Competition. Masochism. I can't get a belay on anything else. My "friends" made me do it.

And I still hate this route. However, on a winter day, these southwest walls feel like nice, warm ovens. :-)

Shot of Todd at the top of Battery Pack.

it's a tall pitch

...traverse around em! Tried to pull the crux on an 11b to the right of this crack and when I couldn't, I put my runout head on and traversed over to this weakness and finished the second half of the route in trad solo style, traversing back to the chains at the top of the original route. It was groundfall potential but I lived to breathe another day thanks to the "leader must not fall" mindset. Oh yeah, and the crack was easy!

Anne of a Thousand Days presented herself as a great alternative to sweating in the sun..Great two pitch route...Good for beginner trad

Took this picture from left hand while relaxing on the final 20 feet. Onsighted in 04, amazing climb that has my vote for best in Queen Creek. If your not on a bomber hold keep looking they are there ;)

This is me, climbing dressed like a pimp of all things, just so my friend and most excellent photographer Aaron Locander could have interesting subject matter the first time he took his shiny digital SLR out to play.

I pulled off two good sized blocks I had used before, when it was 5.10. IMHO, it's now stiff 11b/c. Fine job David.

This is Mr. Yarnes floating up what he does best, thin sport routes. Here he goes for the clip on Weak Sister, a fun Queen Creek route right around the corner from the ridiculously overhung Pond routes. An unknown dude contemplates the angle at which he must climb ...

The is Mike Sallade, a diehard trad climber, in the midst of a quintessential sport climb, Pocket Puzzle in Queen Creek, AZ. Out of character and pumpy for a crack climbing aficionado...

Second attempt of a lead climb. the leader before me had some problems getting over a jug. i think it would look cooler without the ropes above, but the angle is cool.

Climbing Pocket Puzzle, .10a, in the Pond area of Queen Creek. The weather was great.

I like my big ugly blue helmet. It's comfortable. Even if it *does* make me look like Papa Smurf. :-)

this is a pic of the main mineshaft looking from the 60. Everything is covered in a foot and a half of snow!

Took a drive up to Queen Creek yesterday to check out the snow. Not exactly a common occurance for us desert rats to see snow in Queen Creek. Couldn't do any climbing, but was able to knock out a quick problem on the Campground Boulder.

This is a great "easier" problem. Long overhanging v3ish to a less overhanging finish. Topout is actually the crux with surprisingly small holds on top and 1 hidden pocket in the crack. Once pumped from the overhang, it feels like a harder climb.

I pulled a 50 lb boulder on my face later this day when scrambling to see another climb. If not for a small nearby tree/bush to catch my fall, this could have been much messier. 6 stitches, head to toe cuts and a

This is a great problem with some excellent moves and a variety of ways to send.

Nice area, a 2 move v3 was given almost double the point value at the last pbc in this area, even though this is a v5.

This is a great problem with some excellent moves and a variety of ways to send.

This is in the first area you get to in cooperstown from the road. Some fun climbs here and easy to chase shade. Good for most times of the year and no (virtually) bugs.

This is in the first area you get to in cooperstown from the road. Some fun climbs here and easy to chase shade. Good for most times of the year and no (virtually) bugs.

This is in the first area you get to in cooperstown from the road. Some fun climbs here and easy to chase shade. Good for most times of the year and no (virtually) bugs.

William workin the moves on this tough route