Plaidman's Journey To Yosemite

I am leaving this morning for Yosemite. I will be arriving 2 weeks before the date of the climb. I have a few responsibilities to take care of. I will be conducting the Totem Cams Demo so folks can try before they buy. Totem Cams has been sending me down to Yosemite to do this for the last 3 years.I will be participating in the Yosemite Facelift again this year. This is the largest Adopt-A-Crag clean event up in the country. I will be preparing for the next few weeks before I venture to El Capitan where I'll live on the big wall for 8 days. I have been telling folks it's like going to the moon for mere mortals like me. I will be hauling 60 pounds of water and all the food that I will need to eat. The food I am taking will be nutritious stuff I like. I can basically eat all I want because I will be burning it up. I have plenty of Gatorade and will have to stay hydrated.

All the details have been haunting me for the last few weeks. I have at times let the pressure get to me. I have had to lecture myself to just calm down. It's just climbing. I can do that. So that is what I plan to do. Just climb. I have the skill set, the desire and the psyche to get this done. I need not obsess about what could be, or what will happen if any number of unintended things happen. I need just focus on what I love to do: CLIMB!A friend sent me this: "You have everything you need to realize this dream. You have already put this plan into action and therefore I tell you--you have already succeeded. There is no luck; there is only hard work. There is no time limit; there is only time. There is no move beyond your ability; there is only your will to move past it. There are no bad conditions; only conditions. You are the toughest S.O.B I have never met; seriously, you’re right up there with any of the soulful old ways, badass, lovers of suffering, hard men. You can do this. Go on, get up there bro." I will be taping this to the inside of my helmet. I am ready to go now. Got to finish packing. I hope to be making updates from the wall. If you are interested in following my progress while I am climbing, the El Cap Report will be posting pictures of many of the climbers on El Capitan. You may even see me. Look at El Cap Report.com. I have to say thanks, again, to Next Adventure for helping this local climber tell this story.