Cash

Ok, I promise, this will be shorter. Yesterday we awoke to clear blue skies and what we thought was going to be a warm and sunny day at Lion's head. We sat on the beach and did some reading (I'm halfway through Harry Potter and can't put it down), and then headed out to the cliffs. We did a cold and windy 5.10b and then another chilly 10c and realized that maybe we really needed a solid rest day. So, we decided to hit the Lion's head pub for a burger (our first splurge at eating out since the budget sttarted) and then go (after one more psuedo shower in the marina bathroom). I now sit in New Paltz, New York at a coffee shop called the Muddycup. It's got free internet, ugly retro couches, some college kid playing the guitar, and really really decadent flavored hot chocolate. If I can't finish Harry Potter here, where can I?

The bad news is that it cost $15 per day per person to climb here at teh Gunks!! Those of you westerners know, this is insane. It throws me into a whole rant about why we are sending tanks, planes, helicopters, etc to Iraq, making government employees at National Parks overworked and overwhelmed, and not even including the Gunks in that National Park system! I'm not sure that's such a bad thing, however climbing here for a year costs more than a year long NATIONWIDE national parks pass. They are not a national or even state park, they are a non profit organization, so they charge climbers MORE (than hikers or bikers) to get in since we're the ones who make their insurace so high. Grrr.... I could rant and rant, but I won't. Not here, not now, I've got Potter to read. I'll fill you in more after I climb a few days. It is supposed to be some of the best in the US, so maybe I'll be willing to spend the cash, but that's a lot of mac and cheese.