Post by happiegrrrl on Jan 4, 2007 23:04:34 GMT -5
Well - The odometer of life has rolled over once again, and here we are, at milestome 2007! How was everyone's 2006 climbingwise, and what are your resolutions for the new year?
Here's what happened to me.....
- My van, Junior, kicked the bucket in June. What a trauma! I had been getting upstate every weekend since I got him, spending Friday through Sunday happily camped in my luxurious metal tent.
Poor Teddy(my dog)! He was the one I really worried for, since he loved it up there so much. I scrounged my butt off this year, getting rides to the Gunks. And for the most part, I was extremely successful. I missed less than 5 weekend days the entire season! Considering how rainy it was...that is pretty amazing. Teddy was there for all but 3 or 4 of those days, too!
- I met so many good people this year, partially because I didn't have the car. Thanks to all who gave rides - Diane, Mike R., Aya - and Mike and his dog Eiger, from Colorado, who I spent a great weekend with. Also to all the strangers who picked me up hitchiking back and forth between town!
- I got more heavily involved with trailwork this year, and was shocked to find out, at season's end, the total number of man hours the crew had put in. With a little bit of rudimentary math, I calculated that I had given more than a hundred hours in 2006! Who'd have realized it could ad up to such a number!?
We built up the slope side of the trail along the cliffs in the Trapps, all the way from Blueberry ledges, to past...Sente. I don't know how long that is, but it is a good stretch of trail that won't be eroding, for a good while. And of course, met so many people helping out, whetehr they were the regular crew, once a year visitors, or even climbers walking by who saw we were short on help. Without those spontaneous peole - we couldn't have gotten much done those days! Their help really WAS greatly appreciated! Here are some pics from the trail work.
That's me!
Here's the trail crew du jour, on a log we hauled up the talus slope. That was a BIG log! It took us more than 5 hours, with the team pictured. The log sits now, in front of Snooky's Return, and is a great little spot to sit. If you're in the neighborhod, stop and sit for a while, and thank thingy Williams for organizing and managing the work!
Here's another day up there, finished up and getting ready to head out.
- As for leading, I have to admit that I didn't push myself this year. There were reasons for it, and I have/and will continue to, address them. I am pretty confident on Gunks 5.5 leads, but was leading that level last year; just scared about it! Still, I gained more confidence in my gear, and became more efficient at placements, and that is needed for a good foundation.
- Climbing in general - I also sort of stayed at the same level. Just didn't push myself. Sold myself short in this area, but it was what it was. However, even though I didn't push, I did get out and the mileage was good. I surpised myself - the girl who can't climb 5.8 consistently, by following a guy on a 10.b in Joshua Tree at season's end. I did slip on the crux of the climb, but caught myself a few inches lower. Didn't weight the rope enough for the leader to feel it, but it was a fall. Still, I was pretty happy, since I had never even been on a 10 before.
- As for travel - in 2006, I only got in 2 trips to Joshua Tree. One, for 14 days in April, which was a hoot and a half. The other, was 12 days in December. Money was a big problem for me this year, as my business downtruned and I was unmotivated to bring it back inline. So....travel had to be put on hold. Those trips were wonderful though, and I really suppose a person can't complain too much about getting almost a month on the road.....
2006 was definitely about making new friends for me, and also about being willing to sit with myself in discomfort(about not pushing myself to climb harder) while trying to figure out why I was doing this(or not doing, as the case was).
In 2007.....
- I need to get a car again. Really, need to. That played a part in what I did this year, and the stress of trying to arrange rides each week, was no good. It's just not an option to not include my dog, so the car really is important.
- I must knock off all those Gunks 5.2 through 5.4 climbs on lead. I really haven't climbed but 2 lines under 5.4. And I am a traditionalist. The "way" is too work through the grades. So - I will be looking for a newbie parnter who is just learning, and happy as can be to be following those lines.
I intend to get on them in the season's start, and knock em back like I'm in a wild west saloon. The climbing will be easy(although I KNOW Hawk and Sixish will scare the bejesus out of me; they will be my "graduation" climbs, I think), but I need to put them to bed. Most of those lines I have only been on once, if at all, and it would have been my first season, which is a blur. So, I won't be bored. Not at the Gunks!
- I want to work on building partnerships that are solid and trustworthy. One will be the newbie, where I am mentoring. But just as important, is a good equal partership with someone whom I don't worry is paying attention, who is willing to give as much to me as a belayer as I give to my partners. You know...a good belayer/partner really is worth their weight in gold.
And, I would like to have a few older people to learn from. Because of these type of people, I learned about ethics, style, commitment and safety in my first season and into the second. I have always appreciated them, and in 2006, I was lacking that for the most part. I still have plenty to learn, and it's good to have someone who knows what they are doing to teach it.
- I will continue to do the trail work. This is a commitment I keep each Sunday. Sure, it cuts down on my climbing time, but we do finish at 2 or 3, and I can climb afterwards(although some days, the work is exhausting. One time, I stumbled down to the Uberfall and actually fell asleep in the carriage road afterward!).
This year, I hope we will get to work on rebuilding at least one of the "staircase" access trails. That, to me, seems like an incredible process, as you start at the bottom, and work your way up. But whatever we work on, I wnat to be part of the crew.
- I have my first trip of the year planned - JTree in the middle of April. Looks like I will have a side trip for a few days to an undisclosed location in Utah, as a group is having a party....I will meet more good people because of it.
I would really like to get more travel in. Business is better, but I will be buying a car, so I don't know what funding for travel will be like. I want desperately to get to Colorado, and also to Yosemtie. If I could get even short trips to those places, plus my April and Decemebr JTree trips which have become tradition, I will be happy.
Other than this....I am excited to see what 2007 brings. No doubt, it will be good!
Here's what happened to me.....
- My van, Junior, kicked the bucket in June. What a trauma! I had been getting upstate every weekend since I got him, spending Friday through Sunday happily camped in my luxurious metal tent.
Poor Teddy(my dog)! He was the one I really worried for, since he loved it up there so much. I scrounged my butt off this year, getting rides to the Gunks. And for the most part, I was extremely successful. I missed less than 5 weekend days the entire season! Considering how rainy it was...that is pretty amazing. Teddy was there for all but 3 or 4 of those days, too!
- I met so many good people this year, partially because I didn't have the car. Thanks to all who gave rides - Diane, Mike R., Aya - and Mike and his dog Eiger, from Colorado, who I spent a great weekend with. Also to all the strangers who picked me up hitchiking back and forth between town!
- I got more heavily involved with trailwork this year, and was shocked to find out, at season's end, the total number of man hours the crew had put in. With a little bit of rudimentary math, I calculated that I had given more than a hundred hours in 2006! Who'd have realized it could ad up to such a number!?
We built up the slope side of the trail along the cliffs in the Trapps, all the way from Blueberry ledges, to past...Sente. I don't know how long that is, but it is a good stretch of trail that won't be eroding, for a good while. And of course, met so many people helping out, whetehr they were the regular crew, once a year visitors, or even climbers walking by who saw we were short on help. Without those spontaneous peole - we couldn't have gotten much done those days! Their help really WAS greatly appreciated! Here are some pics from the trail work.
That's me!
Here's the trail crew du jour, on a log we hauled up the talus slope. That was a BIG log! It took us more than 5 hours, with the team pictured. The log sits now, in front of Snooky's Return, and is a great little spot to sit. If you're in the neighborhod, stop and sit for a while, and thank thingy Williams for organizing and managing the work!
Here's another day up there, finished up and getting ready to head out.
- As for leading, I have to admit that I didn't push myself this year. There were reasons for it, and I have/and will continue to, address them. I am pretty confident on Gunks 5.5 leads, but was leading that level last year; just scared about it! Still, I gained more confidence in my gear, and became more efficient at placements, and that is needed for a good foundation.
- Climbing in general - I also sort of stayed at the same level. Just didn't push myself. Sold myself short in this area, but it was what it was. However, even though I didn't push, I did get out and the mileage was good. I surpised myself - the girl who can't climb 5.8 consistently, by following a guy on a 10.b in Joshua Tree at season's end. I did slip on the crux of the climb, but caught myself a few inches lower. Didn't weight the rope enough for the leader to feel it, but it was a fall. Still, I was pretty happy, since I had never even been on a 10 before.
- As for travel - in 2006, I only got in 2 trips to Joshua Tree. One, for 14 days in April, which was a hoot and a half. The other, was 12 days in December. Money was a big problem for me this year, as my business downtruned and I was unmotivated to bring it back inline. So....travel had to be put on hold. Those trips were wonderful though, and I really suppose a person can't complain too much about getting almost a month on the road.....
2006 was definitely about making new friends for me, and also about being willing to sit with myself in discomfort(about not pushing myself to climb harder) while trying to figure out why I was doing this(or not doing, as the case was).
In 2007.....
- I need to get a car again. Really, need to. That played a part in what I did this year, and the stress of trying to arrange rides each week, was no good. It's just not an option to not include my dog, so the car really is important.
- I must knock off all those Gunks 5.2 through 5.4 climbs on lead. I really haven't climbed but 2 lines under 5.4. And I am a traditionalist. The "way" is too work through the grades. So - I will be looking for a newbie parnter who is just learning, and happy as can be to be following those lines.
I intend to get on them in the season's start, and knock em back like I'm in a wild west saloon. The climbing will be easy(although I KNOW Hawk and Sixish will scare the bejesus out of me; they will be my "graduation" climbs, I think), but I need to put them to bed. Most of those lines I have only been on once, if at all, and it would have been my first season, which is a blur. So, I won't be bored. Not at the Gunks!
- I want to work on building partnerships that are solid and trustworthy. One will be the newbie, where I am mentoring. But just as important, is a good equal partership with someone whom I don't worry is paying attention, who is willing to give as much to me as a belayer as I give to my partners. You know...a good belayer/partner really is worth their weight in gold.
And, I would like to have a few older people to learn from. Because of these type of people, I learned about ethics, style, commitment and safety in my first season and into the second. I have always appreciated them, and in 2006, I was lacking that for the most part. I still have plenty to learn, and it's good to have someone who knows what they are doing to teach it.
- I will continue to do the trail work. This is a commitment I keep each Sunday. Sure, it cuts down on my climbing time, but we do finish at 2 or 3, and I can climb afterwards(although some days, the work is exhausting. One time, I stumbled down to the Uberfall and actually fell asleep in the carriage road afterward!).
This year, I hope we will get to work on rebuilding at least one of the "staircase" access trails. That, to me, seems like an incredible process, as you start at the bottom, and work your way up. But whatever we work on, I wnat to be part of the crew.
- I have my first trip of the year planned - JTree in the middle of April. Looks like I will have a side trip for a few days to an undisclosed location in Utah, as a group is having a party....I will meet more good people because of it.
I would really like to get more travel in. Business is better, but I will be buying a car, so I don't know what funding for travel will be like. I want desperately to get to Colorado, and also to Yosemtie. If I could get even short trips to those places, plus my April and Decemebr JTree trips which have become tradition, I will be happy.
Other than this....I am excited to see what 2007 brings. No doubt, it will be good!