How About ‘dat Disco Diva?

February 25, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 5 Comments 

Back in September, when I was starting to sketch out the rough plan of what I’d do after leaving DC, I knew I’d want to head on down to Bishop to live here and climb for a couple months.  I think the original plan was to settle down here for 2-3 months and get whatever climbing I could get done before I headed out to San Francisco.

Now I’ve been here about a month. And I know there’s no way I’m going to stay here 2-3 months. I’m having such a great time here, I’m thinking I very well may be here for the entire year.   Ill probably travel around during the summer when it gets wayyy too hot here, but yeah, I can see myself staying here for a good while.

I also blogged a preliminary tick-list of problems I’d liked to get done while I’m here.  You can see the tick list here.

And how are things going, you ask?  Better than I’d ever expected.  Today I headed out to the Happys and found this group of climbers working on Disco Diva.  I warmed up on several different problems before flexing my fingers for the big send.  There were two other guys giving it real serious attempts.  One of them was getting very, very close.  And I was still fumbling around on my first few tries - on the start, trying to figure out a good way to link up everything to the crux without blowing too much energy.

Then it just all clicked on the next try and I ended up sending it in a rather easy fashion.

So here’s the ticklist as it is right now.

I shouldn’t be content to sit back and settle for just those.  I’ve been shown, and discovered quite a few more amazing looking lines that need to be done.  So here are the additions:



RAW converters at ISO 3200

February 24, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 5 Comments 

The Story in a Nutshell

With the release of Aperture 2.0, one thing I was looking forward to was to see if a disturbing trend I noticed on some of my photos would be corrected or improved on. Now that I’ve had time to review specific images, I thought I’d write up an report to pass on to the development teams at Apple and Adobe, because my consensus is that there clearly is room for improvement.

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Sore @ the Buttermilks

February 21, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 5 Comments 

After that epic three-day weekend where I was knocking down long-standing projects day after day, I spent all day Tuesday convalescing.  Wednesday I went to lift weights and woke up this morning with a dull, sore ache all over.

20 years old, I’m not anymore.  I could do this stuff and bounce back the next day.  But age is creeping up on me now.   I went out to the ‘Milks anyway for a hour to scope out some new routes and tick off a few more. That’s the great thing about living here.  I dont need to plan a special 5 day vacation trip to give Soulslinger a try.  I just have to drive eight miles up the road.

Today’s tick list:



Sads: Day Two, Pow Pow Done

February 19, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments 

We got out to the Sads again today. This time, I dragged along all my photo gear, and have more than just my words to amuse and delight you, my dear readers. One of the climbers in our group wanted a second crack at Strength in Numbers.

The area classic didn’t go down quite so easily, and inflicted its share of flappers.

We also set up camp at another area classic, and one of my long-standing projects, Pow Pow (V8). This kind of problem is exactly my kind of problem - crimpy edges and precise, powerful throws. I came very close to finishing it two years ago but was forced to walk away after a hour-long battle that left me too fatigued to muscle it out, and this time I was back with a vengeance.

The starting holds to Pow Pow - two shallow slopey crimps that you need to lock off on before you can throw to the next (another shallow, slopey crimp) hold. Anthony in the picture below gives you all a good idea of what’s involved.

So the five of us are sitting around, working the problem, when two other climbers come in the area and start taking their shots at it. I’m feeling a little peevish. I came here to finish this problem and I wasn’t going to sit here and watch someone else do it before me. So I cleared the air, chalked up and put that baby to bed first. My first ascent of the V8 grade and it couldn’t have happened on a better problem.

After a full weekend of climbing, my fingers are all painful and swelly. I’m going to need a few days to recover before I get back to work on some new projects…

Oh, and… apparently we weren’t the only ones doing climbing that day…



2/18 Sads Ticklist

February 18, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment 

Another full day out climbing, this time at the Sads. I’d only come out here once, and that was during my trip over Thanksgiving weekend in 2006.

I also did not climb very much that day, opting to do photographs instead.

So it was some suprise and amusement - after reviewing the tick list from yesterday’s climbing at the Sads, that I realized I’d photographed other climbers on three of four problems I did yesterday, two years ago. So in a mashup of yesterday and two years past..

Joe on The Mothership Connection (V4). This especially gravy problem involves a hand and foot jam below the ledge, then reaching out for your choice of ledges and a lock off before reaching for the good hueco above (and out) of the picture. This is amongst one of my favorite bouldering pictures.

Molly (V5) - an immaculate problem starting off on many good pockets, and ultimately requiring a tough throw to a sidepull, then lots of body tension before the throw to the edge.

Last but not least, Strength in Numbers (V5). This problem is an natural park-attraction. The holds are large and inviting. The area is open and lots of rocks around for spectators to sit around and watch climbers test their mettle. And most importantly.. the crux is up there on the very top, so there are plenty of cheers or tears as climbers make their fortune, or fly off, crashing into the mats - over and over. It is no wonder that this is an area classic.

Ticklist for today -



Testpiece Saturday

February 16, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 5 Comments 

I was feeling good today. I slept in this morning and woke up feeling all burly. With brilliant blue skies and nothing but sun in the sky, I headed up to the Buttermilks to find it completely packed.

I warmed up on a couple easy routes on the Sunshine Boulder, before finding a group of people working on High Plains Drifter. This V7 is one of the most classic lines and one of Bishop’s most famous testpeices. The guide exhorts you:

The ultra classic Buttermilks testpiece: If you can climb this grade but haven’t done this line, you better step up!

Three years ago when I first came here, I stepped back and could only look with at wonder on this beautiful, but scary-high problem. The difficult part was down low, and after the last drifter move, you’d be able to scoot up the good patina to the top. But it was still scary-high! I wondered if I’d ever see the day when I’d be able to climb a V7, much less a testpiece like this one. The photo below is for illustration purposes - there wasn’t any snow on the rock today.

A year and half ago, I came out to the Buttermilks again and gave the starting holds a feel. I was daunted by the crimps and edges. I gave it a few tries before deciding that I was better off doing more realistic problems.

So this morning. Like I said, I was feeling burly. I also was feeling like I was actually stronger than I was two years ago, even though I had not climbed much? Mabye it was the weight training or something. But regardless.

I gave it a try. I slapped wide on the crux move, a sloper edge that leads to the drifter edge and fell back to earth. But I also knew immediately that I could do it. It was not impossible for me anymore. I rested ten minutes, then chalked up and gave it another try. And I smashed that ball out of the park! Standing on the very top of the rock, I was feeling so fucking great!

Simply finishing out this day with a send of High Plains Drifter (V7) would have been more than enough for me, but when I met up with a group that were heading up to do Saigon (V6), I couldn’t turn down the chance. This was another project that had taunted me for years, both with it’s crazy around-the-arete-throw-to-a-jug, and a top-out that is anything but a gimme.

Strangely enough, I had a harder time with Saigon, than High Plains Drifter. My first throw for the jug had me swinging wildly around before poppping off and landing hard on the pad. My second try went even worse and I landed badly on one ankle, forcing me to hop around for a couple minutes. But I wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. I sat on a rock, channeling my mental focus and then stood up and threw off my coat. One other guy in the group pointed to me and said, “get it done”.  Hell yes, I was going to get it done.

Two minutes later, clutching madly on the jug while my legs flew out wildly, I said to myself - “dammit, dont pop off again” and willed my other hand to match. I found myself matched on the jug, legs back on the rock and with only the topout left to do. And I knew it wouldnt be a gimme. It’s not hard, but its not easy either. Your heart is racing along at 100 miles a hour and you want to be over with it now, but you still have another five feet of climbing to do. I had to mentally yell at myself to stop, breathe, and analyze my options and safely top out. I certainly didn’t want to crater from 25 feet above the deck.

And I didnt. I got up to the top, panting and yelling and seeing everyone down on the ground yelling at me like it was the most awesome show they ever saw.

Personal first sends of High Plains Drifter and Saigon in one day. It was a good day for me. :)



Mono Lake Fishing Expedition

February 16, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 9 Comments 

Mono Lake is about 45 miles north of Bishop. Its a popular spot with nature photographers and I decided to head up there after work to “scout” the area out for future photo shoots. You usually want to shoot pics at Mono Lake either at sunrise or sunset. And I didn’t want to fumble around some unknown path or trail in the darkness, so hence I’d scout it out with some light left in the day.

Leaving Bishop and heading north, US-395 sharply gains about 3,000 feet in altitude over ten miles. You can see Mt. Tom in the distance. Bishop lies about ten miles out, and 3,000 feet below us from this point.

After climbing another 2,000 feet over ten more miles, the landscape transforms remarkably from a dry dusty desert landscape to a winter-wonderland.

But as it turns out, I arrived there with the day’s light fading and getting some excellent light anyway.. and captured those killer shots.



A Cold Day at the Buttermilks

February 14, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

After enjoying a week of brilliant sun and warm temperatures, the sky darkened yesterday and a massive cloud formation spilled over the western mountains and brought with it incredibly strong winds that blew boxes, trash and large branches all over my yard.

Today dawned much much colder and overcast.  The winds had died down however, so I drove up to the Buttermilks to work on a couple projects.  I ran into this group I’d seen at the Happys over the week and joined them for some climbing.  They were working on Soulslinger (V9), which I was more than happy to give a couple cracks, and managed to add on to my success from two days ago and unlock one more move before the top.   With steady progress like this, it won’t be long.

The group decided to move on to to the epic Mandala (V12), one of Bishop’s most famous testpieces.

We were joined by a climber, which I believe was Matt Birch, a strongman from the UK.  He smoothly sent Mandala, making it seem not that all difficult - (the guy in the pic above is not Birch).

We then moved on to another, more recent area classic, Evilution, which was made famous by Jason Kehl’s epic first-ascent to the very top of the Grandpa Peabody  boulder via this route.  Other strong climbers had established this route to the patina on the lip, then dropped off.  You can see the first ascent video of Evilution over at YouTube.

But still, the route is so good, even if you’re not brave (or stupid) enough to try the full route, climbing to the lip is still a classic effort.



2/12 Tick List

February 12, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment 

An omnibus ticklist since the last report on 2/6. 

Worked on Disco Diva, Soul Slinger and Pope’s Prow.  Made progress on all three.



Climbing @ Buttermilks, Dinner after.

February 12, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments 

One of the more popular climbing areas in Bishop, the Buttermilks sits at 6,800 feet, some 2,700 feet above the town of Bishop.  I had not been able to get up there yet because of heavy snow cover.  But with temperatures in the 60s and lots of sun the last week, I figured the road would be clear to the Buttermilks, and headed up there after work yesterday.

The dirt road was in horrible condition.  My poor VW bounced and jostled the entire way on the 5-mile approach road.  And with one mile left to go, I had to park the car on the side and hike the last mile due to deep snow still covering the road.

I took a picture of the first mile of the approach road when conditions were still good..  Buttermilks is about 4 miles in the distance.  Mt. Tom lies beyond it.

Lots more snow now, the higher we went.  I left my car here and walked the last mile.  I also left the camera in the car because I wanted to hike light as possible.

Back at home, enjoying a bottle of locally brewed Mammoth beer.

And my dinner.  Pork chops with garlic-teryaki sauce and seasoning.  Veggies in the pot with garlic salt in the pot on the back burner.

The last week with me driving back and forth on dirt roads, I realized I can only subject my VW to so much abuse before it falls apart on me.  I’m starting to look around for a beater truck.  I think that should be really awesome to have.  Some old dusty Ford with a horse saddle in the bed for looks.



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