Climbing

Writing this in the Lower Pine campground in Yosemite Valley California.

Have had very little access to the net since entering Yosemite 7 days ago.

Have seen many large conifers in the past week. There are wonderful broad leaf trees as well.

Then there is the rock. The Valley is framed by massive granite walls. This rock is grand. One big chunk is known as El Capitan.

Staring at El Cap is captivating. The giant face is rich in mysterious detail. It is mesmerising in a primal way.

Today, Monday, we begin our ascent of El Cap. The team leader, my brother Tim, tells me it will take 7 days. There are two other climbers travelling with us -Ammon and Cedar.

Although there are many things going through my mind, I am mostly just trying to stay low key and maintain patience. I am anxious to start.

There is no dial up or wireless on the wall, but I will have wait time while the crew fix lines for me to pull up on.

Yesterday's News

Today is Friday. This afternoon I went back to Chautauqua Park. The gravel road was as before- doesn't seem steep to look up, but the grade is impressive when looking back to where I came from.

The top of the gravel road came more quickly than I expected. Sooon I sat again at the shelter, realising I had come up a good height.

Last time up here I climbed the trail leading to Flat Irons 1 and 2. That trail led me to rock quasi-stairsafter about a half hour. Today I took the Roayal Arches trail which leads to Flat Irons 3 & 4.The trail is pretty rocky, but I didn't get completely stopped by any obstacles. All rocks eventually allowed passage. All slopes remained bearable. And hour and some into this Royal Arches trail the Flat Irons were getting very large. The sun though was not only behind the Front Range, at this point it was past the hidden horizon as well. Twilight was upon me. It was time for descent.

Again I swooshed down the loose gravel road slowing as a skier does at the turns.

Last time in the dark at the bottom I spoke with a retiring couple. We spoke of the addictive quality of hill climbing.

This time in the dark at the botttom I spoke with a younger couple. One of the two offered me most of a Chinese food platter. At first I said that I was fine. Quickly I realised that I was on my way alone to find a place to purchase a meal. I accepted the offer and stayed to eat and converse.


The next chapter starts Sunday or so. Soon my brother Timothy, his friend Raul, and myself as well will be leaving Boulder in Colorado and heading to Yosemite in California.

The wheelchair won't even be in the picture for this California incline. No 300 feet vertical gain per mile. Not even 700 feet of vertical gain per mile. This time the vertical gain will be almost in coincidence with the distance traversed. This time the hill is called El Capitan. Although "El Cap" is fairly smooth, it is quite far from graded, groomed or paved in any way.

Busting

So back probably a week or so ago I contacted Pikes Peak Highway and they weren't very receptive to having their road available to me. Maybe I entered the phone conversation awkwardly. Anyway, it didn't appear to me that it would be pleasant to go try Pikes Peak.

Enter Mount Evans. Well Mt. Evans has been here and has been suggested to me a number of times. I think it's 14,230 feet, a 4600 foot rise, 14 miles in length. I know it's the highest paved road in the USA.

Today was the day. Oh well but maybe I was up pretty high and we had a snow storm threatening to ice over shut us down around 1:45. It was pretty cool. A park ranger employee named Kristen came to rescue Raul and I and save us from the long, cold, possibly treacherous walk down. There were two bicycler guys from Denver already in the park vehicle. Their hands had gotten too cold to work their brakes on the way down the hill. We were a mile and some yet from the top, but the observatory was looking close.

With a bit of grace, everything worked out fine. We'd started before 7. Corey, the third team member, suggested later that it is important when going in mountains over 12,000 feet to plan to be getting lower by 1 or so. Like trying to roll to Brainard Lake, an earlier start will be necessarry.

New Entry

Saturday, at the Boulder Library writing more.

I've been exploring Boulder and it's outlying hills, a portion of the Front Range.

There are many long hills to try, many steep as well. Feeling often like I'm not doing enough with the opportunity. Basically it is screaming at me: Climb, Climb!

This past week I took a day with car assist to check out Rocky Mountain National Park. There are loads of hills there, some nicely paved, others for the eye. I'm borrowing a bicycle trailer to see if I can maybe carry a tent and stove and such inside the park.

Another day the past week I pushed my way from Boulder to Ward, a distance of maybe 17 miles and hill climb as high as Mount Washington. I need to get up early and roll past Ward to Brainard Lake and Long lake- another five miles in length and a total height gain around a mile.

There are great dirt roads and harder mountain bike type trails to try. The trail past the top of Flagstaff Road going to Green Mountain appears a bit rocky and I'd like to take someone along to spot me.

There is daylight till past 7. I am going to Chautauqua Park which is at the base of the Flat Irons- a group of large slabs overlooking Boulder.I think Raul will be going. I went through the park the other day and saw trails going toward the bottoms of these.

Looking

Looking forward, what does that even mean- to look forward?

The big plan is to get out of the library and get back onto Flagstaff Road. There is a dirt road up from paved road to the top of Green Mountain. It is called Green Mountain West Ridge Trail. Maybe I can find it.

Doing enough mileage and incline. Carrying more water.

I'm the proud new owner of a Denver County topo map and an alarm clock. The map isn't that hard to figure out, hence I can plan to find trails to high points. The alarm clock is more troublesome. I'm trying to make it to Ward and on to Brainard Lake. Making it to the lake would take a planned early start.

At the Library

Sitting at Boulder Library. It is Thursday already.

Sunday was travel from Denver to Boulder. Travel assistance provivded generously by Raul , who stays at my brother Tim's house. Looked around Boulder. Found the Flat Irons and some hills. Bought lip balm and hand stuff for the dryness, and some general groceries.

Monday I met two of Raul's friends. The four of us came up with a scheme to place a safety flag on my wheelchair, for added visibility at the switchbacks. I wound up after consultation with locals to try Flagstaff Road on Monday. Started at 4 PM. The heat and general dryness have been well worth considering. The altitude is interesting, it enters perception and must be planned for also. At the top just past 8, at dark. Good steady incline.

Tuesday?? Planning, resting, improvising. Padding made for flag in bag- my new Shogun visibility feature. Inches added to a step surface at house to make entry easier. Went in evening to Lee Hill Road, an hour through town and then an hour of inlcine. Temp was still 90 plus after 3 PM so waited later.

Wednesday----- Jamestown. Not as steep as Monday or Tuesday, but longer. Up over and back down a large hump and then up along canyon roads- enveloping hills, rock, creek, and trees. Temp cooler, carried more water. Raul accompanied and practiced his videocraft. Travel from Boulder to Jamestown was best workout since Newe Hampshire.

Thursday! Loads nibbling at time. Must get alarm clock. Hurting for decent topographic map to plan more hills. Got to get info on Estes Park and west of Colorado Springs. As well, today we start to plan vertical trip for late September, ropes instead of wheels.