Squamish, July 29 - August 7
Aaron and I climbed in Squamish for our first time during the last days of our summer vacation. Our friends Viv and Ed, who have been many times, showed us around. It's a fun climbing destination, but crowded. Our trip happened to begin over the "BC Day" long weekend, which didn't help. Despite the crowds and the occasional drizzle, the trip was great! On our way home we stopped at Index to climb with Elliott, but we were definitively rained out there. When even the Northwesterners decide that it's really raining, it's time to go home.
Seaplane over the Sound out of our car window.
Day 1 at "Up Among the Firs" in the Murrin Park area; this is Viv on "A Little Testis".
Aaron tying in. Now, Aaron forgot his helmet (we both did); he had to purchase one at Target. Bizarrely, this bicycle helmet FITS him.
Aaron on something; I don't know the name of the route, but it's on the Petrifying Wall.
You can clearly see a left handhold here at the base of the route "Black Water," but people have been slapping the wall for the right.
Aaron at the start of "Black Water." He gave this route a valiant effort, but alas, it was not sent.
Aaron, still on "Black Water" (next 6 pictures).
"Black Water" is long and sustained at its grade, according to Aaron (I didn't try the route).
Aaron chowing down on a stir fry dinner.
Day 2: Smoke Bluffs. Aaron and Ed starting up the two nearby cracks shown above them, jostling for space.
Aaron checking out the guidebook.
Viv.
Amy on an easy crack.
Day 3: St. Vitus's Dance. Aaron flaking the rope at the base of the "forested" first pitch.
This pitch is actually really cool and memorable. You get up into the trees and climb them; makes you feel like a monkey.
Aaron at the top of the "money" pitch, a stellar big-hands/fist crack.
Looking down on a person climbing below us.
Aaron near the top of St. Vitus's Dance.
Viv on an upper pitch of the route she and Ed did, elsewhere on the Apron.
Aaron has a hole in both the shoe AND the sock. Time to retire 'em both.
Aaron and Viv at the descent ledge on the Apron.
Bridge over a creek.
Aaron's cannonball. You can't see them in this picture, but the primary purpose of the cannonball was splashing Viv and Ed, just off to the right.
Running water.
Aaron reading by the water.
Day 4: Rained off the Grand Wall. Here is Aaron starting up "Apron Strings," the first two approach pitches to the Grand Wall.
Aaron on the thin "Apron Strings."
Aaron at a hanging belay after the second pitch of the "Grand Wall" (the "Mercy Me" pitches). It had been softly raining intermittently for the previous hour and we were debating whether to keep climbing or bail. We decided to bail; a bad choice, because it did clear up after a few more brief rain spells. Since it was our first rainy day in Squamish, we had no good idea about predicting the weather.
Long-arm.
The enchanted forest around the Grand Wall's base, later in the day.
Day 5: Angel's Crest.
This long route (14 pitches) climbs a fin of rock on the north side of the third Chief.
Amy leading an easy pitch.
Amy traversing the cool slabs before the Acrophobe towers.
Viv on the same.
Viv.
There was a fire somewhere, and the air was VERY smoky.
This fin of rock was such a cool feature.
Aaron preparing a short rappel in the middle of the route.
Aaron belaying me at the base of one of the towers.
Ed wrangling a tree at the base of a pitch.
Ed.
Ed at the top of a pitch with the Acrophobe towers in the background.
Long arm of Amy and Aaron.
Ed on the second-to-last pitch on the climb.
Ed.
Aaron.
Viv on the second-to-last pitch.
Aaron starting up the final chimney pitch.
Looking down at Ed through the chimney.
Viv and Ed packing up their ropes at the top while Aaron and I hang out. We were both out of food and water, but not in a bad way; we did hurry on the hike down, though.
Day 6 (of climbing): "The Great Game" and Smoke Bluffs. Here's Viv starting up "The Zip" at the Smoke Bluffs.
Viv placing a nut.
Cruising.
Mossy rock and blurry Viv.
Viv.
Ed starting up the same.
Viv watching.
Aaron on "Partners in Crime."
A disheveled Aaron munching on pasta in the campground parking lot.
Dinner preparations outside our rental minivan.
Somebody on the slackline.
Oil going into the wok.
Day 7: Index. Aaron on "Sagittarius."
Train tracks at Index.
Aaron, still on "Sagittarius."
Wildflowers along a hike near Donner Lake, California.
Aaron hiking along.
Aaron on top of Donner Peak.
Aaron. We flew home from Reno, and our trip ended.
When we got home, our overgrown garden awaited us: green beans galore.
Huge squashies.
Zucchini the size of our cat.
The tomatoes were doing great, however. Almost ready to go nuts.
The overripe cucumbers; some perfect corn, green beans, and tomatoes; summer squash; and zucchini. I made pickles from the highly mature yellow cucumbers, and also pickled quarts of squash and zucchini. I also froze many cups of shredded overripe zucchini for soups & zucchini bread.
©2009 Amy Jordan; Email Me.