A recce, and a disappointment.
I had wanted to climb El Capitan in Texas when I saw it from the highway.
We hiked to it on the 3rd of Decmber, all the way up to its base, and once there,
I found the rock very friable, and steep. I didn't have a prayer of climbing it, with my
lack of ability at the time. I was at my limit on 5.8-rock, but this was totally beyond my
ability because it was not solid. It came apart in my hands. I retreated to Jones'
position on the ridgeline below, and admitted he was correct in his assumption.
And here I thought he was just bein' a fun-killer...
Tom on the trail to El Capitan 3 December 1986 |
Ben & El Capitan, the big South face 3 December 1986 |
Debris from an airplane crash 3 December 1986 |
I tried bouldering a bit on the rock. It was beyond the bounds of possibility for me at the time,
but today, I'm certain I could find a route on it. Tom was not the right partner for such a venture.
After a look around, we headed back to Pine Creek campground. Tom packed out the instrument
panel of the long-ago plane crash. I can't remember if he was just collecting it, or taking it back
to Park headquarters to help them out. It's a funny thing how all that twisted metal just lays there.
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