dave checking out fairview dome from on top of daff dome
see more photos here

dave mackey is one of the few people that would consider climbing in yosemite "resting" before a 100 mile trail race. but that's what we did the week leading up to his first ever 100 mile event... the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run in Squaw Valley. we spent 3 days/4 nights in tuolumne meadows campground. since dave was supposedly "resting", we limited ourselves to 1 or 2 routes each day, but we made sure they were classics.

dave on crescent arches

day 1: we went up to the base of fairview dome to attempt the ultra classic regular route but two slow-looking parties were just getting started so we decided to bail. the closest dome around was daff dome (daff stands for dome across from fairview dome) so we sauntered over there and started up the west crack. the west crack is three pitches of fun 5.8 crack climbing, and proved to be a nice warmup to our next climb: crescent arches. this is a 5 pitch climb (crux rated at 5.10c) was put up by colorado's own layton kor back in the day. it features a moderate 1st pitch followed by 3 solid pitches of underclinging crack climbing under the prominent arched roofs that are visible from the tioga pass road. i think this turned out to be our favorite climb of the trip, although it left both of our backs pretty sore from the strenuous toe-touching underclings.

day 2: we returned to fairview dome the next morning with a crack-of-noon start (well, 10:00).

tenaya lake

fortunately, there wasn't a single party on the entire route so we geared up and i started up the first pitch. as i was belaying dave from the top of pitch 1, we noticed clouds making their way over the summit. storms would not be an issue that day as it turned out, but we climbed quickly just in case and finished in 3.5 hours. the regular route is one of the "50 classic/crowded climbs of north america" and certainly deserves it reputation as being one of the nicest moderate climbs around. the first of its 10 pitches are 5.9 and they only get easier from there, with the last few pitches being a scramble to the top. afterwards we went to tenaya lake for a swim.

day 3: i think dave started getting a little nervous that he wasn't getting enough rest (with good reason) so we took our third day pretty mellow. I got a nice run in up to cathedral lakes via the john muir trail and dave slept in. later we decided to head over to

crying time again

lembert dome so he could belay me on the first couple pitches of crying time again (5 pitches, 5.10). i had no intentions of climbing the whole thing, but dave had other ideas. at the top of every pitch i would belay dave up and ask "okay, ready to go down?", and each time he would answer something to the effect of "no way, you're not done leading". so we ended up climbing the whole thing. the knobby face climbing of the route was stellar, and a nice way to finish up the trip.

day 4: despite our limited time we decided to swing through the valley on our way to the sacramento airport to pick up dave's wife, ellen. it was probably a mistake as we spent most of our time in the car, held up in traffic. but we did have a chance to run up to lower yosemite falls and jump off the bridge below El cap into the merced river.

tuolumne meadows feels like a second home to me now after four visits in the last six years. there are few places i hold in such high regard. maybe it's waking up on a frosty morning and getting out for a beautiful run before anyone else is awake. or maybe its the high-country climbing on perfect granite followed by a swim in spectacular tenaya lake. or maybe it's the legacy of people i find myself in the company of in tuolumne... brian, annamieka, and now, dave. maybe these wonderful people help define what feels like paradise to me in tuolumne meadows.