Rock climbing at Pinnacles with Loren, Suzie, and Vinita. We climbed The Sisters and Tiburcio’s X.
Photo by Loren Cheng
Return to Pinnacles National Monument, which is where my bud Loren and I first met back in October 1998! Narrow rock stairwell after a number of cave-like passageways at the Pinnacles. Watch out for poison oak lining the top of the stairwells! Vinita and I met up with Suzie and Loren at The Sisters. Here's Suzie belaying Loren and Vinita getting ready to climb. The view from the top of The Sisters. You can see the reservoir and Tiburcio's X (the rock with someone belaying from the top) in this picture. Felix Wong at the top of the First Sister. Photo by Loren Cheng
Suzie and Loren at the top of the First Sister. Photo by Loren Cheng
Felix, on rapel. If he looks happy here, it is because he really likes rapelling! Loren (I think) rapelling off of the First Sister, which is ~150 feet high. We had to tie our two ropes together to do a single rapel off of this one. Suzie rapelling off of the First Sister! Photo by Loren Cheng
We saw a bit of interesting wildlife here, including... a SNAKE! Photo by Loren Cheng
Here's one of the cute squirrels we weren't supposed to feed, lest face a $500 fine. Loren coming up the backside of Tiburcio's X, which he and I had to freeclimb (Class 4) in order to set up a top belay. Loren lowering me from the top, thinking "peace". I snapped this shot just as I was being lowered. It's kind of a long way down, don't you think? Nice view of the reservoir as the sun was starting to set. Here's Vinita at the crux of View of "The Sisters" in the waning moments of the evening. Photo by Loren Cheng
Vinita and I departed after climbing, but Loren and Suzie stayed for the entire weekend to camp and hike. Here's a cute picture of Suzie with the climbing registrar. 
