An Unexpected Outcome

Smith Rock creates its own ecosystem. The rock rises three or four hundred feet from the river, far above the plateau that surrounds it. By creating its own ecosystem, I mean it’s usually ten degrees warmer at Smith than in Bend, or Redmond or even Terrebonne. When I headed out last Friday with Esther from a fog-socked Bend, I expected the usual sauna phenomenon.

No such luck.

We’re experiencing an inversion, after which the delicious Deschutes IPA is named. Unfortunately, the reality downright sucks. You have to go high for sunshine, and Smith is lower than Bend. Smith will be keeping the fog for a while.

So as not to make the trip a total loss, we decided to scope out the Marsupials for better days, and give our dogs some exercise. The fog stayed thick all the way around and up and into the Marsups, as we scoped Koala and headed over to Brogan’s Spire, Delerium Tremens and what’s this? The Optimist?

I set my water bottle down for this one. I stepped up to the starting edges, ran my fingers over slick rock, not solid enough for a double-redpoint attempt by the husband and wife team. It’s a good thing the arête still waited to go free on the Monkey.

The climb scales the line of an almost-dihedral – it’s shallow and overhanging, without visible holds except for the pin scars when this was an aid route. The bolts are uncharacteristically (for Smith) closely spaced and almost clippable off the ground. To the right of the route are a couple of bolted lines, probably Beth’s warmup.

Standing back, I take it in, the graceful arc to the left ending below the great roof – is this the right route? I smile at Esther, giddy, goofy with enthusiasm, optimism. I feel it. This is my route. I can see myself doing these moves, pouring my soul into this line.

What does it take to climb 5.14b?

This is what I’m going to find out.