 On March 23, Barb and I did a fun loop over several peaks, a route we have taken many times (collectively!) |
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 On the ridge to Little Red Rock Peak |
 Nearly up Little Red Rock. |
 Barb in the class 3 descent |
 View to La Madre as we head up Gottlieb |
 View to Damsel and La Madre as we cross to Whale |
 The Whale ahead |
 Woody Ridge |
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 We got off route and had a hairy climb around the right slope to avoid a huge dryfall. |
 On the way to the dryfall. I put my hand on a barrel cactus |
 On April 03, I went to Pinnacle, I had been near there on March 30... |
 ...to climb Red Needle, a much more serious effort. |
 You can park just east of Pinnacle |
 There is a fairly modest class 3 route up, but I went around the right side and saw... |
 ...This. No go. |
 Then I tried here... no go at top... |
 Then here, went around scary corner just to find big air... |
 This finally worked. |
 On top, view of Red Needle and Lava Butte. |
 Look back W at E face, showing my route. One can actually start lower on left (S) to avoid an iffy traverse |
 Phacelia |
 Beavertail |
 I got up a few peaks (like Bridge), but longed for something a bit different, so I took the back way to Monument and Hidden on May 15. Red is the route that day. |
 I went up the "old" way, visited Murphy Rock, and rapped down the west side of Monument and went up Hidden by one of my class 4 variations. |
 I took the wrong route up from Rainbow Spring, but got extra nice views. At L is Sandstone Peak |
 View back across gully north of Hidden |
 The point where we turn corner around NW side of Monument. We aim for that bench in sun in middle of image, then sharp right. |
 We've turned sharp R, and eventually will pass by that pine tree at top in notch. |
 A class 3 gully |
 We eventually go by that tree, either by (easier) zigzag to R then L under a big cliff, or direct up L. |
 SE from Murphy Rock |
 Tank, heading up Monument |
 Register on Monument |
 View NE |
 Heading to rap, view SE over top of Monument, tank at L |
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 Rapped down to saddle with Hidden, two strands 3.2mm dyneema |
 One last picture of my rap device as I unscrew biner |
 My alternate route up Hidden |
 Monument from Hidden |
 Hidden register |
 Black Velvet from Hidden |
 Scarlet Gilia |
 Penstemon |
 Monkeyflower |
 Larkspur |
 Mariposa Lily |
 Cliff Rose |
 Claret Cup |
 Pa's Rump to S |
 Strawberry Hedgehog |
 On June 07, I went up Bridge Mt for the 50th time. Bridge is a safe place for me, after a tumultuous week. |
 Here I was 19.5 years earlier, before the event that partly paralyzed my right leg. |
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 I met Todd's group on top. |
 Here they are coming down |
 They come down the traditional way. I had gone up on left, harder. |
 Bridge in back. |
 On June 13, I went up McFarland by N Canyon. I had to take 4x4 roads to avoid the crowds. I was trying to find my Mojo. |
 Context |
 Mack's from ridge at 10200' |
 I stuck really close to the edge |
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 The arch, I'm about to balance on. It hangs out over at least 300' of air. |
 I didn't originally plan to be shirtless. I screwed up the first 3 tries because I put the phone camera on some weird mode. Paula, don't do this. |
 Another view through the arch, where I was. |
 My only picture from the top. I put this business card here at least 14 years ago. |
 On June 16 I took the "true" (hard) Devil's Thumb route up Charleston. I wasn't rushing, but 3h 22m to top. |
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 I took a lot of pictures, but at this point I put my cellphone camera in some weird mode (I have terrible near vision). I did sign in, doubters! |
 No more pics till I got back down. This is "rope" -- most 200 lb mason's line-- I took off the scramble part of the route. |
 June 21. Ah, my last significant hike of the year. Two days before I felt a kidney stone move, and thought I'd knocked it free on this hike. |
 Barb comes up the west "secret" route to Lee |
 Barb and Judy ready for the class 4 shortcut. |
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 About 200' below the top, Judy badly injured her leg and shoulder from rockfall. We found a good shoulder-wary route down. I took two more hikes in the area, kidney getting worse with each one. |