ElCap Report 5/20/14 REMEMBERING TWO OF OUR FINEST FRIENDS

ElCap Report 5/20/14  Remembering Richie Copeland and Sean Leary.

By Tom Evans

On 5/18/14 we lost one of the best climbers and friends the Yosemite climbing community has ever known.  Richie Copeland was, as best we can figure, at the base of the first pitch of a Liberty Cap route, after hiking there with a friend to do the climb.  He put down his pack and scrambled around to, perhaps, get a better view of the climb, when the rocks he was standing on suddenly collapsed, causing his fatal fall down the cliff. 

ElCap Report 5/19/14

We lost a great man and friend to all, yesterday, as Richie Copeland fell to his death on the approach to Liberty Cap.  This has been a rough year for Yosemite climbers as Sean Leary was killed base jumping in March.  If you have been reading the Report, these past years, you know what fine men these friends were. I will see if I can get together some photos and such for each of these unique men who left us far too early.  We here in Yosemite are just crushed by the loss of these men.... both were one of a kind and we won't see the likes of them again...

ElCap Report 5/15/14

ElCap Report 5/15/14

By Tom Evans

Yo… Sunny and very warm here in the Valley.  The action on the great rock is presently confined to the Nose and Salathe routes.  The rock has no bird closures and is completely open to climbing.  I have procured a place to stay, outside of the park, which entails a fairly long drive to and from the valley.  I will be shooting climbers on ElCap daily from now until July. 

ElCap Report 10/02/13 Special Shutdown Edition

ElCap Report 10/02/13  Special Shutdown Edition.

By Tom Evans

Yo… Things are getting weird here now.  There is a ranger check-point on the road at camp 4.  They stop you and tell you that if you leave and do not have a nps sticker or employee card that you will not be able to return once you drive past that check-point.  Another check-point is at the EC crossover.  Everyone must be gone by 3pm tomorrow.  I have a site in camp 4 tonight and will be attending an impromptu “last night” party there.  I can’t go down to the Bridge to check on those on the wall who may be of interest to you, so this will be the last report until the government grows up and stops playing childish politics.

ElCap Report 10/01/13

ElCap Report 10/1/13

By Tom Evans

Yo…Fortunately the Government can’t yet control the weather!  Perfect day for another NOSE RECORD!!!  Read about it below.  The government shutdown is having a huge impact here in Yosemite.  If nothing is done we all have to be out of here on Thursday at 3pm.  Many of the shutdown regulations, now in force, are pretty stupid, even for the park service, normally known for illogical, ill thought out regs.  However, to their credit, most of those kind are being ignored.  An example is.. you cannot stop at a turn out, to look at the view, or take a photo.  Another is that you can’t go out for a morning walk/hike.  Anyway, we all, park service included, are hoping for a quick resolution.  In-park and local business are losing a ton of money each day this shutdown goes on. 

ElCap Report 9/30/13

ElCap Report 9/30/13

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Today was perfect for climbing on ElCap, with 80% cloud cover in the morning, dropping to 50% later in the day.  In the forecast are eight sunny days, of 70 degree weather.  Lots of action on the Cap with a record number of shots on this report.  So check your knots, clip into the first piece, and get out on the lead with Capt. Tom watching every move.

ElCap Report 9/29/13

ElCap Report 9/29/13

By Tom Evans

Yo… It was another beautiful day here in big wall heaven.  Lots of interesting routes are getting attention.  The Nose is essentially empty now that the ladies are done … SETTING A NEW WOMAN’S SPEED RECORD, THIS MORNING!!  More about that below.  Many Bigs have shown up to climb on the Captain… Gerberding, Trotter, Caldwell, Leary, Smith-Gobat, Sharma, Cecil, Hillary, Harding…the list goes on!!  Do they know something you don’t?  Yes!!  They know that this is the time to get it on with the Captain…now, you know too!

ElCap Report 9/28/13

ElCap Report 9/28/13

By Tom Evans

Yo… It was an absolutely spectacular day here!  The Nose and Salathe saw most of the action today and most of the other routes were standard fare.  It is high season on El Capitan, so if you are coming to climb the big stone, now is the time.  I would go on and on with the usual spray but I have been slowly running out of energy these past few days and I sure need to get some rest.  So……

ElCap Report 9/27/13

ElCap Report 9/27/13

By Tom Evans

Yo.. The weather continues to be sunny but with a chilling wind up high and down below.  Lots of action on the Nose and Salathe.

We had a new mixed team speed record on the Nose and I will show several shots below. 

The last night of shows are going on tonight so I will cut to the chase so I can get to bed at some reasonable time tonight.

I also wanted to mention that Jim Beyer, if you didn’t read about it in a previous report, became the oldest person to solo ElCap by virtue of his recently completed Lost in America solo.  He was 57 years 11months at the time.  Congratulations to Jim!

ElCap Report 9/26/13

ElCap Report 9/26/13
By Tom Evans

Yo… Sunny, windy, and cold on the Captain today.  Lots of action, scattered around the cliff, in spite of the conditions.  Saturday is forecast to be the start of warmer weather.  I spent the shooting day in the EC Meadow shooting in windy and comfortable conditions.  So drop what you are doing and come along, up to the big stone, where the puffy’s were out and the ropes blew east.

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