Sawtooth Ridge - September 17, 2010

At the end of the day we final figured out that Anja would be working Oct 7 and we had a plan to get the aid gear from Paul on September 25 in Tuolumne Meadows. We considered hitting the road to head out to bigger training climbs but Leslie was having a 30th birthday party on Saturday so while not hang out for that.

It was about 4 pm when we had everything sorted out so we headed out for a quick bike ride. Leslie had just gotten home from work and Bill was home so we got her to join us. The sawtooth trail is a lollipop ride where you ride a stem and then a loop.




Bill also likes to call the trail the "no motorcycle trail" because the best trail markers are the little motorcycle signs on the trees.

No Moto
Leslie at the top of the little hill climb.

No Moto - you see the theme?
Biking near Leslie and Bill's at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in California

Big Chief - September 16, 2010

Anja headed into Reno with Bill to help watch the baby while Bill shopped for preparations for Leslie's party on Saturday. In the afternoon our friend Pat showed up and Ken and Pat headed out to Big Chief to climb. We did a 5.8, then a 5.9, and then Ken tried to red point 5.10b Mohawk which he had been on last time but gassed out again at the third climb and had to hang before finishing out the climb. About halfway through the 5.10b Anja showed up. She had gotten back with Bill and borrowed his truck and headed out to find Ken and Pat. Since the sun was setting Anja took a warmup on the 5.10b and then jumped on Pow Wow a super steep 5.11a.

We forgot the camera so I stole this picture of Pow Wow off mountainproject.com

Anja Work prep day - September 15, 2010

Anja needed to be at a work location on Thursday so we got the van all loaded up to hit the road to Salt Lake City where we were making arrangements to rent a room with wifi for Anja to work from.

We considered hiring this professional driver for the rest of the trip.
But his rates were too high.
Before we left town we made a stop at the DMV to put our car registration on non-operative and while we were there Anja got a request to delay her work start for two weeks so after the DMV we headed back over to the Truckee base.

Immigrant Trail Mt Bike ride and Sawtooth Ridge climbing - September 14, 2010

In the morning Ken took over day care duty so Anja and Leslie could go ride the Immigrant Trail. They had a fun on the ~4 mile each way out and back ride.



Bill and Leslie are trying not to use disposable diapers so they have a wash at home set and hang them to dry in the sun.
When Bill got back home the 5 of us headed out to climb on Sawtooth Ridge. Bill leading a sport 5.7.


Bill leading a sport 5.9.
Baby was happy to help Anja with the top rope belay while mommy climbed.
Bill top roping the 5.10a.
Baby had his own pay area at the crag.
Anja wanted to get on something had so headed up this 5.11a.

Ken belays while mommy and baby hang in the play area.Anja high on the route.

Back to Truckee - September 13, 2010

After climbing we headed toward Truckee. We stopped of in Lassen National Forest where Ken had spent the summer working in 1998 as a land surveyer. It made for nice camping. We rolled into Reno and made a stop at the Patagonia Outlet and got up to Truckee in time to go for a Mt bike ride with Bill right near his house.

Castle Crags - September 12, 2010

In the morning Kevin and Lauren hosted a breakfast and we attended to track them down and get the paperwork all signed for the marriage. After the breakfast we headed out to climb at Castle Crags just south of the City of Mt Shasta. I had been there once before but after the hike up to the base of Cosmic Wall we got rained on and climbed on some small crags on the trail. Well no worries of rain on this day but the time we got there it was roasting at 1 pm.
The Ogre. The Cosmic Wall goes up the right side with the top of the first pitch below the right nostril and the second pitch traversing right and belaying to the right of the right eye and then going straight up to the large notch on the top and following the ridgeline to the summit. Two rappels bring you to the tree in the notch behind the formation.
We got up the 3 mile approach in about 2 hours and got on the route. Anja leading the first pitch.
Anja following the second pitch up steep 5.6.
Anja leading the third pitch which she linked with the fourth pitch with a little simul climbing.
Ken looking back while on the 6th pitch, which he link with the 5th.
Anja on the ridgeline coming up the the summit bolts.
Ken on the summit with Mt Shasta in the background
Ken and Anja on the summit
Anja on the first rappel
Looking down the second rappel and the gully descent.
So much unclimbed rock at Castle Crags it is crazy! This picture probably has 5 routes which have been climbed.

Kevin and Lauren's Wedding - September 11, 2010

We had been planning to attend Kevin and Lauren's, two good friends from LA, wedding in Mt Shata on September 11, 2010. However, since Kevin's grandfather who had been planning to preform the marriage ceremony had knee surgery and could not make it they asked Ken to officiate the ceremony. Of course Ken agreed so on September 10 we headed up from Truckee to Mt Shasta for the rehearsal. The rehearsal went great and Kevin's folk hosted a huge rehearsal dinner. Saturday morning we went looking for the lunchtime BBQ being hosted and got put to work hanging cranes from the Chuppah and hot glueing the ribbon on the cupcake stand.


Although the ceremony got started a little late it went great with no major problems and was really great. The funnest moment was that Kevin wore his sunglasses for much of the ceremony. I asked him at the start when it was just him and I standing up there "are you going to take off the sunglasses?" "Until she makes me take them off." Well two sentences into the vows Lauren reached over and pulled them off.
The happy couple
The views of Mt Shasta were great.
Adam and Yumi looking like cute newly weds.
The first dance.
Congratulations Kevin and Lauren!

Big Chief - September 9, 2010

We went to Big Chief in the afternoon. It was awesome as we wanted to checkout Big Chief and as we were reading through the directions to the crag we realized Bill and Leslie's house was right on the way so it was only about 6 miles to the crag. We borrowed Bill's truck and drove up there the approach was a little longer than we thought it would be but not bad at all.

Anja leading up War Paint 5.9
Anja leading up War Path 5.9.
Bill rode his motorcycle out there and met up with us just in time to get a ride up War Path.
Anja leading Mohawk 5.10b
Ken fires it off too with one hang.


Anja heads up Witch Doctor 5.10c/d
Ken on Festus 5.10a