good decision...

Since a creationday would sound stupid (some may disagree with this statement, but that is not for this blog...), Abbie decided that she wanted to be born... today... today in the past... 26 years in the past to be exact.

Now, before you get all "damn girl! how you look so young when you so old?" and "how your elbows be so sharp?" and "are you gonna eat that?", yes she is... and she is also wise beyond her years. She teaches children with learning disabilities (namely me), volunteers, is going to Cambodia to work with underprivileged kids, and is keen with an elbow sharpening stone...

*Abbie apparently does not work with children with learning disabilities, but children with special needs. Yes, there is a difference, and no, I don't know what it is.*

While this blog is dedicated to her (although I liked the pictures I took, and she happened to be in them, and we needed a blog this month, and I haven't taken many pictures lately... well, you get the picture), we'll call it a dedication of convenience since East Side Bouldering is not in the business of birthday dedications. Afterall, between Drew's and Abbie's there have been at least a dozen birthdays on the planet, and we haven't dedicated a blog to any of them...


Abbie just before she threw up on the jug on an unnamed V3 at Tram
Photo by Eric


Abbie on the crux(?) of The Cube V5 at Tram
Photo by Eric

And no blog about Abbie would be complete without a picture of the disembodied head of shaun staring down a sloper ready to pounce with an equally disembodied hand...


Shaun's head and hand (off and on, respectively) on My Infested Destiny V7 at Tram
Photo by Eric

Until the time when next unimportant person is born, (insert signout cliche).

So over driving...

I've driven roughly 5000 miles in the last four weeks. Sorry earth. But it did get me to some cool places. Two weekends of sportclimbing at Red Rocks. No pictures in this post, but maybe Eric will post up a few from his camera. Then Eric and I decided we needed to go bouldering before we became sportclimbers, so we hit the road again for Utah. We stopped short of Joe's because of some bad weather and checked out Isaac's new spot near St. George. Amazing looking rock, but unfortunately, we got snowed on there too and ended up at a little limestone roof for the day.

We made quick work of a very nice V8/9ish problem with some big pulls and then I started working Isaac's Six Shooter (V11).


photos - Eric Lang

With some perfect beta from Isaac, I worked out the moves quickly and sent on maybe my sixth try from the start.

After some more epic weather, we made it to Joe's to find perfectly dry boulders and great conditions.

Eric trying Worm Turns (V10 or 11 depending on where you start and how hard you want it to be).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric groping Playmate of the Year (V9). We did not send. I wasn't even close and Eric fell off after the crux about 500 times.


photos - Jeff Sillcox

Fortunately, Nate sent Resident Evil (V10) which made his crazy drive in the snow worthwhile.


photos - Jeff Sillcox

A bunch of other junk got sent too but we were too lazy to take photos.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Spectre

Since I'm getting a lot of complaints about lack of updates... here's some footage of Cory sending Spectre (V13) to hold you over. I went back out there with him Monday night to shoot a few photos and he fired the crux section over and over in 85 degree heat with mosquitoes swarming everywhere.



One of these days I'll get off my butt and post some photos from Joe's Valley and maybe even some sportclimbing shots from Red Rocks.

Dongle Goblin

Eric and I spent the day at the Boneyard today since it was crazy windy at the Buttermilks. Conditions were just about perfect. Eric did a bunch of problems including an impressive flash of Jeff's Mantle (V5/6ish) and the second ascent of Lichen Poisoning (V8). I repeated a few problems and then set to work on a project next to Twin Dongs. I was psyched to do the stand start in a few tries since it felt impossible a year ago. It's called Dongle Goblin and I think it's hard V9 or V10.

The first move is a giant lockoff to a sloping crimp.

photo - Eric Lang

Then you setup for the crux and jump to a good sloping dish.



photos - Eric Lang

Then I figured out the sit start moves and fell off the end a few times. It will be pretty hard.

photo - Eric Lang

Another big lockoff

photo - Eric Lang

My head about to explode

photos - Eric Lang

And here's a random photo of a Joshua Tree near Las Vegas.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Drop your knee... other knee...

Andrew wanted to prove to me, once and for all, that Senior citizens, while slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can serve a purpose! (I feel like we've used that quote before on this very blog...)

After Andrew's previous attempts at sending Stained Glass, we didn't think he could be any closer and NOT send... but we were wrong. We don't have any pictures, but he may still be hanging from the jug, slowly falling.

Later that day, we went over to a problem that Andrew had never tried; Seven Spanish Angels or The Ruckus. Yea... that's right... 400 years of climbing (250 of them in Bishop) and he had never tried this problem. So he was going to try and flash it.

photos by Eric Lang

He didn't... Notice in the second picture where his head is looking (i.e. not at the jug he is dynoing for...)

But he did send easily, third go (after another attempt at not looking at the hold).


Andrew sending Seven Spanish Angels V6
Photo by Eric Lang

Later that day we (Wes and I) decided to take advantage of the cool lighting brought on by a storm.... Here is Wes being glorious...


Wes using his powers of color-necromancy to "liven-up" this field...
Photo by Eric Lang

And Wes's shirt being awesome, all by itself.


I drew the zebra blue because I've never seen a blue zebra before. And to be honest with you, I wanted to see a blue zebra.
Photo by Eric Lang