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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 02:54
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ElCap Report 6/15/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… The great weather continues to hold, as more and more climbers are taking the opportunity to get on ElCap. With just a few weeks left of the Spring season this just might be your last chance to climb the Cap, in good conditions. So grab your kit and make a dash for the car… tell the family you are going out for ice cream and that it may take a while before you come back! It works every time!! Just ask my two ex-wives!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sat, 06/15/2013 - 03:01
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ElCap Report 6/14/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… One couldn’t ask for better weather than we are having right now. Mornings have blue skies with beautiful clouds and afternoons seem to cloud over and get nicely cool. There is climbing going on but mostly on just a few of the Big Trades. So you are going to get a lethal dose of the Big Three.
Also…listen up Noobs… the Nose has turned into a parking lot of late, because all you noobs want to do it, but haven’t figured out that it is NOT Easy! Here are a few common mistakes I’ve observed lately.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Fri, 06/14/2013 - 03:58
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ElCap Report 6/13/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Today was absolutely one of the most beautiful Spring days I have ever seen, with cobalt blue skies, air clear as crystal, sun warm but not hot, and good company in the EC Meadow all day! Yep, it doesn’t get better than this! The action was mostly on the Nose and Zodiac but other routes are prepped and ready to go.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Thu, 06/13/2013 - 02:58
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ElCap Report 6/12/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Well, there were no cooling clouds to make the day better for climbing or photography. I hear we are to have a cooling trend in the next few days. Summer will be here soon enough and that will put an end to the climbing season and the Report. So stay tuned while we still have some good climbing going on.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Wed, 06/12/2013 - 04:04
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ElCap Report 6/11/13
By Tom Evans
Yo…Early in the morning we had some pretty cool clouds over ElCap but as the day progressed a thick layer developed. I loved it!! Those clouds made for some cool shooting and it was my day off, so I could give my full attention to the scene. The Nose was a nightmare and will continue to be so for a couple more days. I took a lot of shots so it is getting late and I need to get this Report on the books.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Tue, 06/11/2013 - 01:24
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ElCap Report 6/10/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Remember that blistering weather I have been reporting?? Gone! Today dawned with partly cloudy skies and cool temperatures. I had the day off from the Bridge and had a nice time shooting from a favorite shot in the EC Meadow. I think the rush to the Captain will be on tomorrow. Not a whole lot of action one the Cap today. So…..
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Mon, 06/10/2013 - 03:20
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ElCap Report 6/9/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Steaming hot morning here, with 40% chance of a thunder storm this evening. Showers didn’t materialize but a large cloud parked itself over the Captain early this afternoon and the relief was immediate. Before that it was a race to the deck! A three man team bailed from ECTower, and were quickly followed by a two man Euro team. Lower temperatures forecast for the immediate future! Everyone else stayed up on the hill, as some were higher and others were packing extra water.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sun, 06/09/2013 - 01:53
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ElCap Report 6/8/13
By Tom Evans
Yo…. Today was interesting, with a temperature of 105 at the SAR Hq and 5 hours over 100 degrees. So it was miserable on ElCap and you could sure tell. I saw no one left of the Nose, but didn’t go out to the western part of the ElCap meadow, to see who was cooking, over by Lurking Fear. No one was climbing very fast today. So, not a lot of shots to get, or for you to see.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sat, 06/08/2013 - 02:42
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ElCap Report 6/7/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Very warm today, with no saving afternoon clouds, to cool things off. Some interesting things happened today so be sure to read further and look at the shots! Actually, not many climbers on the face today so this will be rather thin … but be sure to look at it!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Fri, 06/07/2013 - 02:43
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ElCap Report 6/6/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… More hot and humid, but the afternoon clouds come drifting down from the high country, and shade the great rock. Right now, it looks a lot like we will get a shower out of storms active in the high country… but nothing so far! Lots of action on ElCap, so I will get right to it.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Thu, 06/06/2013 - 03:32
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ElCap Report 6/5/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Warm today, with considerable humidity. We had another of those magic clouds appear over ElCap late in the afternoon, and a thunderstorm threatened but evaporated. About 30 climbers were on the wall today. The throngs still cling to the Big Trade Routes, while the more adventurous seek less traveled fare.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Wed, 06/05/2013 - 02:35
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ElCap Report 6/4/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… It started out sunny and warm, and about noon, a big cloud parked itself over ElCap and the temperature went down, and the light was great! I had the day off, so I parked myself in the meadow, in the company of several friends. I shot and we talked about what climbers usually talk about. Use your imagination! The light was everything it wasn’t yesterday and when the shade came on the details came out and the shadows vanished. Love these cloudy days!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Tue, 06/04/2013 - 04:16
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ElCap Report 6/3/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Hot and muggy in the Valley today. I had the day off from the Bridge, so I hoofed it out to the EC Meadow and hid under a tree, while I shot. The conditions made for a lot of air turbulence, producing masses of swirling hot air that have the effect of a lens. A person can be standing right next to someone who is in perfect focus and yet that person can be an out of focus blob of color! The wind was up too and that shakes the big gun and adds to a lack of sharpness. Plus, the high position of the sun in the sky makes for long shadows, hiding details of the persons and their kit. Actually I hate to shoot in the Spring! Were it not for the ACP and the fact that my friends come to climb in the Spring, I would not be here. Now that I have all the excuses listed…. Just wait until Fall!!!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Mon, 06/03/2013 - 15:22
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ElCap Report 6.2.13
By Tom Evans
Yo… It is getting warmer here and it made for a slow weekend. We had a climbing accident on the East Buttress this afternoon and YOSAR responded with the appropriate action. Official news release coming soon. I spent the afternoon shooting the operation from the Bridge.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sun, 06/02/2013 - 03:16
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ElCap Report 6/1/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Warm weather seems to have settled in now. The temperatures on the cliff are not bad yet but could be soon. Take extra water!! One gallon a day per person is normal… in the coming conditions you might want to take 1.5 gallons/day. We are having some good action on the Hill these days but we await climbers who will do more than just the big Trade Routes. So come on down!!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sat, 06/01/2013 - 03:52
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ElCap Report 5/31/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… Wow! Great Spring days have arrived, to tempt and permit wall climbers, from all over the world, to get it up…. their wall kit that is! Now is the time to hit your stride on ElCap. So where are you Pukes? If you are reading this, you are, most likely, NOT in Yosemite. So man-up or woman-up, whichever the case may be, and get your kit to the Valley. Take advantage of the conditions and the fact that “Old Tom” is still alive and here to immortalize you through your digital image! I ain’t going to live forever you know!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Fri, 05/31/2013 - 03:51
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ElCap Report 5/30/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… The weather keeps getting better and better and we are loving it! Still not very many climbers on the climbs. In fact the SE Face still has only one party on it and they are the invisible ranger team, so you can’t even see them! The King is getting some action as is the Salathe. Everything else awaits your presence. I’m kinda rushed as I am doing laundry at the same time I am writing this …so ….
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Thu, 05/30/2013 - 03:04
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ElCap Report 5/29/13
By Tom Evans
Yo.. Beautiful day here in Yosemite. Funny thing is that at 3:30am I heard the pitter patter of rain on the fly of my tent, and it continued on and off until after dawn. As a result, climbers who got up at 5 to get an early start on the Captain went back to bed, figuring the day was lost. Not the case as it cleared off by 6 and turned out to be just perfect for climbing. Interesting action on the South East Face of ElCap today… read about it below.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Tue, 05/28/2013 - 21:23
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ElCap Report 5/28/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… The so called “storm” everyone was quaking in their boots over, was a dud. So climbers are scurrying back to the base to get a place staked out. There isn’t much to report on today so I am going to include some scenics and a couple of climbing shots from the last few days.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Tue, 05/28/2013 - 02:43
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ElCap Report 5/25 thru 27/13
By Tom Evans
Yo… You wouldn’t believe it unless you were here! Everyone within 500 miles of Yosemite showed up this weekend! It took 1 hour 45 minutes to drive the 4 miles from the Bridge to the Lodge! Actually, the traffic people and rangers did a pretty good job with the situation, all things considered. Unfortunately for me, the first two days of the weekend, found the Bridge packed with Tourons and I was unable to get away from there until very late … so no reports for those days. The cliff has become nearly deserted today as there is a storm predicted to hit tonight. Next morning.... the storm was nothing much and weather now solid for a week.
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