Tom Grundy's In And Around Bishop Early 2019 Page

Here is a little bit of what I have been up to in Jan and Feb in Bishop. I also spent plenty of time puttering around the CoG and on my computer but there aren't many photos of that.

Back in Bishop in January with a spell of nice weather I was able to get out climbing in the Owens River Gorge a bunch. I mostly went out with Erik working on new routes - "Outflow Hazard" and "Fish Ladder" in the Warning Signs area. I dangled on the rope on "Fish Ladder" to get photos of Erik and Marty on "Outflow Hazard". The day we sent Fish Ladder we had to walk through the snow and sweep off the ledge although the climbing itself was quite pleasant. I also went out with Julie and hung her draws on "Black Hole" and fell off it twice. The next time we came out it seemed like everyone was taking a run on her draws. I was pleased to work through the pump for the redpoint.

Erik on the FA (First Ascent) of "Outflow Hazard"

Erik a little higher on "Outflow Hazard"

the stoke is real

Marty got the second ascent on "Outflow Hazard"

Erik cleaning and trying to put in bolts (drill died) on "Fish Ladder"

in the middle of "Fish Ladder", Skip took the photo

the final crux of "Fish Ladder" Erik belays, Skip takes photos

Miranda heads into the crux on "Black Hole"

ice over the Owens River in the Gorge

Erik on "still not a player" Skip photo

here I am on "together we're too strong" Skip photo

a bit higher on "together we're too strong" Skip photo

The solar system put on an eclipse so I went out to take some photos. The forecast wasn't particularly good so I didn't commit to driving out to Death Valley (where the forecast was only marginally better). Sadly there were clouds. I managed to catch some views of the first 1/4 of the eclipse but then the clouds really rolled in and it started raining. Oh well.

silver lining moonrise over the White Mtns before the eclipse

the moon about half in shadow before the clouds really obscured everything

sunset view up between Basin Mtn and Mt Tom

first glimpse of mt Humphreys after a storm

sunrise from Bishop - Mt Emerson, Mt Humphreys, Basin Mtn, Mt Tom, and the Wheeler Crest

Mt Humphreys and Basin Mtn in the morning

snow blowing off the top of Mt Tom - the day we sent "Fish Ladder"

There were a few big storms that rolled through - not so great for the rock climbing but the skiers were pretty excited and it is good to get some water stored in the mountains. I headed out quite a while after one storm and skinned up to North Lake and then up south of there a bit. Mostly I was on the road though. It was nice to get out and stretch my legs. Then came a bigger storm, Mammoth got up to 11 feet over a few days. I went up 168 and skinned up Table Mountain a few thousand feet (quite tiring, especially near the bottom where it was possible to post hole into buried bushes even with skis on). Then I skied down. That went a lot faster but was also quite tiring. The powdery snow was pretty forgiving. A group of skiers went down past me while I was heading up. I don't think I looked as styling as they did, but I only wiped out once (and had a number of close calls).

skier (not me) heading down from Table Mtn as I went up

skin track up on Table Mountain with Coyote Flats and the White Mtns beyond

When I see an interesting bird and can get to my camera I try to get a photo. Here is a hawk I saw out my window sitting in a tree and managed to get a photo before it flew away.

sharp-shinned? - or maybe red-shouldered? hawk

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