A very fine start

You know how I can tell I'm in California?  My back is killing me.  The final day in the car apparently didn't sit too well, and I've been stretching and doing yoga like a madman to try to remedy this annoyance. It hasn't kept me from climbing and hiking around, but I'm beginning to take all that "30 and over the hill" talk as the truth.  Damn it.

As for the start of this little road trip, Josh and I got things going in Rifle.  I was happy to have the chance to get back into the canyon and send one final project before it gets too cold, and also for the opportunity to hang with friends before a few weeks away.  The weather in Rifle was perfect, and I was sad to say goodbye.  Fortunately for me, my buddy Jesse was out for the weekend and was able to resupply me after a very poor packing job.  I'd been so distracted by the demands of getting everything squared away before I left that I opened my bag and saw only two pairs of pants for a three week trip.  Jesse swung by my place and grabbed a few more items, and I'm hugely grateful.

Sunset and Van

Chilling under the Hulk

After that hiccup, Josh and I got the drive underway in earnest and have since arrived in California.  We promptly met up with our friends, brothers Joel and Neil Kauffman.  These crushers first entered my radar this spring while I spent some time in Indian Creek, and I am happy to be in their presence again.  Especially since our first climbing mission out here has been treating the Incredible Hulk like our backyard crag.  This alpine beauty is a stunning granite spire in the Eastern Sierra.  I can tell you that Positive Vibrations lives up to the hype, and that going ground up on The Venturi Effect is a tall order.  Too tall for me, in fact.

The Hulk

Otherwise, Josh and I survived getting pulled over in Ely, Nevada, a pretty massive detour out of town (too flustered by our police encounter, we took 50 instead of 6, and drove a few miles out of the way), and the most insane sunset of my life.  I hope these pics suffice.

Josh eyes the raps

Our bivy cave

The weather is looking a little hot in The Valley, so I just came down into town on a work/life/resupply mission before heading back to The Hulk tomorrow for another few days.  More to follow when we get back out.