Donner, Smart's Crossing

We got some parental babysitting time and jetted up to snowshed for a few routes. Unfortunately we got absolutely bouted on a 5.9 (?) on the right side of the gully which was no fun at all


but then climbed the beautiful arete (ariel?) with no problems at all. Actually, that route seems like a good warmup. I am now more resolved than ever to learn how to place gear; there really look like a lot of fun gear lines in the gully there.

After heading back to the cabin, Chloe's friends from the lab showed up and we all headed down to Smart's Crossing. Luckily, the tiresome solitude of the river was soon broken by a swarm of hood flaring teenagers. Chloe and Christine got swept up in the tide of testosterone and both jumped off the ledge

Happily, they both survived.

I summoned up the courage to swim in the freezing cold water for a bit and tried to climb out of the water... next time I'll bring some old rock shoes with me.

On the way out, little ZZN fell asleep in the Baby Bjorn

and we discovered that she has a prediliction for beer bottles

Lunch was potato and fruit salad that the lab-crew brought up, grilled corn and potatoes, and grilled grass fed beef burgers (RED MEAT WEEKEND!!).

After cleaning up, we decided that a second night in the tent with the baby was going to be too hard, so we drove back to Oaktown, stopping at Machados for an excellent apricot pie.