A Bit of Wyoming
I drove from Denver to Missoula and stopped just south of Jackson to break it up into two days.
Estes Park with Mom and Dad
My parents drove out from North Carolina to Denver in August. We ended up spending 3 nights in Estes Park. Activities included playing 2 rounds of golf, looking at Rocky Mountain National Park scenery, and walking around many lakes. Thanks Mom and Dad for coming to visit!
Climbing El Capitan
This took place last May. The original plan was to do the Muir Wall. We ended up spending 4 days climbing the lower part of the Muir Wall and then swung over to the Nose under the Great Roof. “The Triple Indirect”. We had some excellent weather and didn’t have to deal with any other climbers basically the whole time. A grand occasion.
Joshua Tree National Park
A few days in a otherworldly part of southern California last November. Thank you Valerie for arranging the accommodations and to your sister for allowing us to stay at her Airbnb spot.
October in Canyonlands
Well hello there. It has been a while. Hope everything is good in your part of the world.
Playing a bit of catchup here.
This is from an evening hike in late October of last year. Canyonlands might just be my favorite National Park.
Utah Paddlin’, Bikin’, and Climbin’
A 4 day stretch including 2 days of rock climbing at Indian Creek and Wall Street. We did something like 13 routes in those 2 days, mostly in the upper 5.10 range and climbs I had never done before. I didn’t weight the rope once. I was pretty pleased with myself.
Zion Wandering
Friday.
Attempted climbing fizzled.
Zion Canyon bike ride.
Hiked Angel’s landing in 2-hours. (5-7ishpm)
The Subway, Zion National Park
Left Yosemite on a Wednesday, and this was most of Thursday.
Got a bit lucky with a permit being available the same day I went into the backcountry office.
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This post is feeling a bit like bragging, as is just about everything on here really. Not sure what to do about that. Maybe that is just the internet for you.
I am traveling by myself. I have a lot of freedom to do things right now.
One day things will be different.
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Yosemite With My Brother. Goodrich Pinnacle, Right Side.
By Davy’s last day we were getting a bit slab-crazy and decided to do a 6-pitch route up Glacier Point Apron. The Supertopo description for this route makes it sound a bit easier than I found it to be.
We made it to the top without any major complications though.
Yosemite With My Brother Part 2
Some cragging, an evening hike, and multi-pitch climbing on Middle Cathedral Rock.
Yosemite With My Brother Part 1
My brother Davy came up to Yosemite during my last couple of weeks there, and discovered that he is pretty into climbing. We went just about every day he was here. Usually pushing the daylight. These aren’t totally in chronological order.
The pictures that are on the wide and smooth chunk of granite (called Glacier Point Apron) were from some of his last days here.
Davy has had a pretty old-school introduction to the world of climbing. We climbed outside for his first time ever years ago in Gallatin Canyon, MT. I don’t think he’s ever climbed indoors and most of the climbing we did this trip involved cracks.
Crack climbing was all they used to do back in the day, but the advent of sport climbing and climbing gyms has made face climbing more the norm now. I would venture by the time he left that Davy had gained more crack-climbing experience than the majority of climbers.
April Snow in Yosemite
This was the first time I’ve experienced snow in the valley since moving to El Portal last May. I am leaving soon and I’d been hoping to see some winter before then, so this was a nice bit of closure.
