare rest stops Mark points out routes on Day and Keeler
Needles, as well the East Face routes on Whitney. Hard to make out is
Mount Russel with it's famous cracks ... Fish- hook arête, and Mithril.

The Long Traverse

High up on North Ridge, this 150' traverse was the key to the summit headwall pitches. (As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph.)

First Tower

Instead of passing it to the left we climbed it and rapped off. We
left our bivy at 8 am and scrambled to the ridge by 10 am. It was a 13
hour day, a great route, with challenging route finding.

Indian Paintbrush

We enjoyed the day at Whitney Portal and the hike back to our gear was
pretty easy with empty packs.

A Visitor

While we were at our bivy a bear was checking out Mark's truck. We did
not have food stored there - a Forest Service fine - but we had been
cooking on the tailgate and so I guess the odor had lingered. (As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph.)

Ah-ha! There it is!

After shivering and puzzling over route descriptions during breakfast,
a guy came hiking be - fully loaded with axes, crampons, and overnight
gear for a week - and pointed out where our route started. Of course
it was too late to go for it, (we'll do it tomorrow), so after much
hemming and hawing we did the 90 minute hike down for a burger, some
reading, and yoga in the sun. As we grunt up the 2000' of switchbacks
tonight to our gear, I am not sure it will have been worth it.

Spanked!

A tough approach - 160 minutes, 2000', and 35 pound packs - followed
by a miserable bivy. The boys arrived at the 10,000' bivy site in
shorts and T-shirts, slightly hypothermic, only to be greeted by low
temps and a howling wind. The wind gusted at 30-50 mph all night and
there was no sleep to be had. (Of course bivy sacks were left in the
car, along with parkas in the interest of weight.) Shortly after this
picture was taken one Fossil was heard to exclaim, "I have a balaclava
and hat, mittens, and five layers on my upper body and I am still
freezing." (As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph.)

North Ridge

We just drove past Alabama Hills - great bouldering and the film
location for many old westerns - time to pack up and do the three hour
approach.

Schat's

From my point of view, no trip to the Sierras is complete without a
trip to the famous bakery!

Tufa

This is a picture of some large Tufa's - stalagmite structures - from
salt crystals and brine shrimp Exo-skeletons. Mono Basin is a stop for
every western migratory bird, so it is a hugely important ecosystem.

Permit in Hand

This is a huge piece of obsidian - glassy volcanic rock - from the
Mono Crater that is part of a small ornamental garden outside the
Visitor's Center.

Spitting Distance to Summit

Clouds swirling all around, and Mark is a tad chilled as he did the
route in shorts. Still, it is hard to beat the view from Cathedral ...
Half Dome is just visible in the distance. We are heading off to get
our permit and approach Lone Pine Peak via Whitney Portal.

First Belay

Mark is cleaning the pitch that gave me a little bit of a problem ... Small rack and the key camalot #2 was broken, so I had to back clean a view pieces to get some protection for the 5.6 splitter crack. This was possibly my 10th ascent of the south buttress of Cathedral ... One of the 50 Crowded Classics. (As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph and get a good view of this classic rock climb.)

Great Boot Debate

Heading into Cathedral ... Do it in mountain boots, or go in sneakers
and switch to rock shoes.

On the Way Out

You get a good view of North Peak and Conness beyond Mark.

Two Hour Approach

Here is Mark about half-way to the gully, which we did not climb as
the freezing level was above 12,000' and the snow was just mush. We
got to 11,800' and so we did get acclimated. Larry and Dave would have
been psyched to ski it.

Sleeping In

Notoriously hard to get out of his sleeping bag, he refused to get up
until I brought him coffee in his sleeping bag! Alpine start ... 9 am.

Mobil

The famous watering hole and gearing up spot outside Lee Vining. Mark is thinking about changing his image, more Texas style. We are heading up Dana as the road to the North Peak gully is closed. (As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph and see this classic shot of Mark in the Whoa Nellie Deli.)

Infamous Gear Shed

This is where all the mouldy fossil gear is kept ... Bamboo chouinard
piolet, a north face blue kazoo, salewa ice screws, you name it and he
has got it. (Thanks to John D. For the sign dubbing it Jurassic Park.)
Currently Mark is deciding which of five ropes to take, whether we
need a Coleman stove, MSR, bluet, or all of the above ... You get the
point pure chaos on the Squaw Valley deck.

El Presidente and the Kombuska tea

A special mushroom - tea concoction that Mark is making to purify his
body! The stuff smells foul.

Fossils at the Tahoe House

Danny's last day at school, and we are having breakfast before we head
to the East side of the Sierras.

Jon is 22

An early morning breakfast celebration and then off to the Sierras.

Last workout before the trip

Tomorrow is a long travel day ... We'll celebrate Jon's birthday at 6:30 AM, and then I'll drive 4.5 hours to Bradley International Airport. I get into Reno at 8:20 PM. Today I have lots of school work to finish prior to packing, but before all that I hiked up Cascade ... 55 minutes and 2000' vertical ... Fantastic view of The Great Range. In addition to the Cascade hike, this week I have managed some good training, so I hope to keep up with Mark: 3 X 30 minutes on my rowing machine, a couple of short hikes with a full pack, two easy bouldering sessions, and 14 short and easy rock routes, one of which was on the lead. (As always click on the photograph to enlarge the image.)

Strength Training for the Sierras

Well all the pre-cut lumber for the apartment/garage that Selden is building came this morning. The company in New Hampshire said it was no sweat to unload it in two hours - it took us five hours - a big job for the four of us: Selden, Jon, Hock, and Luke a former NCS student. My lower back was a little tweaked but I think I will be ready to do some bouldering later in the day.