Hurrican Irene's Destruction

When we left the OBX area, we had plans to come back quickly. Today we realized that is not likely to happen given the devastation there. Out of all the places we have visited so far, this was by far the one that felt the most like "home" to me so I'm sad we won't be going back just yet. We hope to return in the spring and in the meantime we will send supplies and do other things to help this area as they rebuild.

Their Roots are Showing

Friday, February 15th - - Today was a travel day. I left Big Lagoon State Park in Florida and ended up in Monroe, Louisiana by late afternoon. There I would spend the weekend visiting with my distant Joslin cousins, Sue and Joann (with whom I have traveled in the past), as well as their sisters Missy and Sally, and of course, their mother Ruth. Joann's son, Matt and his two children were also visiting so I had the chance to meet them. Sue wrote about their visit to the cabin - she has some really nice photos of the kids. It was great to see them all again! Thank you, once again, for your hospitality.



Monday, February 18th - - Departed Monroe, Louisiana and traveled westward on Interstate 20 then south to the Martin Dies Jr. State Park a few miles west of Jasper, Texas. The forecast called for rain, and that is what Mother Nature delivered, with intensity at times.





The sky brightened up a bit as the sun was going down, but the break didn't last long - it rained throughout the night.





By morning, the rain and clouds were gone and blue skies were all around. There are two rivers that join together at Martin Dies Jr. State Park. I don't know which one this is but the water was low - perhaps because of the extended drought in Texas the last few years.







If you've ever wondered what the root system of a Cypress tree looked like, now you know! I'm guessing that there is one large "tap-root" that extends further down into the ground that supports each clump of trees.



I traveled further westward and south a bit to South Llano River State Park. Located a few miles south of Junction in central Texas, along Interstate 10. I had picked up a "bug" just before getting to Monroe that got worse as time went on. It started as a sore throat, then coughing, and then a headache and sinus pressure. I finally gave in after five days and went to a medical clinic in Junction where I was prescribed an antibiotic and cough syrup. Within two days I was feeling much better. Thank you very much!



South Llano River State Park is a nice park. The campground was great, one of the nicer ones in the Texas State park system (in my opinion). The sites are large with lots of space in-between each site. You pick your own site so can select a shaded or sunny site, whichever you desire. It was a good place to simply lounge around and recover from a minor illness. I did take advantage of some of the shorter trails and took a walk most every day. The weather couldn't have been better - well, except for the one day (Monday, the 25th) when the temperature dropped into the 50s and the wind gusted up to 50 mph! That day was mostly spent at the library!



Wednesday, February 27th - - Another travel day. Finally feeling well enough to move on... heading further south.



Wednesday, March 6th- - I know you are wondering - Where am I now? I will say this - I'm still in Texas, just not as far south as I was this past week!

Adirondack Crack Attack, Day Two: Upper Washbowl Cliff

(Photo: a portion of Upper Washbowl Cliff, with a climber visible back in the corner, in the middle of the second pitch of Partition (5.9-).)



I know that I have no special talent for rock climbing.



I enjoy it and do it as much as I can. But since other things in my life (like marriage, children, and work) also take up lots of time, I don't really get out to climb that often. It's been an awesome year, and I've been lucky enough to take a few multi-day trips to Vegas and the 'Dacks, but even including these trips I don't think I'll get more than two dozen days on real rock in . I know that I am extremely fortunate to get this many days to play outside; two dozen probably sounds like an awful lot to some climbing dads out there. But when you're talking about making athletic progress, let's be honest: it's a joke.



It just isn't that easy to get better when you don't get out that much.



But I also have a firm belief that an ordinary guy like me, an occasional weekend warrior, can be a 5.10 climber. I don't think superhuman fitness or even perfect technique is required. A certain basic proficiency plus just enough experience should, in my opinion, get me there eventually. This year my goal was to take a big step in the right direction by getting solid at 5.9. Over the summer I started to feel like it might be happening. I seemed to be doing well on 5.9 climbs in the Gunks. And aren't Gunks ratings steeper than everywhere else? I started to entertain the notion that maybe I could walk up to a 5.9 anywhere and feel confident that it would be no problem.



But then I did some climbing in the Adirondacks. And I guess I got my ass kicked a little bit. The vertical crack climbing felt unfamiliar. I realized how narrow my Gunks-focused skill set really is. And I discovered that maybe the ratings in the 'Dacks are even stiffer than in the Gunks.



On day one of my recent two-day trip to the Adirondacks with Adrian, I was extremely grateful not to be leading the Poke-O Moonshine 5.9+ Bloody Mary. And I struggled to lead the 5.8+ P.T. Pillar, taking a hang and then a short fall.



On day two, Adrian and I decided to visit Upper Washbowl Cliff. I really wanted to hit the two John Turner classics on the cliff, Hesitation (5.8) and Partition (5.9-). I was also interested in the 5.8 link-up of Prelude and Overture, and the 5.6 Weissner Route. So there were plenty of possibilities available to us.



As we trooped up the hill to the cliff, we passed the single-pitch Creature Wall and found it quite wet. Nevertheless there was a party at the base and a guide setting up numerous topropes for a group.



This was a bad sign. I didn't expect crowds. Where were we, the Trapps?



But we were relieved to find no one at Upper Washbowl. The cliff seemed empty and the trail deposited us right at the base of Hesitation, John Turner's four-pitch route up the center of the cliff.





(Photo: working up pitch one of Hesitation (5.8).)



The crux pitch of Hesitation is the first. It ascends a corner with a crack at the back. Its appearance should have reminded me of my struggles on P.T. Pillar. I was also feeling a bit less than 100 percent after imbibing several of Lake Placid's fine Ubu Ales the previous evening. But for some reason no warning bells went off in my mind and I volunteered for the lead. I didn't intend to wuss out just because the previous day had been hard. I felt I needed to go right back at it. And this pitch used to be considered a 5.7! The new guidebook had upgraded it to 5.8, but note that there is no plus after the 8 on that grade. I figured I'd be fine.



In the end, I did get through it okay. I took no falls or hangs. But I found it hard and committing. The crack was too wide for jamming, I thought, so I mostly laid back off of it, feeling insecure. I had to work up the courage to trust my feet over and over again. All the moves worked out fine, but I took forever, worrying my way to the end.



When Adrian joined me at the top of pitch one he said he thought the pitch was pretty straightforward.



I asked him if he been able to jam the crack, as I'd found it too wide.



"Sideways," he said. "You have to turn your fist sideways."



Jesus, I thought, I really don't know how to crack climb.



No wonder I thought the pitch was hard. I had no idea how properly to climb it! I am such a maroon.



Even taking my incompetence into account, I find it kind of amazing that this pitch was long considered a 5.7. It seemed harder than that to me. It was much harder than pitch four of Gamesmanship on Poke-O. I still don't get it.





(Photo: a sun-bleached shot of Adrian at the end of the pitch two traverse on Hesitation.)



Pitch two, rated 5.7, was Adrian's lead. This pitch is where Turner felt the need to hesitate on the first ascent, and it's easy to see why. An exposed traverse with so-so feet takes you out to the end of an overhang. The climbing above is easy but there's no way to tell from below.



The traverse really isn't bad. The feet are thin at first but they get better as you move across and the pro is also solid until you reach the end of the roof. Still, it is exciting, and once you clear the overhang the easier climbing up and left to the belay point has precious little pro. I have to give Adrian credit, he managed to place two micro-nuts that I thought were good in the runout part of the pitch.





(Photo: The start of the 5.6 pitch four of Hesitation.)



The last two pitches are nice, but in my opinion less memorable than the first two. A long 5.5 pitch three leads to the final corner that is ascended by pitch four. After an awkward move or two to get established on the wall (see photo above), good positive edges on the right face take you to the top. It seemed to me to be fairly graded at 5.6, a fun end to an outstanding multipitch climb.





(Photo: Starting up the Weissner Route (5.6). First ascent 1935!)



By the time we found the right-side rap recommended by Lawyer & Haas and had a little lunch, it seemed like the day was already slipping away. I wanted to make sure we got to do the second pitch of Partition (5.9-), which the guidebook lists as the best pitch on the cliff. And truthfully I wasn't feeling like challenging myself all that much on lead any more. So I proposed to Adrian that we do the first two pitches of the Weissner Route (5.6), which would place us in a good position from which to climb the final pitch on Partition.



Adrian led pitch one, which is now graded 5.6 but historically was considered a 5.5. The crux comes at an obvious, square block that forms an overhang with a fixed piton underneath. Adrian puzzled over the move for a minute before powering up the crack on the left side. When it was my turn, I thought I actually found a more elegant solution, using the right edge of the block as well as the crack on the left. But I had to marvel at Fritz getting up this in mountain boots in 1935. And 5.5?? I've never been on a 5.5 with moves like this.





(Photo: Adrian almost to the top of Partition (5.9-), in the final off-width section.)



As I emerged from the easy, quite enjoyable 5.4 second pitch of the Weissner Route, I had no trouble finding Partition. It is a another Turner route so, no surprise, it follows a vertical crack in a corner. This corner is very imposing and it widens at the end to an off-width. The kicker on the day of our ascent was that it was also wet right before point where the crack widens. Once again we were looking at a route that had been upgraded by Lawyer and Haas in their recent guidebook, to 5.9- from 5.8+. It sure looked hard to me, steep and sustained, and there was no telling what that off-width at the end would be like.



I wondered if we could even climb it with the wetness but there was a party just rapping off and they said it wasn't too bad. Adrian was psyched to get on it so I graciously allowed him to lead it.



He didn't exactly make it look easy, but he got up it without any real trouble. All the way up he was very pleased with the hand jams.



When the rope came tight on me, I knew it was now or never. I was going to jam my way up this crack or I wasn't going to get up it. And for the most part it was a success. Hand jam after hand jam, the crack was very secure. It seemed to go on forever. I hadn't taped up, and the back of my right hand got ripped up a bit, but not too badly. As I finally neared the off-width I thought I might be on my way to a send, but then the crack became very wet. I tried to jam it and my hand slipped right out, causing me to take a fall oh so close to the finish.



Trying again, I slipped out once more.



As I paused to rest I looked around and realized I was failing because I was missing a diagonal, ramp-like series of dry holds on the right face of the corner. I had gotten tunnel vision, and had become for the first time in my life TOO focused on the vertical crack, ignoring the other holds.



Once I woke up and saw the holds to the right, I got easily up into the off-width, which ended up requiring no off-width technique. There are good holds at the top of the slot and the final move out of it plays out like a Gunks climb, with a couple horizontal jugs providing the means of escape.



Partition was the pitch of the weekend, we both agreed. So awesome. I want to go back and lead it clean. And even though I fell in the wetness while seconding it, I view my time on Partition as a success. Maybe I'll look back on it as the pitch that finally made me into some kind of crack climber.

Greetings From ... Florida!

After leaving Huntington Beach on November 21st, I kind of went into a funk. The muse departed - I didn't feel like writing and it would be nine days before I'd shoot another picture! The weather just wasn't conducive to picture taking – cloudy, gray days intermingled with rain, and more clouds. Besides, I was on the move, traveling south to a warmer climate. My mother used to say “Be careful what you wish for little girl, you might just get it!” Oh, so true.

But first, Georgia. Yep, went through it. I was hoping to stay at a State Park south of Brunswick but they were booked up through the Thanksgiving weekend. I called another park near Okefenokee but they were filled too. Gave up on that and went into Florida. No luck there with the state parks either. I called half a dozen of them that were on my route south (roughly just west of the Interstate 75 corridor) and their campgrounds were all full through Thanksgiving weekend as well. So, I just kept going south towards my ultimate destination, Everglades National Park, where I arrived on Monday, November 30th. It was probably a good thing that I didn't get there earlier. They had a pretty severe thunderstorm, with high winds, sweep through the area Thanksgiving night. A couple of RV'rs lost their awnings to the winds.

Well, I got my wish – warmer weather! It has been in the upper 80s during the day and not much cooler during the night. And humid, oh my. So hot and humid it's sweltering. A couple of nights it has rained off and on. Thursday it rained most of the night. At the visitor center they told me it was good to be here this time of year – at the start of the dry season. Hah! Well, even with the heat and humidity, it has been an interesting visit. It is a fascinating habitat with a tremendous variety of flora and fauna. I've seen lots of trees and plants and birds and a few alligators.

On Wednesday, I took a boat trip out into Florida Bay and, aside from the birds, the only wildlife we saw was one dolphin, which jumped out of the water three times near the aft engines. That was it. Still, it was an enjoyable ride. The cool breeze onboard the boat was nice. And the tour guide had a sense of humor. As we were coming upon a turn out of the channel into the bay, there was a tall buoy that had half a dozen terns sitting atop it. He said that it was our tern signal. [big groan]

A free, Ranger Guided Canoe Trip was offered on Saturday morning through the Flamingo Visitors Center so on Thursday I moved from the Long Pine Key Campground to the one at Flamingo. After spending a sweltering night in the van (and I do mean sweltering, I was sweating so much that it steamed over the windows) I began to wonder if I'd made a mistake.

But after the three-hour trip was over, I concluded that it was well worth the wait. Although, in all honesty, the six days spent here was about three days too long!

There were no pictures taken during the canoe trip since I really didn't want to take the chance of losing my camera in a spill. The Ranger said it doesn't happen often, but it does happen and they aren't responsible in case of a loss.

Anhingas – one drying it's wings so it can fly and another sitting on it's nest. December 1, ...

I love it how the alligators seem to be smiling at you! December 1, ...

Sunset over the pond at Long Pine Key Campground. December 1, ...

Some kind of stork at Coot's Bay Pond, midway between Long Pine Key and Flamingo. December 2, ...

Sunset over the Flamingo Campground. December 5, ... Long Pine Key was just a few miles from the park entrance while Flamingo was a little over 40 miles.

Posted from the Homestead [Florida] Branch Library thanks to their free WiFi, which is greatly appreciated.

Candle Snuff Fungus

Two examples of Candle snuff fungus that have risen from there green hiding places

Phantom Birch Trees

Here is an oldie but (in my opinion, anyway) a goodie. One of my very first attempts at using a slow shutter speed combined with a panning motion of the camera to create an abstract image. This is a stand of birch trees in late winter, taken after sunset just as the darkness was starting to descend on the forest. This was a 5 second exposure, during which I was panning the camera slowly from left to right.







Here is another interpretation of the same scene. This is the same stand of birch trees and again a 5 second exposure, but this time I panned the camera vertically during the exposure. I also chose not to convert this image to black and white however I did desaturate it quite a bit, removing at least 50% of the color that was in the original exposure. The original image was way too blue, and I liked the feel of this one much more with the subtle color.

Mesa Verde :: Balcony House

After having first visited the Cliff Palace, the tour of Balcony House was as much about the ladders, passageways and tunnel that had to be traversed in getting there and back as it was in seeing the 40 rooms of the complex. The tour to Balcony House is touted as being the most adventurous of those offered at Mesa Verde and is definitely not for the faint of heart!

Getting down to the level of the Balcony House involved a series of metal stairways firmly attached to the sides of the cliff.

Then you had to go back up. To that level, up there.

The 32-foot entrance ladder. I got to go up first with the Ranger. I'll admit to being a little nervous. I kept repeating what she had told us: “Don't look down! Keep your eyes focused on the rock in front of you.”

This picture was taken from the second story of the Balcony House, looking down at the ladder and those who have yet to come up.



Upon leaving the dwelling we had to crawl through a 10-foot long tunnel, just barely wide enough for a large person (me) to get through. The Ancestral Puebloans were smaller people than we are today!

Once through the tunnel, it was awkward to get out and stand up again. There wasn't a lot of room to maneuver.

Oh, and then there were two more ladders to climb up. See that chain fencing? It's there for a reason.

Looking down from the base of the second (and final) ladder.

The Ancestral Puebloans wouldn't have had fancy ladders and chain fences to help them get up the cliff walls. How did they do it? The Ranger said they carved hand and foot holds out of the rock. I guess you get used to using what you have available, but I'm very glad we had the ladders and chains to help us along the way!