Yosemite

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1611 photos

Here's half dome!
Rachel.
Cooking breakfast the next morning.
Has anyone ever gotten a whisperlite to work on the...
Here presented plain-as-day is the brie cheese which Mr....
Our awesome campsite.
There he is! The bandit!
Wow, the tent looked so shiny and white and clean back then.
Looking over the map.
Still charting out a course.
John on Yosemite Point.
John again, sans sunglasses, looking like an idiot.
Trying to hold still for a picture while the mosquitos...
Oh never mind.
Happy now?
John, thinking deep thoughts, peering through Yosemite's...
Hi.
Rachel at Indian Rock.
Rachel at Indian Rock, zoomed out.
Rachel, near our campsite on the second night.
One of my favorite all time shots. Rach in the middle of...
Moon over Tenaya Canyon and Half Dome. Half Dome looks...
Tenaya Canyon. Cloud's Rest is the peak at the far...
John, looking like he has been photoshopped into this...
Rach, feeling ready for a bath or shower.
At the road, back on the valley floor of Yosemite.
Rachel and a big tree in the Yosemite Grove of Giant Sequoias.
John, next to a big tree trunk in the Yosemite Grove.
Dad and Half Dome. On the Yosemite Falls trail.
Dad and Half Dome again. On the Yosemite Falls trail.
John hasn't had his V8 today.
Dad nearing the top of Yosemite Falls.
Dad nearing the top of Yosemite Falls.
John and Dad at the top of Yosemite Falls.
A long way down.
Dad and John somewhere along the JMT / Mist Trail.
Dad in front of our tent cabin in Curry Village.
Dad finds some hot coffee to warm him up early in the morning.
Dad gawking at the multi-thousand foot high granite walls.
Dad in front of the Curry Village Dining Pavillion sign.
Glacier Point viewed from Curry Village.
Dad in Curry Village.
John ready to go hiking. In front of our tent cabin in...
John and some big trees.
Dad in front of some big trees at Wawona Grove of Giant Sequoias.
Dad in front of one of the really big trees in Wawona. ...
John and Dad walking through a tree.
John finds a short cut.
Dad in front of a big tree.
John on top of Fallen Tunnel Tree.
John on top of Fallen Tunnel Tree.
John and Catherine on Panorama Cliff.
Rachel drying our feet after our river crossing.
John chillin' in the shades outside the tent. ...
Making breakfast. Dad and Rachel.
John fetching water from the stream.
Rachel drying off her feet after our river ford.
Dad drying off his feet after our river ford.
John, Dad and Rachel. River successfully forded without...
John and Dad hiking.
John perched on a rock to get a better view of Nevada...
Catherine and the faint trail of far-off Yosemite Falls...
Catherine and Yosemite Falls. On aptly named Panorama...
Catherine and Half Dome.
Catherine and John examining the map on the Panorama Cliff trail.
Catherine and John again on the Panorama Cliff trail.
John and Catherine with Glacier Point in the background.
Catherine hiking in Yosemite on the Panorama Cliff trail.
Catherine on the bridge possibly over Illilouette River.
John and Rachel in Yosemite.
Dad with Dana (?) peak in the background.
Dad with Dana (?) peak in the background.
Catherine John and Rachel next to a big tree in the...
Catherine Dad and John next to a big tree in the Merced...
John and Mom at Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park. ...
Mom at the bottom of Lower Yosemite Falls.
Mom and the Yosemite River.
Half Dome wraps itself in a cloud.
Royal Arches and North Dome.
Tini and John in Housekeeping Camp.
Royal Arches. I think there is a 5.8 A0 climb (14+...
It's a bird... It's a plane... It's Half Dome!
Stephan at Tunnel View.
Rachel, John, and Tini relaxing among the big trees.
John, king of the tree.
John, Tini, and Rachel hanging out of Fallen Tunnel Tree...
Tini, John, and Rachel walking among the big trees.
Stephan holding two sequoias apart.
Half Dome, as viewed from Glacier Point.
Half Dome again from somewhere along Panarama Cliff. ...
Half Dome and burnt out forest.
Tini John and Rachel at perhaps the bridge above...
Stephan spots a mule deer.
Fire + Half Dome = Crazy pretty.
Setting up camp.
Smiling for the camera.
John and Tini warm themselves by the fire.
Group photo. Rachel, John, Tini, and Stephan. Half...
John and Rachel pump water from the mighty Merced...
John, Rachel, and Tini at the Nevada Falls overlook.
Rachel on the never-ending stairmaster. Tenaya Canyon...
The hand cables to the top of Half Dome.
John trying to ponder the yonder.
Rachel and Tini enjoy the view. Shame there are no...
John again pondering the yonder.
This seating position says "I'm scared of heights" much...
Not a bad view at all. Tini, John, and Rachel.
Tini, on top of the world.
John and Rachel, top of Half Dome.
Group Photo: Stephan, John, Tini, and Rachel. Top of Half Dome.
It's a long way down from here.
The diving board :).
The diving board again. Awesome composition. All we...
Stephan and Tini. Happy to be off the cables.
Stephan.
The mighty Merced.
Rachel standing on some Fourth (third technically) of July snow.
Rachel in front of the Tuolumne river near the flooded...
Self photography in front of the rushing Tuolumne River.
Poor little tree.
This part of the hike was crazy. It basically involved...
John looks dashing with a scarf tied around his neck. ...
Cooking dinner once again.
Mmmm... food.
Sunset in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.
Still eating dinner...
The sun is almost gone!
Mmmm.... Alpine Aire peach cobbler + in the tent to...
The scenery wasn't much to write home about on this trip.
John on the bridge over the Tuolumne River next to the...
The flooded campground
Rachel on the bridge over the Tuolumne River near the...
Pretty waterfall above the bridge.
A sort of crazy water cascade.
John next to one of the upper Tuolumne Falls.
Rachel next to one of the upper Tuolumne Falls.
John standing in front of a waterfall on the upper...
Rachel with the Cathedral Range in the background.
John with the Cathedral Range in the background.
John and Rachel, post-hike at Olmsted Point, Half Dome...
John at the base of the southwest buttress of Cathedral...
Colin (small, upper left) leading on the first pitch of...
Colin, continuing the ascent up the first pitch of...
Colin placing a piece on the first pitch of Cathedral Peak.
Colin, squeezing himself into the chimney at the start...
John at the belay station at the bottom of the 3rd (I...
Colin, apparently veering off route too far to the left...
Colin, placing a piece on what I think was the 4th pitch.
Colin setting up an anchor at what turns out not to be...
Colin anchor shot number 2.
Colin twenty feet from the top of Cathedral Peak, with...
John sitting on the top of Cathedral Peak with Tuolumne...
Eichorn's Pinnacle with Cathedral Lake directly behind...
Give me camera.
I like short approach hikes. At right: car. At top...
Second pitch of Western Country (5.7). John on lead. ...
John on lead again.
Rachel, self-portrait, having her picture taken...
Rachel and Tenaya Lake.
John at the top of pitch 2 of Western Country, Tenaya...
Rachel, finding her way up pitch 3 of Western Country.
We could not have asked for a more beautiful, albeit a...
Rachel at the top of Stately Pleasure Dome. The poetic...
Hiking off the dome.
Tenaya Lake on the hike down -- Half Dome faintly...
Careful, don't slip!
On flat ground again. Rachel and the conquered Stately...
Detail of the climbing route. Need to get Photoshop to...
11,000 ft. Cathedral Peak looming over Tuolumne, with alpenglow.
John with Cathedral Lake (and maybe Mariolumne Dome?) in...
John with Eichorn's Pinnacle (right) and Cathedral Peak...
Eichorn's Pinnacle. Note snow on northern facing (near) flank.
Cathedral Lake, Mariolumne DOme, and snow.
Trees, so very small looking from up here.
Tuolumne high country. Somewhere in there amongst all...
John & Eichorn's Pinnacle.
John with Rachel reflected in the sunglasses.
Hmm, starting to get a little snowy.
Rachel, nearly at the top.
Snow starting to get a bit deeper.
Time to start using a rope.
Rachel and Cathedral Peak (left-most block is actually the top).
Self-portrait #1.
Self-portrait #2.
Climbing down hard work. Rappelling much more fun.
Goodnight, Eichorn's Pinnacle. *Shaking fist*: "I'll be...
Alpenglow on Eichorn's and Cathedral. October days are short.
Tenaya Canyon on the approach to Cloud's Rest.
Half dome, from the top of Cloud's Rest.
Half dome, from the top of Cloud's Rest.
Looking northeast from Cloud's Rest.
6,000 ft down to the valley floor
Polished white granite of Tenaya Canyon.
Half dome and haze moving across the valley.
Yosemite valley.
Northwest wall of Tenaya Canyon. Indian Rock somewhere...
Knobby featured rock along Cloud's Rest.
Cathedral Peak, which I climbed with Colin in July, is...
Little Yosemite Valley with very tall spired mountain in...
Tenaya Canyon once again
A baby cloud, a few thousand feet below, rubbing up...
Watering hole along the hike.
Quaking Aspen turning yellow, in the sunlight.
Mt. Hoffmann in the background.
Dome with a big boulder on top of it.
Lake of the Domes, between Medlicott and Mariolumne...
From left to right, Cathedral Peak, Eichorn's Pinnacle,...
Greg at the anchor at the top of the first pitch of...
This was probably my favorite climbing route on this...
Greg, belaying me for the second pitch of Water Streak.
Top of water streak.
Holy Cathedral Peak, silhouetted against the sun.
Walking off to the top of Lembert Dome.
Top of Lembert Dome, looking north.
Tom, walking beside Saddlebag Lake.
One of the many (nameless to me) alpine lakes and carns...
Mighty North Peak. There are 3 couloirs. We ascended...
Looking east at the many alpine lakes and Owen's Valley...
Tom nearing the terminus of the glacier.
Tom at the terminus of the glacier.
John, standing on the glacier below the North Couloir of...
Tom about to second the first pitch; photo taken from...
Tom, removing an ice screw.
John, about to ascend the Bergschrund at the beginning...
Having ascended the Bergschrund, John on lead. Placing...
Tom seconding the second pitch.
Tom, on the sharp end of the rope, 3rd pitch.
Tom, leading the 3rd pitch, with a rainbow over his head.
This is perhaps the only time I have seen two...
John, pausing for a moment to smile for the camera. ...
Same as before, but with a bit more backgroud.
Tom seconding the 4th pitch. We ran out the 60 meter...
Tom, nearing one of the last ice screws on the 4th...
Tom leading the 5th and final pitch.
Almost there! (Sequence shot #1.)
Almost there! (Sequence shot #2.)
Almost there! (Sequence shot #3.)
Victory.
Tom, a bit tired, but at the col.
Looking southwest to the ridge of Conness.
At the col.
I am always forgetting how beautiful the treeless High...
Mt. Conness, 12,550 ft. Perhaps for another adventure.
Tom, at the col.
Due to the flash and the fact that you can't see my...
Tom, with flash. Luckily, I included his feet, so the...
Moutaineering still life :). Yes, that is a lake in the...
Almost 5pm and still far to hike (our cars are at the...
Some exceptionally clear water at the lake I stopped by...
Lembert Dome by morning light.
Greg on lead, putting up the new route R2D2 about 100...
Hammering away with the hand drill: Greg putting in one...
It takes about 15 minutes to hand drill a bolt, if you...
Cool dried lake bed in Olmsted Canyon.
Completely evil overhung slanted finger crack in Olmsted...
Monica, at the sign telling hikers "WARNING This is...
John, standing in front of the "Abandon all hope, ye who...
Descending into the first rock bowl.
Climbing over some boulders near the top of the Pywiack Cascades.
Lots of scree and talus above the steep slabs that drop...
Descending the steep rock slabs. Yay for sticky rubber...
Monica, carefully working her way down the slabs.
View of Half Dome from our camp site.
John and his new JetBoil. This thing will boil a cup of...
Note the time stamp: 30 seconds later, water is boiling...
Monica, waiting for dinner to be served.
Waiting for dinner to cook #1.
Waiting for dinner to cook #2.
The next morning: a bit colder.
After camping in Lost Valley, we had maybe a mile of...
At 8:30 in the morning, the sun still was nowhere near...
This photo looks like could have been taken deep in the...
Boulder hopping in Lost Valley. Lost Valley is named...
View into the inner gorge, just above Initial Ledge.
Monica, the photographer.
Blurry shot, but I like the composition and color. ...
Having rappelled into the gorge, we are now even further...
Even in the Inner Gorge, Half Dome is still nearly...
This guy actually did the rappel barefoot. Seemed like...
Barefoot. What could possibly go wrong? Sheesh.
We constructed a rudimentary zip line, anchored at the...
John ready to go through the waterfall (hmm, probably...
For once in my life, could there be a rappel without an...
John rappelling through the waterfall.
Monica, at the bottom of her first waterfall rappel. ...
10:30a.m. in a cold, dark canyon is the perfect time and...
Monica, at the edge of the pool after the Le Conte...
A little wet, but ready to go hiking again.
Walking through the inner gorge.
Finally, sunshine!
Monica the mountaineer.
Careful stepping
Walking along a narrow ledge.
Monica, descending the ledges to the third rappel.
Monica, on the 3rd rappel in the Inner Gorge. I think...
Monica, smiling for the camera.
A beautiful, but freezing pool at the bottom of the...
Monica, starting the fourth rappel.
Monica, on the fourth rappel next to the water slide,...
So, this camera I bought (the Olympus Stylus 1030-SW) is...
Monica in front of the water slide.
Downside of using waterproof camera for underwater...
Monica, enjoying a short rest at the top of a miniature...
A sad, however necessary shot to tell the whole story of...
No fatal accidents for us this time. Victory!
Here is what my campsite at Parker Pass (11,100 feet)...
There was a surprising amount of frost on everything I...
The morning's hike took me through some particularly...
This was pleasant enough that I sat on the bank here for...
Below me somewhere in the haze to the east was Mono Lake...
A few glaciers resting on the slopes of Parker Peak.
As I climbed the trail to Koip Pass (about 12,100 feet)...
A view back into Yosemite from the east from Koip Pass...
Koip Peak at 12,972 feet was one of the tallest peaks I...
Dandelion! No wonder these things are called a weed. ...
Looking down a couloir to the top of a small glacier. ...
Dandelions weren't the weirdest thing up here. Lots and...
Trail leading up to Koip Pass. Koip Peak on the right.
Aerodynamic wind-resistant cairns found in these parts. ...
My lunch spot. From the summit of Koip Pass I could...
Walking down from Koip Pass toward Parker Lake.
Parker Lake from the trail.
A picturesque rock and stump near Parker Lake.
A little spit of land that stuck out into Parker Lake.
Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. Awww...
This was the outlet from Parker Lake which went down...
This was the best way to spend the two hottest hours of...
Here's the view from my book reading perch. Not bad! ...
Another alpine lake much smaller than Parker, but...
The trail ahead: next pass would be Gem Pass, eventually...
Another beautiful lake with a sandy bottom, which made...
Very clear water.
Just some beautiful scenery to the northwest. Hopefully...
Looking east into Owen's Valley.
Crazy volcanic rock: it was sharp as a knife; you really...
Looked like some good rock climbing might be had on what...
Here I start to get my first glimpses of the Ritter...
Banner Peak. 12,936 feet. I believe there is some good...
Ok, talk about ruining my wilderness experience. So on...
Imagine my suprise when climbing as high as the dam I...
Waugh "Lake" (I put lake in scare quotes because I think...
Well, the trail meandered up and down around the "lake",...
It was a surprisingly long walk, but it was flat and the...
If you really use your imagination you might be able to...
They sort of blend in in a lot of the photographs, but...
Big tree stumps everywhere. I wonder how big some of...
If you looked really hard, even this barren lake bed was...
Back among the living: I finally make it to the first...
And apparently I stopped taking pictures for a while. ...
Here's how badly I misjudged. Looking to the west, Mt....
Again, looking south toward the Ritter Range, the...
All of the Marie Lakes in one shot, I think. There are...
So, having eaten lunch on the summit, or rather the...
So remember that little lake and glacier with the...
Having made it to the other side of the glacier, I was...
What a beautiful lake! Crunchy jagged icebergs...
I wonder how many years of snow accumulation are shown...
A beautiful section of glacier which has pulled away but...
Looking back at the crag I had mistaken for Mt. Lyell...
Now I decided to sit down, take my pack off, rub some...
I'd love to study a good topo in this area (I'm still...
Wow! Glaciers really do look like rivers. They are...
Cra - cra - cracck ... groan... kablooosh!! A piece of...
I frantically grabbed my sunscreen, snack bars, water...
The aftermath: a whole lot of baby icebergs and water...
A shot from a few paces from farther ashore. This is...
Wow. This looks way different than it did 10 minutes...
Somehow this moment seemed poignant. Having just...
Well, I sat around for another 15 minutes or so, but...
One more shot: I couldn't resist. I love the way the...
Who wouldn't want to drink glacier water straight from...
The next of the Marie Lakes. I apparently need a wider...
The other half of the lake pictured in the last shot. ...
Here is the exit of the Marie Lake just pictured. The...
Well, lookie here. This is pretty interesting. A short...
Looks exciting! Will have to come back sometime with a...
Flow of the river looked barely manageable if you could...
I decided to get a few steps closer for a better shot.
One more shot looking into the icy thundering abyss.
Looks like a fun adventure.
The slot, looking back up-canyon.
Where's Waldo backpacking edition: a few backpackers...
One more shot of the stupid Waugh Lake dam around...
The YARTS bus service runs from Mammoth to Yosemite...
A view back at the high sierra peaks I had been hiking...
After passing the dam of Gem Lake, I came upon Agnew...
Agnew Lake with Carson Peak in the background by morning light.
Believe it or not, there's a silly little cable car...
The Agnew Lake dam, complete with a control house, power...
Great, I really feel like I'm in the wilderness now.
This sign was especially enigmatic. Exactly what type...
Choo choo!
Mt Carson and the first direct rays of morning light.
Looks like this could make a fun roller coaster ride.
This looks like it could be a fun half-day canyoneer...
Silver Lake and the adjacent trailer park with a few...
Made it to the trailhead with almost half an hour to spare!
Well, here's the story behind Waugh Lake. No sign on...
Nice spot for a trailer park, I guess.
Here's my bus stop! After waiting here for a few...
One more shot of Carson Peak and Rush Creek coming down...
Alger Creek, behind the Silver Lake trailhead, coming in...
Monica and I hatched a plan to climb Half Dome on Friday...
Monica stands by the mighty Merced River as it races by....
Monica climbs the steps cut into the cliff band of Vernal Falls.
After climbing to the top of Vernal Falls, we pushed on...
Monica and I hiked on a small climbers' trail marked...
Before long, our hard work was rewarded with a view...
As we climbed higher the scenery became more dramatic...
We finally reached a final ledge where the uninterrupted...
The ASCA campsite abounded with expensive climbing gear...
More ASCA gear hanging from trees.
That's a lot of bolts!
Monica and I wandering through the ASCA base camp....
Improbable as it seems, this narrow ledge is our path,...
Monica tiptoeing carefully across the exposed ledge.
Fun! And we haven't even gotten the rope out yet!
Monica climbing up to a higher ledge as we traverse the...
Very cute and colorful lizards up here. I can't remember...
View back to the east and south.
Monica climbing the sandy switchbacks to the base of the climb.
Our planned route up half dome. The route is called...
Monica scrambling up to the base of the climb.
When we arrived at the base of the climb, we found a...
Monica, following up the first pitch of Snake Dike (5.7R).
Monica nearing the top of pitch 1 on Snake Dike, with...
Monica at the top of pitch 1, with Yosemite falls in the...
At the top of pitch 3: Monica is working her way up the...
John at the top of pitch 4 or 5.
John at the top of pitch 4 (or maybe 5) with Yosemite...
Monica making her way up to the top of pitch 4 or 5....
Monica climbing Snake Dike, with Illilouette Falls in...
Monica climbing up pitch 6. The climbing and the pitch...
Monica, almost at the top of pitch 6.
John, belaying from the top of pitch 6 with Yosemite...
This was actually my least favorite pitch of the climb....
Monica actually standing on pitch 7 of Snake Dike.
After the eight roped pitches (and a mini 9th pitch...
As scary as this rather exposed 3rd class "dike hiking"...
The heavily featured granite on half dome was incredibly...
The way the granite was pitted and eroded in different...
Monica taking a breather. We have climbed to about 9,000...
Thousands of years of rain coursing down half dome has...
Monica on our endless third class slab hike.
Taking another breather. Monica did a really great job...
Often in mountain climbing, reaching the summit comes as...
And sure enough like clockwork, we came over a rise in...
John and Monica on the summit of Half Dome. Because of...
Another reason the crowds were absent is that this year...
Monica standing on the edge of the northern face of Half Dome.
Looking northeast to Tenaya Canyon, where I have...
Monica glad to be at the summit.
Goofy diving board pose.
Regular pose
John and Monica, with Tenaya Canyon in the background.
This sort or reminded me of taking pictures of Lone Peak...
Since we had our harnesses on with daisy chains, we...
The cables are seriously steep! Without the wooden...
Monica working her way down the cables....
Almost at the bottom of the cables.
Monica scurries down the last few stanchions on the...
At the bottom.
Monica doing a Captain Morgan pose. I thought the...
Sunlight colors a tree, and Tenaya Canyon in the...
We definitely didn't want to be on Half Dome if it had...
On Sunday morning, the group traveled up to Tuolumne...
Eating flowers.
Mr. Bear
Climbing at the Western Front climbing wall near Daff...
John taking pictures of Sonia Climbing "New Tricks for...
Rob at the top of "Touch of Grey" (5.9 R)
Another bear sighting on the way back to camp!
Eating more flowers.
The pictures are a bit grainy because it was dusk....
Ellery Lake in the morning.
Having fun with reflections.
Mount Dana, I think?
Another view from Ellery Lake.
What's wrong with this photo? Looks like a glitch in the matrix.
Entrance to the park on the Big Oak Flats road. Quite a...
Drove up to the Tunnel View ... this is the first view I...
Zooming in on Half Dome from the same spot.
Bridal Veil Falls. One of Dad's pictures (you can tell...
So this is Dad as well. Bridal Veil Falls.
El Capitan by PFH. Have to agree the foreground really...
Love all the granite in the Park.
A beautiful day and the Merced was just gurgling along. ...
The straightness of the trunk, and the regularity of the...
Yosemite Falls ... as close as we got. We were ready to...
A field of wild flowers along Evergreen Road. No way...
A close up, with some purple lupine amidst an...
Another shot of the wildflowers ... the fuschia way in...
Hetch Hetchy Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite...
And a zoomed in view of Wapama Falls.
This is looking down fiver from the dam. The water...
Not sure how anyone gets out to that boat to use it. ...
The south face of the dam, with the mild overflow...
A shot looking south that clearly shows the overflow...
Sorry this isn't readable. Essentially a 68 mile rail...
Dad liked this view of the road across the dam...
Another unreadable plaque ... but a clear view of how...
The overflow area on the east side of the dam.
This "Mather Camp" is owned and run by the San Francisco...
Just south of Hetch Hetchy is the Evergreen Lodge, which...
Don't even try to guess how much stuff is in there that...
Heading down the hill to the tent.
After hauling this stuff down hill, and an empty cart...
But first we got clothes etc into the tent.
I really did do some work before plunking myself down...
And I did find the bottle opener, and a glass and some...
... which I shared with him.
And addicted as he is to staying in touch, Dad checks...
The view from the back deck dining area where we had dinner.
After dinner, walking back to the ten by the light of a...
There's probably a way to take a picture of the moon...
Early morning in the campsite. Our tent is just right...
Here comes some one up the path with the last of our...
I really had carried my share earlier. The bear boxes...
An off-the-road waterfall, unnamed as far as we know.
The air was great, the sounds were sublime. Beautiful...
The waterfall fed a creek which coursed under the highway bridge.
... which wasn't looking in the best of shape. How are...
Looking up the falls.
... and down.
Guess it's time to climb back up to the car.
Maybe we should try climbing this?
There goes Dad. Right shoes anyway.
Could I convince you this is dad at the top?
Afraid it looks too much like Olmsted Point.
The view of Half Dome from Olmsted. Tenaya Canyon to the left.
And the view of Tenaya Lake from Olmsted Point. All the...
Another shot of Half Dome
On the shores of Tenaya Lake. The sun on the granite...
Just hanging out at Tenaya Lake. Very peaceful spot. ...
I guess we are showing the clarity of the water?
Dad enjoying the view.
Climbers on a nearby rock. Not sure which one.
Has a very distinctive shape ... on the south side of Tioga Road.
Not sure what creek this is, but we followed it quite...
The water appeared crystal clear.
And again, this is not snow.
Going through the Tioga Pass Entry station.
What's wrong with this map? (I know, just looking for...
Not sure how I got Dad's hat in this picture. Just a...
and a portion of it as built. This is snow ... we are...
And the few east down towards Lee Vining, showing how...
Repairs on one of the bridges. Quite a work platform...
And at the Mobil station where the Tioga Pass Road meets...
On Saturday, after having breakfast in Mammoth Lakes...
I had told Monica the hike would be, despite the high...
After countless years and countless countries, Monica...
Looking down into Tenaya Canyon from near the top of...
So, the whole time we were climbing, we watched the...
John and Monica near the top of Cloud's Rest. Half Dome...
Monica and Half Dome.
Monica and Half Dome, showing Yosemite Valley a bit better.
Monica and Tenaya Canyon, 5,000 feet down.
John, goofing off.
Unfortunately, Monica wouldn't let me take it home.
We got someone to take our picture, with Half Dome in...
USGS reference mark, placed in 1956.
Stormy weather! Glad I'm not on the top of Cathedral...
Doing my best impression of a lightning rod.
Monica wearing Half Dome as a hat.
Yosemite Valley and Half Dome.
Can you see the line of ants going up the dome? Actually...
John and Half Dome.
Weather still stormy with lots of virga (rain that never...
Improbably enough the weather actually seemed to be...
Tenaya Canyon, 5,000 feet below.
Monica and Tenaya Canyon.
Back under the protection of the forest, we passed many...
On the 8 mile hike out.
The dark sky at least prevented sunburn and looked very surreal,
And then the rain started coming down!
Hiking in the rain.
And then the hail started! Ouch!
Glad we brought rain gear.
Hiking down the steep section.
Looking out at Mt. Hoffmann.
The rain collected all the pollen in the air, so most...
Looking out at a pretty waterfall coming down between...
Then the sun came out and it got hot again.
Monica in the sunshine.
And this is about when the going got extremely...
So, I stopped taking photos (except for this one to...
After eating dinner at the Tioga Pass Resort (which has...
End of the world! Not a forest fire... just virga and...
It felt like a forest fire though.
On Monday, Monica and I decided we'd drive back through...
Monica belaying as I climb the second pitch of Left Water Crack.
Getting a bit higher. The weather had been off-and-on...
The strategy was to climb fast and confidently, and get...
The second pitch is probably my favorite pitch in...
Another view of the size of the water crack (which just...
Enjoying the view as I climb. Cathedral Peak features...
I think this was taken from just above the last bolt....
At the final belay ledge (Monica now out of sight). And...
After a bit of struggling on the wet rock, Monica...
At the top of the technical section of the climb, after...
From here, the angle eases significantly, and it's a 3rd...
Moving higher and higher up.
Strangely, the heat of the rock from earlier in the day...
Monica moves past a Charlie Brown Christmas tree propped...
Monica takes a rest. A few other things about this climb...
We reached a nice flat ledge with a view. Tuolumne...
Monica works a 5th class section closer to the summit of...
Enjoying the view of Tuolumne Meadows from midway up...
The top of Lembert Dome seems constantly out of reach,...
Monica, climbing on some fun 5.0-ish chicken heads below...
Finally at the top!
What a view!
We even found a father and son who had hiked to the top...
Finding a way down off the other side of the dome.
Hiking down the tourist trail, by way of Dog Lake, back...
We passed a small lake with what looked to be a really...
Better view of the crack.
Hanging out by this small lake and enjoying the...
We took a half-mile detour to check out the...
Hiking back to the car through Tuolumne Meadows. The...
After a restful evening ditch-camped in Andy's secret...
First up was some lead experience for Joel (I had been...
Joel, starting up Northwest Books. The route roughly...
Joel in the shadows, near the top of pitch one.
Joel sorting out the difficult move at the beginning of...
Joel, cruising up pitch 2 of Northwest Books.
Nearing the top of pitch two. Another beautiful...
Joel, anchored at the top of pitch two. We decided to...
John and Joel packing up at the top of Northwest Books....
The shorter rappel option involved some exposed but...
Joel, posing with Tuolumne Meadows in the background.
Joel, rigging our rappel from the anchor at the top of...
Beautiful afternoon / evening!
Joel checking in with Turtle about something or other. I...
Ah, right. Joel actually decided to take this call...
Trying to get this all in one shot with my 35mm Canon...
So, it was about this time that we decided damn the...
The rest of the climb went without incident and here is...
Back to the car in the dark. What a surprise!
Beautiful view of Medlicott Dome from the hiking trail...
Jay and John headed to go climb Holdless Horror (5.6)
Jay, ready to start the first pitch of Holdless Horror...
Jay, following the second pitch of Holdless Horror...
Jay on Holdless Horror.
Jay, finishing pitch two.
Jay, finishing pitch three.
Jay, looking stoked on pitch 3 of Holdless Horror.
Jay, finishing pitch 4 of Holdless Horror.
Jay, topping out the final pitch of Holdless Horror (5.6).
Just about there.
On top of Dozier Dome, looking out at mightly Medlicott...
John at the top of Holdless Horror, with his helmet at a...
Jay was pretty spent.
Cathedral Peak! John Muir claims that climbing this...
Jay, on the descent from Lembert Dome.
Eating lunch on the southern toe of Lamb Dome, looking...
Drug Dome has an impressive route called OZ (5.10d)...
Since the Gram Traverse travels more-or-less...
Closeup of climbers on OZ.
Jay, showing off his crack-scarred hands. Looks like...
Still some snow in the woods in mid-August.
Much closer view of the OZ and Gram Traverse on Drug Dome.
One more shot, with another climbing party (Where's...
Jay, comparing the guidebook topo of OZ to the actual thing.
Jay belaying me on Roof Rat (5.7) which was a fun new...
Jay starting up Roof Rat.
Jay working his way up the dihedral.
My gear placements along the roof. Created a bit of drag...
Jay, starting up the roof section.
Jay, cleaning some gear.
Jay, smiling for the camera.
Jay climbing roof rat.
Moving on up.
Moving out onto the face for a few moves.
Getting a hand hold.
Lamb Dome in the background.
Jay, cranking on Roof Rat (5.7).
Jay smiling for the camera.
I like this one.
Lie-backing away.
Up up up.
Higher and higher.
Moving on top the roof.
Jay high-stepping on Roof Rat.
Moving across the roof.
Checking that foot placement.
Getting a cam out.
Handhold below the crack.
Found a solid right foot.
Removing the final piece.
Almost there.
Looking for a hand.
Cool looking buck on Thursday morning in the meadows.
Friday morning at 7:30am Jay and I hit the trail hoping...
Our travels took us from Tuolumne Meadows up Rafferty...
Hiking towards Tuolumne Pass. Mt Dana barely visible in...
At Tuolumne Pass.
Jay, with what we thought was Fletcher Peak.
Jay with actual Fletcher Peak.
Fletcher Peak.
Looks like a fun climbing route on Fletcher Peak.
Another nearby peak.
Into a meadow along Fletcher Creek. I particularly liked...
Jay and John 6 miles or so into our journey.
Looking around.
Jay named this Turtle Dome.
Pile of broken rocks at the base of Turtle Dome.
Also looks like some fun climbing could be had.
Close-up
The southeast flank of Turtle Dome. Looks like a very...
The mighty Fletcher rushing down past Turtle Dome.
Jay at a lookout near what we named Fletcher Dome.
Some wild looking crags and spires in the Clark Range in...
Hiking down along Fletcher Creek.
Jay named this one on the left Hamburglar Dome.
"None shall pass"
Lewis Creek, before joining with the mighty Fletcher.
Bridges of Yosemite. Catherine, I thought you'd...
Looking upstream on Lewis Creek.
Merced Lake, and Half Dome, barely visible in the forest...
Zoomed in on Half Dome.
Jay, Merced Lake, and Hazy Half Dome (barely visible)
Observing the view. We planned to camp near Half Dome so...
Jay and Hamburglar Dome.
Some tall mountains in the east.
Lizard! We saw lots of these.
The Fletcher before joining the with the Merced.
Jay looking at big trees. Many had to be over 200 feet tall.
Weird oil slicks in Merced Lake.
There is a trout somewhere in here. The Merced River.
The Merced, rushing down from Merced Lake.
The Merced is the river that makes up Nevada and Vernal...
View of more domes.
We've gone 17 miles already. Actually more like 19. At...
New growth pine forest in a swamp.
The Merced, starting to slot up around Moraine Dome
Jay, crossing the Merced in Echo Valley. I was...
Looking upstream at the calm Merced before it enters...
Jay, hiking near a dome that must be Echo Dome or...
A place where stopped to rest and considered camping. I...
Looking at the trail ahead in a lower and less exposed valley.
20+ miles down and still hiking.
Looking a little tired? Never.
The mighty Merced.
View of Moraine Dome and a contrail.
One more shot of the Merced, still running high for mid-August.
The next few hours were spent hiking furiously fast and...
The freezing river water actually felt pretty good.
Sleepytime! Our ultralight camping setup: lightweight...
Waking up the next morning.
Getting ready to go. On the trail by 7:30 or so, once again.
Half Dome, Liberty Cap, and Nevada Falls.
Jay hiking the John Muir trail down to the Valley.
Jay and Nevada Falls and Liberty Cap.
Posing for the camera.
Vernal Falls.
View of Vernal Falls from a great lookout on a connector...
317 feet down. And the bulk of the water hits a huge...
Snake Dike on Half Dome, where Monica and I climbed last...
Another shot of Half Dome, and Snake Dike, visible at...
Mist Trail from as viewed from the top of Vernal Falls....
Vernal Falls from the Mist Trail.
SIngle Rainbow all the way!
Hiking the Mist Trail, very close to where Jay's old...
In Yosemite Valley! Lost Arrow Tip Spire. There is a...
An attempt to take a photo through a telescope of a team...
Pretty neat program. I had never heard of it before.
Generally a view of the Zodiac route. There are at least...
Zoomed in shot of a rope-soloist very close to the top.
Sign on the trail to the base of El Capitan.
Some climbers, starting up the Nose of El Capitan.
El Capitan, from the base.
Jay, and El Capitan.
I spent the last hour before our bus left to take us...
Setting sun on Lembert Dome, Saturday night, our last...
John leading the first pitch of Northwest Books (5.6) on...
Top of Northwest Books just before sunset.
On the hike off Lembert Dome from Northwest Books with...
Sunset over Tuolumne Meadows.
Walking off on 3rd class slabs.
Cathedral Peak with the moon.
Mel and Monica surveying the view ahead.
Mel, Monica and Jasper survey the road ahead. The Grand...
Mel, crossing to the south side of the Tuolumne River.
Crossing the Tuolumne River on a footbridge.
Monica, observing a cascading section of the Tuolumne River.
View upstream.
One of the first waterfalls on our trip.
Stopping for lunch near Glen Aulin, about 6 miles in.
A large granite formation on the north side of the canyon.
Up close. Looks like difficult climbing.
Ox bow bend in the river.
Hiking deeper into the canyon, the walls on both sides...
More tall walls, and a surprising number of fluffy white clouds.
A wildflower explosion!
Monica and a gnarled dead tree.
Mel, approaching an overlook for Waterwheel Falls.
Monica and the Gran Canyon of the Tuolumne ahead.
Looking at Water Wheel Falls.
Monica and John.
The whole gang, taken by a friendly hiker we met at the...
The scenery ahead. More domes and forest and canyon.
Monica in her color-coordinated hiking outfit.
Mel looking back on Waterwheel Falls as we continued down trail.
Hiking through manzanita.
Mel, pulling up the rear.
Jasper, who was always willing to pump water for the...
Monica, relaxing on the bridge over Return Creek.
Passing over Return Creek, and stopping to take a photo.
Following the mighty Tuolumne down canyon.
Another field of wildflowers.
Beautiful emerald pools dotted the river as we worked...
The bugs come out but Monica is prepared.
We passed through a large section of forest that had...
Hark! A waterfall. We found our campsite, with a view of...
Monica unpacks our bivy and starts to set it up.
View of our campsite: Mel sets up Jasper and Mel's tent...
Cathedral Creek, as viewed from our campsite. The moon...
Jasper doing some stretches in camp, and the setting sun...
Monica, and a better view of our sleeping area, complete...
The sun sets behind our campsite.
Jasper and Mel, as we start to prepare dinner.
Heating up some water for the first course of our five...
Moon, setting behind the south wall of the canyon, above...
Bye-bye, moon!
Finishing dinner in the dark.
Morning light in the canyon.
Monica doesn't want to get out of bed.
After countless unsuccessful attempts, Monica becomes...
Ta-da!
Everyone brought a different color Nalgene, except for...
Jasper, our tireless waterboy pumps from a precarious...
Around 9:30 we were finally on the road and by virtue of...
The road ahead.
Marching down through some boulders.
View of a towering wall to the south.
Marching through the woods, where there are these...
Beautiful stretch of the Tuolumne, with Jasper, Mel and Monica.
River stones.
Bright forest greens as we descend lower and lower....
The crew surveying the surrounding hills.
Mel and Jasper looking ahead. As we dropped lower and...
Monica, at the top of a bypass around the Muir Gorge, a...
The crew just before descending a steep section of...
Waterfall at the junction of Rodgers Creek, I think.
Rejoining the mighty Tuolumne, now at < 5000 ft elevation.
Jasper goes on a water slide.
Getting ready for the plunge.
Go Jasper!
Caterpillar on the rock after I got out of the river.
Cruising along.
From our swimming hole, the trail gained some elevation...
Headed into the hot afternoon. Hiking around 5,000 feet at 1pm.
Cascades and the view back up canyon
More wildflowers.
Mel in a field of wildflowers.
Mel in a field of wildflowers, again.
After a long, uphill slog, Hetch Hetchy comes into view.
Monica, Jasper and Mel. There was actually someone...
As we climbed higher, the day wore on and the shadows got long.
Finally, after much reconnoitering, we found what we...
While the fire really got going, Mel reported that she...
... which had basically this view.
So we put out our first fire, packed up our stuff and...
Everyone waves from our aviary-esque pint-size campsite...
The camera's timer function barely gave me enough time...
While we cook dinner, sun sets over the Hetch Hetchy.
Monica cooking dinner.
Hanging out by the fire after dark.
Morning comes to the best campsite ever. This was the...
Sunlight to the east.
Sunlight to the east.
Hetch Hetchy now fully bathed in sunlight.
Morning calisthenics before our last 8 miles back out to...
Zoomed in view of where river meets reservoir.
View from where we slept.
A little less angled.
Jasper and Monica, saying good-bye to our raptor's nest campsite.
Packing up to get on the trail.
Zoomed in view of Hetch Hetchy from the campsite.
With our shadows.
Sign showing how far we had come: 26.1 miles in two days...
Same sign with the hikers.
Someone found a bird's nest and had a snack.
Very zoomed in shot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range,...
Back up at 7,500 feet, Monica hiking through the forest...
A field of wildflowers.
We were treated to miles of wildflowers on the last...
Lots of different colors. After this, we hiked by Lukens...
Monica climbs The Boltway (5.8) on Stately Pleasure Dome...
Pulling through on The Boltway on Stately Pleasure Dome.
Looking for the next move.
The day was clear as a bell, but also windy and a bit cold.
At the top of the last pitch on The Boltway. The Boltway...
Almost to the anchor.
From here on the angle dropped off and we could walk off...
Can you spot Half Dome in the background?
After lunch, Monica and I headed over to Lembert Dome...
Looking down Northwest Books (5.6). Monica led the...
Storms roll in over the high country in the background....
View to the south.
Walking off in the sunset.
John and Monica racking up at the base of Holdless...
John and Monica Tying in and sorting gear.
John seconding the first pitch after Monica's lead.
Rope still life. This was the rope I was trailing to...
John and Monica sorting gear at the top of the first...
Holdless Horror: Take 2. Alex, Monica and I climb as a...
Alex having fun on the cheekily-named Holdless Horror,...
A little less exposure.
John, racked up to lead pitch 3.
Alex at the third second or third belay ledge.
John seconding the crux second pitch after Monica's lead.
The monster off-width at the start of pitch 2.
Alex airing his aching feet at the top of pitch 2.
Alex, racked up to lead pitch 4 of Holdless Horror (5.6).
Monica, walking to the top of Dozier Dome for a late,...
Lunch time: Monica and Alex with (from left to right)...
Group photo at the top of Dozier Dome.
John at the top of Holdless Horror on Dozier Dome.
Monica, ready for a late, late lunch.
John, hiking in on the approach to West Crack (5.9) on...
Monica, on the hike in to West Crack (5.9) on Sunday morning.
Alex, self portrait on the approach to DAFF Dome's West...
The imposing west face of DAFF Dome, stretching 700 feet...
Monica, moving past the slick 5.9 move at the base of...
Belay ledge at the start of the climb.
Our (bolted) hanging belay at the top of pitch 1.
John consulting the guide book before starting pitch 2,...
View to the west from the top of pitch 1.
John belaying Monica, leading the fourth pitch of West...
Monica placing some gear on the fourth pitch of West...
View of Tioga Road and Lamb Dome, and behind it Drug...
View to the northwest: Cathedral Creek drainage. Our...
Monica at a good resting spot on lead, fourth pitch of...
Monica on lead on the fourth pitch of DAFF Dome.
Alex, at the top of pitch 2, as another climbing party...
Monica and I resting our weary feet on a comfy ledge...
Zoomed in shot of our car: We were pretty sure we saw...
Alex, triumphantly perched atop DAFF Dome, anchored to...
Alex, belaying Monica up the final pitch of West Crack (5.9)
The massive north face of Fairview Dome, finally getting...
Alex, belaying Monica up the last 50 feet.
Height of this route was about 700 feet.
Moving up some easy fifth class terrain.
Natural bridge rock cairn at the top of DAFF Dome....
View to the north off the top of Daff Dome.
Alex and Monica sorting gear and cleaning up after the climb.
Monica with Fairview Dome in the background. Monica is...
Alex packs up gear. Evidence of the recent massive...
Portrait, with the camera balanced on a rock (visible in...
Monica finds the rappel anchors. Her head is sticking...
DAFF Dome casts its shadow to the east. Tuolumne Meadows...
Monica, hanging free on rappel off the east side of DAFF Dome.
Monica helps make Alex a rope backpack on our way back...
Our team back on terra firma looking happy and content...
Group shot that could use some photoshop love.
North side of Fairview, basking in late afternoon sun....
Hiking back to the car.
John, on the summit of DAFF Dome.
View to the north from the summit of DAFF Dome.
East Cottage Dome, I think. There were some climbers...
Fairview Dome.
Blurry shot of breakfast in the dark at 6:30 am before...
Monica, still in the shade around 8:30am at the top of...
Looking down from the start of pitch 5.
Yosemite Valley in the fall.
Sun creeping up above Half Dome. Now it's hot out!
John, taking a self portrait at the top of pitch 6 (I...
Another party above us at the top of pitch 7.
Monica, arriving at the belay ledge at top of pitch 6,...
Blurry shot with Monica at the top of pitch 6 and the...
View from the top of pitch 8: The party above us (Jesse...
Monica, starting pitch 9, a.k.a. the pendulum pitch. I...
Monica, clipping in to the fixed rope swing (the white...
Getting ready to swing.
First attempt.
Trying to get purchase.
Trying to hold on.
Grabbing for a hold.
About to make it?
D'oh.
Attempt #2.
Getting purchase again.
Hmm...
Ok, third time is the charm.
Going for it.
Moving feet up on tiny micro-nubs.
A little bit closer now...
Bingo!
Two hands.
Wait, one hand?
Why are you looking that way?
Grabbing for it.
Two hands again.
Here we go.
Getting feet up higher. At this point Monica wanted me...
Elevensies snack at the base of pitch 11.
View of Happy Isles / Illilouette Falls and the Glacier...
Rope mess.
Nipping at the heels of the party in front of us on...
Beach working his way up a lieback on pitch 12.
Monica finishing up pitch 13.
After this point the climbing eased up considerably as...
Trying to manage the ropes while belaying Monica at the...
Monica, tying in to the anchor at the top of pitch 15...
Monica, performing the pyschological crux of the route:...
Almost out of the woods, or rather almost into the woods.
Getting a bit closer.
Down-climbing the last ten feet of Royal Arches to...
Removing the last cam, at around 1:45. So, about 6 hours...
Lunchtime at the bivy ledge at the top of Royal Arches....
Monica eating lunch.
Scrambling up the last several hundred yards to the valley rim.
Since we had finished before our cut-off time of 2pm, I...
So instead we were treated to great views of the Valley...
The open granite slabs were a welcome change from the...
The views kept getting better and better.
Half Dome, just coming into view from behind the slabs...
Up up up we go.
Higher and higher.
Navigating past a tricky spot.
North Dome and Half Dome (and Monica). There is a...
So, I sort of messed up in estimating exactly which...
Regaining the park service trail at around 5pm, after...
Stopping at a scenic overlook to look over some scenery.
Monica and Half Dome.
John doing his best to recreate the photo Mom has framed...
Non-zoomed in shot of Half Dome.
Somewhat zoomed in.
Very zoomed in.
A very steep drainage into the valley.
Looking down from Yosemite Point.
Half Dome and most of Yosemite Village, including a very...
I might have messed up the first time, but this second...
More views off the edge of Yosemite Point. Certainly a...
Yikes, that's pretty steep. Lower Yosemite Falls / Creek...
Funny looking rock.
Monica wants to know what this is. Some sort of chestnut?
Sentinel Rock?
Sunset and alpenglow on Half Dome.
Alpenglow starts to fade and then the sky really lights up!
Yosemite Falls just before dark.
On Sunday morning Monica and I headed over to Manure...
Here Monica works her way through the crux 5.8 first...
The first pitch was an awesome splitter hand crack that...
Monica climbing first pitch of After Seven.
Monica stacking hands on the wider second half of the...
Past the hardest part.
Blurry picture of Monica climbing the third pitch of...
Monica, following the final relatively straightforward...
Monica making a crux traverse on the sixth and final...
Getting a leg out.
Monica flaking the rope at the top of Manure Pile Buttress.
Monica at the top of Manure Pile Buttress.
Marlin, following at our heels, almost at the top of After Six.
View to the east from the top of Manure Pile Buttress.
Monica and Yosemite Valley with Half Dome and Sentinel...
John at the top of Manure Pile Buttress, relaxing his feet.
John and Sentinel Rock / Half Dome / Royal Arches.
Pretty good view of Royal Arches where we climbed yesterday
Royal arches, Tenaya Canyon / Clouds Rest, Half Dome.
I photographed Royal Arches from our vantage point atop...
Royal Arches without the markup.
Monica, Marlin and Dong eating lunch at the top of...
View of our climb from back at the bottom.
Monica, packing up to go climbing Saturday morning.
The great part about camping at Lower Pines is we don't...
Alex needs some practice pitching a tent. Check out the...
Fall colors come to Yosemite Valley.
Sun rises above the shoulder of Half Dome during the...
Crossing the Merced River.
5.8 offwidth at the start of Super Slide. I forget the...
Monica, ready to start Super Slide.
John, ready to start up Super Slide. Did I mention it was hot?
John, climbing the 5.2 first pitch of Super Slide (5.9).
Monica, seconding Pitch 2 of Super Slide (5.9).
Pitch 3 of Super Slide, at the upper right of the photo...
Alex on lead on pitch 4 of Super Slide (5.9)
John, pulling up rope at the hanging belay at the top of...
John, baking in the sun at the top of pitch 3 of Super...
Jeff on lead while Jen belays on pitch 4 of Super Slide (5.9).
Jeff, pulling the 5.8 crux on pitch 4 of Super Slide.
Jen following on pitch 4 of Super Slide (5.9) I was able...
Jen, looking below.
Jen working her way up pitch 4 of Super Slide.
Jen smiling for the camera.
Marlin having fun leading pitch 3 of Super Slide (5.9).
Marlin throwing in a hand jam on pitch 3 of Super Slide (5.9).
Marlin moving up pitch 3.
Reaching for another jam on pitch 3 of Super Slide.
Monica arriving at belay station 3.
Alex, at belay station 3, waiting to rappel on Super Slide (5.9)
View from Pitch 3 on Super Slide. Not a bad backdrop for...
Monica climbing pitch 5 of Super Slide.
Half Dome, on the walk from the climb back to our campsite.
View of Church Bowl and Bishop's Terrace (5.8) which we...
Royal Arches, Washington Column and Half Dome in the...
Our campsite at Lower Pines in Yosemite Valley, right...
Deciding the weather was just too hot in the Valley, on...
Alex and Monica standing by a sign that says that a...
Eating lunch under the SE buttress of Cathedral Peak.
View of the climb.
Alex leading the first pitch of Cathedral Peak (5.6)
John hanging out at the base, not leading for once.
Going to church at Cathedral Peak on Sunday morning.
View to the southeast. There have already been a few...
Alex, leading pitch 1 of Cathedral Peak.
John at the base of Cathedral Peak.
John following on pitch 1.
Suiting up to climb.
Monica getting out the sunscreen (good idea).
The base of the climb.
Monica following the first pitch.
The color of the sky was so dark blue. Is this because...
John belaying at the top of pitch 3 on Cathedral Peak.
Alex climbing pitch 3 on Cathedral Peak. On pitch 3 we...
Alex, finishing up pitch 3.
John at the top of pitch 4, back in the sunshine.
Alex looking down from the top of pitch 4. Cathedral...
John at the top of pitch 4.
Monica seconding the second or third pitch.
Into the shade at the top of pitch 3.
John climbing pitch 5.
John entering the chimney (darn backpack) at the start...
Saying hi for the camera.
Monica belaying John up the chimney.
We got cold very quickly in the shade.
John moving up out of the chimney and back onto more...
J
View from pitch 4
Some new snow on the echo ridge.
Budd Lake.
Beautiful scenery for our climb.
Alex, finishing up pitch 5 on Cathedral Peak
John, consulting the beta, trying to figure out which...
Huh, right or left.
John, belaying Alex the last 30 feet to the walk off.
Hanging out on the top of Cathedral Peak in the late...
Shadow cast by Cathedral Peak on Tuolumne Meadows. That...
Alex and John, hanging out on the summit of Cathedral...
Zoomed out a bit.
Monica, back in the sunshine, somewhat.
Eichorn's Pinnacle with a guy on top of it and Cathedral...
Monica climbing the last pitch.
John at the summit of Cathedral Peak, as the sun sets.
Looking northwest from the summit of Cathedral.
John and Monica sort out the second rope.
Sunset over Eichorn's Pinnacle. That guy up there must...
One of the better Sierra sunsets I've seen in a while.
We enjoy the beginning of the evening hiking down the...
Alex pitches his tent much better on the second go.
Trying Generator Crack (5.10c) on toprope on Monday...
We all gave a valiant effort and Monica got the farthest...
There were brief moments during which we weren't...
Belaying from the grandstands...
Monica, actually not using the tree, who got the...
Monica climbing Generator Crack (5.10c).
Monica cranking on Generator Crack (5.10c).
Alex, on a somewhat misguided 5.9 that ended up being a...
Alex, shut down on the first crux.
Alex sweating it out on New Diversions wall. I think the...
John, taking a stab at Conductor Crack (5.10d) across...
The book describes Conductor as a hard and technical...
Raaaawwwrr.
Rats. The crux involved finger locks and a strenuous and...
Hooking a finger lock and starting to transition to a lieback.
Trying to balance the lieback.
Yes! Past the crux.
Monica, trying her hand, or fingers on Conductor Crack (5.10d).
Monica climbing Conductor (5.10d)
Comparing hands after climbing Conductor crack that afternoon.
On Saturday morning, the temperature in Upper Pines...
We ran into our friends Dong and Marlin, whom we have...
The first pitch was an awesome finger crack that widened...
And then at the top of pitch 2 we converged on the...
Three way high five. I think we'll submit the first one.
Philip and Heather and the cluster - of climbers above...
Monica, and two old-school climbers from Santa Cruz...
Marlin, after winning the coin toss, heads up pitch 3...
Marlin, jamming in a really comfortable hand crack.
Moving on up. Royal Arches, Washington Column and Clouds...
Marlin jamming away.
Marlin on the sharp end of the rope.
Dong, belaying Marlin. Nice pedicure by the way!
Monica, also hanging out sans-climbing shoes on our big ledge.
Dong and Monica.
Marlin, maybe half way up pitch 3 of Nutcracker (5.8).
I gave the camera to Dong and she snapped a few photos...
John moving up pitch 3 to the anchor at Marlin's waist.
Trying for another high-five photo. Not bad, though...
Dong, leading pitch 4 of Nutcracker (5.8).
Monica following pitch 3 as the climbers from Santa Cruz wait.
Monica hand-jamming up pitch 3. The climbers from Santa...
Monica, climbing pitch 3 of Nutcracker (5.8).
Monica, getting near the top of pitch 3.
Monica hangs out a few feet shy of the belay ledge as...
Just hanging out.
Dong, pulling a roof on pitch 4 of Nutcracker (5.8).
Monica, climbing pitch 4 of Nutcracker.
Monica on the final stretch of pitch 4 of Nutcracker...
Dong, pulling the 5.8 crux of the route: a dead-vertical...
Chris, hand jamming his way up pitch 4.
Just couldn't resist taking a few photos since he seemed...
Monica hanging (literally) at the belay at the top of pitch 4.
Chris, climbing pitch 4, again.
Marlin, at the top of Nutcracker (5.8). A fun day, and a...
Monica, approaching the top of the climb.
Making the last couple of moves.
Annnnd.... done.
On the hike back down.
Walking back down to the bottom.
East Buttress of El Cap silhouetted against the main wall.
Stopping to take in the view on the way back to our camp...
On Sunday morning, Monica and I got out early to get in...
I recommended left side in.
Smiling for the camera.
Getting inside the off-width.
Making the difficult first couple of moves.
And through the worst of it.
At the anchor.
Pitch 2 of Bishop's Terrace was the real business....
Moving up the double-crack system.
Monica hugging the refrigerator.
Getting some hand jams in.
Monica jamming away.
Moving a hand up.
Jamming up the final headwall.
Getting a full hand two hand jam.
Basically at the top.
Monica, looking a bit tired.
Monica didn't like my compliment on her new hairdo.
John the horse at the base of El Cap.
Looking up at the Salathe Wall. Can horses climb?
John, on the first pitch of Salathe Wall on El Capitan.
Climbing up the first pitch of Salathe Wall (5.10c).
Up up up.
Still near the bottom.
Much higher up on the first pitch of Salathe Wall (5.10c).
John, hugging the double-crack system on the first pitch...
Joe, starting up Salathe Wall.
Ian, also on Salathe Wall, pitch 1. If you zoom in, you...
Great note, pinned to a rock on the approach trail to El Cap.
Last weekend Jeff and I took a trip to Yosemite Valley...
When aid climbing, using gear and ropes to make upward...
Next step: haul the pigs. We named this big one Babe and...
Anchor setup for hauling at the top of pitch 2. There...
View from our vertical camp site of part of the Salathe Wall.
Middle and Upper (or Lower) Cathedral Spires.
Self portrait at top of pitch 2 of the Muir Wall.
Jeff aiding up the second pitch.
Jeff approaching the belay.
Spot the climbers. I think there are at least 3.
Sun setting on Cathedral Rocks.
Jeff taking in the view from our camp.
Jeff aiding La Escuela (5.11b free, not sure what the...
Jeff posing for a photo.
Looking for a piece to place.
Making progress.
John on his first aid lead: first pitch of La Escuela.
A little closer.
And with El Cap looming above.
Quite the surprise when we returned to base of Muir Wall...
But was actually dropped food from the portaledge 350+...
Spaghetti-o grenades. We got some schrapnel on the haul...
Monica climbing pitch 2 of Direct Northwest Face of...
John on lead on pitch 3 of Direct Northwest Face of...
Back to business.
View of the Meadows, center of my universe.
Alex climbing up to the .10a crux.
Getting a solid jam.
Reaching for it.
Scoping out the road ahead.
The crux finger crack pitch.
Getting ready to fire it.
Starting to lead the crux pitch.
Getting a ringlock and tiptoeing around.
Ready to fire it.
Doing my best not to fall on my trusty belayers.
Monica stoked to be climbing Direct Northwest Face!
Up up and away.
Staying on my toes.
Monica belaying.
Monica and John at Top of Direct Northwest Face of Lembert.
At the top!
My helmet is always crooked.
Coming down off the slabs from Lembert Dome.
Can you spot Alex Honnold?
4am found us up and at 'em packing up camp and headed to...
Sun rising in Yosemite Valley.
We weren't the only ones to show up.
Relaxing. Central Pillar of Frenzy (a climbing route)...
El Capitan! The Nose goes basically straight up the...
Alex (shirtless, bottom left) about to take the first...
John and Alex
Hans leading after the pendulums, standing on a chockstone.
Alex, gripping what looks like an enormous chockstone...
Alex on Dolt Tower, Hans leading on toward El Cap Tower....
Alex managing the rope while Hans climbs.
Hans on Texas Flake.
Hans Florine on the top of Texas Flake (does it look...
Hans leading the bolt ladder up to Boot Flake while Alex...
Hans leading boot flake to set up the king swing.
Alex Honnold belays Hans up the intimidating leaning...
Almost to the top.
From the top of the Boot Flake, Hans is lowered and can...
Hans swinging across to Eagle Ledge on the king swing.
Alex now takes the lead. The transition was very...
Hans following Alex on the Lynn Hill traverse.
I see maybe one piece of protection between the...
Alex passes a NIAD (Nose-In-A-Day) party that had...
Alex, leading the great roof approach in cruise mode,...
Almost out of frame...
Monica and Alex, ready to go get breakfast at the Yosemite Lodge.
Alex approaches the great roof. His technique was...
45 seconds later, almost across.
And 3 minutes later finds Alex leading Pancake Flake.
Awkward 5.11c stemming finish to Pancake Flake. With...
Hans almost catches up to Alex. Alex has mostly been...
Alex, somewhere around Changing Corners (the hardest...
A photographer hanging from an identical green rope...
Hans jugging up the hardest pitch of the route. NB: it...
Alex rehydrates from a pre-stashed (?) water container.
Alex pulling some serious moves towards the top of the climb.
Standing victorious on top. 2900 feet in 2 hours and 23 minutes.
After breakfast we headed back to El Cap to do some...
Getting my balance.
Throwing in a nut.
Found an OK rest.
Moving on up.
My face barely kissing the El Cap headwall (Salathe...
Monica breezing through the wide crux of Moby Dick (5.10a).
With the sky.
We ran into Yosemite Hardman Jim, who has climbed El Cap...
Looks fun right? Jim says you can buy these knee pads at...
Getting an upside-down chicken wing to allow a rest....
Nothing says raptor closure like comic sans.
Tourists taking photos of El Capitan.
Monica on her first real outdoor aid climb. Jugging and...
Higher up, almost done cleaning the first pitch.
While I was leading the second pitch, Allan and April...
Monica and April on La Escuela. Allan belaying from the...
The famous heart ledge. Took a picture for Monica since...
I think this is what in the military would be called a...
Monica, climbing over the lip of Crescent Arch (5.10b),...
At least my rope and knee is in laser-sharp focus.
You can see the folks at the previous belay (over at the...
The next party leading pitch 4 of Crescent Arch.
John and Monica on the top of DAFF Dome, with Fairview...
The enormous crescent arch on DAFF Dome. The climb...
DAFF Dome and Crescent Arch from the car.
On Sunday, Marlin, Dong, Monica and myself set out to...
Our trail left from Tuolumne Meadows and meandered north...
At a fork in the road.
The high Sierra country was in prime season: glowing...
As we neared Young Lakes we passed by Ragged Peak, and...
Closeup.
And farther away.
Looming in the distance is Mt. Conness. We really didn't...
Finally a somewhat clear view of the southwest face of...
Monica crossing a tiny stream on our cross-country...
Marlin, indicating the way forward.
Dong hiking (Monica and Marlin in the distance). Getting...
Conness seems to be getting a bit closer. Our climb...
Once out of the woods, we proceeded across easy terrain...
Dong, cooking dinner at camp as the clouds roll in over Conness.
And almost as soon as the clouds rolled in they were gone.
Eating dinner in camp on Sunday night.
Sunset over the Sierra Nevada. Looking south from our camp.
Alpenglow on Conness at sunset.
Monica gets ready to go to sleep in preparation for our...
Going to sleep early.
As it turned out, the evening was not so restful. Strong...
It was a windy morning so we bundled up in our...
Up the alpine slopes to the west ridge of Conness.
Alpine streams are my favorite.
Marlin, taking up the lead.
The West Ridge, looming above.
Monica.
Climbing up the talus at the base of the climb.
Pointing out a plant that smelled very strongly of mint.
Scrambling the last couple hundred yards. Marlin and...
View from the base of the climb. Half Dome is plainly...
Slightly zoomed in on (from left to right) Cathedral...
Dong, overlapping on the second pitch of West Ridge of...
Monica, making a delicate traverse on the second pitch...
At the end of the "hard" section. At this point, we kept...
Monica, stoked on the knife-edge west Ridge of Mt....
Climbing along the knife edge ridge.
A view of the exposure off to the left.
Climbing on an easier section.
Monica's got a lot of necklaces on.
Monica, climbing on a huge block.
I think that's about
Getting close to the top on easy terrain.
You can even see Tenaya Lake (near Half Dome in the background).
Relaxing near the summit.
Believe it or not there were marmots up here on this...
View to the west.
South
And East.
Climbing the last bit to the summit.
Monica near the summit.
Marlin, finding the summit register.
Marlin, with the summit register.
Looking off to the north.
Marlin, pointing out the Sawtooth Range to Dong.
Relaxing on the summit.
Signing the guest book.
Enjoying the cramped space on the summit.
Here we are!
View back towards camp.
... and zoomed in.
... and zoomed in even more. I swear our camp is just to...
Conness glacier.
Walking off the summit.
There's actually a pretty good trail along the east ridge.
Hiking along the east ridge to a plateau in the distance.
There was a trail going down this chute; to where I do not know.
Downclimbing a tricky part.
Back on (mostly) level ground for a while.
John
Apparently I did not do a very good job of coiling the rope.
Traversing a narrow ridge over to the plateau.
Southwest face of Mt. Conness, viewed from the side.
Stone wind rings on the plateau.
About to cross a small snowfield.
I found a USGS marker.
Another view of the southwest face.
Another view of the southwest face.
Crossing a small snowfield.
And now the fun part of the descent... a long and steep...
View of the West Ridge in profile.
The scree/talus/bush field we just descended.
Back on somewhat more friendly terrain.
Almost back to the valley.
Mt. Conness, nearly back at camp again.
Walking the last quarter mile or so.
And the fog rolls in for the second afternoon in a row.
View to the south.
Marlin and Dong's ultralight tube tent, i.e. a large...
Monica collecting mosquitos as usual.
Relaxing in camp.
With the mountain in the background.
More fog.
Going on a water run on Tuesday morning before we hike out.
Camp's packed up and we're ready to hit the trail.
Headed back for civilization.
Crossing a small stream.
I love alpine streams and meadows.
Back at Young Lake, where we pick up the NPS trail that...
Snack break on the trail.
Headed back to the meadows. Large gray dome at left...
Hiking along. Clark Range barely visible (dark colored...
Cathedral, Matthes, Mariolumne, Tenaya, Fairview and all...
Back side of Lembert directly ahead, I think.
Another resting spot.
Crossing a river on tricky rocks.
Dong balancing.
Monica plotting a plan of action.
Arriving back in the meadows we're greeted by a few deer grazing.
Crying Time Again (5.10a) the 6-pitch climb on Lembert...
Monica made a friend in camp. (Tuolumne Meadows...
Our potentially psychotic and or drugged out neighbor...
As luck would have it, Jay was able to transform part of...
Jay quickly convinced the entire group (Monica, John,...
At which point the ladies unfolded their camp chairs and...
The climb, named - appropriately enough - Bad Ass Momma,...
This steep, overhanging crack required any number of...
Looks fun, right?
Jay, nearly at the top.
Victorious, after 30 feet of progress on unlikely terrain.
Soaked from all the work
I've never seen one of these! On the hike back to the car...
Sunday's task was far more reasonable. Though it had...
Hanging around. Jay and Monica from the second belay....
Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne in the background. A...
Looking down at the sublime 3rd pitch... 150 feet of...
One more shot.
Monica on the sharp end of the rope on pitch 4.
Hanging out at the very comfortable belay ledge at the...
Jay coming up pitch 4, on relatively moderate terrain.
Jay working on his Tuolumne edging skills. Next time...
Jay and Monica coming up the final and 5th pitch to the...
Monica on pitch 5 of West Crack, just feet from the top.
Monica and John somehow ended up with nearly matching...
John, Monica, and the rock that was my anchor for the last pitch.
Jay, taking a rest on top. Mt. Conness visible next to...
Mariolumne Dome, Lamb Dome, and in between them in the...
Jay walking off the back side of DAFF Dome to the rappel route.
Monica headed down first, with the north face of...
Jay, ditto.
As we hiked our way along the southwest toe of DAFF dome...
Finger crack leading to low angle, gold-colored very...
Monica belaying Jay.
Jay backed down near the top of the route, since he...
Placing the smallest nut I had in the thin vein of a...
Well, here goes.
Careful foot placements.
Got to the first bolt and clipped a draw.
Moving past it.
Trying a high step.
Resting. Need to work out calf muscles at gym more.
From farther away.
Ok, enough resting. It was so desperately thin...
On the move.
Got to the second bolt.
Looking for the anchor.
And at the anchor.
Monica, always the patient belayer.
Monica, giving it a whirl on top rope.
The moon rising over Fairview Dome.
Monica, making a move.
Delicate feet. Monica cruised up this in probably less...
Just about to the top.
Monica, cleaning the anchor and getting ready to rappel.
Rappelling back to the base while Jay gives a belay. In...
Monica, racking up in the parking lot at the east end of...
Some guy who was having a picnic offered to take our photo.
Mountaineers Dome Our climbing route starts in the...
On Saturday Alex, Monica and I decided to tackle a 5...
Monica making it up the first 5.9 pitch.
Working hard to get a cam out. John's hands belaying.
Pitch 1 from the bottom. John is at the top belaying.
Alex at the base of our climb, Pywiack dome in the background.
Monica, sorting some rope on the enormous first belay...
View across the valley of the penny royal arches.
John's lead ropes on pitch 2.
John, belaying at the the top of pitch 2. It was a warm day.
View from top of the 2nd pitch, including (from left to...
John belaying from a perch at the top of pitch 2 where I...
Monica coming up the 5.10a fingers section on pitch 2.
Monica at the belay.
On the fun traversing pitch 4. 5.7 traverse without much...
Monica belaying while John climbs the 5.10b crux pitch 3.
From the top of the slick corner. Pywiack again and...
Monica at the top of pitch 4.
Alex rounding the top of pitch 4.
With Cathedral Peak in the background.
John, at the top of pitch 4.
Monica on the 5.7 no-pro traverse on pitch 4.
Monica on the 4th class descent.
Beautiful Tenaya Lake.
Alex on the descent.
Finding our way through the slabs.
Cathedral Peak catching the evening light.
On the hike back down.
Hiking back to the car.
Alex and Tenaya Lake in the background.
Taking a breather and switching back to approach shoes...
We climbed to the top of that! Coming down the last of...
Quaking aspen wearing its fall colors.
Sunday morning saw the real adventure: a line on...
The climb is called Lucky Streaks: 6 pitches, closer to...
Sunday, in the parking lot before heading to Lucky...
Monica, at the base of Lucky Streaks on Sunday morning.
Our climbing route.
I am at the top of the second pitch (5.10a) and Monica...
Monica, coming up the top of pitch 1.
Alex, on the 3rd pitch, taking a break after trying a...
At the top of the climb, just after sunset. Headlamp on...
Sans-headlamp.
Moonrise on the descent down 3rd and 2nd class slabs....
Sierra sunset from the top of Fairview Dome.
Eating the last of our food and drinking the last of our...
Alex.
On the way to our climb at Five Open Books (near Lower...
Monica climbing the second pitch of The Surprise (5.10a)...
Monica, having fun on the sustained second pitch.
View of Sentinel Rock from the top of Five Open Books.
Not a bad backdrop to an afternoon of climbing. Royal...
Tying in at the base of Middle Cathedral Rock.
John climbing up pitch 3 through a beautiful section of...
Pulling through the roof on pitch 3.
An oldie but a goodie... Monica climbing a pitch 4 or 5...
John peeking around to see what's up there.
After the roof the crack widens significantly to about...
Small chimney on pitch 5.
John and Dong at the 5th and final belay ledge of...
5:47 PM... on the rappel down.
Monica on the epic 0.8 mile 1500 feet of elevation gain...
Lower Cathedral Spire on the approach!
The epic approach did have a nice view. Note Yosemite...
Nice looking chockstone at the beginning of the 4th...
Looking up at the money pitches (4 & 5) of South By Southwest.
Monica gets ready to follow the 4th pitch.
Monica past the tricky 5.10d crux on pitch 4.
Pitch 5, a.k.a. the money pitch: 5.10 steep hands...
Monica coming through the cave to the summit of the tower.
View from the top of Lower Cathedral Spire: El Capitan.
Yosemite Valley including roaring Yosemite Falls at the left.
Self portrait on the summit.
Monica on the summit.
Monica and El Cap.
Pondering the yonder.
Great view of El Capitan.
On rappel on the way back down. This route was steep! I...
Monica, fixing a rappel on the way back down. "Pitch 4"...
Back at the base of the spire. Monica after our 5th and...
Monica on the hike back down the endless boulder field.
Sentinel Rock
El Cap at sunset.
View from the trail.
Yosemite Falls was raging and the Merced river was brimming.
Dogwood trees were in bloom.
After 3+ years of waiting, Jeff finally got his custom...
Merced River Sunday morning near Cookie Cliff on Highway 140.
Me at the top of pitch 1 of Outer Limits at Cookie...
Ringneck snake at the base of the climbing routes.
Joe gives a spot while Dong tries Crack-a-Go-Go (5.11c)...
Merced River and Bridal Veil falls in the background. If...