The Lemon Squeezer and Baby Pigeons
I packed up from my illegal tent site early today (Thursday June 27th) and arrived shortly at the Lemon Squeezer. It was too narrow to negotiate with a pack on, so I took my pack off, and carried it ahead of me.....above my head. After getting through the squeezer, I was immediately faced with a rock wall about 8 ft. high. It was not possible to climb it wjth my pack on. I tried. But there was not enough room. I threw my poles up on top, and then pushed my pack up and over the ledge. I thought about all the baby pigeons we had stuffed into our pants pockets and T-shirts, while climbing the sandstone cliffs at Mounds Park, or under those East Side Bridges.....the old Third Street Bridge..... and the newer 6th Street Bridge, in St. Paul, as kids. And I said to myself, "I can do this....I did tougher cliffs, for pigeons all the time". I thought of Finn's Alley, and my fellow Finn Gangers, at home. This rock face was the toughest challenge so far...... but I could do it. As my friend, Randy, is known to do, I yelled "Your Mamma!!!" at the rock face, as loud as I could...... with absolute insolence...... to let it know that I was coming up.....it could not stop me. Then I took a deep breath, and I climbed that wall!
When I got up top, I noticed the Blue Blaze sign indicating an easier way around the wall. I am East Sider! I am Finn Ganger! I am Hawkeye! There is no Blue Blaze for me!!
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