Ursa_Eagle Posted May 29, 2003 Posted May 29, 2003 Wednesday, May 21, 10:00 pm. Decide to take a vacation day on Friday and spend four days in Yosemite. Left PDX at 2:30 am Friday. Partner eats gas station burrito named "The Bomb" en route. Burrito lives up to name, effects apparent for rest of trip. Breaking in new (to me) car this trip. Determine that 1 Subaru mile = 1.2 normal miles. Also hear frightening metallic rattling sound. Upon closer examination, decide that it’s only the exhaust fairing. Pleased my new car has character. Pass through the entrance gate to the park at 2:00 pm. Friday afternoon: Enter the valley. Three pitch route, Sloth Wall, (5.7, with dirty 5.5 slab approach) on Knob Hill (near entrance to valley) to get acquainted with granite. Tour the valley from car, almost wreck car many times while staring at Elc Cap, get a few supplies in Yosemite Village, then head to the tent cabin (20 miles outside the park, closest we could find). Saturday: Penelope's Problem (5.7), with a second 5.5 pitch at Swan Slabs, then over to Five Open Books. Much searching for the base of The Caverns (5.8) resulted in climbing Munginella (5.6). Leader got off-route and wound up getting in a fun 5.8 face after all. Shot many pics of sunset on Half-dome from base of route after climb. Sunday: something about a route called "Nutcracker" (5.8) on the "Manure Wall" didn't appeal to me, so I went for a hike while partners climbed. Partners climbed route and got stuck behind very slow party. Partners now understand where the route should have gotten name after sitting for many hours in hanging belay. I left car at 12:20, arrived in Curry Village 7.5 hours, 19 miles, and 4500 feet later. View from Glacier Point, of Illilouette Falls, and of Nevada Falls well worth the hike. Annoyed that all trails seemed to be paved (or had been paved.) Arrive in Curry Village 15 minutes before friends. All-you-can-eat buffet gets ravaged. Monday: Stop at Curry Village to get large pro. Observe flora and fauna in meadow by car in the form of two blondes in bikinis rubbing each other with tanning oil. Dirtbag climbers next to us have binoculars out before we could even reach for ours. Explore approach to Arrowhead Spire. Approach reminiscent of North Cascades via the Beckey Guides. "Traverse along cliffs to obvious gully" my ass. Drop back into valley after I convince the others there's not enough time to do the climb anymore. Partner claims: “We did the dreaded "find the fucking route" 5.15e on the approach to Arrowhead Spire”. Receives no arguments from other partner. I say the rating is conservative. Got in Uncle Fanny (5.7 chimney) and Church Bowl Lieback (5.8) at Church Bowl on spectacular flakes. Stop off at gift shop for last minute road supplies, t-shirts, and ice cream. Reorganize back of wagon for visibility upgrade. First attempt to leave park fails due to photos at meadow east of El Cap. Second attempt fails due to photos at El Cap meadows. Observe climbers 1200 ft or so up El Cap. Third attempt to leave park succeeds, despite many other photo opportunities. Stop by Merced River outside of park for quick "shower". Leave river at 7:30 pm. Drive home uneventful aside from needing 3 quarts of oil. Partner declared it was a 3 red bull and 3 coffee night shift. Partner's red bull and caffeine induced jittering shakes whole car. Arrive back in Portland at 8:00 am. Drive directly to work, walk in wearing same clothes worn for past few days. Quote
Lambone Posted May 29, 2003 Posted May 29, 2003 Nice! Just a hint, next time plan ahead on doing the Nutcracker, and saying goodbye to El Cap for a while in the meadow before you leave Nutcracker is a true classic, the second clean route ever done in Yosemite, and fun moves! Quote
Dr_Flash_Amazing Posted May 29, 2003 Posted May 29, 2003 That was fucking rad. Good on you, mate! Quote
chelle Posted May 29, 2003 Posted May 29, 2003 Thank's for the fix Ursa! 20 days and counting.... Quote
Ursa_Eagle Posted May 29, 2003 Author Posted May 29, 2003 I'll have some pics up when I can get around to resizing them (~500K each right now) Quote
sayjay Posted May 29, 2003 Posted May 29, 2003 Just a hint, next time plan ahead on doing the Nutcracker ...and do the 5.9 alternate start! It's awesome! and only 5.9 for a short section -- mostly easier. Nice TR! Made me smile, which is a good thing since I'm getting kinda grumpy sitting at my desk with all this sunshine outside Here's to Yos Quote
Thinker Posted May 29, 2003 Posted May 29, 2003 I don't have my guidebook here at work....is the 5.9 alt start the lieback? If it is, it's an absoluteley joyous way to start that climb and pass up the gumbies on the variation to the left of it. Nice TR, now you've got me jonesin' for a roadtrip. Quote
Thinker Posted May 30, 2003 Posted May 30, 2003 I did some diggin.... the lieback is the traditional start (5.8). I do remember seeing the 5.9 variation you've posted to the right of the lieback. There's an easier alt start to the left of the lieback that collects gumbies. The lieback (scammed from the web somewhere): Quote
Ursa_Eagle Posted May 30, 2003 Author Posted May 30, 2003 (edited) *useless post* Edited May 30, 2003 by Ursa_Eagle Quote
rbw1966 Posted May 30, 2003 Posted May 30, 2003 Nice TR ursa. SOme day I hope to make it to yo. Quote
erik Posted May 30, 2003 Posted May 30, 2003 rbw1966 said: Nice TR ursa. SOme day I hope to make it to yo. its just like hood, only a little better! Quote
Ursa_Eagle Posted May 30, 2003 Author Posted May 30, 2003 well, we found out you can get 3.5 days of climbing out of a 4 day weekend (if we'd been ready a little earlier, we prolly could have gotten 4 climbing days.) The drive was insignificant compared to what we got out of Yosemite... Quote
rbw1966 Posted May 30, 2003 Posted May 30, 2003 erik said: rbw1966 said: Nice TR ursa. SOme day I hope to make it to yo. its just like hood, only a little better! Massive wood! Quote
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