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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 4, 2008 - 02:19pm PT
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This is Dedicated to Cosmic, "It is His Birthday Today!”
Happy B-day Cosmic! You asked me to do this for you, so here it is delivered with a ton of happy thoughts!!!
AF
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The day began with a bright sun shinning over the horizon. A cold wind was blowing over the mountains of Santa Paula, but the mighty Standing Strong was unfazed. She packed her truck with all our goods and stood tall while reading brightly colored maps from Triple A. She then guided us uneventfully to JTree with a sure hand.
I was very impressed with SS’s route finding skills. I know very few people who can do that so well.
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Once we got there, we joined the group from the Boulderdash, a climbing gym I use to frequent in Thousand Oaks. One of the leaders named Adam had saved SS and I a camping site in Hidden Valley. We happily had to share it with Ramsey, which was more a joy than a problem. He is a really nice fellow with a sharp wit.
I was very happy for camp site 21 is beautiful! I really loved the boulder problem located right next to our bench. Nothing is like climbing just three feet from your tent!
Images of Hidden Valley…
Since we were tired our first night was uneventful. We just went to the infamous Crossroads for dinner and met two really nice friends. I really liked them, but for some reason I can't remember their names. (I really am bad with names...)
(There is also a really nice picture of SS at Crossroads that I can share, but I must get her approval first. "She really is a pretty girl.")
The next day we were joined by Cosmic to climb at Brownie wall. He took us up on a climb that had a fantastic crux that can be described as an off width, first jam, chimney, foot smear, toe edge, balance problem. I could not have done it without SS’s encouragements. When Cosmic told me that it was only a 5.7... I did the usual grumble , shake my head for being put again in my place by Josh.
(Sorry for not having more pictures, I was too busy climbing…)
When SS and I returned to camp, we found a note from my friend C telling us he arrived! I was so happy that I had to make Greek coffee. I offered it to my two camp Lords (I also tried to give some to Adam, but he was leading Papa and didn’t want the shakes.) My two coffee drinkers were Ramsey and Cosmic, they were very much awake after that.
When C did arrive, I was even happier since C and SS were instant friends. Nothing is better than being able to share friends.
We then became the gifted three I first imagined and went to join Boulderdash's main campsite. It was a great to be together and also be part of the main group. I had fun watching SS’s face glow in the firelight while she laughed. I saw C comfortably sitting after his long travels amidst people he matched with. I could not have been happier, so I talked up a storm and loved every moment…
I also had a few bonus moments for on the side of the campsite... You see... Boulderdash was running a sweat lodge. I saw plenty of full moons on two legs, respectfully I took no pictures but I did get plenty of giggles.
Yet the high point of the evening for me was when the whole group sang "Ring of Fire." I thought that was so appropriate!
The next day we went climbing...
We had the fortunes of bumping into Christina and Andrew, friends I met two years back when I came to JTree. After an hour passed, along came a few others and we were in full party mood.
(Andrew being a ropegun setting up topropes. Sorry, I don’t have better pictures of them, I really need to use my camera more! “Christina and Andrew, please post a picture of yourselves if you can, I would like to have one.”)
(All of us hanging out at the base.)
(C trying to figure out the crux and laughing at the awkwardness.)
(Locker and Blitz showing up to create a few laughs.)
(Locker grabbing my camera as I get ready to climb.)
(See the shadows, my personal peanut gallery.)
(I am sticking, I’m sticking!)
(JTree is great for goofing around with gear…)
We than head out to have dinner with Christina and Andrew at Crossroads and then back to camp for New Years.
(Self portrait after losing my Martinelli’s bottle somewhere.)
(A climber burning energy before heading out to the “Caverns of Doom!”)
After celebrating at midnight, I went to bed early since I wasn’t feeling well. The next day we went climbing with Locker, Cosmic, and Blitz. I really had a great time. (Blitz took pictures, so I hope he will add them to this post.)
At the end of the day the fun didn’t end… Blitz had a flat tire so we discovered how many climbers it takes to fix a tire.
I was sitting in the car since I was tired and cold “again.”
Locker and Blitz had other ideas. Locker grabbed the camera and Blitz came in and dragged me onto his lap.
After this event, Locker followed Blitz to his car and took this…
(Man, there is no mercy in the world…)
When I kidnapped my camera back, I ended the day with these parting shots.
(Group Picture!)
(Cosmic driving off in his famous truck.)
It was a great trip!
Special Thanks to the following; Adam, Christian, Ramsey and the crew from Boulderdash… Standing Strong and “Copenhagen” (not his real name or even his nickname, “he’s a non-poster.”) -They were fantastic camping companions!- Andrew and Christina for being our rope guns. Locker, Blitz, and Cosmic for being our three desert stooges.
I could not have had so much fun without you!
AF
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 4, 2008 - 02:34pm PT
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Silly Goose! Stop making me laugh and tempting me to give come backs. You are going to ruin me!
Heck, you might have ruined me already!
Something tells me I need to go to church this Sunday or lose my soul forever...
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Ah, yes, never a bad time in the Park. Glad you guys had fun.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Whoa - Blizo cut his hair!
Nice TR and pics, although forget about dial-up users seeing them any time soon...
Locker, at 5,3 MB (!), those pics should take around 10 to 20 minutes to load depending
on your line speed. My line speed at home is 22 kbps; the average is around 40 kbps.
Anastasia - is there any way you could optimize those pics for the web, and reload them?
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 4, 2008 - 03:10pm PT
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Actually I did optimize them....
Hmm... Should I make them smaller?
AF
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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No, they should get cable LOL!
It's the 21st century now, BTW.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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"Hmm... Should I make them smaller?"
No. They'll lose their character.
Hardman, geez, you can't wait 10min for a cool TR. Sit tight, get a beer, have a smoke, they'll be loaded.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Anastasia - most of those pics would look fine at 50 - 85 KB (or less); most of them are a lot bigger than that.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Wonderful, Anastasia! Nice pictures, too. It's obvious you and SS had a great trip.
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Sascha
climber
Sebastopol, CA
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Ah, so you were the partying crowd?? I was the one trying to sleep over in campsite 27... (That was some good music on new year's, though, huh?)
Nice pictures, thanks!
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
send me on my way
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nice to pop on for a sec to see some photos
thanks all for the smiles.
i had fun. i loved everyone i met. i loved the night of the 30th the best... like they say in the sixties,
"if you remember, you wern't there"
but i'll never forget the beautiful faces
"strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hands / everybody is playing in a heart of gold band..."
sascha - that wasn't us with the bongoes. but that crowd was pretty nice.
bummer about the storm - (but it's exciting!!!) i'm trying to figure out what to do w/myself til school starts
"i'm gonna stay thuggn til the feds come get me"
anastasia - i got your message that "people are looking for me"...
if any of you hear anything like that, just pass on my info. i won't be checking computers much
T.
p.s dancing rainbow penguin. mexican bingo and a harmonica... "hella nor*cal"
:)
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
send me on my way
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p.s. please don't use my real name online - nickname or single initial is just fine.
could you edit it out if you have please?
trying to stay under the radar.
thanks!
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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You just posted your phone number to a public forum (YIKES!!),
yet you're worried about someone mentioning your first name?????
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
send me on my way
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it's just a cellphone. not like it's my home phone. i'm not worried about it. thanks for your concern.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Are you kidding???
I sure hope knott!
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
send me on my way
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climbers are generally pretty cool.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Sorry young lady, but this is the internet in the year 2008.
You might want to consider being less blasé about your privacy...
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L
climber
A High Tide on a Low Coast
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Great TR, A! And the photos were a hoot, not to mention those beautiful sunsets. What a wild-n-crazy time you gals obviously had.
Paranoia Edit: SS--I just Googled your cell # and got your MySpace page...complete with your Real Name. HK's right...better think about that, sista.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Double Yikes!
I could knott resist checking out that MySpace page too - knott bad, as MySpace pages go...
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