Trip Report
Cathedral Peak (July 1, 2015)
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Thursday July 2, 2015 12:20pm
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Monday mornings at work usually consist of my brother Jeremy, my boss Cam, and myself wishing we were still on the weekend. All three of us are climbers and with the slow work week ahead, we want to go do something else.
I haven't climbed for three months due to a torn labrum in my left shoulder. Had it repaired in 2013, but back at square one and have been missing the rocks way too much. I also love bagging peaks as much as climbing, so Jeremy and I decided to leave for Tuolumne after work on Tuesday. Since I can barely lift my arm above my head, might as well try Cathedral!
Jeremy had done the route a couple weeks earlier, but was excited to go back and drag me up it. We left Oakhurst around 4 on Tuesday.  Visit on photobucket.com
The Rostrum
Arrived in the Meadows around 7:00, just in time for the good lighting.
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Luckiest deer in the State.
We decided to stay outside the park.
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Ellery Lake
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Camp 395
July 1, 2015
We woke up at 5:00, boiled some coffee and were on the trail by 6:10.
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Vitaliy Peak
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Blue skies?
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Views from the base
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Columbia Finger
We passed a nice couple on the trail from Bozeman, MT and there was a party from D.C. at the base getting racked up when we got there. Our plan was to simul until we ran out of gear, then see if I was up for leading.
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Jeremy starting up.
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Starting simul 1
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D.C. crew starting up
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I think around here Jeremy put me on.
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Climbing is so good.
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Atop this Jeremy was at the belay and asked how I was feeling. There were a couple painful moves and I wasn't confident to lead, but told him I felt good to simul to the top. Having climbed together as main partners for almost 15 years now, we have complete confidence in each other and I think this is the best thing you can ask for in a climbing partner.
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Jeremy getting in the Chimney.
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It was fun climbing next to this guy and watching him lead. I asked what his name was, but forgot it(par for me) but hopefully he sees this report and saves the pics.
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The above two were my favorites of the D.C. team.
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The Chimney
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Inside and probably the most painful part of the climb for me. But loved it!
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Atop the Chimney
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Anytime I had slack to wait for I'd grab the camera.
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Jeremy topping out. The short third pitch for us, I was feeling a little nauseas at this point, not a ton of pain, just a dead arm feeling that kind of makes you sick to your stomach.
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Anyone know who placed this?
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Musta taken ten shots of this thing. Amazing.
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Clouds are looking ominous
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Can anyone identify this dome? Notice the pollen in the air?
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Budd Lake
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Thanks Jeremy, I needed that.
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A sea of granite
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I wonder what this tree looked like on the FA?
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Bozeman couple, I believe.
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D.C. topping out
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Hopefully the weather held off for these climbers.
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D.C. a long way from home.
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Thank you Cathedral, one of the best.
We got back to the truck at 11:00am and Jeremy missed the breakfast service by a few minutes. Maybe if I took fewer pics we could have made it.
Thanks for reading.
this just in
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About the Author
this just in is a climber from north fork. |
Comments
JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Anyone know who placed this?
All I know is that it was there when I first did the route 40 years ago. Incidentally, you had better weather than we did down in the Big Raisin.
Thanks for a marvelous trip report. I hope I can be free to meet up with you two next weekend at Shuteye.
John
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pswitz
climber
honolulu
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Nice photos of the route, gives a really good feel for the climb. I believe that's Lembert dome on the eastern edge of the meadow in your pollen shot. Funny how even tall steep features look like pothole dome from that high up..
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
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Nice! I've never climbed this, though had a few plans aborted for various reasons where I walked right by the peak.
I drove through Tuolumne last Sunday, stopped for a swim in Tenaya Lake with the kids and we had plenty of pollen swirling around us. My kids were a bit grossed out when I called it tree sperm.
We could see it blowing up out of the trees in the flats below Tenaya Peak- almost looked like a fire.
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jfailing
Trad climber
PDX
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Great shot of Half Dome!
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Gene
climber
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Vitaliy Peak
Classic!
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Author's Reply
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Jul 2, 2015 - 04:01pm PT
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Awesome John, I was thinking it's from the FA maybe? Really hope you can make it next weekend.
Pswitz, Thanks and I can see why people do that climb over and over again. The Lembert Dome was a ST joke, but thanks for the identification.
NutAgain, Haha on the tree analogy.
Jfailing, I'm thinking Mt Starr King, not Half Dome.
Gene, Hope you can make it next week too.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Fantastic! I love that route, but this is what it was like on top the last time we did it.
Glad yall had some clean rock rather than a cluster of parties and rope drag and dropped packs and summit bullies like we did. Stellar photo report.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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A Sea of granite . . .yes . . . .o So sweet,
Thanx for all the pics, and the back story too.
Hope your shoulder gets the down time that it needs.
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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On my tick list!
Great pics, but why in pain? Are you injured? (sorry if I'm out of the loop)
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Nice comeback. An excellent thorough tour of Cathedral, except possibly for the hike in. Well done, Jeremy and Justin.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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It's great that you managed to climb something, anything!
There's got to be some way to wrap/immobilize that shoulder so that you aren't tempted to use it.
C U soon, Phyl
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Author's Reply
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Jul 2, 2015 - 07:00pm PT
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Timid, glad to help out. Thanks
Micro, there was snow up there in July;-) ? Yeah it was nice to have the summit by ourselves and hang out there for a little while.
Thanks Gnome for the healing wishes.
Anita, yeah I re-tore my repaired shoulder three months ago. By the time I reached the top I was loosing all strength in my left arm, but it held to there so I was happy.
Andy, thanks man. It was hard to take pics on the approach, cause my tour guide was speed walking. Unfortunately that was a quick comeback and probably my last of the year.
Phyl, you know the sling to well. Think it will be immobilized at the end of August. Hope to do some slab at least next week. Can't wait.
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Beautiful photos, thanks!
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Great pictures!
I felt like I was there.
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Burnin' Oil
Trad climber
CA
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Great Pictures. Last time I was there I saw this:
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Author's Reply
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Jul 3, 2015 - 01:27pm PT
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Thanks Ezra and Phil!
Nice pic burnin oil.
Haha Jeremy.
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two-shoes
Trad climber
Auberry, CA
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Hey Justin, everybody should have a warm and fuzzy big brother such as Jeremy! What a nice thing to do. Someday I'm sure you will return the favor.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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So that's what it looks like if you make the left turn!
So wait, does this bust your valley cherry? Or does it not count because it's a meadows send? ;)
Always a good day with the Ross bros. Sorry about that gimp arm. You gonna wanna get that fixed up before we go shred again!
Gotta get my butt up there. Looks super fun. Thanks for the pics!!
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Author's Reply
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Jul 5, 2015 - 10:32am PT
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Hopefully I never have to return the favor Barry. Also hoping you get back on the rock soon.
Mike, don't think that counts as the Valley, but I've done a ton of bouldering in the ditch and onsighted Pine Line;-) Thanks man!
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Wonderful TR.
The photos taken by Justin (and also MH2) have a tranquility that opens the mind and lets the eye rest.
They trudged sullenly the alien ground and the round earth rolled beneath them silently milling the greater void wherein they were contained. In the neuter austerity of that terrain all phenomena were bequeathed a strange equality and no one thing nor spider nor stone nor blade of grass could put forth claim to precedence. The very clarity of these articles belied their familiarity, for the eye predicates the whole on some feature or part and here was nothing more luminous than another and nothing more enshadowed and in the optical democracy of such landscapes all preference is made whimsical and a man and a rock become endowed with unguessed kinships.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Ok ok.. So you get single pitch cred.. Lol We gotta get you on some big lines! Well, one of these days....
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Terrific! Thanks for taking the time to put this up. It's been years for me, but hopefully I can get on this again soon.
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limpingcrab
Gym climber
Minkler, CA
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Great! Must feel wonderful to get back on the rock again!
Make sure to take it easy and fully heal so you don't get the chronic pain of all the old timers :)
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Author's Reply
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Jul 6, 2015 - 09:58am PT
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Marlow, big thanks man. Being mentioned in the same sentence with MH2 is a big compliment. Good excerpt too, Blood Meridian?
Jeremy acting like he knows how to read, that's cute.
W.L.thanks, glad I can return a little stoke to you. If you got next weekend free, come up to Shuteye, should be in the 70's.
Mike, I'm pretty well known in Yosemite for that onsight. Need to get up the Chief too.
Awesome Crimpergirl, always good to hear your voice here.
Limpingcrab, it felt like I needed that bad. Thanks.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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no rain, eh?
snaps brought back memories from the last time I did it. thx
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Author's Reply
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Jul 6, 2015 - 02:03pm PT
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No rain for us, there were five people on the first pitch and three waiting to start. They might have got rained on, but not sure.
Was hoping the D.C. or Bozeman climbers would see this and copy the pics, but guess they aren't on the taco.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
Boise, ID
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Nicely done on the TR and the route fellas. Cathedral is one fine route...i've climbed it 3 times and would climb it again in a second. Super fun, no stress...well, I reckon there would be a little stress with a bum shoulder.
TFPU!!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Woot! Woot! Awesome, Justin!
Get that arm healed up.
Looks like it was a really, really, really FUN day!
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Ed H
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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Great photos - TFPU!
Cathedral is on my 'climb every year' list, and I'm happy to say I was there yesterday - awesome as always.
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Author's Reply
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Jul 6, 2015 - 09:43pm PT
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Awesome Ed H, wish I could do it again this year. Like the 'climb every year' list.
Steve, thanks man, it was a really, really, really good day. One that lingers for awhile.
W.L. hopefully you get some vertical in.
Thanks skully, I hope to do it many times as well.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Jul 16, 2015 - 11:28am PT
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Very nice! Great pics.
Just getting over repaired rotator cuff (from March), so I can empathize about the shoulder!
First climbed in Tolumne a long time back, but never did Cathedral. If all goes well, I'll put the tick in the box next month. Thanks for the stoke!!
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Author's Reply
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Jul 22, 2015 - 10:48am PT
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Hopefully it goes well steelmonkey and you get to climb, I think I would avoid the chimney though. Thanks man.
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