Bouldering at the buttermilks/happy boulders

We got a late start this morning and went to the hotel lobby to grab some continental breakfast. I didn't know it then, but the muffin I ate would cause me all kinds of gastroenterological distress for the rest of the day. At this point however, I was happily munching away on a poppyseed muffin and a bowl of dry cheerios (I'm lactose intolerant, but only in the morning for some reason). The woman working at the front desk was barely able to peek her head over the front desk, and struck me as a little batty when I first saw her. This suspicion was confirmed by the ten minute stream of consciousness monologue that she delivered in response to another hotel patron asking where he could find a good garage in town. It was a meandering tale that began promisingly with the statement that most garages would be closed today, but then went on to a discussion of roadworthy tires, pneumatic lifts and the lives of the local garageman. Strangely undeterred by this monlogue, the man asked a second question. I would have stopped after the first personally, but I guess maybe he was still trying to figure out if there was an answer somewhere in the first stream of consciousness. The second answer, about how good the cell phone coverage was north of town, was mercifully only half as long but had even less content. I think her answer boiled down to: "it depends on what kind of phone you have". Chloe and I were smirking at eachother and doing our best not to break out laughing during the entire episode.

From the hotel, we set off to the Buttermilk boulders and warmed up on the mantley V2 on the solid grain boulder, then the Prow and birthday direct. However, I wasn't able to do birthday direct because of general weakness and my shoulder not cooperating. From the birthday boulders, we headed up to "The loaf" and ground away our skin on "Dough Boy", which was excellent. The top out is pretty scary however, and my hands got so sweaty I had chloe throw our chalkpot up to me. From the loaf, we walked down to the ranger rock and got spanked on the v3 and v4 (almost sent the latter) and then ate lunch on top of the loaf while we watched some famous climbers warm up on the V3, 4 and 5.


We decided that our skin wouldn't last much longer on the rough granite, so we headed back down to the volcanic tablelands and found a nook in the east rim of the canyon that I hadn't been to before. I did "Sacre Coeur", a few problems in the hall of mirrors,


and "Baroque". Chloe also got baroque (before me!!! arrrrgh) and we both floundered on the thin face problem at the end of the hall of mirrors.



We moved down to try Mr Happy but got spanked.

After a quick look around from the canyon rim



we headed down to Black Magic -- a tall problem which I did first try:



and then onto Azeed , and then Weekender. Weekender was an even bigger adventure than Black Magic. The moves are pretty easy, but all of a sudden you find yourself high off the deck on somewhat suspect overhanging rock. Chloe wasn't happy that I topped this one out, and I think it marks the end of highballing for a while.

We were the last ones down from the Happy boulders and watched the last remnants of light fade over the Sierra


and then grabbed pizza at The upper crust which in combination with a mammoth pale ale, was the perfect end to our day.