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roninthorne
Mar 30, 2003, 10:42 PM
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Registered: Nov 27, 2002
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What a weird weekend- thunder and rain in the morning on Saturday,
waking yours truly from too few hours of sleep after a Friday night
spent chasing the hair of the dog that bit me through clouds of
fragrant smoke; night's excess giving way to silent, rain-washed
forests and sunny skies.
In the hour and a half that I spent gathering my scattered wits,
brewing coffee, and organizing the White Whale for travel, the
western horizon slowly piled with black ramparts of cloud; storms
that would, later in the day, spawn tornadoes in Albemarle, former
home of Thomas Jefferson.
I kicked aside quickdraws and bagged ropes, tossed capilene and
gore-tex into seperate piles, and crawled into the cockpit, aiming
the beast North and West. A little Pink Floyd, "One of These Days",
gets the energy levels up and sets the groove for the road.
Late day found me just outside Petersburg, (smile when you say it)
West-by-God Virginia, brushing away cobwebs and dead vines and
flaking rock from a gorgeous riverside boulder wall, while Topper, my
newest partner in climb, grinned and laced his shoes atop a handy
flat boulder. Rain fell in a showers and spats, but the overhang of
the wall ensured five to ten feet of dry forest floor where we
brushed and cranked, grunted and swore and fell and laughed, catching
each other as gravity and sudden hold failures sent us rolling away
from the wall, rising to try again. Three sections of V1+ traverse,
with a dozen thuggish sit down problems scattered along their
lengths. This is the House of Pain, with the World O' Hurt Wall and
Roof, the DeSade Traverse Wall, and the 420 Wall, named for greffitti
at the base... no, really!
(V1= hard boulder problem requiring some technical rock climbing
skills and average strength. The scale runs to something like V15,
now, at which point I think they name a religion after you and
natives begin to bring you offerings of fruit and roast pig. A sit-
down problem is a boulder problem begun- you guessed it- sitting
down, usually with the goal of clkimbing to a point higher than your
head when standing, after which your spotters will offer you fruits
and roast pig...)
Speaking of roast beasts-
Finished the evening, Saturday, tiredly happy, or happily exhausted,
whichever. Staggered into Poor Joe's restaurant, just outsaide of
Petersburg, beside the VFW. A tired blonde waitress, still haunted
with echoes of her teenage beauty, seated us at the bar and promptly
supplied us with cold carbohydrate recovery drinks. the cheerfully
inebriated owner and manager inquired as to our food selection,
slurring his own blend of humor and beta across the beer-ringed bar
as the graceful swing of Tiger Woods' golf club filled the color TV
screen over his head and the Allman Brothers' lamented the gypsy's
restlessness, all for the love of "Sweet Melissa".
Twenty minutes later, I was happily sectioning a sirloin the size of
an end table, while a grinning Topper swirled a shrimp as big as a
brautwurst in cocktail sauce. Fresh salads and thick-sliced, butter-
drenched garlic bread, steak fries, and another pitcher of frothing
suds, and we were sagging in our seats, faces aglow with satisfied
smiles.
Back at the casa Topper, a round of brownies and another of bres, and
yours truly fell gratefully into a warm, soft rack.
Woke this morning to the odd pecking of- snow.
Two inches of it, at 5:30 a.m., and coming down steadily from heavy
black cloiuds over the city of Petersburg. I brewed strong coffee
and listed to NPR's take on the war as the shite sstuff piled up on
my van and the lan dscape beyond my window.
By 8:30, there was almost four inches on the ground, and Topper had
called his lass in new river to cancel his proposed conjugal visit.
Her loss was my gleeful gain, as we tossed the crashpad and shoes and
brushes back into the car and headed out, Crystal Method pushing
techno from the enormous speakers half-buried in the rear.
We toured several other prospective sites for future defiance of the
laws of physics and physionomy, then gravitated back to the river,
back to the House of Pain. A new section of thin traversing abuses
our tips and nerves at the far end of the World O' Hurt, while Rage
Against the Machine echoes through the falling snow. We break for
snacks and deep inhalations, change the CD and the pace, and float
through the final burns of the day with Garcia and Grisman's guitars
in the background-
If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
(Chorus)
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
(Chorus)
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home
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phitty
Mar 30, 2003, 11:38 PM
Post #2 of 11
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Registered: Oct 16, 2002
Posts: 98
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.sweet.
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jerrygarcia
Mar 31, 2003, 2:02 PM
Post #3 of 11
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Registered: Aug 27, 2002
Posts: 837
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Ronin, I was in the valley climbing with my girlfriend gretchen. If we hadnt left at 7am on sunday morning, I would probably still be stuck up at the cabins. Here is what it looked like from NRP
snow
snow2
I'd rather be in some dark hollow where the sun don't ever shine
Then to be at home alone and knowin' that you're gone
Would cause me to lose my mind.
Well blow your whistle freight train carry me far on down the track
Well I'm going away, I'm leaving today
I'm goin', but I ain't comin' back.
I'd rather be in some dark hollow where the sun don't ever shine
Then to be in some big city, in a small room, with you upon my mind.
Well I'm going away, I'm leaving today
I'm goin' but I ain't comin' back.
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ezjay40
Apr 1, 2003, 12:55 AM
Post #4 of 11
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Registered: Nov 18, 2002
Posts: 550
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In reply to: Ronin, I was in the valley climbing with my girlfriend gretchen. If we hadnt left at 7am on sunday morning, I would probably still be stuck up at the cabins. Here is what it looked like from NRP snow snow2 I'd rather be in some dark hollow where the sun don't ever shine Then to be at home alone and knowin' that you're gone Would cause me to lose my mind. Well blow your whistle freight train carry me far on down the track Well I'm going away, I'm leaving today I'm goin', but I ain't comin' back. I'd rather be in some dark hollow where the sun don't ever shine Then to be in some big city, in a small room, with you upon my mind. Well I'm going away, I'm leaving today I'm goin' but I ain't comin' back. |
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ezjay40
Apr 1, 2003, 12:57 AM
Post #5 of 11
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Registered: Nov 18, 2002
Posts: 550
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I think both u guys are spending to much time in the woods :lol:
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roninthorne
Apr 4, 2003, 4:24 PM
Post #6 of 11
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Registered: Nov 27, 2002
Posts: 659
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ezjay- there ain't no such thing as "too much time in the woods".
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climbinganne
Apr 4, 2003, 8:48 PM
Post #7 of 11
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Registered: Apr 15, 2002
Posts: 11679
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In reply to: ezjay- there ain't no such thing as "too much time in the woods".
see y'all on 4/12 - 14 and 4/18 - 22
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ezjay40
Apr 5, 2003, 12:51 PM
Post #8 of 11
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Registered: Nov 18, 2002
Posts: 550
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In reply to: In reply to: ezjay- there ain't no such thing as "too much time in the woods". see y'all on 4/12 - 14 and 4/18 - 22
Ok Ok i'm sorry it took me so long to get Back!
When u start grunting a lot ur spending to much time in the woods!
When ur friends wives are starting look good ur spending to much time in the woods.
When u haven't had a beer in I don't now how long, ur spending to much time in the woods.
That reminds me, When I was coming down off Half Dome some Friends of mine, left me a six pack on the trail.. That was the shit!
When u start talking to yourself like another person ur spending to much time in the woods
Should I keep going! Anyway I did enjoy reading ur trip reports.{ that nice} was for both of u sharing with us
Thanks
OK Anne.. I made it Back..From the Dark reaches of my mind {oh ya thats another story}
So what is it that make us so philosophical? I always thought it was Old Mother Nature.. :wink:
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climbinganne
Apr 7, 2003, 11:22 AM
Post #9 of 11
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Registered: Apr 15, 2002
Posts: 11679
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need to blow off this weekend...but i am planning still on coming over Easter...
soccer games and governor's stables have me booked this weekend...got to get lox back to texas...
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jerrygarcia
Apr 7, 2003, 12:50 PM
Post #10 of 11
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Registered: Aug 27, 2002
Posts: 837
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Went to NRP again this weekend, it was gorgeous. Lots of people out using the Via Feratta and a few climbers. Had an awesome time climbing there as usual and the weather on saturday was perfect.
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ezjay40
Apr 8, 2003, 10:40 AM
Post #11 of 11
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Registered: Nov 18, 2002
Posts: 550
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In reply to: Went to NRP again this weekend, it was gorgeous. Lots of people out using the Via Feratta and a few climbers. Had an awesome time climbing there as usual and the weather on saturday was perfect.
Jerry save me some of that weather :cry:
I what to be a cowboy baby!
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