I TOLD You So!

So, my last post was about the Gunks Boulder CleanUp Day, which occurred this past Saturday. I'd mentioned that there would....probably....be a couple of good giveaways for volunteers.

I was right about that. A day or so before the event, I saw a post on RockClimbing.com and there was a list of some of the schwag to be had. When I saw THREE shoe companies had donated, I knew I was probably going to have myself a new pair of shoes out of the day. Acopa, Evolv and LaSportiva had each provided a gift certificate for a pair of shoes from their product line.

How did I know this? Would it be because I had prayed to the shoe gods for deliverance? Because I'd had a premonition, where I saw myself sending No Solution onsight(even though I walk past it every single time I am in the Trapps and...ummm.... haven't a chance in the world to get up that line)?

No. It would be neither of those reasons, but the simple fact that I knew there would be only a handful of volunteers, and my chance of winning would be very, very good. Same as it ever was.

This year, they really did go to town for this event. Well, maybe not to town, but they DID go to the Mountain Deli to pick up some delicious Breakfast Burritos first thing in the morning. The American Alpine Club had donated a chunk of dollars to buy us all breakfast. Thank you AAC! I haven't had a Deli's Best(eggs/cheddar cheese and bacon in a wrap) in too long.

Rich Gottlieb, owner of Rock and Snow, also donated a pile of cash to feed us. His donation provided a barbecue at the Visitor's Center, after the work was done. What was there.... Oh, hamburgers and hot dogs, both meat and vegetarian. Corn on the cob as sweet as Teddy's disposition, chips, dips, hummus, potato salad, cole slaw and macaroni salad. Probably some other stuff I didn't even notice. Soda, juice and beer. Thank you Rich! I ate TOO much that day.

Oh yeah - there was ice cream, too. I had no room for it though.

So, we all piled in ranger Dave Lucander's pickup truck and headed off to work. Our mission was to remove tick marks and skim off whatever we could form the chalk layers which have built up on boulders along the carriage road since last year's cleanup.

I have to tell ya - there was plenty of tick marks. I though people were supposed to wipe them off after they'd finished working the problem? Well, I made it my business to get rid of 'em. Maybe just because I knew from experience that the chalk buildup stuff just...doesn't....go away completely. It was very satisfying to erase the ticks and not see them show right back up, albeit in a ghostly form, as soon as the water dried.

Of course I scrubbed the chalk patches too. As did everyone else. We scrubbed, and we scrubbed. And then we scrubbed some more and moved on to the next boulder. Then we came back and scrubbed some more on the previous ones.... Even though the chalk has permanently stained the very popular boulders, our efforts do help reduce the brightness of the glare. Plus, the boulderers get better holds for a while, since the grimy layer is removed. Get 'em while they're hot, people. As we all know, the chalk will be back.

So - back to those shoes. As I'd suspected, I got a pair. Thank you Evolv! I received a gift certificate the explains how I can go about claiming a pair of ANY shoe from their product line. Nice! Since I ripped through(yes...again...) the rubber on my pair of Mythos a month ago, this good news came none too soon.

Well, actually, it has come too late. On time would have been last fall, when I still had a bunch of rubber left on the LaSportivas. I waited too long for the resole. Now they need, not only to go to the resoler, but first to a good old NYC cobbler, who will stitch the seam I ripped open on the toe. Oh yes....I wore down the left toe PAST the rubber.

The good news(more good news!) was that I was flush with cash this wekend and had taken the bus up from town. So, I had time and funds to go to Rock and Snow and replace the LaSportivas. Now I will decide on a second pair of shoes, from Evolv. I think I may get something to work with on bouldering. Maybe THAT will help me send! It surely can't be my chicken-hearted inability to commit that keeps me at a V.LessThanZero grade.

Not only did I get a pair of shoes. What else did I get? Take a guess.

Oh yes, I did. I was the recipient of one of two Yearly Family Memberships to the Mohonk Preserve. Good for up to four from a household, the memberships cover hiking, cycling and climbing. Sweet!

I joked "Hey maybe NOW I can get myself a man - I got a free membership waiting for him." Dave laughed and added "You've got a dowry." Well....maybe. Maybe not. But everyone did suggest I should add Teddy's name and get him a membership card. Which I think might be a cute thing to do.

There was more to giveaway, and I wasn't the only one to win big. So, I really would like to extend my appreciation to all those who DIDN'T show up to help clean up the place. Without your non-participation, I surely would not have scored so well. Thank you Suckas!!!!


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Attack of the Tick Marks

Event: Trapps Boulder Cleanup
Event Start: 07/26/2008 @ 9:30AM
Location: Trapps Bridge (New Paltz, New York)
Description: Meet at Trapps Bridge and work until 4:00. The Preserve will provide water, a ladder, and an afternoon cookout.
You will provide enthusiasm, a soft bristled brush, ability to work with a team, and even a pad.

Complimentary barbeque with Mohonk Preserve rangers and raffle for all volunteers, 6:00 – 8:00p at Visitor Center
Contact Email: dlucander@mohonkpreserve.org
Contact Phone: 845-255-0919

I gotta tell you - this is going to be a day well spent, so if I were you, I would plan to be there. What is it? It's a volunteer clean up of all the chalky buildup on some of the most popular boulder problems in the Trapps.

I helped with this last year and had lots of fun, meeting new people and learning about some of the historical and FA's newer lines from some pretty good boulderers. We goofed around a lot, cleaned up a lot of greasy, gunky white crud and generally enjoyed the day.

Afterward, there was a barbeque cookout at the Visitor's Center, with burgers, chips, salad and beverages - vegetarian fare too, and plenty to go around. Then, there was a giveway of prizes. We weren't sure how to do the choosing, so we played Spin the Bottle. Don't worry - if the bottle points toward you, all you have to do is accept the prize you won. Last year, I got a YEARS MEMBERSHIP to the Mohonk Preserve. No shit. I did. But.....I had just paid for my own, and I just felt I didn't need it. So, instead it went to the guy who was next to me, an intern with the preserve, who really would have been hard-pressed to fund his membership. Things just work out.....

You can click the title of this post to get to the Home page of Gunks.com where the event is listed...under the "Events" headline over on the right. Let Dave know you'll attend, so he knows how much picnic food to prepare - or surprise people and just show up. I'm in, so I'll see you there!




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I Wanna Go Climbing!

Two weeks in a ROW I am stuck in NYC. For work, of all things. And I am missing out on camping and climbing. Very little consolation the rainy forecasts have been, either, when the thunderstorms came naught to pass....

My assistant asked for last weekend off, and I had to oblige. She rarely asks for time off. But then she changed her mind on Thursday! At 6 o'clock pm. Too late for me to get rides and climbing partners set up. I was not happy. But worse - she then asked if she could have THIS weekend off instead! My holiday weekend?! When I was hoping to catch an early start and make a long weekend for myself!?

It was awful. But I got over it, and fortunately I was not obviously obnoxious about it with my assistant.

Then - my other assistant called, leaving me a message. About "her August schedule." Uh Ohhhhh.....

Now, this one has had no qualms about asking for days off, or to change sessions to suits her own needs. Or saying no to me when I am relying on her to say yes. She had just taken 3 days off a week and a half ago, to boot. I couldn't imagine what she was possibly going to request.

Imagine my surprise, when her need was "to go to Europe at the start of August, for God knows how long," in her words. At least four weeks, and likely more. And somehow, I got the impression she was thinking I would simply fill in for her while she was away, holding her job.

I don't think so. For one thing, I had just booked my flights for my own trip, to Yosemite in the end of September. I'll be volunteering at the Yosemite Facelift cleanup, which is from September 24 - 28th, but am staying for a total of ten days. It will be my first time there, and this will give me a very nice introduction to the place. I know it will be magical.

So, the thought of hoping she would return to NY before my trip, only to have the days draw nearer and nearer with no word from her, was just not acceptable. As if a 4-plus week vacation from a company with 3 people in it would be okay in the first place.... ESPECIALLY when the reason I HAVE employees is so they can do MY work when I go away!

But that wasn't the only thing......

The thing is, I can't tell you. Not just yet. But, when I had the first assistant take two of my weekends from me, it just seemed like it was the straw that broke the camel's back. I had committed to making a change. Clearly, the situation I have constructed for myself just wasn't working. This, I have known for some time.... and it was just so crystal clear at that moment.

I mean, compared to someone who works a 9 to 5 office job, it works really well. But I left the office world because I didn't WANT to be working for the weekend and 2 weeks off a year. So, the upset I had from the upset of my weekend was the final straw and I "made that commitment for change."

Now, it's a very tenuous commitment, as you will find out, eventually(if it comes to pass). The change is contingent on a few items, of which I am not willing to lay out there just yet. You might say "Well, then you haven't fully committed, have you?"

I would reply... "Ohhhhh, yes I have..... But it's a doozy."

Two and a half days upstate each week, and a month each year in Joshua Tree just isn't cutting it. Even the added Yosemite trip is just serving to show me just HOW MUCH I am missing out on... Zion! City of Rocks! The Adirondack, Needles, Acadia, Vedawoo, Wind River, Smith Rocks, El Potrero Chico, Hueco Tanks, Red Rocks, the Flatirons, Squamish, Tennessee Wall, Red River Gorge, New River Gorge, Owens River Gorge....All those gorgeous places I haven't yet been to!

Really. I need to get out more.



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Help support Happiegrrrl in her quest to travel, climb and live an adventurous life(instead of being stuck at home working.....). Visit her online shop, ClimbAddict, for original designs on t-shirts, jackets, caps, stickers and giftware.