Ann, Ted, Roy, and I met at the gorge for my first session there since the one that put me out for three weeks with an ankle injury. It was bound to be trying. My ankle started hurting again on the hike in, or was I just imagining it? I decided to try Crowd Pleaser ( 5.8 ) while it was in the shade, and felt nervous and overgripped on it. By the time I was finished it was sunny and too hot to be any fun for Ann. We headed to the shady side of the gorge where we all did well on Nirvana (5.10a), always one of my favorites. I got a nice video of Ted taking a fall on Expressway (5.11a), which he finished disappointed. I played on it on TR and managed one move more than I had on my last attempt. I had been thinking of trying Bone Up (5.10d), but took Ted up on his offer to lead it because I was still feeling a little shaky. He flashed it nicely, but when I got on it on TR I made mistakes, fell, gassed out, and didn’t even finish. We had lunch at the Pub where I tried Abitarot (5.10a) and fell off of that too. Ted finished it for me, but it seemed to provoke him a bit too. Ann inspired us all with some really nice footwork on it on TR. We decided to mellow out and finish the day back at the Negress wall, where Ted & Roy did Welcome to the Gorge (5.9) and Ann & I played on Clip Jr. (5.6). Ted finished himself off with a lead of Humbly Mumbly Jumbly (5.10b), and I surprised myself by following it cleanly despite cramping forarms. It was tough day, but fun and satisfying too. I left feeling like I will eventually overcome my fear of the gorge and climb well there again someday.