"DOES THAT BLOW YOUR MIND? THAT JUST HAPPENED!"

here's a havalina jaw-bone we saw on a rock art tour last week. there's been sightings of mountain lions in the park this season. this havalina was obviously food for something bigger than itself; and i don't know of any climbers that desparate for food, to illegally kill some hueco wildlife.

...

so, my friends. tendonitis has set in full-force on the left elbow. 2 ibuprofen sets the flame to embers as if the rain were to descend on a wildfire. i'm running out of time here before the park closes, so i will make this 2-day catch-up brief.

yesterday: didn't get to go to dean's journey, but did get to check out dean's other problem: dean's trip (the bane of my trip so far; the hardest 5 in the park). this one, they say, will single-handedly teach you how to knee-bar; apparently they're right; and apparently i didn't know exactly how to knee-bar until then. also the first time i've ever worn a knee-pad (my guess is, wearing a knee-pad is what they meant by "teach you how to knee-bar").



also did pfos; "you know, the problem over by baby face" (that's how everyone refers to it anyway (the full name is pumped full of s e m e n). you just don't get back to camp and tell everyone that's what you got today... was psyched about that though; i had to try hard at the end. fun, powerful, tense moves with a big throw to a half-pad flat crimp rail, big match and a tenuous, sharpest-crimp-i've-used-yet crimping top-out. they call it a 9, but probably not if you're taller.



























anyway, today did chris's arete (8) and mouise adame -probably the most fun and weirdest 7 i've done ever. then hiked to the summit boulders and did some highball 0s and 1s; and then stretched and took a nap in the sun.

this week is hot. i know i can't really complain, but it is a little warm for january and makes it a little hard to do some of the problems that are on my list. no worries though. happy to get the new stuff i've found and not fall off the top for once.

peace and love