Spring at the Road

JP on Gill Pinch Roof - V4

Ah, Spring. Don't go to get your eyes checked out quite yet, you did read that right. I said Spring. Spring. Honestly I feel shocked just typing it. I mean, it is January right? Snowy, cold, frostbite and all that jazz January RIGHT? Then why is it 55 degrees outside and raining as I am writing this.

Listen. I know you're getting pissed off with all those hummers, factory farms, logging and water pollution, but come on Mother Nature! If you're going to make it warm, keep it at a nice 50-60 degrees and for god sakes quit with all the dampness. You're already famous for your... habits... here in the Northeast, I think we deserve a break. Hell, I'll ride my bike to and from school, replace all the lights in my house with candles and even turn off the water when I brush my teeth, but only if you turn off that big faucet in the sky of yours while you brush yours.

But, I digress. Back to the sick Spring day at the Gunks we had Saturday.

What started out as just Adam, Kyle, Kyle's son and I on what we hoped would be the best gunks day ever turned out to be Adam, Murph, Mira, Sarah Shaw, Some other guy, Tyler and Aaron putting way to many goes on Black Boulder. A problem I am petitioning to change its name to Time Wasting Piece of Annoying Shit that You Shouldn't Climb Regardless of What That Guy Who Came Here Once Told You - V5 (TWPOASTYSCROWTGWCHOTY for short)

Okay so that's a little bit hyperbolic of me, it was a really nice day and there was some sending and a good deal of progress. We started out the day on the classic Gill problems, all of which we hadn't been able to do. One of the problems, Gill Pinch Roof - V4 was probably my first ever project, and I hadn't been able to get back to it.

JP Swinging on Gill Pinch Roof - V4

Adam started off with an incredibly static send of the CRAZAY problem: Gill Egg - V4... BAW$E. He then dispatched The Gill Crack - V4, another micro-project of his. After numerous goes and a fair deal of frustration, I unlocked and sent Gill Pinch Roof, SO PSYCHED. Adam and the rest of the pack gave goes at Ricans and White Boys - V7, a problem that starts as Gill Pinch but continues up in a dynamic, pinchy, tall fight for the top. Murph got the repeat, but no one else could nab this prize.

Aaron on the start moves of Art of Nothing - V8

We then moved on to TWPOASTYSCROWTGWCHOTY and I gave numerous goes and entered what I am calling the "Black Boulder Death Cycle of Frustration and Death and Sadness". FIRST, I reluctantly get on the problem, promising only a few goes. Next, I get closer than ever before to sticking that STUPID SLOPER and say "Hey, I think I can do this today! OMG I CAN DO THIS LOL!" Lamb to the slaughter man, lamb to the freaking slaughter. Next, I get shut down
and go cry and hate myself for the rest of the day.

Aaron again on Art of Nothing

Fortunately, I know had the supa cool Lynn Hill Traverse - V8 to play on. The beta is sick and crazy for such a simple looking piece of stone. This problem is cool because it isn't completely about the holds or about the movement, but more about the route finding. How do I use these seemingly random holds in order. Hmm? I couldn't send, but I am intrigued.

Finally we moved down to Buddha to meet up with Kyle, then kept walking towards Adam's hope for the day: Boxcar... Spooky came SOOOOOOOO close to nabbing this fine piece of stone, but fell on the last move and couldn't get back to that position in the next few tries he gave. Such good progress though.

On our way back we found out Kyle sent Buddha! SO GOOD. Good send Kyle, dang you're getting strong. Before we left we gave a few goes at Jackson Pollock - V8, no send though.


I'll post a video of Gill Egg and some others later.


PHOTOS COURTESY OF TYLER HOGAN

Happy Spring.
-WB