ElCap Report 6/7/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Much nicer day today and the number of teams on the wall reflected the conditions.  We are hoping for a number of these days ahead.  In a strange twist of fate... it is raining here at the lodge this evening.  I am kind of pressed for time this evening so I need to get on with the Report… so…

ElCap Report 6/6/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Well, not so fast on the good weather!  Last night it poured rain until just after dawn.  The sky was back to being the thick slate color we have seen far too often this Spring.  I went down to the Bridge this morning to see what I could see and the Cap was in full cloud.  The clouds started breaking up around noon and now we have partly cloudy conditions.  The Captain is empty, except for the Last Man on ElCap.  Neil Chelton is up there at his bivy just below the White Circle.  He fixed the next pitch later in the day yesterday.  He was not climbing when I left the Bridge at around 11am.  Erik Sloan has the Ask a Climber program today so I am taking the afternoon off to do other things.  The action should be starting up tomorrow as the weather puzzle palace has predicted nice conditions.  We will see.

ElCap Report 6/5/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… The Valley was socked in all day yesterday and it rained all night.  Pretty grim stuff, but just before dawn the rain stopped and the solid cloud deck broke up.  By Breakfast the sun was out and great billowing clouds marched across the sky.  The day was beautiful, with enough clouds to shade the Cap from time to time, so I could get some detailed shots.  It looks like the weather system broke up a day early and climbers are psyched to get at it again.  Not a lot of action today but enough to be interesting.
 

ElCap Report 6/4/11
By Tom Evans

Yo..  It started around 9am when I was walking from the Café to my van.  A slow, incessant drizzle that was to build to a downpour as the day progressed.  By the time I got down to ElCap the clouds were closing in and the climbers left on the face were obscured from view most of the time.  By the time I departed the bridge, around 2pm, it was a steady rain that continues as I write these line.  The sky is a smooth overcast of gray and fortunately the wind is quite low.  There are several climbers still on the wall.  So get a hot chocolate, settle down by the fire into your most comfortable chair, put that comforter on those cold legs and come along with me to the grandest spectacle in all of Yosemite climbing.  ElCap in storm.
 

ElCap Report 6/3/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… The day started out nice but quickly degenerated into a cloudy, cold one.  That didn’t deter the multitudes from having a go at the King.  Also the SE Face continues to be busy in the face of approaching storms.  The season is dragging on with most of the climbing being at Jailhouse Rock about and hour and a half west of here.  Actually the conditions were perfect for big wall photography and I got a lot of shots.

ElCap Report 6/2/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Ah if only the weather would stay like it was today the season would be a good one.  Lots of action on the upper east side of the rock.  The bad news is that there are 3 teams on Zodiac, so you are going to have to bear with me.  Zodiac is full because it is weather protected and no one has much wall practice yet, due to the weather.

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

ElCap Report 6/1/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Aaaahhhhhhhh  the weather, the weather, the weather!!  Harsh conditions on the Captain today with wind, clouds, and rain/hail.  The Bridge was cold and dank today.  No climbers were in evidence… but there was a small crop of Tourons who were quite nice and very interested in what was going on.  I stayed until the bitter end as the sky opened up big, around 2pm.  Not much to report but here is what I have….