Kiddie Crag Day

Saturday and time to climb but the whole tribe is mine to tend so.... Kids at the crag day!! Meg had some things to do so she couldn't come, so after the girls tested for their swimming class levels we hightailed it to the Island. There were a dozen people there when the girls, Ripley and I showed up so finding a belay for Bitch with a Broomstick 5.8 was pretty easy. This is the route my oldest Maya, has her eyes on. She will be 7 this summer and is always asking me to take her along on my trips into the woods and crag days. The weather is nicer now so it is easier to say yes, though that means Eden who will be 5 this summer wants to go too. Its so hard to say 'no' to one, and take the other. Regardless of the age advantage Maya has over her sister, Eden will be bummed if she isn't allowed to come as well. Today however I had all three, so we packed a lunch, various toys and stuffed things, a blanket, some diapers and all the required climbing hooha and off we went.
The girls took several turns on the route, but being that it is early in the season and their first trip this year, they were both a little timid and did more bouncing around on the rope than climbing. The bouncing is highly entertaining and a lot of fun for them so I encouraged it, plus it builds confidence in the whole system, which will help them if they decide to continue this silly game of climbing rocks. Ripley or Master Silly Piece as Eden has nicknamed him, was a hoot, running willy nilly all over the place. He managed to make everyone laugh, skin his knee and eat his fair share of dirt. The afternoon wore the little man out and he was fast asleep before we even got home.
Fortunately, in between kid wranglin sessions I was able to squeeze in 4 pitches which I am hoping will prepare me for tomorrow in Tensleep. Clint and I are day tripping to the pocketed Mecca of the sleep to see our good bud Alli and clip some bolts. Should be fun considering she has a house full of visiting climbers this weekend including the notorious CK.
On a different note local strong lad Kerrick Stinson dispatched The Wretched Harley V10 after putting in some sesions for his second of the grade. He questioned me as to the location of Pistol Whipper V9, rested a day then went and fired it with the quickness. This may only be the second ascent of the problem and he seems to feel the grade fits. He tried the center line that day as well but didn't get too far, seems he has a new project now. This is the line Dave and I landscaped and I posted about a few weeks back. Good Luck, shes gonna be tough.