We’re happy to see Sean, then Mark and Kate show up with Doug and Liz in the morning at our campsite in upper Blair. Fall is just arriving here, a few yellow aspen leaves flutter in cool breezes, and the morning light comes later every day. Despite all the time we’ve spent here recently, we’ll probably miss the full fall colors in next couple of weeks.

Our crew meanders to the perfect platform under Baobob Tree 5.8, where I enjoy running around taking pictures. While Mark works his way up Baobob Tree and patiently belays from the top, Ann improvises a route near “Ladies Route 5.6” on the other side of Little John’s Tower that takes her up a strenuous little lieback crack.

After lunch Sean, Doug, and Liz take off for Beehive Buttress for some sport climbing, while we move with Kate and Mark to John’s Tower. I’ve been dreading the severe-looking Big House 5.8+, but I decide today is the day for it. It isn’t nearly so bad as it looks, most of it is just fun, with one particularly hard move on wide handjams. Kate and Mark do Becker 5.7, then we swap topropes.

As usual, Kate got nice pictures to go with her report.