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After three weeks in Bishop, I am leaving; rather, I want to leave... Yosemite beckons me but the weather there has not been so cooperative there to the monkey clan. So until then, if then, I await in Bishop perhaps one more week and either chance it in the valley or head up north. The grand USA grants the Canadian tribe 6 month stays and I am almost at that limit. I must leave this country early April, without or without a return to the Valley; otherwise I am considered an alien. I do not wish to find out how the US border treats Aliens so I will not entertain the chance staying here much longer despite that it would be nice, one more month… But really, I am going back to Squamish… Not such a bad spot and I have such an amazing project awaiting me that I’m psyched on more than homemade chicken pot pie. All we need is dry skies.
Bishop so far has climbing time divided somewhat evenly between the tablelands and the buttermilks though defiantly through the cold spells, the tablelands were a favorite. The cold and I get along like a popsicle in an oven. Does that make sense? Interpretation: I don’t work well in the cold… Climbing has been going well so far, no real injuries or bad skin. The shoulder tendonitis flames up on occasion but I have learnt how to that at bay. My physio said my shoulder would be all fixed up in one year if I do this certain exercise 3 times a day, every day. And so I did do it every day: until it started feeling better. Then of course I stopped. Then it stated to hurt again, so I restarted the exercises. Then the pain stopped and then…, you get the point. It is near time to start them up again as I feel a twinge as I reach for my toothbrush. Discipline, discipline…
Anyway… What I am supposed to say in these obligations? I attended the Red Rock Rendezvous this weekend. A somewhat interesting experience. Never been to something like that before. I lucked out in my attendance, Phil Schal cancelled on his clinics through Metolius and thus I was asked to replace him. The first time I ever got paid from a sponsor so I was psyched. I was told I was doing a bouldering clinic, but really I was allocated to teach a traditional climbing class, aka, placing gear, traditional anchors. Well I thought, hmmm… I do have my rack, I know how to do all this but… it has been about 5 years. So in reality, I’d be trying to remind myself of these skills while teaching them. This doesn’t seem very ideal all round so they gave me another job: belaying folks on the outdoor wall while they learnt the basics of aid climbing, (as did I!). Fitting for a boulder! Despite the cold wind and belayer’s neck, I actually had a good time. Saw some friends and met some cool folks. Nice way to spend a weekend while it rained in Bishop, where I rest now… What’s next, nobody knows. All I know is that the forecast is rain but I have a whole big bag of Maynard’s Wine Gums to gobble up. Matt Lucas would be psyched.
