Pinnacles:  Rocket in my Pocket, Lower N Face, Cataract Corner   1/7/90

On Sunday the C family went down with Phyllis and Hal -- it was a little wet
in Palo Alto but it got a lot sunnier as we drove south.  I led Rocket in My
Pocket 5.10c and continued to the top via the 5.5 crack to set up a toprope
on Cataract Corner 5.12a.  Everybody tr'd Rocket, and then Piton Traverse
5.11a (I believe only Nancy got it without a hang on her second try).
My first try on Cataract ran into trouble reaching the arete notch (I had the
same trouble before when I tried it with Greg Murphy last spring).  After some
hangs I managed to barely do the crux bulge above the notch -- much whimpering
and moaning.  Then a guy named Bob tried it; he ran into trouble at the same
spot and didn't try the crux due to too much pump, or maybe he was discouraged
from so many hangs.  Hal and Phyllis tried the lower section, reaching about
halfway to the notch (the moves are 5.11a on small holds).  Nancy cruised to
the move before the notch (5.11c), and then couldn't get back on the rock for
another try.  It was a strong effort, and I used her sequence on my next
attempt (it was very effective).  I blew, though, and I was having trouble
with cold/numb fingers, so I took a good long hang.  Then I was able to do
the moves to the arete notch using her sequence plus the crux above without
falling (ah, the benefits of hangdogging).  At first I was discouraged about
the difficulty of this route, but now I feel like I have it down!
To finish out the day I set up a tr on P.O.D. where we all did a lap.  Hal's
lap involved hangs, as he hadn't done the route before and was not moving at
the proper speed for success.  We left before darkness, for once, and a good
pump was had by all.