Kicking it in the blog-o-sphere again to bring you an
update on the past few months.
August kicked off another adventure season! Katie and I headed to Flagstaff to climb and
visit good friends. En route we stopped
in Red Rocks to send Dark Shadows and be tempted by a Gipsy Kings pool
party…still a little teetering about whether we should’ve gone after all. In Flag, I had a great walk with Kristen, an
excellent Diablo Burger, and I was inspired by some solo mountain biking
time. Always Kristen and Clay are
awesome.
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| The weekend's gang at The 1412 |
A couple of weeks later Katie and I headed to the Denver
and Boulder area ofColorado. I’d kicked
off my job hunt just a few weeks prior and hoped that Boulder would measure up
to Salt Lake City or Bend for me. My
friend Emily put us up for a few base-camp nights in Denver, as we ventured
into Eldorado and Boulder Canyons. Both
pitches of a route named Werks Up proved to be proud leads for both of us. Like good kinder, we shared our friends and
had a great time.
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| Peak of Yellow Spur |
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| Waiting...waiting...waiting for 2 hours at the top of Pitch 1 - Bastille Crack |
Michigan was next on the adventure list, so I alone
embarked on the journey home. Flushing’s
familiarity never ceases to amaze me as I ran into Russell Hayes, Pat
Nancarrow, and other Flushingtonians at The Elbow Room. Grandma taught Xina and me her famed date-nut
ball recipes…good adventure food. I’ve
changed a lot since living there, and some of the return is difficult. But it’s always good to remember from where I
came.
Katie and I had been gearing up for weeks leading to the
next road trip: Epic Yosemite Valley!
Wahoo! We stopped in Mammoth
Lakes, to take in our friend’s hospitality (a luxury vacation home). Tuolumne
Meadows brought spectacular views of alpine lakes and sunsets. It also brought some rough weather and
incredible climbs. Making it to Yosemite
Valley was a welcomed change in temperature and weather. We were invited to stay with new, random
friends Yoav and Ilona who are just good people! Reuniting and making friends with the likes
of Ben Doyle, Sara, Ashley and Alex, was a special treat as well.
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| Peaked out on Stately Pleasure Dome, Tuolumne, Yosemite NP, CA |
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| River in Tuolumne |
The trip didn’t stop there though. Katie and I took in a long bike ride in Red
Rocks previous to meeting up with Kate Taylor.
With Kate, the three of us sought to escape weather (so much for hoping)
coming down upon Vegas. Our arrival to
JTree NP was inhospitable to say the least.
We stealth camped for a night, toughed out the wind for another, but
eventually got a hotel room to catch a little shut-eye. We persevered through classic lines and my
first rope-solo experience. A quick
blitz back to Red Rocks delivered a Cookie Monster-Cat in the Hat link-up with
an Auburn game and birthday festivities for Katie in Vegas.
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| Headstand at Double Cross anchors, JTree NP, CA |
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| Kate's cold hands |
Then, long about this time is when it happened. Change.
Lots of it. With too few words to
describe it all, friendships, job, and home have changed for me. I’ve gotten to know certain friends more,
while growing away from others. I’ve
taken two jobs in the therapeutic industry here in Boulder, CO! Loving it.
The transition has not come without its struggles, and not without its
blessings. Friends: Paul and Will joined me on my move to Colorado, where Julia was there to welcome us. Utah friends in Colorado front range. Best of both worlds. More to come on specifics of
job and friends and Boulder. But for
now: I have slept in a bed for the longest consecutive stint (24 days) in 5.5
years; I love my roommate, Mega (Megan, Megatron, Megaladon, MegaMuscles, et
al); and I live one block from the climbing gym of which I am a member.
I’m back online, so keep posted. My goal is to post weekly.
