Simon Williams climbing "Now I'm Green Bucket," the right-hand variation of "Green Bucket" at Carderock Maryland. This has to be one of the most uppity climbing areas I've been too, despite it's quality of short slab routes the locals in large part just make you feel unwelcome and degenerate for trespassing on "their land". Sometimes other climbers make me ashamed to be a climber--abuses of nature are not natural. Carderock is a prime example of people who think they own land simply because they use it more.

Oh my God! Is that a picture of Bob rope climbing at Carderock? Holy Shit it is! Since when did Bob go to Carderock for anything but abuse at the hands of the locals? "Green Bucket" a classic Carderock 5.9, or a 5.10 variant thereof using just the far right corner.  

I love these "Painted Hills". Some of the layers of these hills are mineral rich and reflect it in their colors. Others are not; layers devoid of any nutrient value because of the silt, sand, and water filtering through them and evacuating all the small particle sized grains. Parts of these hills are also fossilized, just like the trees.  

A sectional of a long since fallen and petrified tree--almost exactly as it lay after it fell. The cool thing about the petrified forest is the formation. Apparently, a meteorite landed not too far from here and caused a cataclysmic reaction on the order of a volcanic eruption. Trees were toppled, animals died, and it all lay there for thousands of years. Sand and silt from the rivers slowly eroded and filtered through the wood, stripping it of minerals and nutrients to the point where it became hard as a rock.  

Doh! These trucks got caught in a pinch! Funny enough, this accident happened after another accident which is up ahead. The trucks merely scraped each others' sides after coming over the hill and struggling desperately to stop short of the accident ahead.  

Is that an Ewok I see? Wicket? Wicket? Wicket come out and play!  

Now those look like redwoods! Here I am hiking up the Ocean View Trail but alas, there was no ocean view on this day. So, instead I snapped numerous pictures of the magnificent trees and their splendid colors. 

I love this photo; all the trees here are rather thin and young but still quite tall. The density of the trees too is astounding! It makes you realize how rainforests work--the trees that require more light quickly grow tall and thin while the plants needing the least light survive on the forest floor.  

More Joshua Tree. This here is an oasis of sorts just north of the southern entrance. There's quite a bit of animal life down in these parts due to the water and the human presence--campgrounds are right on the horizon. 

Ah, Joshua Tree! Hot as Hades on this day, but I managed to make a short hike into the park. The road connecting the southern end and the northern end (where all the good climbing is!) was washed out from springtime flooding. Consequently, I didn't get a taste of J Tree climbing. Another time however, another time.