Kaylee's First Birthday

Point Reyes National Seashore.

 

We went to Point Reyes with Andrew and Amanda for Kaylee's first birthday. It was a very foggy couple days but Kaylee did great. We had planned two nights and three days but "little poopers" changed it to one night.

 

At the trailhead

 

 Amanda made a special harness and sewed it onto her backpack so that Kaylee could ride on her shoulders. It worked really well until Kaylee got tired.


It was so foggy and cold that we put my socks on Kaylee to keep her a little warmer. 
 

Duct Tape Booties to keep Kaylee's feet dry on the beach.

The little sea turtle

Kaylee and Daddy.

Kaylee and Mommy

  

The first nights campsite.

Time to turn around. A very runny and full (well not anymore) diaper.... Kaylee wasnt feeling so good so we decided to hike out and only spend one night. We went to a hotel and then to a gluten free store the next morning before driving back to Maripossa.

Santa Barbara... Surfing?

So we spent two days in Santa Barbara with Patrick and Maryia. They have a great apartment in a really sweet area. It was so fun hanging out with them in something other than a WAB. We decided that I needed to learn to surf... Only one problem, Its the wrong time of year and there were really no waves. We still went out and since it was my first day ever it was a great day of 5.2 surfing. Basically we paddled around forever but it did make me want to do more..So, I guess I'll be going back in the fall

Pine Mountain Bouldering

 Since Patrick had ridden his motorcycle to the Needles we waited till almost dark for the central valley to cool off from 110 to a more manageable temperature and then headed to Pine Mountain for the night. On the way the chain on Patricks bike loosened and we had to stop on the side of the road with some very crazy bugs.  After much messing about we were able to tighten the chain and get back on the road and to the camp right at midnight. We made dinner and then crashed. The next morning after sleeping in and having a great breakfast we headed into the boulders for a few hours before driving the rest of the way to Santa Barbara and finally some much cooler weather.

The rock at Pine Mountain is sandstone and reminded me of all the sport climbing and bouldering in eastern Tennessee. The texture was incredible and I really enjoyed the climbing.

This was my favorite problem of the day. It was also the last one that I climbed. I'm not sure what it was rated but I was super excited to pull it off. The movement was great with really nice features and just enough spice at the top to make me wonder.

And of course its a beautiful place.

Voodoo Dome, White Punks on Dope

I've wanted to climb in the Needles since I started climbing back in high school. We needed to fill some time so we decided to meet Patrick and climb there for 3 days. The weather forecast for the area was mid 70s while we were planning the trip. Like the brilliant person I am I didn't check the weather again assuming it would be the same. Well, it wasn't. We got up at 6 and headed for the climb at 7 topped out at noon and were back at the car at 2pm, very tired and sick from the 98 degree heat. We realized that the harder climbs that we had on our list were not going to happen so we spent the rest of the day in the shade and water waiting for the sun to go down so we could head toward Santa Barbara and the cool ocean breezes that Patrick promised us. But, the one climb that we did was great and really made me want to go back when the temps are more livable. 

The Needles, in the Southern Sierra. Voodoo Dome is the dome on the right side of the frame. The other spires will have to wait till fall.

 Krystina at the base

 Patrick leading the first pitch of White Punks On Dope 5.8. 200ft of nice easy splitter hands.

 The yellow lichen that made me dream of this place for the past 10 years. And its worth it. 

 The view from the base. 

 So this is "the pitch" number four.  A beautiful splitter finger crack with perfect locks in the back of a gorgeous corner that turns into a "wave" at the top. The top of the pitch pulls out over you like being inside the barrel of a wave before ending at a small roof area and an easy lieback to the anchor.

 Inside "the wave" section of the 4th pitch.

On top of pitch 5.

 Krystina climbing pitch 5. Patrick led this pitch.. a very nice 5.7R slab. 4 bolts in 150ft. The bolts are in the perfect places and the run outs not too bad... or was that cause I wasn't leading. Of course Patrick made it look easy and we all finished just as the sun started to turn the stone into a griddle. 

The 6th pitch, another beautiful 5.7 splitter heading directly to the summit.