Trip Report
Taking a day off
Saturday December 20, 2014 10:24pm
Chiloe had emailed earlier in the year that he'd be in San Francisco in mid-December and wondered if I would have time off to go climbing. With all the usual caveats regarding California winter weather I said I would. I've been practicing for retirement and have cut back to 70% at work, that's 7 hrs a day for four days... and usual 3 day weekends. He thought Friday would be a good time...

Well the weekend of his arrival the weather report has one nice day, Thursday, so I rearranged my schedule and picked him up at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. We made our way down to Pinnacles via the East Side. We didn't have any real ambitions... and that was good since my Wednesday gym session was brutal, including the yoga.

On our hike in the brook was running. The young ranger who passed us going up the trail commented that he had never seen it run in his 3.5 year tenure. All the mosses were looking happy and very green, and the lichens were glowing their silver-gray-green color. Every water streak was seeping, if not running water and I wondered if there had been enough time to dry stuff out... it rained in Livermore long into the night.

We got to Discovery Wall and decided to check out the conditions. After a quick run up Swallow Crack it seemed that lots was climbable... things were working out here so Chiloe lead up Jorge's Crack

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Credit: Ed Hartouni
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I remember this being rated 5.10a but apparently it got down rated to 5.9... Chiloe did a good, careful job on his lead and reminded me that the real crux was the traverse over to the belay... which I slipped on being careless with my hand holds... I found the same wet hold that Chiloe found, only I didn't stick the move.

top left corner top right corner
Credit: Ed Hartouni
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But it was supposed to be a fun day out with no real pressure... I thought I might have a go at Stupendous Man 5.10a since I had been training for that sort of thing... but I found that I didn't have enough left to pull the roof, though I certainly tried it a zillion different ways... just not going to happen. Chiloe went up to give it a go with much the same result.

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Credit: Ed Hartouni
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Our trad spirit had us just back off instead of aiding over the roof, hang dogging it already felt odd... we headed out to the reservoir, I seemed to have remembered some nice place to top rope over their. The sun was already getting lower, and actually it seemed like a little hike might be the final bit of a really mellow day.

The spill way for the reservoir was flowing, hadn't seen that in a very long time

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Credit: Ed Hartouni
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and while I can't post a rad TR with us pushing the limits of any kind of climbing, it wasn't part of the agenda to begin with...

...but getting a bite to eat and a beer and catching up on the happenings in our lives was very much on the agenda. And we succeeded to accomplish that...

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Credit: Ed Hartouni
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The small Mexican restaurant in Tres Pinos had their "closed" sign on when we drove by, so we went into Hollister to find the Grillin' and Chillin' but our phones kept steering us to the one on San Benito, which isn't there anymore... so we wandered around and found a Mexican Grill that had just opened a couple of blocks north and they had good beer and interesting food...


  Trip Report Views: 2,816
Ed Hartouni
About the Author
Ed Hartouni is a trad climber from Livermore, CA.

Comments
apogee

climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
  Dec 20, 2014 - 10:26pm PT
Ed, you are one of ST's finest gems.
BLUEBLOCR

Social climber
joshua tree
  Dec 20, 2014 - 11:19pm PT
Great pics Ed!

Maybe you shouldn't retire the camera
ryankelly

climber
Bhumi
  Dec 21, 2014 - 12:31am PT
The mellow inner light that goes along with the Winter Solstice...thanks for posting
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
  Dec 21, 2014 - 12:48am PT
Sick pics/ post Eduardo.
Supertopo for life.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Dec 21, 2014 - 03:11am PT
Nice Ed thanks for all your contributions!
MH2

Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
  Dec 21, 2014 - 07:16am PT
A gently inspiring TR for those of us in the I Don't Work Anymore club, whose plans for a leisurely climbing day must hazard the urge to "give something a try," and who have the time to go out when friends propose it.
MikeL

Social climber
Southern Arizona
  Dec 21, 2014 - 07:26am PT
I miss the Pinnacles, of all things. Thanks for posting up, Ed.
Charlie D.

Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
  Dec 21, 2014 - 07:45am PT
Thanks Ed, a day in life your posts always have value.
Gearhead

Trad climber
Novato Ca
  Dec 21, 2014 - 08:10am PT
I love the Pinns, I know I'm sick.
WBraun

climber
  Dec 21, 2014 - 08:31am PT
This trip report is "Rad", you were pushing your limits trying to scale that roof .....
Mark Sensenbach

climber
CA
  Dec 21, 2014 - 08:38am PT
:)
Chiloe

Trad climber
Lee, NH
  Dec 21, 2014 - 09:38am PT
Flew home last night to the snow, and this morning it's a delight to discover this TR has sprung up. Ed's rich with tales and ideas, a great guy to spend the day with.

Let me add one more image from day's end: two climber-ish disheveled guys seriously consulting their smartphones as they pace back and forth up one block on the main street in Hollister, unable to find a restaurant that Google Maps claimed was right there. As if there was some spell we should invoke to make it visible. Onlookers seated by the window in a biker bar we kept passing thought our parade was hilarious, and rightly so.
Chiloe

Trad climber
Lee, NH
  Dec 21, 2014 - 09:39am PT
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
  Dec 21, 2014 - 09:57am PT
Pinnacles delivers!

Thanks for the report Ed.

Rare to see the water slides going off, a real treat.
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  Dec 21, 2014 - 09:58am PT
Looks like a fun day out, Ed.
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  Dec 21, 2014 - 12:08pm PT
Rocking!
BrassNuts

Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
  Dec 21, 2014 - 04:31pm PT
Two fine scholars on the rock - eggzellent!
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Dec 21, 2014 - 04:34pm PT
hey there, say, ed... wow, i enjoyed the trip report, ed...
but, wow, i love this part, best, :)


quote:

The spill way for the reservoir was flowing, hadn't seen that in a very long time

:)
crankster

Trad climber
No. Tahoe
  Dec 21, 2014 - 07:04pm PT
Nice. This, I understand.
Chiloe

Trad climber
Lee, NH
  Dec 21, 2014 - 07:57pm PT
Felt like we had the whole park to ourselves.

Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Dec 21, 2014 - 09:45pm PT
while I can't post a rad TR with us pushing the limits of any kind of climbing, it wasn't part of the agenda to begin with...

I think you tried to push your limits by getting on the roof that challenged you! That's the only thing we could do as climbers, push own limits. While climbing outdoors, in the gym or while in a yoga class. Every day brings a different challenge. At times you feel good and strong and at times it is wise to stop sooner than later. On some days it is important to face the ego and take yourself into the happy baby pose earlier than usually.
Nice report, loved the shot with a waterfall. See ya around!
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Dec 21, 2014 - 09:53pm PT
Sometimes the most humble days are the most magical. Thanks for a great little share.

Scott
wilbeer

Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
  Dec 22, 2014 - 05:29am PT
Thank You for warming up my little existence over here,Ed and Chiloe.

Great Trip Report and Happy Holidays.
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  Dec 22, 2014 - 05:48am PT
Good trip reporting. Even though I've never been there, before we met, my wife was introduced to climbing at Pinnacles, so I feel a connection to the place.
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
  Dec 22, 2014 - 06:15am PT
Love the do, and your stupendous exploits.
martygarrison

Trad climber
Washington DC
  Dec 23, 2014 - 08:11pm PT
Thanks Ed. Love seeing the pics. One question, it has some 25 years since I've done any climbing at the Pinnacles. Wondering if people still do "Feed the Beast". It was common end of the day burn for me bitd. I always found it pretty stiff for the grade.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
  Dec 23, 2014 - 08:16pm PT
Mellow. Gotta love low key.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Dec 23, 2014 - 08:48pm PT
Feed the Beast is still done Marty. The bolts got a nice upgrade care of a certain Sonora attorney and ASCA efforts.

Thanks Ed. Good to see Pinnacles on the Taco.

I just went down today myself and ended up hanging with a couple of Turkeys.

Norwegian

Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
  Dec 24, 2014 - 10:40am PT
ed i'm curious.
as you wind down a very respectable career,
adorned with extra-ordinary accomplishments,
and, i assume a financial and social stability,
do you feel content?

how are the comforts that you've earned
receiving you?

i mean, is warm, fuzzy satisfaction yours?
or do you yearn for more controlled struggle?

do the night voices tell you to
seek mild crisis,

or do you simply hear the soft
applause of entropy averted?

can those strung out on chaos
ever come to graceful terms with
stasis?

ed i only ask this of you
because i admire you and
the strides that you so
confidently paste on these pages.
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
  Dec 24, 2014 - 07:12am PT

I just went down today myself and ended up hanging with a couple of Turkeys.

For that we are going to make YOU carry the rope, rack, bolt kit, and beer of OUR choice on ice, all by yourself next trip.
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, Bozeman, the ocean, or ?
  Dec 24, 2014 - 07:24am PT
Thank you Ed for a neat day out on the rock.


Susan
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Author's Reply  Dec 24, 2014 - 10:25am PT
winding down a life is an interesting process

what is amazing is that after heading out from home at 18 with no visible means of support and the plan "it will workout somehow" is seems to have worked out. This has as much to do with many good people helping me as it does with any innate ability that I have.

Right now I'm tying down resources at work that would be better spent on younger workers, if I continue to interact with them and transfer what I know, and that isn't physics but how to navigate the administrative aspects of doing science, how to manage science, the value proposition is positive for the lab. Once that stops happening there is no reason for them to keep me, except for sentiment, which doesn't help anyone, really.

So I'm interested in doing something else, and the difference now is that somehow we've managed to save enough to retire on... and in the process created a sustainable life style which engages our interests and stays within our budget.

In effect, I can pay myself to do what I want. To some extent that was true when I could convince someone to pay me to do something that both I and they wanted to get done, but now I don't have to worry about the convincing part. True, the scale of the "doing" will be somewhat less, but I'm ready for that too, as the responsibilities are also reduced.

As my interests stray from those of my current workplace, I am more and more prepared to end my relationship there, and there are fewer financial reasons to remain. It's an interesting place to be in life, the social aspects of work are more important than the financial ones...

The only thing we truly own is our own time... we should use that time with intent.
wilbeer

Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
  Dec 24, 2014 - 10:45am PT
Likewise and Agreed,Cheers wilbeer.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Dec 24, 2014 - 10:51am PT
what is amazing is that after heading out from home at 18 with no visible means of support and the plan "it will workout somehow" is seems to have worked out. This has as much to do with many good people helping me as it does with any innate ability that I have.

So true, Ed. I'm glad you and Larry were able to make that trip, and greatly appreciate your posting about it. I was hoping to climb there last Saturday as well, but family obligations prevented it. Too bad. It would have been a special treat to run into you guys.

John
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, Bozeman, the ocean, or ?
  Dec 24, 2014 - 12:01pm PT
The only thing we truly own is our own time... we should use that time with intent.

Very resonant.



Susan
Dingus McGee

Social climber
Where Safety trumps Leaving No Trace
  Dec 24, 2014 - 12:41pm PT
winding down a life is an interesting process

good story Ed, some real thoughts and feelings here.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Dec 24, 2014 - 02:28pm PT
Isn't "winding down a life" at like age 62, a bit premature?
Chiloe

Trad climber
Lee, NH
  Dec 24, 2014 - 02:35pm PT
Isn't "winding down a life" at like age 62, a bit premature?

I mentioned the Ed the standard set by my own dad, who at age 89 still does science, and just finished a radical new paper.
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Author's Reply  Dec 24, 2014 - 03:18pm PT
I'll figure that out next year, I'm just about to turn 61...

but certainly I'm transitioning in terms of profession, and work...
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, Bozeman, the ocean, or ?
  Dec 24, 2014 - 04:06pm PT
Isn't "winding down a life" at like age 62, a bit premature?

"A life". The nice thing is there are many lives to embrace. At least that is what I found after walking away from working for others.
Surving cancer did that, too. Not a path I'd wish on anyone.


We often equate change with being " hard". Not so. Transitions are where the challenge lies. Actually fun stuff to negotiate in a weird sort of way.

Good luck Ed!

Susan
Phil_B

Social climber
CHC, en zed
  Dec 24, 2014 - 04:12pm PT
Nice!

I don't think I've ever been in the park when it was wet there. Love the TR. Thanks for posting up.
Go