I’m not the only Mammoth resident preoccupied with climbing rocks

One of the best things about early-season, pre-big winter in the mountains is that snow doesn’t consume everything yet, leaving room for other outdoor fixations. So many people have been talking about climbing this fall that snow feels like an afterthought. Has Lonnie Kauk single-handedly made rock climbing the coolest other sport for snowboarders? Or is it that more are discovering what a good complement it is to shredding – “it’s like yoga, but more fun,” as Big L says.

Never without my Nikon D40, I followed some guys on a recent Tuesday into the Owens River Gorge. The result was some fun pics that ended up on Chris Benchetler’s blog, CTBBloggin, providing another glimpse into the mind of the climbing-obsessed snow athlete. Chris’ blog is always full of good outdoorsy updates. But as much fun as climbing is, I’m hopin his next post is about massive Mammoth snow.