A delayed report.

Paul's postcard arrived last March - wife has moved out, need to 
climb.  A Gunks trip made a good combo with a family wedding
in Boston.  I arrived on a Friday night and had a nice dinner 
with Dan Nguyen and his wife Yulie in Wellsley.  Saturday
I went mountain biking with John Imbrie, finding out that 
it is a quite different proposition on the East Coast.
In spite of the 90 F 90% humidity, we wore long pants and
turtlenecks to ward off black fly bites.  We made a sweaty
16 miles on the "Mid-state trail," perhaps walking the bikes
about 20% of the time on the trail.

Saturday night Paul showed in his 1968 Volvo T-1800 (two seater
with fins) and we were off to the Gunks.  The heat had driven
off most of the suitors, so Sunday was not too crowded.  Paul
is leery of leading since his big slide on Cannon last fall (showed
me his scars) - my mind has been elsewhere for a few weeks - so I led
most things and didn't push too hard.  Travels with Charly (8,R),
Country Roads (10-), Commando Rave (9), Bonnie's (9), Ant's Line (9).
We earned many trad points by using a single 10.5 and "going to
the top" a lot.  

Monday, still pretty hot.  Retribution (10-), Wedgetables (10-), 
Tennish Anyone (10, TR), had to hang once on my attempt to
get Coex (10+) this trip, Modern Times (8)

Tuesday night it rained hard, but no matter.  Big overhangs, lots of
stuff was dry.  Frustration Syndrome (10-), Simple Suff (10), worked
on an 11+ TR to the right.

Tuesday night, a surprise, Wayne Burleson appeared out the mists at the
bridge, with a cold Weizen in his hand.  Wednesday morning Chandlee
Harrel just made the rendevous (sketchy beta relayed through his
sister) at the grocery store across from
the Brauhaus as Paul and I were pulling out.  So now we were 4.
I knew what Paul wanted - he's always wanted another crack at
that route he stuck on his second try, wildly lunging with
dangling feet, when he was a strong lad of 17.  Fourteen years 
later, a light rain, a promise to his estranged wife and to himself 
not to take too many chances, the misgiving of his partner -- 
none of this was going to deter Paul from this pilgramage.
I led the 5.9 first pitch as Wayne styled
The Winter (10+).  Paul followed as Wayne and Chan TR'd The Fall 
(10+ R) and The Summer (12a).  As unearthly mists rolled down
from the dripping overhangs, Paul led up with double 10.5's to
confront the infamous 2nd pitch of The Spring (9! in the Williams
guide).  Well, the upside arrow Paul pitched onto in '77 is gone -
the pro is now a shaky 2 RP (the 3 fell out).  There's good pro
below, but you would probably crack your ankles swinging back into the
ledge.  Paul downclimbed to the ledge and tested the RP with
bodyweight - to the
surprise of all, it held.  So Paul went up, bouldered out the
initial sequence, and went for it!  Two wild lunges, his feet on
this time, and the prize was his.  Following, the RP came out
easily, and I thought two lunges were 10+/11-.  Wild lead! - one
I'll never do.
Back on the ground, we met Wayne and Chan at the Sting (11+).
The TR was up and all the boys but me were firing the initial
big lunge.  Perhaps pumped up by the adrenaline from The Spring,
Paul, on one of his go's, fired a good 2 inches past the target!
However, only Wayne could link it with the upper section.  
Frustrated, I traversed on above the lunge and got the cranking
moves on the upper section (11) first try - guess I'm not out
of it yet.  Wayne and Chan had to run, but I couldn't help but
maintain the Gunks "sandbag" tradition by sending Chan up
Nosedive (9, I swear in my guidebook).  Also withheld critical
beta...

Gunksburgers and Weizen at the Brauhaus, Naked Gun 2.5, ice
cream at Friendly's - summer nights can be pretty good out
there.  Next day (4th of July) the plan was for me to take
Paul's car to Boston while he stayed, catching a ride back
later.  I got about a mile down the road before the car started
to fail - limped back to the hairpin, catching Paul, just
as it stalled.  Guess it missed its owner.  
Starter out, plus other unknown problems.
Ended up on the bus - made it to Danvers (5 pm) just as my cousin's
husband-to-be pulled the "Buffalo Wings" off the grill.  Perfect
timing.    


Joel