First Day Climbing

Well... not really, but compared to my current average day of coffee shop internet sessions and substitute teaching the first day of the season at Mr. Lee’s was a full blown adventure. Breaking trail by crutch through spring’s tall grass and negotiating mud and slick river rock took much more energy than one might expect. I’ve gotten pretty damn good on two poles and a leg, but as soon as I take the party off the groomed streets of the city and into the woods I feel more or less useless. Lets put it this way: It took me about 20 minutes to get into Mr. Lees. For those not in the know, Mr. Lees isn’t more than 400 meters from the car. Yes, I wasn’t moving very fast. Justin and Elijah were kind enough to fix a few lines for me and I managed to to snap a few decent shots. By the end of the day I’d hiked at most a 1/2 mile and ascended 60 meters or so. Back at the car, I could have sworn I’d just spent the day projecting Crocodile Hunter 5.12d with Shamoo and the Pinotphile. To add to this suspicion, as soon as the engine started, my body, unable to hold itself up straight, collapsed into the window. As soon as we hit the highway, I was asleep. Ladies and Gentlemen: Santa Maria is open for the season.