Fairview Dome--Tuolumne, October 1999
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Dinner at Subway didn't quite agree with Dan, rushing straight through before
we reached the usual campsite just outside Yosemite. Rising early the next
morning we drove the rest of the way to Fairview and racked up, Madeleine
and Alan cautioning us to dress warmly before heading off to climb in the
sun. The toss of a coin--"Tails!"--gave me the lead of the first pitch, the
crux of the route; we waited for the second member of the party of three
ahead of us to leave the ledge above then at last I was climbing the regular
route on Fairview. "Humpf! That wasn't supposed to happen!"--as I started to
move on after placing my second piece cold numbed fingers and polished rock
underfoot had popped me off. My fingers soon warmed and 'fore long I was in
a comfy perch on a ledge looking at the rope snaking down through the gear to
Dan. He used the full 60m length of the rope on the next pitch, a fun lieback
and roof then we were through the hardest part of the climb. As I set the 
third anchor at a very large ledge a soloist on the "Tuolumne Summer Circuit"
breezed up; we exchanged a few words then with a "Well, that's enough rest" 
he headed on up. As Dan led the pitch above the leader of the party behind
us joined me once more; another chat then "See you a bit higher up!" it was
my turn. Another fun roof on my next lead, a traverse on Dan's, then we were
into easy territory; some simul-climbing then suddenly Dan was on the abrupt
and surprisingly small summit of Fairview. Wandering around the summit taking
in the view I found a cap; feeling I should keep it as a souvenir of the climb
but uncertain I'd ever wear it I put it in the pack. The two parties behind
us soon joined us; using a biscuit as a bribe Dan got one of them to take
our picture, then the six of us walked off and down the back of the dome. 
M and A were waiting for us by the car cooking dinner; Dan and I soon had ours
under way and after we'd all eaten it was off to the usual Chaos spot on the
east side of the park. Not having learnt our lesson next day it was off to
climb in the shade again, this time the runout Hobbit Book on Mariolumne. The
approach took us halfway up the dome, 4 pitches then once more Tuolumne lay
spread out beneath us--Daff, Pywiack and Lembert Domes, Cathedral Peak, 
Tenaya Lake, Half Dome, the meadows with the Tuolumne river winding through
them, and the smooth clean lines of Fairview. Alas this time the camera lay
below, we hadn't taken the pack up or thought to pocket the camera, but on the
otherhand I'd acquired a more useful souvenir--a nut and quickdraw an earlier
party had left behind that I'd cleaned from the route.