Tuolumne Meadows, Aug 07

We headed to Tuolumne Meadows August 13 through 17. Steve Latif and family had headed up there the day before and kindly got campsite lined up for us. There were a bunch of folks from Santa Cruz.

Steve Latif at the TMdws campground






The weather was perfect -- 75F during the day and the upper 40s at night. We hiked, swam in the river, climbed and fly-fished the Dana and Lyle Forks of the Tuolumne. Kitty and John each climbed the Golfer's Route on Low Profile (5.7) after having backed off the crux the year before.

Kitty and I climbed Shagadelic on Medlicott Dome, August 15, 2007. Finger crack in a corner to start, then some amazing knob climbing up a steep wall. 5.8, 600ft. The arrow points out two climbers on the route. 30 minute steep approach, four long pitches and a long deproach back to the car. We headed North and down the gully between Medlicott and Mariluolumne Domes then contoured back around Medlicott to get back to the car.

Steve did his first big trad route on Thursday. He and Jon Becker climbed the regular route on Fairview. Started mid morning and did part of the walkoff via headlamp.

Jon and Steve are visible on the 6th pitch of the Regular Route on Fairview in the center of the image. The kids (Jason and Josh) are also at the top of the 5th and on Cresent Ledge

It was a dry winter and the rivers were low and much warmer than usual. Made for great swimming. Caught lots of beautiful little (really little - 4" to 8") cutthroats in the river on #18 light colored dry flies. Slow trip heading out with terrible traffic on 580 through Tracy. Pretty quick heading home even with though it was Friday rush hour.

Whidbey Island Aug 2007

August 2nd, headed out for Whidbey Island. The usual long 1.5 day drive made a little easier by having the 7th Harry Potter audiobook to listen too.

Had a fun week in Washington, kayaking, fishing, biking and visiting. Grandpa Bolte is doing great and Grandma Bolte is doing better every trip we have made the last few year.

Took a few turns around the go-kart track (Chris was the best driver). Went out in Becky and Matt's kayaks. Caught a bunch of dogfish out in the boat. Cool weather for August.











Went to the Everett climbing gym and had a blast. Kitty was the top climber.

The old guys, beat the young guys (stomped them) in two b-ball games...








The three Johns ----------------- Kitty and Uncle John




the three teenage cousins (we missed Zach)






Teenage boys

Loon Lake and Lover's Leap 2007

July 12, 2007, John, Kitty, a kid named Ryan and I headed for Loon Lake in the Sierra near Lake Tahoe. John and Ryan were going on a four-day kayak camp trip. Kitty and I had our kayaks to do a quick tour of Loon Lake, then we were heading to Lover's Leap for a couple of days of climbing.

Loon Lake was low for this time of year and the water was warm. While John and Kyle packed with the others in their group for the trip, Kitty and I launched our boat and headed out. It was sunny and breezy. A beautiful place.









After the kids got packed and started paddling for their camp. Kitty and I head off for the campground at Lover's Leap. It was hot despite the altitude but there was plenty of room at the campground. We set up camp and headed over to the boulders. Next morning we were off for Kitty's second multi-pitch climb--Deception on the Hogsback. Three pitches and 5.6. The crux is a no-hands traverse at the end of the second.We started early(ish), had a great time. After the hike back we headed to Lake Tahoe to cool off. Quite a scene up there with big crowds at all the beaches.

Deception and Knapsack Crack on the Hogsback (photo from Chris McNamara)











Kitty coming up the first pitch of Deception



Day 2 Kitty did her first outdoor lead up Knapsack Crack on the Hogsback. 5.5 and two pitches.







Kitty's first lead!




Click here for a mosaic image of the Leap

The Big Paddle

Sunday, June 30, 2007 the kids and I launched our kayaks at Kirby Park down at the end of Elkhorn Slough and started paddling to Moss Landing 5 miles up-slough. It was a beautiful day. Although it would be good to find a day when the tide was with us coming and going, we were impatient and paddled toward the mouth of the slough at Moss Landing against an incoming tide.

1.5 hours later we landed at the nice little beach at Moss Landing, had lunch, then paddled back. Lots of shore birds, seals, sea otters (big rafts of them) and we talked to one of the docents who had some amazing nudibranches he had collected in the sea-grass flats.

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

John decided to get a haircut for the summer

Kitty Catches a Wave

Kitty and her friend Suzanne took a few hours of surf lessons. This was at the beach down south of the Capitola Pier. Surf was good, instructors were great, Suzanne got up a couple of times and Kitty got close.

Spring Break at Truckee

For the first time in years the kids had their Spring Breaks at the same time and I didn't have any meetings/observing runs or other stuff on the calendar. So, we decided to take a little trip. After bouncing around ideas for awhile, we decided on Lake Tahoe. It had been a pretty low snow year and the weather was already global-warming-like warm for April, but we figured we could do a little bouldering, lake stuff, hiking and exploring around. Threw in the snow stuff just in case.

Turned out that as we got up there a late snow storm came in and we woke up the first day to snow on the ground and sub-freezing temperatures. Yahoo! Did a little internet searching at the hotel and found some "family friendly", low-key resorts. Tahoe-Donner was just around the corner. Off we went only to discover they had closed for the seasons two weekends before. Plan B: Northstar. Only 30 minutes away. We get there and wander around in a daze. This was an amazing yuppie Disneyworld like place--way too upscale and trendy for the likes of us. Plan C was Boreal, only because it was close. Only two lifts running, but still renting gear and very nicely low key. The kids were out on snowboards playing on one of the closed slopes and I was with them on telemark skis. Fresh snow, nobody around and lots of fun.

Next morning we were back and spent a fun day on the slopes. John decided to try skis rather than a board and took to the skis wonderfully. Frances kicked back in the lodge.

Loon Lake and Lover's Leap 2005

August 2005 I volunteered to pick up Kitty and some of the other campers on a Loon Lake kayak camping trip. Talked Steve L. into meeting me a couple of days early up at Lover's Leap about and hour up Highway 50 from Loon Lake. Lots of room at the campground mid-week and no crowds on the routes. Day 1 we hiked around to the Hogsback and swung leads on the 5.6 Deception. Nice little route! Steve's first outdoor lead and first lead placing gear.


Steve at the base and leading the 2nd pitch

After a little break for lunch, we marched over to climb "Bear's Reach" a 5-star route in the guidebook. At 5.7 we did not anticipate significant difficulties. Looking up from the base we had nagging doubts. This climb is steep! Turned out to be a wonderful route. Starts with just a little bit of a runout on some steep face climbing, then up an incredible couple of pitches up steep flakes and cracks with some nice dikes thrown in.

The East Wall of Lover's Leap. Bear's Reach goes straight up the center/left. Two climbers on the route are indicated by the blue arrows.



Took us a little longer than we thought it would. Got to the top as the sun set and it got dark pretty fast. Particularly for me with my prescription sunglasses on. Stumbled down by the light of one headlamp. Headed over to the Strawberry Lodge for dinner and a shower. Just missed the closing time for the resturant so had to do with a couple of pints of dark beer for dinner.

Next morning Steve headed back to work and I went to pick up the kids from Loon Lake. They had had a great time too.