Steve's Arete and the Bald Spot

Yesterday Ryan, Mike and I went up to Windy Point to climb Steve's Arete. Ryan had been wanting to lead it for a couple of years and had decided to go for it, project it. It is rated 5.11-, and the first bolt is probably 20+ feet of the ground. Ryan lead it then Mike and I top roped it. That's mike above.

I made two attempts and was able to send it with no falls on my second try. It runs up the very left edge. It is the hardest climb I have ever done. I plan on leading it soon. To the right, through the dark spots is a climb called Green Ripper. It's claim to fame is that there are pictures of Lynn Hill on it. I'm sure she on sighted it at 5.12. Ryan and I tried to top rope it, but neither of us could get past the first move.

That is a picture of my right leg with a bald spot on it. Yesterday at work we had a box of wax hair remover break open on one of the belts. It was a huge mess. The packages were sticking to the slides and backing up the entire system. Well, my friend John Coons was sneaking up on people and slapping a dollop on their arm hair. Then they would have to stick a piece of paper to it and rip it off. Of course I heard I was on his list of people to get so I scraped some wax off the slide and stuck it in his arm hair. Preemptive strike as it were. I had forgotten all about it today. I was standing in my work area when I felt this warm blob on my leg. Sure enough there he was standing on the ladder that leads to my work area with a big stupid grin. He was nice enough to have a piece of paper ready to rip it off. He had even set the container of wax on his coffee maker to warm it up and make it stickier. He apparently doesn't have enough to do. Surprisingly it didn't hurt at all.