Tom Schmottlach and I were at it again. This time, to see to a dream of exploring a Sierra-sized chunk of granite that sits high above South Lake, 14 miles west of Bishop.

If its orange face were down lower it’d be a destination. If it were in Nebraska, it’d be a State Park. But being that the approach had us mazing our way through twisted stands of stunted aspens, wild roses, loose talus, and low-angle slabs for over an hour, I’m thinking we may just have a first ascent…wishful thinking these days.

Either way, it sure had the feel of adventure that you just don’t get hiking to a sport crag. Adrenaline mixes with nervousness and gives you something new, not all good and not all bad. A fight or flight into which you willingly trudge until you find yourself at the base cinching up your harness, flaking out the rope, and really casting off into the unknown. What we ended up with was four pitches of 5.8 or 9 following the big dihedral on the right side.

***8/2/14 Turns out it’s an area called Billy’s Pillar. Wishful thinking indeed!