Trip Report
First weekend of August's storm, how it looked from Lamarck/Darwin Bench

by le_bruce
Thursday August 7, 2014 1:45pm
Very basic, short vid. We'd hoped to do the Evolution - not to be. But hook is set. What a beautiful, beautiful region.

http://vimeo.com/102782661


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Credit: le_bruce
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  Trip Report Views: 4,189
le_bruce 		About the Author
le_bruce is a climber from Oakland: what's not to love?

Comments
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Aug 7, 2014 - 05:27pm PT
I'm imagining that drive back with Riders on the Storm cranked up.

Well, you went to the mountains and found their good tidings, I imagine your spirit was amply recharged. Thanks for sharing dude.
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Aug 7, 2014 - 05:53pm PT
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” - Denis Waitley


Le_Bruce fails in better style than many of us succeed.
He laughs at the storm, he mocks its moxy, he runs from it only because it means he wants to come back when the summit photos will have better lighting.

This report makes me long for Darwin Bench far more than had you spent most of your time up on that chossy ridge. I love that place. I failed there once too, and I have a great photo hanging in my office from that day.


You will someday return my friend, and when you do you will stand victoriously upon that seldom tread summit with nothing but sunshine on your face and success in your belly. Until then, may you hold this defeat as an ember in your bosom, burning until your return.

Scott
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Aug 7, 2014 - 05:56pm PT
My photo from failing to climb Darwin more than ten years ago. It hangs proudly in my office today.
CCT

Trad climber
  Aug 7, 2014 - 11:15pm PT
My storm adventure was on White Mountain. We started by sleeping in, out of deference to the midnight electrical storm and the thick clouds that blanketed the mountain at first light. Waited until 7am when we could see the weather, which was not good, but good enough. Topped out at 10am, thinking that the skies might clear. By 10:30, we were walking through horizontal sleet at 38 degrees. Made it back to the car around noonish, in white out conditions and thoroughly soaked.

I felt particularly bad for all the people who hiked White Mountain in shorts that day. Umm, what were they thinking?
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Aug 7, 2014 - 11:37pm PT
Cerro Cerro!
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Aug 8, 2014 - 03:33am PT
hey there, say, le_bruce... thanks for sharing, nice read...
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Oct 13, 2014 - 08:28am PT
Earlier in the year, before I did the Evolution traverse solo. I went out there with a friend for an attempt. A freak storm forced us to camp before the col and dropped 2-4 inches of snow in places. Next morning the temps were crisp in 20s and we bailed to climb on Cardinal Pinnacle and in Pine Creek. Good things happen to those who wait. :)
Roxy

Trad climber
CA Central Coast
  Oct 13, 2014 - 08:33am PT

Hail yeah! type II fun to the max!!
rwedgee

Ice climber
CA
  Oct 13, 2014 - 10:24am PT
Matt was bad luck for me too. He got us stormed off Whitney & Russel the following week, the whole East Side for that matter. We went to the Needles as a backup plan.
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
Author's Reply  Oct 13, 2014 - 09:38pm PT
Not a bad backup. What's up with Matt? The Man Who Generates Storms.

Vitaliy - you saying I should head back next season and solo it C2C? I'd better get training, and stop eating cake.
WanderlustMD

Trad climber
New England
  Nov 9, 2014 - 10:21am PT
I'm generating a noreaster as we speak
mpmoody

Mountain climber
Alamo, CA
  Mar 23, 2015 - 04:13pm PT
Enjoyed your video, as you commented on my TR of Starlight and Thunderbolt that same weekend. At least I was lucky to get 1 good day in between the storms to summit.
L

climber
Just livin' the dream
  Mar 23, 2015 - 04:30pm PT
The ramen looked pretty tasty.
The hail looked pretty nasty.
But you survived to tell the tale!

You guys were in shorts???????
Killer!
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Apr 16, 2019 - 01:32am PT
Bump... this report is wedged in my head when I think of nostalgic moody trips to Sierras.
Bad Climber

Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
  Apr 16, 2019 - 06:54am PT
This is great! Thanks for the effort, Bruce. Hoping to head over to repeat Mendel Coulior this year. Good bump, Nut.

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