ElCap Report 9/30/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… The perfect weather continues in spite of various long range forecasts.  The rock is damn near empty as I type these words.  WTF is up?!  Where are the climbers?  We do have a few new teams hiking to the base but none have appeared above the trees thus far.  So it is kind of thin pickings for a report today.  I will give you what I’ve got, but it isn’t much.
 

ElCap Report 9/29/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Cloudy and humid on the Cap today… made for sweaty conditions.  Rumors abound of coming bad weather.  I don’t know what to think, and try to be optimistic.  The Bigs are getting emptier by the hour.  Put the dog in the basement, the kids outside, your spouse in the kitchen, and come with me, up high on the Captain for some adventure climbing.
Today’s ElCap Report….written just for you…unique in all the world!

ElCap Report 9/28/11
By Tom Evans

Yo.. The beautiful days continue and you are probably somewhere else… now, is that what you really want?  Cubicle Pukes… I know you have to keep the world running, and we all depend on you, but come on man… take a break!  You do get vacation days… right?  You are damn near rich, because of all the work and long hours you have put in for “The Man”.  So come on out and enjoy great days that you will never forget… you will soon enough forget the individual days you worked…NO?  So they don’t matter… only the good days matter in the end.

ElCap Report 9/27/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Man, another perfectly beautiful day here in Yosemite!  The Cap is filling with climbers but mostly on The Big Two.  Conditions look solid for some time, so the invitation stands… get here!  The rescue from yesterday was finished up this morning by hauling the remaining climber and Ranger Jeff Webb up to the top of the cliff.  The whole thing was in the books by noon.  A job well done.
 

Special ElCap Report 9/26/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Big rescue off the Captain in the late evening today.  An Austrian took a fall on the pitch leading into Camp 5, on the Nose route, around 3:30 this afternoon.  His aid sling pinched his right thumb off his hand as he fell.  Fortunately, the severed digit landed on the ledge beside his partner, Richard Edelsbacher, who retrieved it.  The initial story had Richard catching it with his other hand which would have lead to …. Wait for it.... wait for it!!   You guessed it!!  ........“Catch of the Day”. 

ElCap Report 9/26/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… This was the kind of day that climbers come to Yosemite for in the Fall.  It was perfect!  A lot happened today and it is very late (10:30pm) as I type this report.  So I will have to move along.
 

ElCap Report 9/25/11
By Tom Evans

Yo…. No rain in the forecast … but… it was cloudy, windy, and chilly all day.  The Cap took on a dark and forbidding appearance that kept even day climbers away.  The Bridge was quiet, with few climbers or Tourons evident.  This was the last day of a very successful Facelift.  So it will be a lot quieter tomorrow around here!

ElCap Report 9/24/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Splendid day today …. Again… right up until a really blasting and ripping thunder storm plowed through the valley around 2:30pm.  It was a real rip snorter!  I went down to the Cap around 4pm to check, with various YOSAR personnel, on the situation.   A Touron called in that someone was in trouble and waving a red flag.  We scanned the entire rock and were able to get the witness to show us where the distressed party was located.  Turned out to be Piton Pete’s Junk show being hauled up that was mistakenly identified as a distress call.  Those guys have radios and cell phones and are way too savy to call for help during a thunder storm!  It is almost 6 pm now and the weather is calm.  Some teams bailed but most are continuing upward.

ElCap Report 9/23/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Not a lot going on up on the Captain today so the report will be kind of short.  Weather a bit on the warm side with some threatening clouds back up behind the Dome but nothing much down at the Cap.  Great entertainment at the Facelift tonight… so …. Here we go.

ElCap Report 9/22/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… The good weather continues to rule the Valley.  The Captain, however, is not being used to the maximum, or anything even close.  The King is still essentially empty and awaits the return of the multitudes.  I know the Facelift is more important than climbing the Cap at the moment, so you won’t get too many complaints from me.  Keep picking up that trash!  The Captain will be there next week, you can count on it.