Pan bam, can you do the pan bam?

Well, I've done it again. To fill you in if you didn't read my myspace blog, a while back while cooking for Obi and Robb, I blew up the pan that the yams were cooking in. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I think it was differential cooling of the pyrex. So, the other day, I went to make food, and I turned on the wrong burner. On the burner I turned on was a pan that Jenny had left out from the day before. She had been cooking chicken, so it was full of chicken grease. It started to sizzle, and I realized what had happened and turned the burner off. A minute later, while Obi was in the kitchen, I walked out of it, and around to the living room. At that moment, the pan exploded. That's right. The score is now: Pyrex 2, Johnnie 0. Why does this keep happening? Is there a pan god that I pissed off? Did I misuse a pan sometime in my past, and now they just want to explode at me (are they secretly saying mean things behind my back?). So, now I owe my roomie a pyrex pan.

Which I will hopefully not blow up...

No yams were involved in this incident.

Also, Robb brought over beer floats to make me feel better. And maybe laughed at me a little...

up up and away

Have you ever had a day just go so right? A day where you couldn't stop smiling? I had a day like that on Sunday. Climbing has been a little frustrating lately. Actually, working out in general. Just haven't had the time. So, on Friday, Ob and I went to Vertical Hold and tried a couple climbs. It began in a very frustrating way with some climbs that I think were really badly rated (the 5.9 felt more like a .10d). After the first two awkward climbs, I felt kinda deflated, like I had regressed so much. Then, we found a really fun climb (.10b) and both cruised it. It wasn't actually easy, but it had a nice flow to it. So, that made me feel better, and we tried a .10c after that by the same setter. I really like this setter. I think they have a good sense of ratings, a good feel for the flow of a climb, and they don't make them hard simply by making them reachy. They're technical, not just long. I fell once on the .10c, and decided that I really liked it. Ob had tried it because it looked fun, and he enjoyed it even though his shoulder kinda popped when he tried it. The funnest part for me was figuring out how to do the crux, which involved a very long reach or a rather unusual move to get your feet higher. So, with my left hand near my left foot, my right foot above those, and my right hand up high, I was able to stand up and grab the next hold. So, on Sunday, I went back and tried it again, and got it clean. My first clean .10c! I was so excited! I know to many good climbers, it doesn't sound like much, and most of my friends are .11 climbers and up. But there are milestone moments I think. When you look back, you can see improvement. I can see that change from my struggle up my first clean 5.8 to this moment. I can remember my first clean v2 that I actually thought was a v2. If you don't appreciate those landmarks, sometimes you forget them. I enjoy them. I try to get better too, but I smile when I think about them.

To complete my wonderful Sunday climbing, I also got a v2 that I had been working on and passed the lead test, which I hadn't wanted to take before because I didn't think I could clip fast enough. They changed the test, but that's ok. I still passed A lead test... even if it wasn't THE lead test...

The Buttermilks

Day 2 brought us another beautiful sunrise and the day of our exodus from Bishop. However, we needed to get some food first. We packed up our stuff after literally rolling off the crash pad, and headed into town to Erik Schat's Bakkery. No, I did not spell that wrong. There, we lazily perused the bread and waited for the turkey legs to become available. Oh, how I do love turkey legs for breakfast. So, we each got one, some oj, and Obi got a large sandwich and some other bakkery products as well. We were well set for a day of climbing. So, off to the Buttermilks.

We arrive and I see the giant boulders for the first time. Grandma and Grandpa Peabody are looming over the ground. Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into? We didn't have much time to climb today, but it was a great day anyways. We headed up to a problem Dan had mentioned. It's called Hero Roof. While not actually a roof in the fully overhanging sense, it is a fun v0. Which was all I worked on for the day. I tried it a bunch of times. And made it up the vB downclimb. As we were there, we began to gather people. It became sort of a party. And I felt that I let down a number of people. Everyone was rooting for me to make the climb. I had the bottom dialed. I got it smooth. I had lots left for the top. But I just couldn't reach the move everybody else could stick. It was rather depressing to get so far, and be totally unable to stick a move purely because it was just an inch too far away on my closest attempt. I put everything I had into that throw. And didn't make it. But it was nice to have people cheering me on. It was nice to feel everybody believing I would make it that time. It felt good that there was no doubt in people's minds that I could make the move. It was just ever so slightly out of reach. With more spotters than I had ever had, it was easy to make a good try for it. There was no fear of falling. I have mixed feelings about my day at the Buttermilks. Maybe I'll go back this fall and be just a little bit stronger. Maybe I'll go the first day, and have everything to throw at that problem. But the most frustrated I get is when I can do the move just like everybody else, maybe smoother, and the only thing that prevents me from reaching is the physical length of my arm. I was crushed inside.

So, that was all I really attempted at the Buttermilks. We spent a long time there, and didn't really have time for much else. Obi worked on something called Bowling Pin. It was a neat problem and he was flowing so nicely through it, but again, it had a heel hook, which didn't allow him to work it. It's hard watching him ache, knowing he's strong enough and he has the technique. I feel like I understand him better because of my height. It's not that he lacks the strength or ability to make the move, there is a physical limitation holding him back that he can't get past right now. I really feel for him.

We went on a tour of the nearby boulders, seeing the Buttermilker, Mandala, Evilution, Soul Slinger (which we saw someone send). It is a damn impressive set of climbs, for sure. We passed back by the group that had paused with us at Hero Roof. They asked if I made it, I said no. They looked sympathetic. Bleh. Someday.

So we headed out. We stopped at little pizza place (the name involved uncle... I'm so bad with names). The pizza was very thick, and served by the one and only employee present. It was cool. I liked the little place. It definitely had a home/family run feel. Then we made the long drive back to San Diego, in order to get here by 10pm. We didn't quite make it, we hit more like 11, but it was ok anyways. The trip was a real learning experience for me, and I look forward to trying many of those problems again in the future, when I'll have felt the moves before, be able to work it out a little faster. Mostly it got me excited for Black Mountain season. When I'll get to go back to the climbs that I am most familiar with outdoors (besides gunsmoke). And I'll get a second crack at my old friends.

The Happys

Well, I don't think Bishop was as entirely successful for me as it could have been. I had a zero trip altogether except the vBs... which is a little depressing, but then again, I never tried a v1, and the only v0 I tried was on the second day and involved a very long reach, which was the only part I couldn't get. Which sucked. Alright, first day goes like this: We awake. It's 10am. After enjoying the sleeping in, which I had not done in a while, we headed to the Vons. Why Vons, you ask? Because my finger was all pussy and infected from having moved furniture the day before. I scraped it open on the textured outside wall of my roomies apartment as I was helping move a couch down the stairs. So, I began the weekend with the worse cut I would get the whole time. So, after swabbing with some purchased alchohol swabs, we were on our way to the Happys.

This was my first time, so, having not seen much or heard hardly anything about the area, I recalled a picture of Taryn on Monkey Hang, and we headed over there. The warm-up boulder nearby was nice, and made the only climbs of my day. Note: Monkey Hang is a roof climb. It is burly. And the reach I ended up having to do was backwards from the way Obi did it, so that took many tries to figure out. (Reminder to self... reach for the lip with your RIGHT hand). Many tries of hanging by my arms alone, with no feet. So, I was a little tired by the time I figured out what I needed to do. And I still couldn't make the move.

Next we went to this little v2 that Obi liked. I couldn't pull the v2 move though, which involves pulling ones body over a bulge. Afer about 10 tries (maybe more) I was getting even more tired and frustrated, so we moved on again. Then we encountered Solarium (v3) which had a really fun bottom part to it, most of which I did in approach shoes. Unfortunately, when I put on climbing shoes, I only was able to add one move. Then there's a big move to the lip, which I couldn't reach without a full-on dyno. And I suck at dynos... so, that was over. However, when we first approached the climb, there was a guy standing there, looking at it. We asked if we could work in on it, and he said yeah. He was actually losing motivation and really needed help. His girlfriend was having a low motivation day and he wanted us to stay. We hadn't eaten lunch yet, and invited him to hang out and eat with us, then we'd work the problem. While we were eating, we began chatting. Obi asked him where he was from. Turns out it was San Diego. Where? Santee. What did he do for a living? Computer science at UCSD. He had worked with some people at SIO too, out on the ships that I have sailed on. Craziness! So, we ended up climbing with him for Solarium and...

Then, we moved over to my favorite climb of the whole trip: The Hulk (v6). Out of sheer curiosity I hopped on. On the second try, I sailed up the bottom of the problem, smooth as butter. I loved it! I couldn't make the v6 move, but I was close, and I think if I came up to it first, I could put a pretty good try in. I can see why it's a world class problem. There's a little bit of everything in it. Smooth flow, hard pinch, toe hook (or heel hook), big, careful move back, big move onto a huge swing. Ooh, it's just so sweet. And the best part was, I figured out all the moves on my own. I was actually projecting something with Obi too, which was so much fun. Unfortunately, his knees have been bothering him lately, and he had to stop because of the heel hook (which I have decided every climb in the Happys except Solarium requires). Another couple wandered over and started working the problem too, and it was so much fun to see different people of different strengths climbing it. Never got to see somebody stick the big move to the lump you swing on, but it was great anyways. So that was really it for me. My fingers hurt, and we wandered around a little to try and find Obi some stuff to really tire him out on. That ended up being a traverse along the rim of the canyon, which was pretty sweet, but really sharp!

Alas, we were exhausted and our finger tips would take no more, so we headed into town for a feast of Taco Bell. That's right, I said it. Neither of us really wanted to cook, so that's where we went. We stopped by the outdoor sports place (that I can't remember the name of) too, and I picked up a camera bag and a really cheep fleece neck warmer (I left mine in Alaska...). So, after our feast of Taco Bell, it was back to the Pit, the crash pad bed, and off to dreamland under the beautiful snow-capped Sierras and a sky full of stars. It was a great and wonderful day.

Road Rules

Well, Obi and I have returned from Bishop. This trip was just a few days, driving up on Thursday night, returning Saturday afternoon/evening. However, in this short amount of time, a lot can happen. This truly was a road trip. First of all, on the drive up, we passed a number of interesting things. Note, I did not say vehicles. As we are discussing what we would like to climb, what to do we pass on the freeway? A climbing wall. That's right, there's a climbing wall going down the road. This is one of those pre-fab deals you see at the carnival, but unusual none the less. We debated momentarily if we should pull up beside it and hop on. The whole climbing trip could have ended right there. We had found a climb. It was over. We continued on, deciding this was just too funny. Next, what do we pass but the Road Rules RV. It was all lit up inside with people sitting around talking in much the same way you would imagine on TV. We might be in the background of a Road Rules shot. Cool. Third, we were passed by a water tank. Now, this is no small affair. We were on a two lane highway (as in the whole thing consisted of two lanes). We see a police officer approaching with full lights and sirens. We think, maybe he's pulling over a speeder. No... instead, he is the leader of an escort, involving several police leading a giant water storage tank down the road. This thing is at least 12 feet wide, maybe more like 15. So it takes up more than three quarters of the road. An odd thing to be taking down the highway in the middle of the night, and certainly unexpected. We arrived in Bishop around midnight, and drove to "The Pit", a local camping area for climbers near the Happys, our target for the following morning. After throwing a few things out of the car, we settled on the mondo and were off to dreamland surrounded by stars.

This is getting long for tonight... I'm tired, thinking about all of those stars... plus I just ate in Hillcrest after kidnapping a large wardrobe and loading it in Obi's car. So this story will continue tomorrow, with harrowing tales of climbs and.. well, I can't think of anything else harrowing right now... maybe bears or something, but there weren't any of those around, so we'll just stick with climbing.