Joe Schiefman and I struck a deal - Valley if the temperature was under
80, Meadows if it was above.  Armed with Friday's Mercury New predicting
a Friday high of 87, I was confident I'd get my way and was already
planning my Tuolumne hit list when we reached the Entrance gate and
saw the forecast of 79.  Down to the Valley.  I managed to talk Joe
out of an attempt on Fatal Mistake - I was suspicious of the name
and the time-consuming aid on the 1st pitch - and so we went for
the classic Hot Line (10c,12a,10b,9).  Joe really enjoyed leading
the crack climbing on pitches 1 and 3 - especially the endless
hand crack on the 3rd.  I completely wimped out on the second,
starting to aid (aiders) after the first painful jam - I
tensioned the traverse as well.  Joe freed the crack on the TR
(11c/d he said) but couldn't quite get the long reach on the
traverse.  The guidebook says you can approach Fatal Mistake with
a rappel from the top of Pink Dream - you can, but the PD anchor is
well back from the edge, so you'd probably have to leave gear to
do it (and then climb back up to it).  I crawled out to the edge and
looked down - the 10' or so of the 11a thin third looked good -
maybe someday.

Ah, but Sunday, the predicted high was 80 so we drove up to the
Meadows.   Post-labor day emptiness, just a few RV's and only
Dave Caunt (2 beers into his morning six-pack) and some dude
name Al posing in the store parking lot.  Schneider's crude
map in hand, Joe and I began the approach to the Twin Bridges
Area (Glen Aulin).  We did sort of get off course - I know the
true approach does not involve East Cottage Dome - but we
recovered and got to the cliffs after 1.5 hours.  It's really
beautiful and wild back there.  I led Crowd Pleaser (10c, 80 degrees
4 bolts) to warm up on Whatchacallit Dome - then we TR'd without
success an unnamed 11 to its left.  We then started to scope out
Pillsbury Dome - just as I remarked to Joe that it looked like
a circus there, ropes everywhere, climbers dangling, even a
clown-like figure with a crazy tie-dye shirt and Ronald 
McDonald-like red hair, Joe pointed out that we in fact know
these clowns - Don Snyder, Greg Murphy, Brian Cox, and a couple
of others.  I took some good pictures of Greg flashing the 11c
arete of Black and White and Red all over.  Then, in the time
it took for me to select my wardrobe and put on my shoes,
Greg had flashed the 11a Poodle Boy to its right, and then
TR'd the stiff 11c/d in between.  Whew!  "On belay, lycra dude
of questionable masculinity."  I got the TR on Black... and
fell about 3 times pulling the big knobs on this overhanging
prow - this route is great - wish it were longer (about 40').
After the usual banter, the crowd cleared and I flashed
Poodle Boy, dead vertical and mostly big ones - exciting
clip of the second bolt (worse if you're short I imagine).
Joe followed with a couple falls, we tried the 11c but
couldn't stick to the slopers.  I wanted another go on the
arete, but Joe was making noises about getting home late, etc. so
I settled for a victory lap on  Poodle Boy.  We found the trail
on the way back (1 hour, twice Schneider's time of 30(!) minutes
in his guide) and got to the car at 6:15.  "I'll be back."