short summary: lots of dead dear, domestic dome-fun moderate climbs, don't steal trees, don't have car trouble in l'worth on a sunday, peshastin has a route w/a hole in it.
after failing to make it out of bed in time to go to smiff on saturday, i needed a plan for sunday. we decided that the day called for easy to moderate climbs, little to no approach, cracks preferably in granite. that sounded like index to me. mother nature said l'worth.
the drive over should've been a warning of things to come. highway 97 was littered with a about 1/2 dozen does that got that deer in the headlights look. (why is at always female deer that get hit?) apparently there's a lot of cars that need some body work after saturday night. blissfully unaware of the stupidness about to befall us we continued on. as we pull in there is a group about to lay siege to barney's rubble...ah yes, all things are normal in the universe. it's at about this time i don't hear the phrase "hey put the keys in your pack"
we gather our gear and head for domestic dome. at which point my partner says "you've got the keys right?" "Keys? what keys?" i say w/the deer in the headlights look setting in. after an exhaustive search of my pack i find them on the floor of the car. in what proves to be the best decision of the day we decide that since it's only about 8 we might as well climb.
it seems appropriate to start the day with "BS" (5.6). the crack is great but there's a disgusting slabby section w/a death bolt. (more deer in the headlights look here) i personally consider the decision to climb slab about as good an idea as sending my son to hang w/Michael Jackson. we decide head up a second pitch,an easy 5.4 which is completely fun and perfectly uneventful. (except my partner slipping at the belay and shredding his ankle)
we head back to the base of the first route for no apparent reason. only after getting back there do we decide that the 5.7 crack up next to the 5.4 looks fun. that means i've got to climb the stupid slab again which leads to the loss of skin and more carnage. my partner heads up towards the crack, crossing over a slabby section carpeted w/lichen. oh nifty, more friction free slab. the 5.7 definitely needs more than one piece bigger than 3". the 5.7 crack and 5.8 bolted line next to it are fun pitches. we decide to head down and maybe have a look at the 5.9 crack but when we get there it seems like it might be time to take care of the key situation.
back at the car we break out random pieced of climbing gear that might proove useful, while we watch a guy a stealing trees from the surrounding area. wtf- dude that's not cool. we quickly discover that while a bottle of beer can be opened w/a nut tool or carabiner, a mazda can't be.
i leave the boys at the car and head up icicle road for town so i can get a locksmith. i'd like to thank JENNY who actually stopped and gave me a ride. i'd to say to the old couple who stared vacantly at me and the dude in the mercedes who nearly ran me over.
apparently, on sunday in l'worth you can't get a locksmith/tow truck. they're all from chelan, don't work weekends, think l'worth is to far from wenatchee, can't be bothered or are drunk. to upper valley towing who not only helped me out but were fast and friendly too.
2 hours later, upon returning to my car, i find that my son has learned to climb crack but that in reality he has been turned the dark side. it was a crack in a BOULDER and he really liked bouldering. this is what happens when boys are left unsupervised for too long.
we head off for home and detour at peshastin. for some reason my partner has become intrigued by routes w/caves or holes in them so we hit the cave route on orchard tower. this prooves to be a fun but spicy 5.6 and a great way to finish the day despite the loss of more skin and more blood. i would like to point out that the route description in the l'worth book really blows for this route. you really have no idea where you're going or where the anchors are after you come out of the hole.
a fun day, easy climbing, lots of weirdness the routes we climbed on domestic dome were fun but still pretty dirty. good place to get in a few easy/moderate pitches and the approach was definitely better than last w/e trip to bathtube dome. peshastin...well, it's peshastin.
moral of the story: don't trust me w/your keys.
