Despite my wish to be prepared this morning, my holiday schedule did not allow me to eliminate my usual sleep deficit, sort gear, or prepare food. So after spending Christmas in Lambertville with my in-laws, I arrived home after 10 pm. Having never climbed in cold weather before I pulled out everything I could think I might want to wear and threw it on the back seat of my car. All my climbing gear went into the trunk. Two packs, two rope bags and a large plastic container. Stove, water, pots, mugs, tea, hot chocolate. No, this wasn't for an expedition, or even a long trip! It was as a result of the "Sunday With Steven" thread. I planned to meet Steven and Dawn at the Gunks the morning after Christmas.

Up at 5:15, out of the house by 5:30, gas stop complete, and on the road at 5:45. Up 206, the Turnpike, the Parkway. Two hours later I'm on the NY Thruway. Making pretty good time. While passing cars I take notice of a small silver SUV. It's a couple lanes to my right and there is a jacket hanging by the rear window. Something about it says waterproof breathable. Steven should be driving this highway just as I am. I study the man driving. There is nothing about him I can pick out that says climber. Still I have this feeling. Maybe I've noticed the stickers on the rear of the vehicle. I mentally scan the inside of my car for some recognizable piece of climbing paraphernalia to hold up, a biner, a cam, anything. All my gear is in the trunk. Oh well, what are the chances this person is one I am traveling to meet. The feeling passes and the SUV is forgotten as I continue on toward New Paltz.

At the Deli at 9:00. It is closed and I am the only one here. After a few minutes I refer to one of Steven's posts. We're supposed to meet at the bakery at 9:00. The bakery? What bakery? Back to town to find someone to ask "is there a bakery" and "where is it" Who says men won't ask directions? This was important! I arrive at the bakery at 9:15. Busy as it is, I see no one outside or inside that I think I might be looking for. This bakery serves food, so where are the tables. Upstairs. Here I run directly into a table with 5 people sitting at it and am introduced to Steven, Dawn, Todd, Emmett, and Julie. Now I remember seeing Steven on the Throughway. 

I follow Steven and Dawn to the new lot I've never parked in before. I grab a pack and some of the clothes from my back seat. There is a path, mostly stone steps which rises steeply to the carriage road. Exertion tells me that I won't want to go back to the car to get all the things I have left unsorted. Everyone meets under Bonnie's Roof, an area with a number of classic 5.9's. Steven leads the first pitch of Groovy with Dawn, while I belay Todd on the first pitch of Bonnie's. Bonnie's is a large right facing corner with the roof on the back wall. A corner crack leads to a wide flake on the left wall. Here Todd hesitates, warning me that there is ice on the better footholds, and that I should watch him. Moving behind a chest high boulder improves my stance. Todd moves up and back a couple times while placing pro and evaluating how bad the ice is. Then he moves up the flake to the roof. There he places more pro, goes out the roof and up to the anchor. Todd has made this all look simple, but I know it won't be for me. After lowering, he mentions the cold and slips back into his bib.

I had been worried about being cold in the 25 degree weather all week, and in this regard had decided to wear my old Climb High thick soled high top shoes with heavy socks. Looking at the corner in front of me I wished I'd packed my Mythos. Starting to climb I can't feel the rock through my socks and shoes. Still I do pretty well up to the roof. There is a nut and a tricam in the corner. They don't come right out, and I can't see them. My left arm is in the way and I'm spending precious time and strength while telling Todd I'm not going to make it. Eventually I find a better position and after poking and prodding with my nut tool I have them, but I am spent. Exhausted I am spinning in the air and I feel a bit sick with dizziness. The spinning doesn't stop. I'm saying I might as well come down, but Todd encourages me to finish. Hanging for a while the spinning slows. I want to finish. But can I? Back on the wall I move out left and up to the anchor. I am again spent, but happy to have completed this pitch, the hardest I have ever attempted outside!

Steven and Dawn have both completed Groovy where they have left a rope. Dawn is going to lead Sleepwalk and set up a rope on Ants Line. I get to try Groovy. This route is another corner to a roof. My arms still tired can't do this route justice. Somehow I can't make the moves under the roof. Later Steven says I just didn't trust those small footholds. I'm pretty sure he's correct too.

I've watched both Steven and Dawn on Ants Line. Both have done well moving out left (again) from an overhang and up through an hour glass. Both mentioned how f**** cold the rock is. My turn. I'm getting lots of encouragement, but  make it only to the overhang (crux) before I am too tired to continue. My hands are red claws. Stiff and cold I can hardly move my fingers. Oooh they are cold. Frozen. I am off and swinging all the way out to the Ent (oak) 15 or 20 feet away. Latching on to a branch I rest. I am to take the anchor down if I can make it to the top. We talk of climbing the tree but I can't reach the rock from the top. Hmm, I could climb up the tree past the crux and swing back to the rock. Amusing, but I really would rather complete the route. So, with considerable encouragement from everyone below I am back on, and up to the anchor.
 

Over great food and drink at Bachus we told stories. Here I learned that Emmett was Emmett of Gunks.com. So I had met another personality to boot. Finally, completely contented I made 3+ hour drive home through sometimes heavy flurries with poor tires. Nothing could begin to bother me though. I had that warm glow from a great day meeting people, and climbing. This was a really great group of people. Positive and full of encouragement and just plain fun to be with. Special thanks to Steven and Dawn for the original invitation.