An Eastern Leafy Thanksgiving to Refresh the West Stricken Soul
Oh, how I miss the Southeast. I had a wonderful thanksgiving with old friends climbing and chatting, and eating lots of yummy food with my family. I miss everyone so much!
First Trip to Joshua Tree
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Labels:
California,
Climbing
One of the first cool places I had heard about in Southern California was Joshua Tree and I had been itching to go there ever since I moved to the area. But, everyone would tell me it is WAY too hot to go in the summer. So for months I waited until finally a group of us got together and went.
Joshua Tree is like being on another planet with all of its Dr. Seuss trees and massive granite rocks. The rock wasn't nearly as sharp as people claimed it to be, and the climbers were friendly. We even met one guy that let us climb on his rope.
Joe's Birthday and a Fortuitous Meeting In Red Rocks
For Joe's birthday we celebrated at the Red Rocks campground around a couple gas stoves and some yummy pie. I also met people like John and, huh huh, Darren for the first time. Then some of us (not including John and Darren) hiked up to the top of a hill to look at Vegas and the crazy tractor beam from the Luxor Hotel pierce the sky.
The next morning, John and Darren took off early in the morning to climb a multipitch in some other canyon. To my shock, Darren was wearing a full Spiderman outfit. I wondered who this crazy fellow could be. While the rest of the crew and I went climbing at another canyon, I nonchalantly asked Viren where Spiderman and his friend had gone. He inquired, "Can I tell him you asked that?" Oh dear. I could tell I was being set up already, but I had learned to be laid back enough to roll with anything Viren or Joe could dish out.
Not surprisingly, after our day of climbing was done and we had headed into town to have another birthday dinner for Joe, our friends conveniently squeezed in a chair beside me for Darren to sit in.
Directly after supper, Julie decided to show us around Vegas. I had never walked around the city and I wanted to check it out. Instead of heading back to the campsite with our dinner friends, John and Darren, decided they would come with me to meet Julie and other friends on the Strip. Interesting.
I was a little disappointed with Vegas. It seemed to me like one giant mall built to look like fake buildings from around the world. The only part I really liked was the Bellagio water show. We witnessed two Celion Dion songs one being "My Heart Will Go On." I think the hotel was paying her tribute seeing as she is about to finish her concerts here for a while.
The next day we climbed in two teams of three up Frogland! Olivia, Joe, and Stephanie were together and somehow I got in the group with John and Darren. Suspicious again.
Somehow around the second or third pitch, Darren and I's knots were tied really close together. He was basically forced to climb five feet below me.
Joe climbing on the chockstone.
Erika showing off John's amazing shirt-from-a-can!
On the way back to SoCal, people were kicked out of cars, shifted around, and rearranged so Darren could join me in my vehicle and sit beside me in the front seat. Thank you, Joe. I guess receiving so much love for his birthday put him the giving spirit.
The next morning, John and Darren took off early in the morning to climb a multipitch in some other canyon. To my shock, Darren was wearing a full Spiderman outfit. I wondered who this crazy fellow could be. While the rest of the crew and I went climbing at another canyon, I nonchalantly asked Viren where Spiderman and his friend had gone. He inquired, "Can I tell him you asked that?" Oh dear. I could tell I was being set up already, but I had learned to be laid back enough to roll with anything Viren or Joe could dish out.
Not surprisingly, after our day of climbing was done and we had headed into town to have another birthday dinner for Joe, our friends conveniently squeezed in a chair beside me for Darren to sit in.
Directly after supper, Julie decided to show us around Vegas. I had never walked around the city and I wanted to check it out. Instead of heading back to the campsite with our dinner friends, John and Darren, decided they would come with me to meet Julie and other friends on the Strip. Interesting.
I was a little disappointed with Vegas. It seemed to me like one giant mall built to look like fake buildings from around the world. The only part I really liked was the Bellagio water show. We witnessed two Celion Dion songs one being "My Heart Will Go On." I think the hotel was paying her tribute seeing as she is about to finish her concerts here for a while.
The next day we climbed in two teams of three up Frogland! Olivia, Joe, and Stephanie were together and somehow I got in the group with John and Darren. Suspicious again.
Somehow around the second or third pitch, Darren and I's knots were tied really close together. He was basically forced to climb five feet below me.
Joe climbing on the chockstone.
Erika showing off John's amazing shirt-from-a-can!
On the way back to SoCal, people were kicked out of cars, shifted around, and rearranged so Darren could join me in my vehicle and sit beside me in the front seat. Thank you, Joe. I guess receiving so much love for his birthday put him the giving spirit.
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