Bouldering in Bishop is done

I split my index finger open yesterday on "Evilution". I have never split a tip this bad. I was having such a great day. I did the crux on "Center Direct" and almost sent, then tried "Mandala", "La Bellet", and last "Evilution". "Evilution is so cool, I made it to the second to last hold right away but I could feel pain in my finger and noticed blood on every hold. When I looked at my finger I realized my time bouldering in the Buttermilks was over.

I am going to Crested Butte today to visit my friend Katie. This weekend I will meet up with friends from Minnesota for some sport climbing in Spearfish Canyon, SD before coming back to Minneapolis.

The tall boulder in the photos is "Jedi Mind Tricks".

Left Yosemite....

I'm in Bishop California now. Adam and Wade were leaving Yosemite and I had yet to hear anything about work in the Valley so I came with my friends to Bishop. I am staying until EZ (Danielle's boyfriend) has his "climber's go golfing" party next Saturday.

The drive here was long from Yosemite. While only about one hundred miles as the crow flies, it took me almost eight hours in the truck since the pass on the east side of Yosemite was closed and the truck is slow as hell. The good thing is that I was not in a hurry and the views through the Sierra and near Lake Tahoe were incredible.

I climbed "Saigon" and worked "Center Direct" yesterday. Saigon was my warm up and I was psyched to do it since I never had when I lived in Bishop in 2005.

Wade has been constant entertainment. Yesterday he turned on some hilarious music from his cell phone before exclaiming to the camera "my video's don't need music added in", then he crushed Center Direct in great style. Adam and I both split the skin on our pointer fingers open, doh.

The first picture is of a content Wade shooting his .45 after nearly two weeks of "guns free Yosemite National Park". The second picture is of Wade emerging from the back of his truck in the morning.

I am in Yosemite Valley.

Yesterday I climbed Midnight Lightning. The climb took much work. I made it to the last move and fell around 14 times before changing my beta and completing the boulder problem.

My friends Wade and Adam are here. We have mostly been bouldering however the first day I arrived Wade and I climbed two pitches up El Capitan. Adam and I climbed a 400' route called Serenity Crack and Wade took the photos. I lead all pitches (5.10d, a 5.10c and another 5.10d). On the last pitch there are no feet for the final 25' and protection is hard to place. My last piece in the crux fell out and I literally ran it out to the top. To make it more interesting a party of three people were on top watching me thrutch my way to the top facing a potential 40' fall onto a small cam. The ratings here are stiff.

I am waiting to hear back about getting a job. I applied first thing on last Monday. Either way I am staying in the valley for a while.

March 8th 2007 El Chupacabra

I am sitting in Carls Jr using their free internet, waiting to pick up my friend John Cooper from the airport.

Since the Rodeo I have been struggling to recover. The wind and cold temperatures caused my skin on the ends of my fingers to split causing painful cracks that bled and did not heal until a couple days ago. My body felt battered like my skin and I did not climb well. Over this period I worked on a climb called "El Chupacabra", a V10 with great opening moves matching an under cling on a roof continuing with about eight more tenuous moves to a blind hold over the lip. Before finally sending the climb I was falling at the last move until one of the Japanese guys on our tour pointed to the hold as I lunged. I almost hugged the guy when I got down from the top out. The first picture is of me next to the climb after sending.

There is a group of seven guys from Japan here for the month. They rule! The amount of energy the have is astounding, plus they are ridiculously strong.

I am planning on leaving soon. Today my friend Kevin left and the ranch is becoming quiet. I will leave for Yosemite for a new climbing experience in a few days. Apparently it will be easier to find work the earlier in the season I arrive.