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Fran at the Emerald Iguana Inn, Ojai, Cailfornia - IMG_7454.JPG
The Emerald Iguana itself - IMG_7458.JPG
One of Rick's contributions to the Besant Hill campus - IMG_7463.JPG
Rick and Alex at the Emerald Iguana Inn - IMG_7466.JPG
Rick's graduation. All the graduating students (25 of them) got to make a two-minute address. - IMG_7469.JPG
Rick and his school principal, Paul Amadio - IMG_7474.JPG
Rick and Tate kayaking at Lake Casitas, near Ojai - IMG_7477.JPG
Alex kayaking at Lake Casitas - IMG_7484.JPG
Fran and Rick at the Upper Pines campground, Yosemite Valley - IMG_7489.JPG
Fran, Rick and Alex on the hike up the top of Yosemite Falls, with Half Dome in the background. - IMG_7520.JPG
Fran at the top of Yosemite Falls - IMG_7523.JPG
Rick and Alex at the top of Yosemite Falls - IMG_7539.JPG
Martin at the top of Yosemite Falls - IMG_7553.JPG
Yosemite Falls and Half Dome - IMG_7571.JPG
Rick hiking up to Half Dome. We were hoping to do a climb up there (the Snake Dike) but underestimated the amount of time we'd need, and ended up rapelling down after the first pitch. - IMG_7587.JPG
As a consolation prize Rick and I hiked over to the Diving Board next to Half Dome and peered down at the valley below. - IMG_7592.JPG
Rick next to Nevada Falls on the way back from Half Dome - IMG_7598.JPG
Vernal Falls - IMG_7607.JPG
The Merced River near Vernal Falls - IMG_7620.JPG
Rick following The Grack, a classic 5.6 climb on Glacier Point Apron - IMG_7626.JPG
Fran at the Lake Tahoe overlook - P5230601.JPG
Thoroughly modern Ms Alex at home before the trip - P5290626.JPG
Martin and Rick - P5290627.JPG
Rick and his girlfriend Tate. They'll both be starting at Northern Arizona University in August. - P5290629_001.JPG
All of us at Rick's graduation - P5290635.jpg
Another of Rick's contributions to the Besant Hill campus (this one's joint work with his friend Griffin) - P5290644.JPG
Rick and Tate after graduation - P5290650.JPG
Rick, Martin and Alex at Besant Hill - P6020716.JPG
While Rick and I were trying Half Dome, Fran and Alex went on a more leisurely stroll to Mirror Lake. Here's one of Fran's pictures. - P6020723.JPG
The aptly-named Mirror Lake - P6020742.JPG
Alex and her loooong legs - P6020751.JPG
Half Dome from the valley floor - P6030763.JPG
Alex and Fran at Vernal Falls - P6030776.JPG
Looking down from Vernal Falls - P6030791.JPG
Glacier Point Apron and Yosemite Falls - P6030798.JPG
Rick the explorer - P6030802.JPG
Martin instructing Alex and Rick in rock-climbing (or is it air guitar?) - P6050852.jpg
After leaving Yosemite we drove north to Reno, Nevada, spending a night at Lake Tahoe en route. This is Fran's photo from an early morning stroll down to the lake. - P6050854.JPG
Martin at the Lake Tahoe overlook - P6050857.JPG
Martin and his shiny new vehicle, a.k.a. the Squirrelmobile. - IMG_7634.jpg
Kurt and me at the Ranger Station in Lone Pine, CA. There’s an elaborate permit system for climbing Mt. Whitney, but the rangers were oddly uninformed about conditions on the mountain. - IMG_7642.jpg
Kurt at Whitney Portal, the starting point for the approach to Whitney. The summit of Whitney is almost 11,000’ above Lone Pine, but fortunately one gains almost half that altitude in the drive from Lone Pine up to Whitney Portal. - IMG_7647.jpg
Kurt hiking up the Ebersbacher Ledges – probably the route-finding crux of the ascent. - IMG_7657.jpg
Kurt at Upper Boy Scout Lake. - IMG_7662.jpg
Kurt at our camp beside Iceberg Lake, just beneath the East face of Whitney. Luckily there was some dry ground here. Most of the trail beyond Upper Boy Scout Lake was still under several feet of heavy, wet, snow, which made for arduous going in the afternoon sun. The right-hand spire in the background is Keeler Needle. - IMG_7666.jpg
Looking across from our camp at Iceberg Lake to Mt. Russell. - IMG_7709.jpg
The East face of Whitney at dawn. The East Buttress climb goes up the right-hand skyline, and the descent (the Mountaineers’ Route) goes down a gully to the right of that. - IMG_7715.jpg
Kurt hiking up the slopes above camp on the approach to the East Buttress. - IMG_7724.jpg
Kurt on the East Buttress. - IMG_7730.jpg
Kurt and Martin at the summit. Whitney is notorious for having a crowded summit, but it was completely deserted when we arrived – perhaps the snow on the trails kept everyone at home. - IMG_7736.jpg
Just to prove we were really there – the official summit plaque. - IMG_7748.jpg
Another look back at Whitney as we were hiking out. - IMG_7761.jpg
Kurt on the hike down. - IMG_7775.jpg
Martin at Lower Boy Scout Lake, the last of the snow now thankfully behind us. - IMG_7785.jpg
Kurt back at Whitney Portal. - IMG_7789.jpg
Martin back at Whitney Portal, ready for the long drive back to Denver. - Picture_099.jpg
Martin leading one of the 5.7 sections on the East Buttress. - Picture_106.jpg
Martin leading past the “Pee-Wee Buttress”. - Whitney_1.jpg
By the time we got back to camp it was late afternoon and we’d had enough hiking through deep, soft snow, so we decided to spend another night at camp and hike out in the early morning when the snow was frozen. Here’s sunrise on Whitney as we were leaving. - IMG_7727.jpg
Another view of Kurt on the East Buttress. - DSC02109.jpg
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