started the day with a 3 egg on toast breaky, washed down with a icy cold Pabst Blue Ribbon Spent the next hour getting the gear ready, fussing around with the damn tie in point on the Bashlin X saddle. Replaced the aluminum tie in with a 1/2" x 3" forged steel ring, 44kn tough. I really like this set up now.

Jumped in the truck and drove to a park (NOT the one i was at yesterday > ) , and walked thru woods in the pissing rain. Spent an hour trying to get the damn throwline over a 80 foot crotch. A blue rinse west sider walked by and glared at me disaprovingly as i petted her friendly dog. Guess she thought i was up to no good, yea i'm a real ruffian (rolls eyes ) ...tried ofr another fifteen minutes, lost the throwbag somehow (???) and then gave up on that tree. Walked some more, waded thru a creek and then i found the Motherlode. A 90 foot tall (minuminm) Silver maple, with tons of huge limbs, freee of all the little limbs that snag a throwline. 1st cast got a crotch about 50 feet up. pulled the rope and cambium saver over, tied in and started up. Got up halfway up the tree and WOW WHAT VIEW! the things you can see form a tree that you can NEVER see at ground level. I had the 150' Arborplex with me , so i went a bit higher to aorund 65'. Tried to limbwalk and my body just shut down, too much adrenaline dumping into my system i guess...legs were rigid, hands and arms were stiff and could'nt walk out on the limb, even with a double lanyard to guide me..... wierd...this is the fifth time thats happened to me.

oh well, hung in the harness for a while, feet on the trunk, swaying in the breeze. Practiced using my minigrapple for a while, moving over to the next tree and securing the climbing rop so i was inbetwene the two trees...WHEEEEE swing!!!

hands were numb, i was soaked (but wearing wool) but i swear this was the best climb i have had yet.

Just got home, made grilled cheese sammi's and cracked a cold Pabst