ElCap Report 6/30/08

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elcap-pics

climber

Crestline CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 30, 2008 - 06:01pm PT

ElCap Report 6/30/08

Yo.. Well it started out really nice today here at the bridge. Great weather with clear skies and a nice wind from the SE. But that soon changed and the prevailing west wind did its thing and came along late in the morning with tons of smoke. I was lucky I got out a little early to shoot the NC lads on Zodiac before the smoke set in. The bridge was pretty quiet today. The action on the Cap was quite subdued, as you will read below.
Today’s report is brought to you by Keith Thompson, an old friend and fellow teacher at Fontana High where we both taught until retirement in 2003. He was in the valley and looked me up at the Bridge this afternoon. Soon he was telling the Tourons all about climbing even though he is not a climber…
Today’s Report…

Bad Sign: I did see Kate baby sitting the bags at the top of the huge triangular pillar up which they were dragged yesterday. Pete was up higher jugging to the high point of their climbing. I guess they are moving the freight up higher later today and knocking off a pitch in the cool of the evening.

Zodiac: The NC boys are putting on a clinic!! Yesterday they made it to the start of the Nipple and by the time I got there today they were just finishing up cleaning the Nipple. The light was nice and I got some sweet shots of them. When I left they were headed for Peanut Ledge and that was around 2pm. So they will most likely be off today late. A really nice ascent. I noticed that they were in and out of the belays in 5 to 10 minutes and that sure doesn’t hurt the time on each pitch!
Peyton cleaning the Nipple pitch

Peyton leading the Mark of Zorro

Peyton reaching high on the Mark of Zorro pitch

Mescalito: The men are working their way up the long right leaning crack heading toward the Molar. They were making fair but steady progress today.
Hey is there a birdie in there? Mescalito

Afternoon sun on Mescalito

Nose: I did see a Korean Team of four climbing to and across the Jardine traverse sporting big packs, and no bags. “Crazy” Sean said they are a team of 2 men and 2 women. They are moving right along but Sean says they will not make it today. I guess they will be in camp 5 tonight.
Part of the Korean team moving up from above Dolt Tower

Korean leader crossing the Jardine Traverse, Nose route

Salathe: My man Jon Gleason reported that the mystery couple I saw a few days ago fighting with a haul bag above the Hollow Flake Ledge are indeed still on the route. He passed by them yesterday on ECS late in the evening. Hope they are ok and having a good time. Mook was seen high on the headwall trying to work out the moves as many aspiring Salathe free climbers do from time to time…

In other news: Greg and Fred did make their HD EC link up yesterday in daylight too! I think it was about 16 hours. They looked good as they headed out to the meadow this afternoon. With them was Jon and Dana back from their climb of the Salathe in a day of about 15 hours. It was Jon’s 35th birthday so he wanted to do a 35 pitch climb! They also looked none the worse for wear. Wigball was racking up for the ND to Tribal solo he has in the works. I gave him OD’s green pants to try on to see if he might want to wear them on the route. He was psyched!! Leo Burke was around for a couple hours just hanging out. He is going with Mash up to Dinner ledge on the Column for the evening to climb and bivy. “Crazy” Sean is around making final plans to go on his new route, Sea Horse, which spends a lot of bolts wandering around on the SE face near a lot of other routes. He is not to be dissuaded from this several years in the making route. I did run into B Law who came by with a geology class he was running. Man it was really good to see him as it has been a few years. He looked great and just maybe will come on down here again. He stays up in the high country as the valley was pretty repressive when he did his stuff here. Hope to see him again... he gives a shout out to Capt. Kirk Bland!
The Hans-Yuji team is going to give another go on Wed morning at 6am. They are having a pow-wow with the topo tonight to smooth out a few bumps they are having. Word on the street is that they are going to get the record this time… but good old fate is always waiting to screw with your head so I will be listening for the fat lady’s song before I make any announcements.
Best of luck to them.
So that’s the way it is for this the 30th of June 2008.
Later ECP’s

Ottawa Doug

Social climber

Ottawa, Canada

Jun 30, 2008 - 06:16pm PT

The green pants will not go away! Go Wigball, go! Only two days back at home, my fingers bend a bit better, but the tingling will probably last for another couple of months. Here I am hooked on the ElCap Report again. Thanks again Tom for all your support on my last trip down. Good times, Cobras and BS at the bridge. Rock on!!

Cheers,

Doug

GhoulweJ

Trad climber

Sacramento, CA

Jun 30, 2008 - 06:29pm PT

Thanks for the report

shipoopoi

Big Wall climber

oakland

Jun 30, 2008 - 06:32pm PT

hey tom, thanks for keeping us in the loop, i miss the bridge hang. hey doug, you looked soooo gooood on tr that i'm planning on doing it in september, maybe you can give me some tips. shipoopoi

Conrad

climber

Jun 30, 2008 - 06:50pm PT

Now if we can only get someone to read your reports with the voice and cadence of Paul Harvey.

Thanks Tom

Crimpergirl

Social climber

Boulder, Colorado!

Jun 30, 2008 - 06:58pm PT

Thanks! We are heading out to Devil's Tower and the Needles tomorrow for a week. We'll miss the reports and the news on the Wednesday Hans/Yugi attempt. Ack! Can't wait to get back and catch up on what's happening in Yosemite...

Gene

climber

Jun 30, 2008 - 09:10pm PT

Thanks so much Tom.

I feel this irresistible urge to be at the bridge and then wander to the meadow at daybreak on Wed.

GM

hungry man

Trad climber

around

Jun 30, 2008 - 09:28pm PT

These reports are fun.

Slakkey

Trad climber

From a Quiet Place by the Lake

Jun 30, 2008 - 09:53pm PT

If it was not for these great reports and of course looking forward to the facelift in Sept. lately I might just give up on reading supertopo. Go Hans and Yugi.

Gene

climber

Jun 30, 2008 - 10:27pm PT

Tom,

Are those the same fine folks from Korea we met a few days ago after their Zodiac climb? I remember that the young lady with the good English skills went by "Monica." They were having lots of fun.

GM

Tez

Mountain climber

Jun 30, 2008 - 10:29pm PT

Tom, your reports are great!

Thanks for looking out for us regular climbers.

swill

Social climber

Colorado

Jun 30, 2008 - 10:41pm PT

Paul Harvey! That's hilarious. "Page three, Ottawa Doug has reached pitch 13."

PhilG

Trad climber

The Circuit, Tonasket WA

Jun 30, 2008 - 10:44pm PT

Tom,
I really appreciate you keeping me tuned in and turned on.
Have you considered a book of your writings and photos? You have been doing this during a rather interesting time in Yosemite climbing history.

Mighty Hiker

Social climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Jun 30, 2008 - 10:48pm PT

Thanks Tom - I enjoy your reports each day, and your positive but not too serious attitude.

I don't know who Paul Harvey is/was. Tom seems a more Walter Cronkite sort of person to me - "And that's the way it is, this..."

Texplorer

Trad climber

Reno

Jun 30, 2008 - 11:46pm PT

I love reading the monkey reports. I'll see you on the bridge this weekend with the hordes of tourons. Were going for a NIAD ascent.
Cheers,
karsten

imnotclever

climber

Jul 1, 2008 - 06:30am PT

Bump.

These reports are great. They were great before the pictures, adding them in is awesome.

Llama

Big Wall climber

The bubble that is Irvine, CA

Jul 1, 2008 - 09:54am PT

Way to go Pete and Kate!! Glad to hear they're plugging away up the route.... I'd hate to have hauled Pete's 100 lbs of beer for nothing hahaha

Stanley Hassinger

climber

Eastern US

Jul 1, 2008 - 11:20am PT

Way to go Peyton and Nathan! I knew you guys would rock Zodiac. Can't wait to hear from you.

Tom, thanks so much for keeping me in the loop with the reports. It was great to follow their progress and to have pictures to go along with it! Hopefully I'll be in some of your pictures before too much longer. It's time to get back on the captain.

Stanley

aaronj

Big Wall climber

injured reserve

Jul 1, 2008 - 12:06pm PT

so let me get this straight crimpergirl-

you would rather sit inside and read supertopo than go on a week long climbing trip to multiple world class destinations?

if so, you are everything wrong with climbing today, merely a groupie living vicariously through other people's adventures. you definitely fit in with the boulder scene.