Photos by boltdude

FA of Over & Out on Wild Rose Buttress, 6/11/05. Nice climbing on white granite not far from the road (below the dam at South Lake), the cracks were climbed in the '80s and no one did any face routes. Lots of east side routes were developed in heavy snow years (like this one!), with Tioga closed the Valley is 6 hours instead of 2 hrs. Despite the power drill this bolt took around 15 minutes to place, feeling out the bolting stance, breaking off some crumbly stuff for the key right hand hold and right heel hook, drilling, pumping out and downclimbing to rest, repeating. Photo (and patient belay!) by Karin Wuhrmann.

On the south side of the parking area at Black Planets is a 20-30' bluff with many crack and face problems. Seldom traveled, these cracks can be top-roped, led, or bouldered - beware of loose rock! Greg Barnes on a 5.9 crack, photo by Karin Wuhrmann.

Paul Rasmussen following the crux 4th pitch of Rites of Spring (5.10d). Way down there are the dihedrals of Pratt's Crack & Sheila, with the prominent arete of Ecstasy between them. Perfect climb for a summer afternoon!

Gila Monster, we spotted it just inside California near the Nevada border. It was having a happy spring day until we nearly ran it over on a jeep road. As revenge for disturbing its day, it stole my biner and hissed at us (a slow menacing hiss, very much like an alien from Aliens). Gila Monsters are one of only two known venomous lizards on the whole planet (the other is a similar but larger lizard in Mexico), and are listed as a Species of Concern. There are two subspecies, this is a Banded Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectum ssp. cinctum.

California summer slabbing! Karin Wuhrmann follows the 2nd pitch of You Asked For It (5.10c X), Tuolumne Meadows. It follows the largest black streak on the right side of Medlicott Dome. You Asked For It has 4 protection bolts and one cam placement on 3 pitches of sustained 5.10 (not including a 5.7 approach pitch). Originally sandbagged at "5.10a," it's an old school 5.10c. Amazingly, despite the huge runouts on hard terrain, Bachar's ethics were actually questioned at the time due to his "controversial" use of hooks to place the two bolts on the crux first pitch - ethics certainly change! Drew Rollins lead the whole thing, bagging the final 1/4" ascent on the very rusty 22 year old 1/4" bolts. We replaced the bolts with John Bachar's permission. Photo by Greg Barnes.