Getting After Some Pheasant

So Dave Ford and I headed up to Frankenstein with Kevin Mahoney these last two days to get tuned up for what promises to be very exciting ice season. We have a trip planned out to the Canadian Rockies with Jimmy and Dunbar in March, so we're trying to get ready for it. We got kind of wrecked by an embarrassingly small number of pitches, so I guess we're not quite ready yet. Yesterday we headed up the Bragg-Pheasant (NEI 5), a rarely formed route at the north end of the cliff. (See pic1, which is not of us, but other climbers recently.) It was in really great shape and it was an awesome time. Today we did Welcome to the Machine and Dropline (pic2, both NEI 5, but Dropline is harder). Dropline was as fat as I've ever seen it, but it was still ridiculously pumpy. I was just barely keeping it together on its relentlessly steep, weirdly candled crux column. So evidently I'm pretty out of shape and need a bit (i.e., a lot) of practice. (Side ad: I was also struggling with blunt picks that had been filed down past the first tooth (don't do this) and dull crampons. Anyone interested in a pair of worn Petzl Darts for $50, MRSP $200? If the club is interested, it has first dibs.) Dave climbed as well as I've ever seen him. Afterwards, we were chatting with Kevin and he suggested that we go to the Flume and do, say, 5 sets of 4 laps on the grade 5 pillars in there. I guess now we have to go do that. Heh. Tomorrow we're off to Cannon to do some skiing. It snowed all day, so it should be in good shape! In fact, it was hovering around 30 all day, but I found myself doing the ice climbing jig constantly--windmilling my arms like a crazy man, stomping my feet to an invisible tune, and other general fidgeting, all to stay warm. So have a nice Christmas and see you in the Daks!