Kelly and Brian left the day after we got here...bummer...but they were here long enough to show us around a bit and climb in the Happies.
We rolled into town about 6:30am thursday morning. Kris and I were both awake, Dillion was well trampled by Pete in the back seat, and we were starving. After a quick breakfast at Denny's we tracked down Brian and Kelly and woke them up--Housekeeping! Then we crashed for a few hours, got up and went off to the Happy Boulders. The picture from the previous post is shot from the upper rim of the Happies. This area is a lava flow that cut through the valley. The shallow valley of boulders with many pockets and other Hueco-like features is completely different from the higher altitude granite boulders of the Buttermilks.
Even though we were road weary and mostly worthless we pulled around on Morning Dove White. Dillon tried it once, did well, but then refused to try it again. Guess he wasn't inspired...seems to take a lot to inspire Dillon. This stupid little three move Minnesota-ish (short and pointless) right next to Mourning Dove got his attention for a second...
Then we went back down the hill to the boulder with the "Hulk", a 4 star V6 that Kris sent with only a few tries....following behind Kelly. Kelly's awesome, she sends just about everything she tries, and she seems to do it effortlessly.
After we left the Happies, Brian and Kelly took us up to the Buttermilks where we would be camping. They had just gotten snowed on the day before we got there, a lot of the boulders had snow capped tops. There was an sheet of clouds being dragged over the mountain tops, reflecting the already set sunlight back into the valley. The decomposed granite gravel hillsides glowed yellow and pink, and the snow patches made it all feel like some surreal, impossibly-wonderful afterlife.
Kelly tried Soulslinger a few more times before they would leave the next morning after living in Bishop just over a month--lucky!
The next morning we woke up, a little kinked and getting sprinkled on...the breath of Kris and I, combined with the dogs, froze to the ceiling of the camper, and with the kiss of the sun it instantly begins to melt. Drip, drip, drip....drip......drip...Note to Self: chinese water torture is effective, even in Bishop.
We went over the hill, quite literally over the hill, from our camp, to the Buttermilks. We knew our skin was completely unprepared for this rock, so we set out to have an easy V1-V4 kind of day to build some skin.
We started at the Sunshine boulder, a big slab facing the am sun. I did a tall and tricky V1, Good Morning Sunshine. That's where we first met the Italians, Alezandro and Flaminia.
The next boulder we went to was the Ironman!
Beautiful! You can see it plain as day from the road. The white chalk line vividly crosses over it.
And there were the Italians again. It's really fun communicating with people who speak broken english! They are both excellent climbers, coming here from Hueco for a week in Bishop. Nice va-ca! It's especially fun listening to them cheer on Dillon. I don't know how to convey it here, but just ask me to impersonate it later. Come on Deel-lon!
Then Kris found a fun little v5 line just next to the Ironman boulder, called Easy Grit on the Hero boulder. It had a fun undulating, sloping left side, and some good edges/crimps on the right.
It had a nice flat landing, plus one 3 foot round boulder directly underneath. Kris was past the point where we thought he had sent it, until I saw, through my camera's viewfinder, Kris fall past and bounce, chest first on top of the boulder in the landing zone. Luckily my pad was across it, because he bounced right up, but he was not unscathed.
Tis merely a flesh wound! So much for building skin and sticking to grades 4 and below!
Day 2:
We woke up and noticed quickly how warm it was. This meant that the problems in the shade would not be too cold to climb in! There's a good 15 degree difference between the sunny spots and the shade. I screwed around on a 3 star V2 on the Green boulder and got my ass handed to me. The guide book said it was technical, but damn! I must be missing something!
Kris went up a really tall V2 slab called the Hunk.
Next to that boulder is the Drifter Boulder. This boulder held Kris' attention all afternoon. I worked the first few moves, on some fairly sharp crimps that I am still ill prepared for, skin-wise. Kris worked through to the head wall quickly. After a couple from San Fran, Tim & Becca, showed up; Becca threw some good advice at Kris, and with that he sent High Plains Drifter, a very tall and well known 7. That left Kris smiling for the rest of the day. He didn't even climb on anything else, he was so content. Just like after sending Babyface in Heuco.
I had become distracted by Pope's Prow, next to the Drifter boulder. It's a super techi, vertical, footwork intensive 6 that spits everyone off! I worked it most of the way up, but began to loose my edge, with fatique sapping me, my technique waining, and my tips glowing red, I left it for later.
We went down the hill to the Peabody boulders. Lisa Rands had been warming up down there with her husband, who wrote the guidebook we're using. Pete, who wanders off to make all sorts of friends, was found by Kris scrounging through her bag. I'm sure there was a Clif Bar in there. She was just leaving the boulder when I got there. She sure didn't look all that small in person. She's like the height I'd dream to be. We worked a really fun 5 called Go Granny Go. Dillon flashed it, that being the first thing he's climbed and the second thing he's climbed on since he's been here.
Not to diss on Dillon. He did find his problem. It doesn't have any stars in the guidebook...but it's a super crimpy, low traverse that is just right for him. It's right below and left of Evilution on the Grandpa boulder, La Balette, V11. He worked it with Alesandro and got through a few moves. Today though, he linked it all up. Minus a dab on the pad, he did it. But we're going back for a cleaner send tomorrow.
The first place we went to this morning was the Siagon boulder. I warmed up on the Monkey Dihedral, a 2 near the back arete of the boulder. It was kinda balancey, kinda reachy, but when it was over, it was allll goood....
By then some older(late 30-early40s)guys showed up and layered their pads under Siagon. The start is very simple and straight forward. Then there's one hold, in the middle of the wall, a slopey, super crystalline sharp crimp thing that doesn't feel too nice to put weight on. I figure I might be better prepared to climb on that hold a little later on...when I've grown my skin. Kris disliked that hold so much that he stopped working the V6 version and began working the v9 direct that goes straight up and only uses that hold as a foot. He's super psyched on that now. That's gonna be his first 9. We figure that the next time he tries it he'll send...if not the time after that.
I wanted to go over to a fun looking 6 called the Cave Problem, but it was dripping with snow, melting from the top. One of the guys from the Siagon boulder called over to me. "Hey, try this over here! It's great!" So around the corner I went. Another large, heavily padded area greeted me. "Pain Grain! It's painful on the bottom, and grainy on the top." He shouted. The first crimp you move to is small and sharp. I was really excited that my skin was still holding up, and improving! I would never have been able to snatch this thing even 2 days ago! I got through most of the problem, but found the holdless top was a bit too exhausting. Another unfinished project!
I've climbed a lot of fun, 3 star v2's, and a lot of other problems half way, leaving me with unfinished missions all over the place! I'm gonna have to start taking care of business here soon. But really, I'm so happy just to be in a place like this. And to climb in a place like this feels like a privelage! It's beauty is omni-directional and always awe inspiring! I don't know that I've been to a more incredible place, all tucked away in the mountains, known only to the climbers who go there....
