Showing posts with label Nevada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nevada. Show all posts
A Triad of Girl Power
Julie, Olivia and I's friend in Vegas, invited us out to Red Rocks for some gal rock climbing. Although I had been in a poopy mood all week, they convinced me to come anyways. I was glad I did, because we got to do some girly things--getting our hair cut--and some burly activities, like leading a hand full of climbs. Julie has a lot more experience leading trad, and was kind enough to wait for us slowly inch our way up our routes (well, at least I did!) and then give us an anchors lesson at the Calico Basin boulders.
On Saturday we did some cragging off of the Second Pullout of Calico Hills. Sunday we planned to get an early start for our multipitch, Dark Shadows. Due to the time change, and a stupid girl movie we watched way too late, we weren't out the door super early. Also, on our way to the park, we were foiled in speed by a chihuahua that kept sprinting back and forth across the highway. Four lanes of traffic were blocked as two policemen chased it to and fro. Even though it set us back a little in time, the scene was hilarious.
A more pleasant surprise was running into some buds, Phil and Kevin, in the parking lot of Pine Creek Canyon. Kevin travels all over the U.S. in a bright green van for 5.10 climbing shoe company. Phil works at my favorite coffee shop. They hiked with us to Dark Shadows, then were our cheerleaders during the first couple pitches. I had trouble finding any gear placements at the beginning of my pitch, but whenever I'd climb up anyways, and after I finally did find some placements, I'd hear shouts of encouragement resounding across the canyon.
Climbing at the Hunter S. Thompson Dome
Julie led her first 5.11 at the Sweet Pain Wall
Climbs
1. Mother's Milk 5.8 at Hunter S. Thompson Dome
2. Crazy Eights 5.8
3. Chrome Dome 5.10a/b (we all led it!)
4. Glitter Gulch 5.11a at the Sweet Pain Wall
5. Roto Hammer 5.10c at Stone Wall
6. Dark Shadows 5.8; 4 pitches; Julie lead the first and third pitch, I lead the second, and Olivia lead the fourth. The climb was soooo cold, but had incredibly beautiful landscape and rock. The third pitch has become one of my favorite pitches I've ever climbed. It was varied and varnished!
On Saturday we did some cragging off of the Second Pullout of Calico Hills. Sunday we planned to get an early start for our multipitch, Dark Shadows. Due to the time change, and a stupid girl movie we watched way too late, we weren't out the door super early. Also, on our way to the park, we were foiled in speed by a chihuahua that kept sprinting back and forth across the highway. Four lanes of traffic were blocked as two policemen chased it to and fro. Even though it set us back a little in time, the scene was hilarious.
A more pleasant surprise was running into some buds, Phil and Kevin, in the parking lot of Pine Creek Canyon. Kevin travels all over the U.S. in a bright green van for 5.10 climbing shoe company. Phil works at my favorite coffee shop. They hiked with us to Dark Shadows, then were our cheerleaders during the first couple pitches. I had trouble finding any gear placements at the beginning of my pitch, but whenever I'd climb up anyways, and after I finally did find some placements, I'd hear shouts of encouragement resounding across the canyon.
Climbing at the Hunter S. Thompson Dome
Julie led her first 5.11 at the Sweet Pain Wall
Climbs
1. Mother's Milk 5.8 at Hunter S. Thompson Dome
2. Crazy Eights 5.8
3. Chrome Dome 5.10a/b (we all led it!)
4. Glitter Gulch 5.11a at the Sweet Pain Wall
5. Roto Hammer 5.10c at Stone Wall
6. Dark Shadows 5.8; 4 pitches; Julie lead the first and third pitch, I lead the second, and Olivia lead the fourth. The climb was soooo cold, but had incredibly beautiful landscape and rock. The third pitch has become one of my favorite pitches I've ever climbed. It was varied and varnished!
A Hot and Steamy Valentine's Day
Darren prepared my favorite foods for VDay Eve. Ahh, Dinner Roast...we didn't finish eating it so we took the remaining "soy brick" with us on Saturday to the Hoover Dam. I'm still drooling.
Conquering the 3 mile hike. It was unusual sloshing through sand and winding through endless turns in the slot canyon.
Solacefully enjoying the hot springs
Whether Darren will die from dunking his head underwater is yet to be determined. Supposedly there is a little parasite or something that can crawl in your ear from the water. Apparently a surgeon must bore a hole in the victim's head to try to alleviate the problem. If a person has it, he or she presents with typical flu-like symptoms. One victim has been reported to have died from these very hot springs...Please don't die, Darren. I love you (uh, I say this to him often, no matter if he is being attacked by cranium killers or simply strolling down a street)!!!
A little night bouldering sesh
(The last picture is by Marty Paige)
Camping, Climbing, Elton John: That's Vegas, Baby!
In celebration of Darren and I's first meeting, we went back to where we first met: Red Rocks, Nevada. And because Elton John songs often remind us of one another, we had to go to his concert in Vegas, just fifteen minutes away from our campsite. We had bought light up sunglasses at the Joshua Tree Folk Festival a few weekends ago, which Darren proudly sported. Over ten people commented on them, and two or three openly said they wanted to buy them from them. Two ladies said they wanted them for their kids, while a bratty teenage girl almost demanded them. He said they were not for sale, and we happily continued on our way.
The concert was weird, but for the most part wonderful. Elton John still has an amazing voice (although he didn't sing any falsetto parts), was quite funny, and some of the graphics and videos were really cool. Others were just strange. Somebody had created a lot of modern artish films for the concert that were, well, modern artish (let's just say there were a lot of boobs, men doing ballet, and a fake Elton John leaping around twirling a scarf). Hey, but I guess that is what one should expect at an EJ concert. All that aside, he sang he and Bernie's (his lyricist) most famous songs, and we loved it.
Camping was almost as incredible as the crazy concert. Our friend Ryan was finishing an AMGA test to become a mountain guide (he passed!!), and the AMGA folk were nice enough to let us stay at their group campsite for free. The last night it started to rain (we had thankfully put up a tent, something we rarely do), and we enjoyed listening to it splash against the tent. It had been a long time since I had heard rain.
The next morning we were fearful the night's rain would impede our climbing, so we chilled at the campground a little in hopes that the rock would dry a bit. I spoke with the AMGA coordinator, Tom, for a really long time. He was fascinating because he knew so much about history, literature, the environment, and politics. I LOVE talking to people like that. After an hour or two, we finally said goodbye to Tom and Ryan and did some climbing in Calico Basin. We had already done a multipitch on Saturday (Birdland 5.7+. For the first time, Darren and I switched leads every pitch. He graciously let me lead all of the best ones. Oh, and the climb is very fitting of its name. We continually heard birds squawking.), and we were still worried about the water, so I just led a 5.6 two pitch climb. Then we did some sport climbs at a rock we dubbed "Convenient Crag" because we did not have to do the typical 45 minute Red Rocks approach and decent to get to them.
As we returned home, I couldn't help thinking how just a year ago I first met Darren. I never knew we would be back in Vegas a year later together as a couple. And, just as EJ sings, "I can honestly say, things just keep getting better."
The concert was weird, but for the most part wonderful. Elton John still has an amazing voice (although he didn't sing any falsetto parts), was quite funny, and some of the graphics and videos were really cool. Others were just strange. Somebody had created a lot of modern artish films for the concert that were, well, modern artish (let's just say there were a lot of boobs, men doing ballet, and a fake Elton John leaping around twirling a scarf). Hey, but I guess that is what one should expect at an EJ concert. All that aside, he sang he and Bernie's (his lyricist) most famous songs, and we loved it.
Camping was almost as incredible as the crazy concert. Our friend Ryan was finishing an AMGA test to become a mountain guide (he passed!!), and the AMGA folk were nice enough to let us stay at their group campsite for free. The last night it started to rain (we had thankfully put up a tent, something we rarely do), and we enjoyed listening to it splash against the tent. It had been a long time since I had heard rain.
The next morning we were fearful the night's rain would impede our climbing, so we chilled at the campground a little in hopes that the rock would dry a bit. I spoke with the AMGA coordinator, Tom, for a really long time. He was fascinating because he knew so much about history, literature, the environment, and politics. I LOVE talking to people like that. After an hour or two, we finally said goodbye to Tom and Ryan and did some climbing in Calico Basin. We had already done a multipitch on Saturday (Birdland 5.7+. For the first time, Darren and I switched leads every pitch. He graciously let me lead all of the best ones. Oh, and the climb is very fitting of its name. We continually heard birds squawking.), and we were still worried about the water, so I just led a 5.6 two pitch climb. Then we did some sport climbs at a rock we dubbed "Convenient Crag" because we did not have to do the typical 45 minute Red Rocks approach and decent to get to them.
As we returned home, I couldn't help thinking how just a year ago I first met Darren. I never knew we would be back in Vegas a year later together as a couple. And, just as EJ sings, "I can honestly say, things just keep getting better."
Honoring the Presidents at Red Rocks
The Red Rocks Crew
Leading Ultraman
A Jubilant Song multi-pitch for the Presidents on their day
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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