While Piaget's four primary cognitive structures of child development have been rehashed ad nauseam in the literature, it is his little known fifth cognitive stage -- Valley granite -- that is certainly the most critical to early childhood development. Thus while it may seem unconscionable that we've waited six long years to introduce Kara to Yosemite climbing, it was vital that we not rush this crucial stage of her development.
Last weekend, while Chan and Jess relentlessly labored in the sizzling heat building us a deluxe bivy, Anne, Kara, Connor, and I got to play with their little ones - Nicole(4yr) and Paris(18mn). Packing the van posed some challenges but we prevailed:
Swearing Nicole and Paris to total secrecy with regards to their parents and the weekend activities we headed to Tuolumne for some excellent Lembert Dome glacier polish body surfing!
A little beta on body surfing clothes: wear some. The girls bellies and knees were rubbed raw [Ouch!] making it difficult not to fess up to Chan and Jess. Also not recommended for adults with a fondness for their clothing as Aunt Junko and Uncle Courtney quickly demonstrated, trashing their clothes but having a fine surf nevertheless.
We then roped up and the girls on-sighted Lembert's descent route while the little ones tagged along in the packs.
On Monday we headed into the Valley.
Pop quiz: name this route (hint: Kara's first Valley route)
Pop quiz: name this route (hint: Connor's first Valley route)
Pop quiz: name this route (hint: Kara's second Valley route)
Actually we did the Nose first but I'd never admit it. After the Nose Kara was totally amped up to jump on the Salathe. YES!!! Unfortunately while Kara was climbing in the nice breeze off the deck, Nicole wilted in the stifling heat at the sheltered base. We needed to get Nicole back to the cool river and rehydrated but Kara would have none of it insisting we climb the Salathe right now! I took this teaching opportunity to explain to Kara about friendships, how the Salathe will always be there, and how there's no greater reward than helping a friend in need.
"Yo Dad! Fruit...Tree? Need I say more?"
"Good point. Rack up."
It's also interesting to note, although nothing should be read into it, that on Kara's exact first step onto Yosemite granite she had a shoe problem. I took this teaching opportunity to berate her for not packing her thin crack slippers!
Before heading to the Salathe we went back to the river to meet Chan and Jess. Little Paris hadn't said a peep all weekend and had just trucked by herself all the way to and from the base of El Cap (carrying two pine cones and three big rocks of course). I suppose if we had fed her or given her some liquids the pent-up three-days-with-strangers-meltdown might have been less severe. But the important thing is Nicole and Paris were absolute angels for us before losing it for their parents. You go girls!
Back at El Cap I gave Kara the traditional intro-to-rock-craft talk.
"OK, OK! Enough already. Honestly dad, sometimes you treat me like I'm not even six!
Of course climbing shoes go on my feet and not on my back!"
"I'm sorry honey, but apparently it's a point that needs to be driven
home more often than one could ever imagine."
With her shoes on her feet Kara then floated the Salathe approach followed by a lap on Pine Line:
Unfortunately we soiled the day by breaking Pine Line into two pitches. Kara's vowed to clean this up next go. Also Kara had a disappointing hang on Pine Line. You can bet this afternoon I will be having a rather pointed discussion with her PE teacher on her appallingly sloppy finger stacks!
Kara's enthusiasm for the big stone is promising although she did become unglued when she learned of the recent bear activity and theorized the chocolate milk might be at risk. (In not my proudest parenting moment, I spun a story how the world's supply of chocolate milk is located at the top of El Cap, always making sure to return with chocolate milk for her and thereby ensuring my strongest [and only] Valley advocate.) Anyway I assured her the milk is a pitch below the lip and Yosemite bears are notoriously poor rappellers. Never easily deterred she then asked how the milk stays cool in the summer. A lengthy lecture on convection currents and a few thermodynamic derivations quickly had her eyes glazed over and she thankfully abandon that line of inquiry.
In addition to the long chocolate milk discussion, on the walk out we resolved some other important father/daughter issues:
"Hey dad, can we go to the top next time?
"Absolutely. And you know if we don't tell mom about it beforehand we can really surprise her once we're on top!"
"YEAH! Great idea dad!!!"
"Hey dad, have Peter and Alex climbed El Cap?"
"No"
"Have Marianna and Pierce?"
"No"
"Why not?!"
I took this teaching opportunity to explain parenting philosophies, how we all do things a little differently and how there's no one correct way to raise a child.
"Their daddies don't love them."
"Hey dad, can I send Peter and Alex a searing e-mail tweaking them that I climbed El Cap and they didn't?"
I took this teaching opportunity to explain that we climb for ourselves and we're supportive and respectful of our friends.
"Absolutely. Just make sure it stings."
"Hey dad, did I climb more pitches today than Jeremy?"
I took this teaching opportunity to explain that she needs to set the bar much higher and true reward only comes from achievements made through hard work.
"For example you probably out chatted Jeremy today which is truly phenomenal. You can be proud of that one. The pitch count was a given."
"Hey Dad, am I your best partner."
"Kara! What did I just say about setting the bar higher?!"
-Jim
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