God Damn!

Well, things could be going better for me...but they aren't. I've had about 3 days to climb, the rest I've spent laid up in my room, with my right intercostal, (rib muscle torn). I tried to go up to the Buttermilks with everyone yesterday, just to take pictures and hang out, but the cold just provoked the snot factory inside me and made me cough too hard again. I felt the right rib tear. Kris had to drive me back down to the room because it hurt to stand, pick anything up, and breathe. As soon as I feel better, something new pops up to smack me back down. My pessimism is at an all time peak.

Eric, Trinh & Mike showed up a few days ago. I spent 1 day in the Happies with them before my curse returned. Kris just left to drive Mike back down to Vegas to fly home. Joel & Erin are headed back up to the happies today with our dogs. Hopefully that's not too much for them. Crazy has totally warmed up to Joel, at last! The whole time Erin lived with us she cowarded away from him. A few apple cores and some other treats have fixed that!

I don't have much to say about climbing right now...since I haven't been climbing, but I'll post a bunch of pictures I've taken. They can probably speak better for the trip than I can...I'm just bad-mouthing it....stupid Bishop....stupid body....damn, I MUST be old now! I've been sick since I turned 30 and it sure doesn't look like the year will end any differently. I did see that it was in the 40's at Taylors the other day though, so I hope all you back home are enjoying your warmth! Maybe if I can do something here again I'll make another post, but right now, I wouldn't count on it!

























Many more pics to come...now it's off to the hot springs! Hopefully....

Back in Bishop Again

After a record time of 25 hours and less than 70 bucks in gas, we rolled into town, Kris with a new cold, and me with a pulled/torn intercostal, (upper side rib, under my arm) from restricted movement for 25 hours and still violently coughing up the remainder of my plehgm. Regardless, we climbed--not the first day, we were smarter than that this year...but after a nights rest we headed to the sun-filled hillside of the Buttermilks.





We started out on the Ironman, to try to start building skin and wake up the muscles. After we decided it was just too hot sitting under that highly reflective oblong rock slice, we walked down to the Tut boulder. Not sure of the separation of holds between Funky Tut & King Tut, we did some fun combination of both.

Around the corner from the Tut problems is Milk the Milks. Erin and I both got psyched on this when we decided to disregard Joel's reachy, slippery-foot beta and heel-hooked the shit out of the start hold to gain the good crimp above. The sloper holds at the finish we snowed over, so we still need to go back to bag this one, but I'm happy to do that!

We hiked over to the Mandala for Joel. I said 'hello' to an old friend, Pope's Prow, getting higher up than most of the guys trying it. When will they learn to SLOW DOWN? I fell at the same spot again and again, just like last year. However, some new beta from Nic the next day made me get super optimistic! Now to put it to the test...whenever the cold and snow recedes again from the hillside.

Our first two days here were really warm and great, but yesterday it got cold, and last night it snowed. So now I'm in the coffee shop trying to fill in the events from the last few days.

Wu Tang Dave and his girlfriend Anna came into town yesterday and climbed at the Buttermilks with us. I got there later, stopping by the emergency room to try to address the stabbing pain coming from my side. Climbing makes it feel better...then, that night it feels worse. Through a treatment of Tylonol, Advil, and Turumodal,(something like that) and an Icy Hot patch I am finding comfort....I mean numbness. As long as it doesn't hurt when I'm climbing I don't care how much damage I cause...I'll worry about that when I get home. I'm not willing to sacrifice my climbing to pain...unless it REALLY hurts. Lucky for me, there IS an acupuncture place in town...phew!

The clouds are parting now, and the sun is coming out. Most of the snow in town is melted or well on it's way. Hopefully by midday we can head out to he Happies. Eric, Trinh & Mike Simon have most likely landed and are driving from Vegas now. I'm super phsyced to get Trinh on some REAL rock! She's gonna crush! AAAND I can't wait to play, "Love it or Hate it" with Simon. Kris can't wait to wish his jewishy friend a Happy Haunuka!

This weeks' weather doesn't look great, but I'm holding on to the optimism that we are in the mountains, and the weather is not predictable up here. We'll see...

PS, forgot my power cord in the motel--computer dead...will add pictures soon...