ElCap Report 6/15/16

ElCap Report 6/15/16

By Tom Evans

Yo… The weather is like April these days…windy, very cool, clear and sunny skies.  Kind of a slow day on the hill today.  The Presidents pre-visit people came today to see what has to be arranged.  Six choppers flew in this afternoon and landed in the Majestic Meadow (Ha!).  The POTUS will be here this weekend, if he isn’t here already. They don’t give out much information about POTUS visits.  We are expecting the worst in the traffic department so I may be able to do some reports but no guarantees!

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

Zodiac has two teams on it and one that flashed through late yesterday afternoon on their way to an ElCap triple.  Hot Brad Gobright and Scott Bennett set of this afternoon in search of the triple… Zodiac, Nose, Lurking Fear… at the time I write this report they have done two of the three and have 10 hours to do the Fear.

1) Maria Parkes climbed the two pitches to Peanut ledge today and here she is on the Devil’s Brow pitch belay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Lower down the Korean climber, Ko, did the bolt ladder pitch and was at the Black Tower belay when I left shortly after taking this shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Over on the Trip Irish Paul climbed the 9th pitch while I was shooting.  This shot was taken just as the light came on to him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The TER Team bailed from the route.

 

4)  Lower down, Kenny and Dillon started VA to the Trip this morning.  Here they are seen on the 2nd pitch this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Over on Gulf Stream, Neil is finally getting into some better rock as he connects with a pitch on the AO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Over on the Nose, a couple teams were up high, and a couple were down low.  This team was in the middle and managed the KS after a few runs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t see the Colorado Shield team, Clay and Dan, due to the corners blocking my viewing angle. They should be on the route by now.

 

7)  Freerider:  I did see a team of two climb from Hollow Flake and climb the Monster this afternoon.  This is the difficult downward move to set up the move into the infamous crack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Here is the move to the Monster crack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  4 of these big helicopters flew in today with the POTUS support teams checking things out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  The President’s helicopter flew over the meadow and I got this shot of it going by.  Overhead you could hear some top cover jet fighters flying around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Sunset out at the Ranch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  The rest of the sunset at the Ranch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  A commercial jet flying out of the clouds as seen from the Ranch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  We await the mass confusion the next several days will bring….

Capt. Tom… here just for you!