Taking advantage of the weather

Climbing in November... in Utah... in Little Cottonwood Canyon... in T-shirts... all day! Who would have ever thought it was possible? This is amazing fall weather and I think we took advantage of it really well on Monday. I had one of the best climbing days ever on Saturday climbing The Green Adjective and I was eager for more. Andy came down and I got Bobby to lead us on 7 pitches of classic Little Cottonwood granite climbing. We started with 2 pitches up Bushwhack Crack. At the top of that we did The Hook and The Hook Variation. Then we did a traverse over to link up with the top two pitches of Schoolroom which included the infamous offwidth chimney squeeze. Two rappels brought us back down for a short hike back to where we started. It was almost 6 hours of solid climbing and we got back to our packs and down to the car just in time to put on our jackets and not have to use our headlamps. It was close on that last part though.

Andy going up the first pitch of Bushwhack Crack.

(I love granite climbing photos in Black and White.)

The last traverse part of Bushwhack

Planning my moves...I think Me going up The Hook (first climbed by Layton Kor)

Getting ready to go up the Hook Variation.

The three of us getting ready to head over to Schoolroom.

Aack! What are these bushes doing way up here?

Andy found a little seat in the schoolroom.

Bobby leading the heinous chimney. We even used a big-bro! (you can see it by his right foot)When I went up I had to go in the chimney with the backpack on to get it out and I thought for sure I was stuck in there.

Andy and Bobby waiting for me to do the traverse under the roof. Apparently they were freezing and told me there wasn't any more time for pictures.

Me coming up the last pitch of Schoolroom and the last pitch of the day. Andy and I had to simu-climb this part.

All done...tired, freezing, and starving!

Happy Birthday Andy! Not that climbing with you the day after my birthday wasn't fun, but I think this climbing 2 days before yours was even better.

Climbing in Red Rock Nevada

I spent a 3 day weekend climbing at Red Rock Nevada. The plan was to go to Indian Creek but at the last minute as we were all getting in the cars and commenting on how cold it was and how cold it'd be down there the decision was unanimous to go to Red Rocks instead and enjoy warmer weather. Due to our last minute change of plans we were roasting in the desert wondering why our bags were full of long sleeve shirts and thermals. Lucky for me I had some zip off pants. I was the only one who wasn't wearing long pants the whole time.

The first day we did a classic route up Mescalito on The Cat in the Hat. Here are the complete views from about 3/4 of the way up. You can look at them and imagine you were there... but without the burning sun, devil shoes, painful foot jams, sweat in your eyes, and a gear sling choking the breath out of you. But sadly you also miss all the fun, the thrill, and the excitement. These were all taken from pretty much the same spot. Who wouldn't want to climb in a place like this?

Looking to my left: Pine Creek Canyon Looking to my right: In the distance is the car and Las Vegas. At one point we could see a giant red glare coming from the Vegas strip. I asked what it was and someone said it was "decadence and sin" I don't know why but that still makes me laugh. Looking behind me: I took this picture because there were guys climbing on it, but you have to zoom in to see them. Looking down: I was in the sun so you can't see the canyon floor and I couldn't aim too well cause I was getting tired from holding on with one hand. Trust me though, I was up there pretty far, about 600 ft when I took this. Looking up: The top was just over the edge and this pod in the crack was really fun to stem up. I was cleaning for Bobby and we did 6 pitches in only three with a little simu-climbing. We ended up passing everyone that went before us. We did stop at a belay ledge once long enough to trade off taking pictures with another pair of climbers.

On the hike back we passed a foundation for an old homestead. I stood in the frame of the old front door and had this view of Mescalito, which we'd just been climbing, how nice would it have been to have lived there and had this all to yourself! After the long hot climb the day before we decided up next would be a bunch of shady single pitch climbs. Some people climbed the harder Plan F, but I climbed the easier Ragged Edges next to it. The bigger crack, not the one with the climber. The top of Ragged Edges about to rappel. In the bushes you can see one of the other girl's fairy wings she wore the whole weekend for Halloween. This is the route I wanted to climb called Midheight. I liked that it was huecos and crimpers instead of cracks. It was rated R since it has no protection till you're halfway up past a bunch of small crimper moves, hence the name, and I had a hard time talking anyone into leading it for me. Eventually Bobby consented but went around the first half so I ended up being the only one who climbed it and it was my favorite route. They missed out, those crack climbing elitists. I need to start learning to lead so I can pick what I climb more. Bobby could only place 3 pieces of gear the whole route and one was this sling which I thought was pretty cool. You don't get stuff like this climbing cracks.

This area was visable from the scenic drive and cars would pull over and watch the climbers...little did they know we were watching them back.

The last day we did another mulitpitch climb. It took about an hour to hike in across the flat desert which I actually enjoyed because I'd been reading an Edward Abbey essay about hiking in the desert, but it was hot! The route was called Lotta Balls. It had everything, cracks, flakes, roofs, chimneys for steming, aretes, and...a lotta balls. The whole middle part was a perfectly smooth vertical slab with little perfectly round marble sized balls sticking out of it. It felt like climbing on someones pimples and was a little scary but really fun.The worst part was we'd all skipped breakfast due to being sick from the turkey sandwhichs we devoured after climbing the previous day even though they'd been sitting in the hot car all day. We ended up hiking back to the car by the full moon having climbed all day with no food except the 4 packs of fruit snacks I found in my pack. I saved the day but barely.

Overall the trip was a smashing success. I got to climb really high, the weather was warm, I got to sleep in a tent for 3 nights, I didn't have to shower for 4 days, I met lots of new people, all the hikes in were great, my knees never hurt, I never fell, I read Edward Abbey every morning while sitting in the desert, I got to learn a few new climbing techniques, and I got to eat red vines while I drove my new car on it's first roadtrip. You'd never have known we were just a few miles from Las Vegas if it hadn't been for the Luxor light shining up from behind the mesas. I think I'll be going back to Red Rock again for sure. It may not be the decadence and sin that Vegas is, but it's definitely decadence when it comes to climbing.

Girls Rule - Boys Drool

I went climbing on Saturday with Tricia up in Little Cottonwood Canyon. We hiked up and climbed the Sasquatch route and then continued up the top two pitches of Pentapitch. It was everything you could ask for in an afternoon of climbing. Perfect weather, great company, a pretty hike in, multiple pitches of challenging climbing, nice cold granite with perfect finger cracks, and a beautiful view from the top. Tricia is an amazing climber and I'm so glad I've been able to climb with her. I've already learned a lot and I feel like so much less of a tag-a-long when I'm climbing with another girl.

At the top of Sasquatch...

At the top of Pentapitch...

It was awesome to climb and have the view of the changing colors below us and then rappel back down into them. These guys were struggling up behind us and we couldn't help wondering as we passed them on the way down if they felt a little sheepish after watching 2 girls breeze up it right before them. At the mouth of the canyon this girl was selling fresh pine-nuts. I bought some on my way home and man are they good!

Sitting on Babies

Normally I'm not extremely fond of other people's children, but I make an exception for these two boys. I got to watch them on Saturday and I had so much fun. (They're not really babies, they're X- and Q-, but I liked that title from when Megan wrote about babysitting on her blog.) Here's a few of the fun things we did.

We were playing in the backyard and they got really excited to take jumping pictures so I took a lot. They were so cute crouching down as I'd count to three then yell jump.

Q- tried so hard to close the garage on his own, got on his tip toes and everything, but he just couldn't quite do it. Then we played with the play-doh. We each made something to be photographed. On the left is X's vine and different colors of people, on the right is Q's 2 cupcakes and 2 bowls, the mostly green thing is his pirate ship and swimming below the ship is my giant squid.

Then we combined our artistic talents for an alligator. I was in charge of the head, Q- did the body which included legs (he put on 4 himself but kept handing me more every few minutes. If I'd put them on the alligator would have been more of a centipede) and X- did the tail using the play-doh machine. I think it turned out great.

I spent more time over the weekend with my own nieces and nephews than I did these two guys so why the blog post on them and not the others? Well when I put these guys to bed they told me to come back again... when my family drove out of town the next day my niece wrote this on the back of their car... so there you go. (I know I know, they'll just say, "We learned to act that way from you," but still...)

A New Car!!! (and a drive down memory lane)

Wouldn't it be awesome if this really was my new car? Sadly it is not. I did look at an old green mint condition 74 Firebird but I'd have to find someone with a mullet to drive around with me and that can be tricky. This is just some random picture from my mission. The Audi sold in a week to the first guy who came to look at it. It's off to Audi heaven, to be driven by a rich man's wife. He'll give it all it's expensive $1000 tune-ups that I could never afford and he probably won't cry like I did when the bill was over two thousand dollars to fix two parts. For some reason I've always had a hard time parting with cars. I know somewhere I have an old journal entry when my parents came home with the new gray Oldsmobile. I wrote about how they sold my favorite car and I didn't even get to say goodbye. I must have been 6 years old. It's really funny to read. Bryan asked me in reference to my Honda once in a wierd tone of voice, "Do you think the car has feelings??" Despite how much I hated fixing the Audi I was sad when it was gone...with all is luxurious features and fond memories. Now I've joined the Utah bandwagon and bought a Subaru wagon.

Here's a little trip down memory lane of my cars.

I don't have all of them here of course, just the ones I mainly drove. I don't have the gray Oldsmobile that sounded like a vacuum, the Fredricksons yellow striped van, the Acura I took my driving test in, Shaun's awesome Superbee we were constantly being pulled over in, Steysi's Pinto, Beth's orange "Go Vols" Volvo from college, any of the lame cars from my mission, or Bryan's white escort we drove away from our reception that you had to hit with a hammer just right before before it would start. I didn't even include the Sundance... Ok here we go.

The Oldsmobile

The first car I remember. This was my favorite car I never got to say good bye to from the journal entry. Most of my memories about it involve throwing up so I don't know why I loved it so much. My seat was either between my parents in the front or laying on top of the luggage in the back. This was the only picture I could find right away.

The Fiat

My high school car. I fit in great at school since our parking lot sometimes looked like a classic car show. It was the car I learned to drive a stick on and the car I drove to my first job. It worked just well enough to get me to school but not well enough to get me in trouble. No skipping school and going to the beach for me. This picture was taken on my last day of high school. I gave the Waltons rides home like this all the time. Seems crazy, but they're Waltons, they're invincible. If they fell off they'd probably have just bounced around and got back on. It was a hand me down from Bryce and my brother Nate fixed it up since I drove it. Now it sits in my parents driveway in a cocoon.

The Honda

My college car my parents bought me after my mission. I actually only had it my last year of college and during my student teaching. The look of it was everything I never wanted in a car. A burgundy sedan. Surprisingly reliable despite being just under 300 thousand miles and the muffler falling off on the way to California once. Unbelievable gas millage and cheep to fix. I even bought parts on eBay once. Hondas are amazing. Despite it having no perks I drove it for years. It didn't have power windows, sun visors, or a radio. I drove 13 hours to California in total silence! In the end I had to brush corrosion off the battery every time I started it and it took several tries to get in gear. (this picture almost looks like it's at my house now, but it was taken at the person's house we bought it from)

The Audi

The day I came home having slid backwards down a snowy hill in the Honda I saw the commercial where this exact car drives up a ski jump. I pointed to is and said, "I want that car." After paying more money than I'll ever pay for a car again I had it. It was so nice. Every upgrade you could ever imagine. Heated everything, navigation system, airbags for everyone, a Bose sound system, it could probably tell your future. Just a few weeks before selling it I even found out there were drawers under the seats I never knew about. When it was stolen I missed it and when it came back I appreciated it more than ever, but after 3 years it just wasn't the car for me anymore. It was too expensive to maintain and too fancy. I'm not a flashy salesman's wife anymore... was I ever really? It's better off now. (I couldn't find one picture of me with it.)

I did find this picture of me in the Audi...which only proves my point that I should not own a luxury vehicle.

The Subaru

The new car. The first car I really bought on my own. It kind of fits the lifestyle I have now. I can put a lot of stuff in the back, collect firewood in the trunk, throw climbing gear or snow shoes on top of whatever is already in there. I'll probably get a rack on the top and then maybe a bike or a boat if I can find the money. It was hard to find despite the fact that everyone here drives one. I guess no one is trading them in so there's no used ones. I plan on keeping it till it dies so maybe for the first time I'll break down and put a bumper sticker on the back. Whenever I see Subaru I think of Milton Beasley saying "it's You Are A Bus backwards!"