Fresh off another 60-hour work week, I and my partner Jason, who has also been working many hours himself, decided to make a run for El Capitan. Jason flew into Fresno from Boulder at 3PM. I left my teaching job in Palmdale at 2:30 and was in Fresno by 6 p.m. on Friday. In the Valley by 9 p.m., plans were decided at 9:45 and in the tent by 10.

Up at 5:30 a.m. making the usual breakfast, which for me consists of two peanut butter and honey sandwiches and for Jason some yogurt that comes in a pink carton decorated with yellow flowers. Both of us chugged some instant Starbucks coffee and were on our way to the Meadow.
After seeing headlamps every 100 or so feet on the Nose, Jason and I decided to shoot for Triple Direct. 6:30 a.m. put us at the base where we saw a party racking up and EC legend, Steve Gerberdine and Wife Cal who were planning on spending a couple of days on the route. Fortunately, both teams allowed us the privilege of pole position and Jason took off. Jason once again pulled out all of the tricks on the FreeBlast and we stood on the pitch above Mammoth in well under 2 hrs.
Since the next section called for some 5.13 climbing and Jason is only capable of leading multiple 12's on The Captain, I decided to take the sharp end and show him how to get things done at 5.7 C1. The next few pitches were clean, exposed and quite classic. A couple of hours later we found ourselves meeting some of the masses on the Nose. Below the GR we ran into a NIAD party from France and Simon Anthamatten. Simon, who made a name for himself this past year in the Valley, greeted us with a huge smile. As someone who makes big goals and accomplishes what he sets out to do, he took obvious pleasure in seeing those around him do the same.

Continued to make progress, and were able to top out in a little over 10 hours.
Packed up and hiked down the E. Ledges. Conversation primarily revolved around old age and injuries that we have recently accumulated. For me it has been Plantar Fasciitis causing me to walk with a limp. Jason, recently injured his shoulder by using a plastic, 2 ounce, Lowe's industrial strength fly swatter while trying to kill a, "huge” fly in his house.
Since the Nose seemed to clear out some, and we knew that upon return to society we would be hit with many work-related demands, we decided to shoot for a Double EC day.

We spent a little over an hour eating canned sardines, trout, and herring from Trader Joe’s, drinking double shots, calling home to our wives and kids, and cleaning up which consisted of dipping the lower feet in the stream. Found ourselves the base of the Nose at 8 pm. In usual form, Jason took the sharp end. While I figured we would see a couple of parties past camp IV, our relationship-building skills were put to the test starting on Sickle. We ended up passing parties camped on all ledges including a couple of parties in port-a-ledges. During the lower sections, Jason was somehow able to arrange the rope to make sure it kept smacking every sleeping individual in the head, setting me up for an explanation and profuse apologies. After explaining to each party that my partner was on a quest to set the Nose at Night Record, they just waved me on.
I took over at the base of the GR where Jason turned on the Metallica. Typically, Jason is quite an astute, well-mannered, and professional young man, but given a track of Metallica, he turns the other cheek. Yelling so hard, people driving through the meadow were honking, Jason's demeanor kept me going through the a.m. hours.
With two pitches to go and the IAD quickly fading away as I moved slower and slower, Jason took the aiders. Delirium must have set in as Jason does not know how to use aiders. While quite fun to watch him try as it is like forcing a cow to step across a cattle guard, he is still learning the art of how to put his foot in each strap. Fortunately, he had enough power to clip the aiders on his harness and French-free the overhanging bolt ladder as we topped out at 7:20 a.m....24 hours and 30 minutes after we started at the base of TD.
An hour and a half later we were back to the meadow eating some snacks which would tide us over for the drive back. I took the first shift which eventually got us to Oakhurst. Jason took over from there where he was able to get us 6 miles past the airport, who while oblivious to the freeway signs was able to follow “the nearby jets in the sky.” Always a fun adventure to be had on EC!