ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/04/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… splendid morning here.. Looked so good we all figured the rain threat was just that… a threat but nothing much. By 2pm it was dark and foggy with low clouds scudding along the top of the Cap. By three it was pouring rain! It is supposed to clear up by 11pm and tomorrow be clear.

ElCap Report 6/03/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… And yet another perfect day to be climbing on the Captain! A nice breeze cooled things off by mid morning and everyone was loving it except the guys on the Shield. A lazy Sunday at the Bridge with a battalion of climbers in evidence. The action on the Cap kept the day moving right along. Hope you are enjoying the reports thus far this season. The “new” lens is really bringing in the detail… Ah yes!! The good, bad, and ugly up close and personal!

ElCap Report 6/02/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… Not nearly as warm as advertised today and a steep cooling trend is on the way. Lots of things happening on the Captain today. So settle into your favorite spot, get comfortable, let the Report take you away to Yosemite in the Spring!

ElCap Report 6/01/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… Warm and wonderful here in the Ditch. Cooling by Monday! The action is good on the Cap with the Nose still in heavy demand. However, a lot of teams are getting off the route in a day or so, thus we await your appearance. The season is in full force now with some different stuff going down. Bigs will be making news in a short time… so you need to stay glued to the ECR for all the latest. I know, I know, you hear this and that from the various puff daddy’s who infest the Café in the morning and evenings.. what do they know? They know what they hear third hand from someone who talked to me at the Bridge!! Credibility, Son, Credibility!

ElCap Report 5/30/12 and 5/31/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… Sorry to have missed yesterdays climbing report, but the rescue off the Nose took all my time and efforts. Today was a warm one. Tomorrow is predicted to be even warmer. The Nose is still the center of attention, as it often is this time of year.

ElCap Rescue 5/30/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… A typical late spring day here in Yosemite turned into a difficult day for all concerned. I was shooting the lead team, of many teams, on the Nose Route when the lead climber fell from the top of the Pancake Flake pitch. That section of the climb is a thin crack, unlike the rock on the lower part of the pitch. He fell 30ft from near the top of the pitch and hit the small triangular ledge at the base of that section. The report came in about 2pm and a full on rescue was called.

YOSAR members came from all over the Valley and the team quickly swung into action. The Nose is the scene of many rescues in the past and the team knows exactly how to set it up. The injury was reported to be a broken leg and possibly a hip too. Not life threatening injuries, so a direct short haul from the chopper was not required. Those in charge of the rescue opted instead for a lowering action from the rim. Below find some of the many shots I took that fill out what happened for you.

ElCap Report 5/29/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… Brilliant weather continues but I hear the heat is being turned up by weeks end to the mid 90’s. Well… beats cold and rainy! The Cap is seeing a lot of action these days but most is still on the Nose.

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

ElCap Report 5/28/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… The splendid weather has returned, and with it the rush is on…. mostly on the Nose, unfortunately. Yesterday was as bad a traffic day as today was a good one. I left the van at the Bridge and took the shuttle in to camp and later returned for the van on my bike. I was not able to write a report for yesterday. Yesterday also saw the demise of the Tribal attempt as Mike and Gabe had serious equipment problems with their new haul bags which were not as water proof as advertised. They were drenched and returned to the deck yesterday. The ElCap shuttle is bringing the multitudes to the Bridge once again.

ElCap Report 5/26/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… The clouds and drizzle continued today into the afternoon. Blue skies were seen through a light cloud layer but intermittent showers continue. Traffic in the Valley is reduced considerably because of the weather. I was down at the Cap for a few hours this morning and caught a glimpse of someone on a line above LLL but they soon rapped back to the ledge. Mike has been posting, from the wall, on SuperTopo and writes they are doing fine. No one else is on the cliff at this time as far as I can tell, but I have not gone to look at Lurking Fear.

ElCap Report 5/24/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… You remember that rain prediction I poopooed a day or so ago? Well I was almost right… but not entirely. It started raining around 12:30 this afternoon and so far is just very light, sporadic, showers. It was colder than usual last night and I awoke to partly cloudy sky’s that quickly turned dark, low, and fast moving. At the Bridge the wind picked up early and it was cold enough for a puffy. So, we wait for more rain and cold or some clearing. I am for clearing, of course!!