South of Yosemite, deep in the heart of the Sierra Nevada, lies Courtwright Reservoir, nestled in lazy splendor in a vast bed of granite domes.

From multiple destinations, coordinated by cell phone, Christian, Jim, Gil, Geoff, Brian and Karl all converge at Courtwright in late July 1999.

Geoff has recommended Trapper Springs campground, and we soon see why. From the campsite, it's a stone's throw north to Spring Dome (aka Marmot Dome). Spring Dome is home to mellow multi-pitch climbs which top out to a fine view of the reservoir and surrounding domes.

In a tip of the hat to the obnoxious Mystery Spot, Karl scampers up a handy crack. Christian looks quite happy after setting that first piece off the belay. Later that afternoon, we meet the famous Chaaaaaaaarlie, who never recognizes Gil no matter how many times they meet.

Later, Gil and Jim experiment with a runout 5.9. Gill provides running commentary ("Where's the #@$@#$ bolt?"). Karl rolls his eyes on the route next door and tries not to look over. Dinner is a robust and successful affair. We indulge in spaghetti with hot links, garnished with fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese, all expedited to their final destination with bottles of brew. Finally, a vast selection of cookies is demolished to the occasional slurp of hot chocolate revved up with Bailey's Irish Creme. This is camping?