ElCap Reports from October 2009

ElCap Report 10/26/09

ElCap Report 10/26/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… today was the last day of Indian Summer, here in the Valley.  It was so nice I set up in the ElCap Meadow to shoot today, as the air was still and the view of the Captain unrestricted.  Several folks stopped by to chat and look and I got to say good-bye to Ivo and Julia who will be moving out of the country soon.  It was a sweet day and I enjoyed it to the fullest.  The wall is pretty empty now and I have done what I can for this season.  I have tried to call them as I saw them and if I made some mistakes …then …well….. Read the disclaimer, Puke!  I never promised accuracy, only entertainment!
Today, I am closing out the ElCap Report for this Fall season, of 2009.  Read it and weep!!  Also I will be around a couple more days and will do some shooting so if you are on the wall contact me about pics of your climb.

ElCap Report 10/25/09

ElCap Report 10/25/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… Fall …it continues to enchant all who are here… perfect days and nights… that I hear will soon come to an end.  The last few days of the season are on now and by the weekend it will be over as the snows are supposed to fly on Friday.  Most of the teams on the wall are getting off today or in the next couple of days.  I will soon be out of things to write about and when the herd moves on …. so will I.
Today’s ElCap Report … written just for you…unique in all the world!

ElCap Report 10/24/09

ElCap Report 10/24/09
By Tom Evans
Yo…Still, the great weather persists, with its beautiful lighting and comfortable Fall days.  My Sugar Maple Tree has lost its color now and will soon be a barren trunk and branches.  For just one week a year this tree is the most beautiful in the entire Valley.  The rest of the year it sits unnoticed, in a grove of taller and healthier trees.   I like to think it is like a lot of people we all know.  For most of their lives they go unnoticed and unappreciated, but maybe just one time, they do or contribute something, that so enriches our lives, we suddenly see a beauty in them that out shines all the rest of us.  Sunsets and trees have a way of reminding us that our time here is very short… shorter than many of you readers really know.   There is nothing more precious than your time.  Use it wisely, for you won’t be able to buy a single second of it back.

ElCap Report 10/23/09

ElCap Report 10/23/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… The killer days continue… and the weekend is here.   If you are coming to Yosemite this fall, then this is the time, as the leaves are falling fast and in another week the bleakness of winter will sit upon the land.
Lots of action on the Cap today.  The trades still dominate the scene this fall but we do have some good solo action and climbers on a route not done in a long time.
So without further BS…

ElCap Report 10/22/09

ElCap Report 10/22/09
By Tom Evans
Yo…. It’s impossible here…. Impossible… to imagine a more beautiful fall day.  The Glory that is Fall is at its fullness, as I type these paltry, inadequate lines to try and convey the wonder, to those of you who are far away and will miss the season with us.  Days like today are the reason I come to the Valley in the Fall.  The air is pungent with the smell of fallen leaves.  It’s intoxicating, and I find myself breathing deeply to better sense the aroma of the cool, crisp air, laden with the moist sweetness of Fall.  The light is so pure it is like looking through polarized glasses.  The colors are brilliant and sharp.  The Captain is astonishing in all its detail, seen through the crystal clear air. 

ElCap Report 10/21/09

ElCap Report 10/21/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… OMG what a day!!  The climbing conditions were really nice today and even a little on the warm side.  The fall colors are so good too… I have cajoled you and threatened you and pleaded with you… so I will give up on it now.  This is the time and this is the place… enough said!  The “Ask a Climber” program is over for the year so I have some flexibility in where and when I shoot now.  Nice!  I was getting pretty weary of the endless procession of people with the same 10 questions!  It was a great success as my fellow talking heads and I spread the real dope to zillions of interested spectators who were in dire need of rising from the valley of ignorance onto the hill of knowledge!

ElCap Report 10/20/09

ElCap Report 10/20/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… Perfect fall day after yesterdays rain and wind.  Everyone who was on the wall yesterday was going up today, with the exception of the ECT team who bailed late in the day, yesterday.  Both of the Valley’s roads, North and South Side Drives are on fire with beautiful Maples lining the roads.  Very nice.  My tree is fading fast and will be bare in just a few more days… next year my old friend, next year.  It was cold and clear this morning with temps in the low 60’s all day.  Conditions on the Captain are just right.  Do it now, or suffer the melancholy of regret all winter long!

ElCap Report 10/19/09

ElCap Report 10/19/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… Heavy weather has rolled into the valley now and I am waiting it out here in the café with all the other people who are afraid to get wet!  It was partly cloudy this morning, so I went out and shot a few trees and such, then  went down to the Bridge to see what was up on the Captain.  Progress was being made and it looked like it might be just another day on the Big Stone. 
However as Scott Stowe, Billy Russell, and I were watching the proceedings, a nasty rain squall drove down on us, hard from the west.  A harbinger of Doom!  It seemed to be a surprise to everyone on the Wall.  The details are found below.

ElCap Report 10/18/09

ElCap Report 10/18/09
By Tom Evans
Yo.. Great day here but late in the afternoon the wind came up and some rather sinister clouds scudded in, low from the west.  Very quiet at the Bridge and on the Captain too.  The Fall colors continue to amaze and it seems like they have lots of life in them too… so get here!  My tree is at max power now and every leaf is a beautiful red/orange.  Sweet!!

ElCap Report 10/17/09

ElCap Report 10/17/09
By Tom Evans
Yo.. Killer day, in a long string of killer days this past week.  Lots of visitors here in the park this weekend to see the Fall colors in combination with the renewed waterfalls.  Climbing conditions are great, if not a bit too warm.  If not now? When?

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