Odyssey!

I didn't take many pictures because:
A) I was working.
B) My camera case broke, so I didn't want my camera hanging on my harness.

At least I recorded the trip's events.

8/13 Andy and I drive down early to get some climbing. Goal is to get Andy on a bunch of classics he has never climbed. We swing leads on Arrow (btw, the climb goes on the left side of the crux bolt about as easily as the right side). Then Andy leads both pitches of Son of Easy O. We finish the day with me leading both pitches of Birdland. Then go for a nice swim at Split Rock.

In the evening, we head to the DEC to claim sites for ourselves and the Odyssey trippers. Meredith comes up to visit and celebrate my birthday. She brings the traditional birthday donuts! After dinner we drive to the overlook to watch the Perseids.

8/14 Trips 21 and 23 arrive nice and early. We set some climbs on Bunk Bed and Cuckoo's Nest/Oops Wall. Then move the climbs on Bunk Bed to Breaker Wall. I get to do lots of climbing while trippers are resting... Floops (5.10) on Oops Wall goes clean on TR. Then Circuit Breaker (5.10) and a right variation of Circuit Breaker, which both go clean. I finish the day on Seams Like Fun (5.8) and then climb Right Block (5.6) in my approach shoes to take down the anchors. After, we take both trips swimming at Lake Minnewaska.

8/15 We set Golden Dream + Glory Hole and Scrotum Pole. I lead Easy Rider which is supposedly 5.6G, but the climbing is closer to 5.8 and a #1 at 25' is my last piece of gear before the anchors. I also lead The Hustler (5.6+) to set an additional climb. I take two burns on Sac's Fifth Avenue (5.11) and realize that it will definitely go clean. This is now my goal for the week.

As the rain starts in the afternoon, we merge the two trips and have them all do the rappel off Terror Dome (aka Sheep's Roof). Everyone is soaked and freezing by the time we are done for the day. Back at the DEC, Liz and Melissa spot a copperhead while setting up a cooking tarp... actually Liz spots it when Melissa steps on it. I'm called up weight-loss hill to run off the snake with a stick, and to help get the tarp lines higher on trees than Liz and Melissa can reach. Andy and I cook a quick dinner and then I'm happy to retreat to my mostly dry tent where I can towel off on put on dry clothes for the night.

The copperhead is the worst of our epics for the week. In second place are the hundreds (thousands?) of moldy organic tortillas and pitas... an experiment gone wrong. A distant third and fourth are the usual balky stoves and last minute route changes.

8/16 We take the trips to their trailheads (and use the van's defroster to dry our wet gear). Back at the DEC, Andy and I read books in the van while sitting out another storm. Suddenly a tree about 30' away is struck by lightening. We nearly jumped out of our skin.

When the storm finished, we took pictures of the tree, then loaded up our water jugs to resupply. I've finally got a reliable source of potable water at the Gunks. Drive to New Paltz. Immediately after the bridge, turn left like you are going to the Gilded Otter. Continue down this road until it ends at a park (it heads left down what looks like a bike path). In the community garden is a faucet which supplies potable water. It fills jugs in no time. Yea!

Fully stocked for the next set of trips, we had a nice dinner at the Gilded Otter with Guy and Matt who were in town for two days.

8/17 Up early to retrieve trips 22 and 24. We set Breaker Wall and Cuckoo's Nest. While everyone was eating lunch, I did about seven rope solo laps on Seams Like Fun. Later in the day I got another run up Circuit Breaker.

8/18 We all sing Happy Birthday to Guy, then blast to Peter's Kill for one final day of climbing. We set Golden Dream + Glory Hole and Scrotum Pole again. We also set Looper and Stacked (both 5.4) to the right of Scrotum Pole. I climb both to check them out since I had never been on either before. Two burns on Sac's Fifth Avenue go well. The first time I have one hang when I blow a foot. Second time goes clean. Finish the trip on Fickle Fingers (5.10) and have to hang twice which is frustrating for a climb I got clean the first time I toproped it sophomore year.

We run everyone through the rappel... in sunshine! And get out of the parking lot just before the park closes at 8pm. Everyone heads into town for some well deserved pizza.

8/19 Andy and I hang out at Peter's Kill until both trips are gone, then we drive back to Ithaca to deissue gear and get some sleep.