Lilabiene was here in Yosemite for Facelift. It was a short, barn-burner of a trip for her, with lots of panic and lots of joy. A fairly normal visit to the Valley, in other words, as many who come and go quickly might also corroborate with similar stories of stalled vehicles, missed flights, missing bags, and no rest.

I'm glad she took advantage of Ed Hartouni's excellent companionship on a roped climb almost immediately on her arrival in the Valley. She came into Yellow Pine with a bicycle for me, a project which neebee set in motion, loaded into the trunk of her rental car. She had come in from SFO and picked the bike up someplace in the Valley and carted it over to YPCG. She had just met up, providentially, with Ed there in camp when I showed up, almost on his heels, fresh (well, kind of beat, actually) from a walk along the river making photographs.

The Merced River's at its nadir right now. I needed to see and record the low water. Coming back into camp I crossed a ford in the river. When Ed and Audrey/Lilabiene/Odd took off to go climb on Manure Pile they took the same basic route, across the ford to the road and down to the Buttress.

Crossing the ford, the second time in an hour for me, wasn't a big deal, as I took a large pine branch and used it as a tripod. I had my camera tripod slung around my neck and shoulders and needed the third leg.

As Ed had scampered over to me, Audrey paused and gingerly came over, eventually making a solid, dry-shod landing after a longish look at the width and a moment to collect herself. This was maybe the crux of the whole adventure, the dry shoes! Quien sabe?

Here's Ed's description of events and I'll leave it at that.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2493423&tn=40


To Odd: I would rather send these but what the heck, let everyone see how good a climber you are. You've done old Bill proud.

THE Muppet will probably be leading this climb or ones like it by the time she's ten or so, I'm betting. Then she'll be able to drag you up some Grade Six by the time she's eighteen.

The sky's the limit, as the fly-boys say.

Here are Lilabiene and THE Muppet.The point where one fords ends at the outlet for Eagle Creek, where Audrey and I set to work trash-picking two years ago at Facelift, during her first excursion into the Valley. It's bizarre that her latest trip involved exactly the same terrain.Audrey getting down to business.It was with regret that I did not take any photos of Audrey and her birth mom's sister. I am sorry, Audrey; but I figured you had little enough time to spend visiting and I wasn't seeking to intrude in the slightest little bit on your meeting.

Regardless of that, this little record of your first big route here in Yosemite is little enough to pay you back for the rides, the food, the bike, the other things too numerous or silly to mention. Above all, thanks for taking the time to come visit. We all loved seeing you. And we are looking forward to further adventures as they come due.

A bientot, Lilabiene.Dolt Lives!!!!