Update

Ian is in California, but still 9 days away from Joshua Tree. Turns out there is more work in the Sierra then he anticipated. He has made an environmentally-conscious, wallet-wise, and self-preserving decision to work these days then finish his drive south.

The truck is laden with our things that have been in storage since we left Bend in March 2007 . We are most gracious to Lee and Nikki for the safehaven of their basement these past years.

Meanwhile, I'm toiling and boiling away down here in the desert. I started working for the man several weeks ago. So far, most of my work has required me to be in a temperature controlled office -- in dry climates instead of AC we use Swamp Coolers. EvApOrAtIvE CoOlIng. Come the fall I will be doing field work on a regular basis.

It's odd living here without Ian. I rented a house and bought a used Subaru (so far, average of 31mpg!)and am feeling homesick for both him and the truck. We're in the homestretch -- for those of you counting it's been 39 days.

Plan B

While driving to Washington 3 weeks ago, after leaving Joshua Tree 4 weeks prior to that, B received a job offer from Joshua Tree National Park. This was anticipated, but we didn't know when the park was going to make a decision. We had packed up the truck expecting to both spend the summer in Bellingham. Somewhere between Vegas and Reno, we transitioned to plan B. First step was to drive to Washington.

Ian is in Washington and will spend most of this month working in the field. Arriving in late May we missed the rain and he's enjoyed a string of sun-filled days. He found a great room in an old house; sharing it with a few down-to-earth folks who also work in the field. So really, it's a sweet storage unit. B joined him for a few days before leaving for Pennsylvania.

B arrived in Pennsylvania last weekend to soak up some moisture before returning to the desert. Elizabeth R. is graduating high school-- the last in a long line, the eighth since 1987. There will more eating than good jokes as the family rolls in to celebrate.

In mid-June B will again traverse the expanse of the country to return to Joshua Tree. She'll don a green and gray uniform and start using an alarm clock. Yes--it will be hot there-- it is the desert--in the summer.

Ian has arranged to spend the second half of the summer working in the east side of the Sierra Mountains. He'll base himself out of Joshua Tree and commute for his field days.

We are both excited to return to Joshua Tree. But will be more excited to see each other in 6 weeks!

The Grand Canyon

More Snakes...

We were truck-bound after climbing, Dream of Wild Turkeys, and chattering away. Walking in a line because the trail is single-track, I was first, then Julie, and Ian brought up the rear. This guy must've been startled as I almost stepped on him. Both Julie and I screamed like grown men in dark railroad tunnels while stumbling backwards and landing on top of Ian. With our hearts racing we observed from 8 feet away for several minutes. Its forked tongue was all a flitter and his rattle was relentless. He wasn't budging from the trail and after the kodak moment we gave it a wide berth. Turn up your speakers before pressing play.

Suburban Blondes

Most of the climbing we have done in Zion was on trade routes (with the possible exception of Aunt Jemima). That is, they had been climbed quite a few times, saw at least a handful of ascents each season, and were well documented in print and on line. We knew that this one was not going to be a trade route.

Suburban Blondes (IV 5.9 C2) climbs the Minotaur Tower in Zion Canyon. The tower is clearly visible from the Big Bend shuttle stop. It is between the north face of Angels Landing and Moonlight Buttress. The route climbs the right edge of a giant black block that leans against the tower, and then climbs a crack system on the face of the tower itself. Ian had seen a topo of the Suburban Blondes here, but aside from that, we had no other information and did not know anyone who had done it. Our guess was that most of the climbing would be moderate free climbing with a little aid and a little chimneying.

The best approach we found crossed the river at Big Bend and headed up the approach trail to Prodigal Son. We headed right just before that trail meets the wall and with some mellow bushwhacking we made it to a cool corridor that sits at the base of the route. Here we were happy to come upon a big unopened water jug that we used to top off our containers. Thank you mystery benefactor.

Twenty feet of sandy fourth class guarded the start of the climb. We squeezed our way up the next 400 feet, stopping just twice for belaying and hauling. We chose to haul our packs instead of tethering them to our belay loops and dragging them behind us. The topo noted that the first pitch was chimney climbing.

Grunting and creative body positioning led into the depths and back out again. There was a bolted belay about 150 feet off the deck, and near the outside of the chimney. The second pitch was also chimneying, followed by a short section of aid that involved leapfrogging #5 and #6 cams. This section would probably go free at hard 5.10. The squeeze sections of this pitch ate one of the leg loop support straps on Ian’s harness but a field repair fixed this non-structural part. We used a slung block back in the chimney for an anchor. The third pitch started out with more chimneying (thankfully not squeeze) and finished with a nice 5.8 corner crack to a big comfortable ledge.

Happy to be out of the chimneys and in the sun, we ate lunch and took in the view. We were halfway up the route and moving much faster than we expected. Three more pitches and we would be on top.

From here, the topo indicated we would be making pendulum to a crack system to our right; rather we found a horizontal line of rivets and drilled angles. Twenty-five feet right of the belay a thin crack heads towards the top of the Minotaur Tower. Eighty feet of fun aid climbing leads to a bolted belay. This could be the false belay shown on the topo but probably is not. Even if it is, it’s probably the best spot to end the pitch. From here, if the leader does not pull up any slack in the lead line, the follower will have just enough to lower out without untying from the end of the rope. Bernadette starting to jug just after the lower-out. The corner that finishes pitch 3 is visible below and to the right (below). Bernadette should have savored belaying from the sunny ledge, this intermediate belay was semi-hanging, and Ian linked pitches to gain us the next 198 feet. Again, the topo indicated moderate free climbing, but he mostly aided crack systems, busting the occasional 5.9 free move. Lichen in the pin scars on this pitch was a testament to how rarely this route is climbed. Near the end of this lead, he placed a 000 c3 in a gritty flare. After committing to it he thought, “Well, that’s definitely the worst cam placement I’ve ever made.” The next piece of gear was a blue Alien with only two lobes engaged.

Part way up this pitch we passed an ominous sign: a piton on a piece of tat dangling from two remaining pins. We assumed this was the top of pitch 5. This hanging stance could be backed up with a big cam but it’s probably best to continue to a large sloping ledge 40 feet before the top. A lone drilled angle here can be backed up with gear.

We moved the belay around the corner to the backside of the tower, being careful of loose rock and sand on ledges. The topo called for 30 feet of unprotected 5.8 to the summit. Wary and weary, Ian started up the arête of the summit block that faces Angels Landing. The climbing was fun and surprisingly protectable; he placed two TCU’s on his way to the top. Finishing on a small summit was just another feature that set this route apart from Zion trade routes.

We descended with four two-rope rappels down the Megamahedral, which climbs the left edge of the tower. Aside from a brief rope-eating-crack incident on the last rappel, they were uneventful.

Anyone climbing this route expecting a trade route experience will end up unhappy. Go climb Touchstone or Iron Messiah. However, if you approach the route looking for a little adventure and are willing to get your hands dirty you will be well rewarded.