SkiSickness

Naomi and my dad kindly paid me a visit for my birthday. I showed my gratitude by spending every waking hour in the lab for a week. Eventually we found time for some climbs. (I could not escape when Taos got 30" of snow two weeks ago. I still don't want to talk about that.)

Naomi leads Better Red than Dead, a scary 5.10 at Tres Piedras. Don't fall!

I got the on-sight of this one last year, so skeert. I may never lead it again. Naomi cruised it.

I have been wanting to do Techweenie for more than a year! Every time I'd go to Tres Piedras, there would be a van full of gapers from Colorado top-roping this section of Mosaic Rock. Seriously.

Note Micah, with his two toy Chihuahuas and advanced belay technique.

It's rated 5.11+/12- and it's the sweetest single pitch of granite face climbing I've ever touched or seen. It's not any harder than 11+ for me since I have the reach.


I don't know if I'll go to Tres Piedras again without doing it. Next time, any top-roping crew will probably get some feedback from me or at least an inquiry about scheduling. There are four similar climbs next to it and the climbing is so choice. Must do them all.


Yesterday, Naomi savored a couple of outdoor leads before her flight home to Vancouver. She started on Hellboy, a 165-ft 5.8+, so my dad could take a spin on something.


Slightly over halfway there.


Finally, an all-out photo assault of Naomi leading Blind Faith, a really fun 5.11a at Winter Wall in Diablo Canyon. I just think the pictures of her pulling the roofs in her tights are beautiful.


Roof 2, part 1


Roof 2, part 2


Roof 3, with bird


This is just cool.


Hmmmmmmm looks like there should be powder again this weekend....

We did spend some great relaxing time together, even if it was only a few days at the end.

Loved pulling through roof after roof on Blind Faith. I made the 5.8+ exciting by only taking 16 draws instead of 20 I needed and running it out as much as three bolts at the top. It's a LOOOOOONG climb. Thanks Sky for giving me lots of leading opportunities. That and the Sun was good for my soul.

Nice to see some shots of you guys enjoying the sun. I can only imagine the colors of you two tighted together with all that red rock. Throw in a Wehrly and you'd bust the sensor on any camera.

Way to pull the long hours heffe. It'll all pay off (even more) some day.

And YAAAAAAAAAAAY for shots of naomi getting back into action!!!

Way to stay hot. I bet a bunny costume is even cozier!

Spans are so in right now. So fast.

I hope you were wearing your tights too...

Tights make climbers look so much radder.