PushMi, Pull-Yu 

watch the zipper on this one. If you start on the sloping trail part of the base where the trees and bushes clear for a view of the "valley", your most likely first piece has a great nut-in-opposition placement you should utilize.

this route starts great, finishes ugly. at the top you can still "sew it up" but it's just not noteworthy verticle terrain. IMO.

There are at least three ways to start and at least three ways to finish this route. From the big alcove halfway up the route, you can do an awkward mantle left and either scramble up to the left or continue more or less straight up (I think this finish is prettiest). From the alcove you can also go around to the right and more or less straight up.

Can be led at 5.6 G with nuts and hexes.

I swear the tree mid route is more in the way then ever. Avoiding the tree almost makes the route a grade harder. Climbed the route this weekend, felt like chopping the tree down! But, since it was Earth Day I thought I would let it be a little while longer....still vowed I would never do the route again.

I led this for the second time this season and it seems to me that the tree is getting larger and more in the way. I hate it when trees get in the way of my prisitne nature time.

This is a great climb. The tree is not a problem and the interesting climbing below the tree more than makes up for the five feet of awkwardness encountered when passing the tree. Plus, this is one of those few 100 footers at the Lake.

Don't let the above comments disuade you; this is a fantastic climb, and right up there with the other great 6's in the park: Brinton's, Berkely, Jacob's Ladder, Pine Tree Step Across, and Curving Crack.

C'mon Jay-

When's the last time you climbed this thing? Five years ago? That tree has grown over time!!

Certainly a 4-star classic without the tree, but with it; it approaches a bomb!

I do the route every time I'm back at the Lake, James, and unless the tree has had a serious growth spurt in the past few months, I don't think it is much different. I do use the tree as a hold (or many holds), mind you, as avoiding it is an exercise in futility.

I now see where are difference in opinion resides. I religiously avoid use of the tree (except for the purpose of slinging for pro), which of course makes the tree a giant pain in the arse. I suppose if one were to stoop to such ethical standards as pulling (and perhaps standing) on the local flora for upward progress perhaps this route wouldn't be so bad...

Hey, if it's there, use it.

I think in the spirit of DL the tree is decidedly "off", just like an infinite number of easily reachable holds made of rock in the park. For instance when on Mouse's Misery, how tempting are the Solution Pockets of Mouse Tracks? I'll tell you; they're very tempting, but they're still "off". Even though they're there...

You are saying that the tree is in the way. If something is in the way, I think it's fair. The solution pockets on MM are not in the way but off to the side.

Yes, the solution pockets are off to the side, but who's to say that if they weren't there that I wouldn't smear a little further out to my right...

Using a tree to help pull you up a climb is cheating in my book. You're out there to climb rock, not trees.

If only Michael's project had a tree growing out of it then maybe it would get some love from Mr. Knower.

Well I am going to eat my words. I lead this the other day and that tree is heinous. It was very hard to move by and it kept grabbing my gear. I must admit, I stepped on it once to move up. That tree needs a serious trimming.