On November 21st we headed up to the Alabama Hills in an attempt to rectify the not so smooth trip to Joshua Tree that took place two weeks earlier. The Goal: Everyone in the family gets to do some climbing, we eat LOTS of bacon, Totty Time must be observed both Saturday and Sunday, find snow for the kids, and take a nature walk(for Tessa).
We arrived at the Tuttle Creek campground just before 11pm, got the tent set up and shuttled the sleeping munchkins into their bags.
Saturday morning was brisk. It doesn't take an idiot to realize that if everyone else is happy and comfortable, I'll get to go on more trips, so I braved the cold before dawn and started warming up milk, making coffee, mixing pancake batter and prepping bacon while the fam slept soundly in the warmth of their sleeping bags. There was no delivery charge for warm bevarages in bed.
watching the water boil
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/whoa.jpg nice view
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/viewfromcamp.jpg makin' bacon
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/bacon1.jpg shane chowing
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/shane_breakfast.jpg jen went for banana pancakes
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/bananapancakes.jpg We got my jeep all packed up to go climbing but some moron left the dome light on the night before so it wouldnt start. Luckily we drove two cars (Jen was heading straight to the bay area for Thanksgiving after the weekend, I had to drive home and work Mon-Wed). So we unloaded both jeeps and swapped contents. Off to the Bama's!
We headed over to the Corridors area because there was a good little kindergarten area for the kids to climb and the photo in the guide book made the area look kid friendly.
The weather was gorgeous
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/alabamahills.jpg The kids went nuts running around the rocks and Jen and I warmed up on a 5.3, one bolt wonder. We ran into Tim Standing who has been doing a lot of development in the area. Tim could not have been kinder to us, and offered me a ride on some 5.12ish thing he had recently put up. I gave him fair warning of the job that lay ahead of him, then roped up.
Nice start, the crux(according to Tim) is basically getting past that big side pull to a good match at the top of the side pull.
Here i am getting a lot of tension and wrecking my shoulder bumping up the side pull
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/jeffclimb1.jpg http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/jeffclimb2.jpg I got to the match(thanks Tim) and danced my feet out a little, but didn't think I really deserved to by on the route so I lowered.
Duty called, so off to the kid friendly low angle slab. The first route was 5.3 so I led that and fixed a second line so I could help Tessa on her way up.
Miss Tessa giving it a go
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/tessaclimb2.jpg http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/tessaclimb3.jpg She motored up with no problem, and wasn't to scared being lowered. We shared a kiss at the top.
Next the boy wanted his turn:
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/shaneclimb1.jpg http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/shaneclimb2.jpg http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/shaneclimb3.jpg About that time Tim had set up a TR on some other madness that he called '10ish'. Again I gave that a go and got my ass handed to me. I did manage to get up this one, but with many hangs. Sharp rock with a lot of different types of moves. I'm way out of shape, but that is one hard 10 in my book.
I had left slings on the 5.3 warmup anchor, so Tim belayed on a short 5.7 so I could retrieve the gear. I scooted up the fixed line on the 5.3 slab and belayed Jen from the anchor. We shared a kiss at the top.
We had a beer with Tim and headed back to Lone Pine to get dinner and some jumper cables. We wanted to get back with plenty of daylight so the kids could enjoy the camp.
Totty Time! Apple, honey, and Manchego cheese.. Mmmmm
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/tottytime.jpg Tessa strikes a pose
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/tessacamping.jpg Trouble with a capital 'T'
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/trouble.jpgWith the kids fed and Shane in bed, I started on some New York steaks for the missus and myself. Just as I pulled them off the stove, Shane started crying so I spent the next 30 minutes in the tent with him playing headlamp games and reading books.
My dinner was icey by the time I emerged, but I had a lovely lady on either side of me and a warm fire in front, so no complaints.
Tessa was asking us what our favorite and least favorite things are. I told her traffic is one my least favorite things and she responded, 'I don't mind traffic, I get to play with my toys without moving fast and I get a better a look at the trees when we are in traffic'. Classic.
The ritual begins again the next morning with warm drinks in bed.
More bacon for breakfast buritos
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/bacon1.jpgWe headed up to Whiteny Portal for Tessa's nature walk, but Shane was shivering from the cold so we quickly walked up to the falls and left.
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/whitneyportal.jpgNext stop Horseshoe Meadows in an effort to find snow. I spoted a wimpy patch about a 1/4 mile away through a meadow, so we packed up some goodies and headed out.
First things first.. feed the boy
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/feedingshane.jpgSnow Angles
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/snowangle.jpgArmed and dangerous
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/snowball.jpgGorilla warfare
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/eastsierra/bama/fight.jpgAfter about 10 sessions of 'Aw c'mon dad, just five more minutes' we headed out and back to the Bama's. Back to the Corridors. I ran up a 5.5 and fixed another line, Tessa had a go and got to the top but was pretty nervous being lowered. Shane threw a fit when his turn was over, so we knew the day was ending. Jen ran up it and we broke every down, had a beer with Tim again, and headed back to town.
I checked them into a room at the Portal Motel. We had dinner together in the room, said our goodbyes, and I headed home (made it in 3:35).
