If you look back and see this grinning creature, resembling Tolkien's Ent character, but made of stone, it means you are off route. You have just traversed from chute #2 to chute #3 in the wrong place. Well, no worries, you are not really lost, the famous chokestone is about 100 ft above. What it means is that you have just done the scary traverse that upgraged your route from modest class 3 to exposed class 4. This would be the crux of your climb. Make sure you return taking the correct traverse back right below the chokestone.
Whorl Mountain. California. August 4, 2007. 7 pm.