Dome Rock and Sequoia National Forest

On Sunday we decided to have a chill day and climb at Dome Rock from which we could get a great view of what we had climbed yesterday. We did the four pitch Tree Route with Olivia and I climbing at the same time on the same rope while Darren belayed us. It was the same fashion that Darren and I climbed at Red Rocks the first time we met. The route was easy and fun and a bit interesting because Darren had to navigate it without a guidebook (I guess there aren't really good guidebooks for the area). On the second pitch he decided the crack was a bit too mossy and chausy (he's on it in the picture below), so he down-climbed, traversed right to a tree growing in the middle of the wall, and continued up a different, cleaner, and indeed correct crack.

This was taken in the middle of the route, but one would never know it.

A view of us and the Needles from the Dome Rock summit

Less than 2 months until Darren and I are maweed!

This is my favorite photo from the weekend. There were dozens of cairns on the summit, and this was the coolest and coolest one I've ever seen anywhere (plus you get a great view of the Needles in the background). I stealthily added my own small stone to the pile.
It's a tiny jaunt from the car to the top of Dome Rock. We actually had to hike down to get to the base for our climb. Hence, people can easily amble to the top of it...and hopefully do not play target practice with the climbers.

Beginning to head our way out of the Sequoia National Forest, we saw a sign for the Trail of 100 Giants. We decided to make a pit stop to hike around and play on the trees. I wasn't sure if I'd ever seen sequoias before, so I was super stoked. It seemed like another Californian thing that one must experience...and we just stumbled into doing it. Yipee!

Olivia and I being Sequoia tree huggers (she is hidden in the shadow).

The triple tree version of Romeo and Juliet (Sequoias have shallow root systems that move out laterally as they grow. This means that sometimes the systems and trees end up growing together.)

Inside a tree in which people used to keep their ducks. Seriously.

The Needles

Darren, Olivia, and I are most likely in our last moments here in SoCal, so we are trying to go on all the adventures we can to places we've never been in the area before we leave. On the top of Olivia and I's list was the Needles. The Needles is a super classic climbing area and is often found in climbing magazines, recognizable by its distinctive yellow and green lichen covered granite. Although it was near the end of the season, we decided to give the place a whirl and scale some of its cracks. We were not disappointed. The Needles is one the most gorgeous climbing areas I have even seen. Beyond the lichen, there were granite spires, forests, and 360 degree views of the Sierra. From the top our our route "Igor Unchained" we could clearly see Mount Whitney.

There were mammoth pine cones strewn across the forest floor.

Darren and I on a little jaunt past the Fire Tower. We were sad Maggie (I think that is her name), the forest ranger who lives in the tower, has already left for the season. Apparently she gives cookies to climbers who visit on Sundays. She'll sometimes also have a scope from which she watches climbers scale the granite cracks.

The walkway from the Fire Tower

My own personal ninja

Igor Unchained! The climb was a sustained 3-4 pitch 5.9+ --and I don't think I've heard any of us collectively be so vocal until this route. There was lots of "ug's," yelps, and various other noises and words proclaimed. The first pitch was hand jam heavy, while the others were varied, challenging, and fun. On the second or third pitch there was a cluster of bees hovering around the crack, but thankfully they did not bother us. The fourth pitch had a fun transition move over an arete and ended with some delicate moves.

Next weekend is halloween, so it was fitting the the spire we climbed on is called the "Witch."

The picture in the background is the "Warlock."

2009 Books in Progress

How am I doing on my book list? I've started them all except The Shack and Climbing Free. The kids books are so much faster to read because the others are, well, more intense.

1. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Finished February '09

2. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan:

Finished May '09

3. Between a Rock and a Hard Place--by Aron Ralston:

Even half way through the book he STILL had not sawed off his arm!

Finished May '09

4. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan:

Finished June '09

5. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.

It was the book I read during lunch in the park while I was in Colorado. For the first time in my literary life, I have found that I actually do love some Hemingway. He made me feel like I was in the Spanish Civil War hiding out in a cave with his characters.

Finished June '09

6. The entire four books of the stupid Twilight series. The second book was the best, but the series in general was like a bad movie I felt I had to finish watching--even though I knew I was wasting my time. I honestly don't know how people can compare Twilight to Harry Potter, the latter being vastly superior.

Finished October '09.

7. El tragaluz by Antonio Buero Vallejo

I am almost finished with this Spanish play. After I visited Jason and Stella in North Carolina, he gave me a CD with tons of "This American Life" stories and she gave me a heap of Spanish books. I read this one during my lunch breaks in TN. Gracias amiga!

Finished October '09

November and December I was planning for my wedding, going to classes, and planning for the future. I therefore did not have much time to read, but I did peruse thoroughly through a few chapters of book my friend sent me. I still need to finish it.

Darren Visits Tennessee in its Premiere Season: Fall

Darren is representing bluegrass emerging from the birth canal

I picked Darren up in Nashville. We fully embraced the city by going to a local eatery, The Tin Roof, then cruising the main streets of the music scene stopping along the way to do our best Elvis impersonations and pop into country music venues.

Back in Chatt-town we climbed at my favorite traditional Tennessee climbing area, T-wall, on Saturday with Danielle, Leif, Steven, and some other folks.

Then we met up with Alex and Andrea (from TBA and Mt. Conness adventures) for some local food (they have food items like the "Fat Man's Squeeze" named after various local attractions, that one derived from Rock City where one has to squeeze through a narrow section between rocks). Afterwards, we went to Leif's apartment which he explained used to be a sort of short term hotel for those waiting to board the Chattanooga Choo-Choo (he has like five or six chimneys). After we left, I naturally had to take Darren on a night tour of the Choo-Choo. We enjoyed dancing by its cars and circling around in its Alice in Wonderlandesque spiraling hedges.

On the way back to Nashville on Sunday, I introduced Darren to the famous Foster Falls. Oh, how I love the beauty of a Tennessee autumn...and the leaves haven't even really changed yet.