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Em and Bruce on a rock rib that broke the traverse into two parts (thankfully). On leaving, I told them both something John had shared with me when he and I planned the Memorial Day Weekend trip together early in the winter of 2000 (John had invited a few others, as he always did, being the incredibly nice and friendly guy he was, including Em and Bruce).
John greatly respected Em and Bruce. Of the duo, John had said: "They're world-class climbers, and I mean that in every sense of the word." And it's true. You should see the list of routes these two have put up. We were incredibly fortunate to have them climbing with us (they're also world-class people). And John had said to me, and he said this more than once, that above all he hoped that Em and Bruce could make the trip. Em and Bruce honored that wish, and we're all very grateful to them. After we finished the traverse we had to negotiate a small area of what Bruce deemed "Blue Square Scree." As I slipped and slid down a short stretch, my boots scratched down into the earth and I remember, vividly, the [truly, seriously] wonderful smell of dirt. We finished our descent with a quick seat glissade down Anaconda Gully, then made our way over to Horse Camp, and finally, Bunny Flat. |
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