SkiSickness

Decided to ditch my plans for the weekend when I saw that John was looking for a partner on saturday to link up Iconoclast with Mary Jane Dihedral. I left my house at 4 on saturday morning for a 6:30 rendez-vous at the snow creek trail head. I was concerned about staying awake after a long work week, but 4 shots of espresso and the return of a demon that had been absent for several weeks kept me awake. Nothing focuses one's eyes on the road more than caffeine mixed with salted barbs in open wounds. I digress.

Made it to Leavenworth with enough time to hit the Safeway and catch a few zzzzzz before John showed up. John and I climbed Iconoclast first. Here are a few pics of John on Psychopath, the finger crack second pitch. I found the crux of this pitch to be similar to that of Sword on the Grand. I know this because the print it left on my ass matched in striking detail the one I got last week:
Pitch 3 was a great cruiser:
Pitch 4 is a worthy 10+. The top of this corner has a thought provoking and pumpy roof. John styled it:
After that it was a traverse out onto the shield and the upper crux pitch of Outerspace. I really liked this route.

When we made it back to our packs John had to take off to meet his girlfriend, but luckily Kyle had arrived and was up for climbing Mary Jane Dihedral. I respected his enthusiasm- he'd just climbed Serpentine car to car the day before.

Kind of funny that I forgot to grab a photo of the nominal dihedral, but oh well. Super cool and worth doing. Bring a knife though- we forgot ours at the base and had to work around some pretty battered tat at the bolted hanging belay above pitch 3. Also, somebody should call Frimer- MJ would benefit from a new bolt to make a proper hanging belay. The crack at that point is pretty useless for building an anchor due to excessive and frighteningly loose rubble.

Kyle traversing out on pitch 4:
Kyle stepping over the small roof atop pitch 4:
Kyle enjoying the fun pitch that rejoins Orbit:
Thanks John and Kyle for the great day. I look forward to some more mountain time in the future

Great climb Ryan. One of my all-time faves on that wall!

A few more photos.

The Yellow Wall:




Cruiser corner up to Library Ledge:

Very nice! I might have to go climb that Snow Creek Wall again one of these days.

way to cover some classic ground, ryan. on little sleep no less.

"Advanced Techniques for Sleep Evasion, Driving, and High-Level Slaying." (2010). Skisickness Sanitorium Press.

Even though i feel qualified to contribute to the intro along with several chapters, I'm actually trying to get away from sleep deprived retardation. I want to be a Gentleman, and do Gentlemanly things. Like drive a nice car, sleep in nice beds, meet nice girls. I'm just trying to make do until I turn the corner.