ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 5/15/11

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Ok, I know you’ve been starving, all winter, for the start of the Spring, ElCap Report. Well, salvation is at your finger tips!! Hope you have had good winter and are ready, once again, to go big on the Cap! We will be watching them all… the flailers and bailers , pukes and punters, the big guns and senders, famous or other wise. The season is already well under way, although the weather is sketchy at the moment. It snowed late last night and flurries are continuing as I type these lines.

Today’s ElCap Report… written just for you…unique in all the world!

I arrived a few days ago and watched a nice ascent of Sunkist, by Paul Gagner and partner Tom Dickey. They got off just before the weather caved late yesterday. Several teams climbed the Nose in the past few days and 4 times as many bailed. The Salathe is seeing some action too. I talked to Tommy Caldwell a couple of days ago, after he and Becca got down from the route. He said the entire center is running with water! Perhaps that is why bailers have outnumbered senders 3 to one over there.

At the moment the only climbers on the rock are Kate Robertson, solo on Native Son and Holly Beck, solo on VA to the Trip. So…. well…. The obvious question arises…. Where are the men??? The men are hold up in the café, talking shit and contemplating retreating out west to Jail House rock, where they will stay warm and dry on meaningless sport climbs. Nice work men!! Well, Rich Copeland is fixed to the EC Tree and has plans to do Iron Son, but a charming young woman is visiting the lad and he is all snail eyed and his resolve weakens daily! All that said…. the weather doesn’t look good until late in the week, so you can take your time getting to the Valley.

Below I am going to break from the normal format and put in some shots from the last few days as well as today.

Early morning today in the Stoneman Meadow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yosemite falls on a cold spring day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staircase Falls at Curry Village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

Royal Arches and Washington column, North Dome lurks in the mist above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

Cathedral Spires.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

Kate and Holly ledged up on the Cap’s SE Face this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

Storm clearing off ElCap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Morning, high on Sunkist, a couple of days ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Holly on the 2^nd of Virginia a couple of days ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Kate on the long traverse pitch to the Wing on Native Son, yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Haircut at the Bridge yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White Rhododendron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news.

The Ask a Climber Program started today and will run until 15 Oct.

On a personal note. I was robbed, this past Thanksgiving, of most of my photographic gear, including the big lens that was working so well for me in the fall. Unfortunately, I was not able to get compensation from insurance, so I had to eat the loss… well over 3 grand. And as I result I have had to spend a pile of money to replace things. I have another lens to shoot with now and you will tell me how it is working, I am sure! Anyway, if you have not donated for shots you have gotten in the past or the pleasure of the read, then this would be a great time to consider it. Any amount is appreciated.

I hope this will be a productive climbing season and that exciting things will happen in our sport. Be safe and considerate of other climbers and the environment as well. Come on by the Bridge before you go up and let me know who you are and what you are doing. Take a radio or cell phone with you too.

That’s it for now.

Ansel Evans is out of here….