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L
climber
A small kayak on a very big ocean
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Excellent and entertaining TR, Jerry! And those Newtons are the bomb, aren't they? Never found anything like 'em.
I've been up Cathedral once--4 or 5 years ago--and your amazing photos brought back the beauty and exhileration of that experience. And the unquenchable urge to get back up there!
Thank you so much for bringing the mountains into this dreary office...
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 1, 2007 - 04:28pm PT
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It really is an amazingly inspirational peak. Get out there and climb it. And if you've already done it, do it again, and again, and again.
Here's the rest of the story...
The climb came about by serendipity. I wasn't even planning to go to Yosemite. But on Wednesday morning Arienne's grandmother didn't wake up. She passed peacefully in her sleep. What a blessing to go like that! So without warning I found myself at Oakland Airport at 4:30pm dropping my wife off to go spend time with her family. I didn't have to be anywhere on Thursday. Traffic was a mess everywhere. I looked in the back of the car and saw that I had in fact not cleaned out the camping gear from last week, and my shoes/chalk bag were sitting there. So I headed East hoping to photograph the full moon in the Valley. Clouds looked good for a sunset, but I was too late.
While hiking to the climb. I thought about our grandmothers. Mine passed in March. They went to the same church. Like Muir, I've always preferred the Cathedral.
The stone felt like an old friend, the wind my ever present partner. I prayed during the climb. "Oh Great Knobs of Tuolumne, please don't fail, I trust in thee..." etc. Amazing how nature can reset you at the core. It was a very brief but immensly rewarding trip. Odd to take pictures of yourself climbing. But the camera makes a good companion, and its fun to record and share the memories.
(L- yeah, Newtons are great!)
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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Thanks for sharing the photos (great as usual) Jerry.
Steve
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jerr
climber
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Awesome pics and story thanx for sharing
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handsome B
Gym climber
SL,UT
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I'll have to give that one a try, it looks great!
Thanks Jerry!
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L
climber
A small kayak on a very big ocean
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"Oh Great Knobs of Tuolumne, please don't fail, I trust in thee..."
That is so funny, Jerry! And so true about returning you to the core of who you are...who we all are in the end.
Thank you again for sharing the mountains, the cold beer, and the warm story.
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10b4me
Trad climber
Hell A
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one of the great climbs anywhere. climbed it eleven years ago. need to do it again.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Good one Jerry...great photos!
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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What a great trip report and such beautiful pictures. It does make me want to go back to that one--I've managed a handful of trips up that route and it is a special one. I sometimes prefer the face bit to the left of the chimney. One time my wife and I finished the route near dark and found that the descent was scarily iced up. We had to rap in fading light and were quite relieved to get to easier ground...some choice bivying up that way...can't wait for my August vacation...Thanks Jerry!!!
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