Rock Climbing --- 6/8/2007 - 6/22/2007 --- Boulder, Colorado
6/8 - 6/10 Drive from Ithaca to Alana and Becky's house in Boulder. Listen to Bait and Switch, by Barbara Ehrenreich and God is not Great, by Christopher Hitchens. I get 35mpg on the highway! The result of all the work I did on my car prior to the trip and driving a bit slower than usual. I don't know anyone else with a Subaru Legacy Wagon who gets that kind of mileage.
Interesting tidbit... a Missouri rest stop has completely automated sinks. You put your hands in the opening and it sprays soap, then water, then warm air. Next they need to come up with urinal that pees for you.
6/11 Alana and I go to Eldorado Canyon to climb Ruper
(5.8+). We simulclimb the approach (250' of 50 degree 5.0 slab).
Then Alana leads the Art's Spar variation of P1. I get to lead P2 (Ruper
Crack -- offwidth to squeeze chimney) and P3 (Ruper Traverse).
Minor epic getting down. Our two 60m ropes didn't quite reach the ground (WTF?
We were supposed to have 2x70m?) I could barely touch a toe, but it was on the
50 degree slab that we had roped up for on the ascent. My plan was to swing up
the slab and get off the rope that way, but the rope was stuck in a huge crack
and I couldn't swing. Ok... Plan B. I prussiked to a ledge, then waited for
Alana to come down. We tandem rappelled to the ground. The extra weight plus the
length of the rappel extension got us to the slab where we built an anchor with
a bomber #3 camalot.
Then it started raining.
We pulled the ropes and slung a rock column to rappel down the slab and back to
our packs. A nice climb! I want to get back and do Upper Ruper some day.
6/12 Rain all day. I help Alana pack her car and clean her apartment.
6/13 Chris and I were going to climb Werk Supp in Eldo, but he smashed his finger last night playing soccer and had to make a midnight run to the hospital. Alana leaves for Minnesota, London and Kentucky (where she is starting med school just 40 minutes from Red River Gorge).
6/14 Tom, Brielle and I hike Mt. Sanitas. There is some decent bouldering and I get a chance to try my new madrock shoes. Hard to convince me to give up my aces after a decade.
Then I meet up with Tina. We eat some ice cream and head to Boulder Canyon where we climb East Slab (5.6) on The Dome. After that we head to Beth's house for the first of many wedding events... a pool party.
6/15 Tina and I head to Cob Rock. We enjoy the tyrolean across Boulder Creek. Another party is on North Face Center, so we climb Empor (5.7+). We started on the wrong side of the boulder and I had to make some unprotected 5.9+ moves to get to the start of the climb. Pretty ugly. After that we meet Tom, Beth and friends for a yoga session and another pool party. Then Tina and I head to an improv show at the Dairy Factory. It is good, but not great.
6/16 Tom's out of town guests join him for a 16.5 mile bike ride around Boulder. Then we all go to Betasso Preserve in Boulder Canyon for a picnic.
6/17 Tom and Beth get married at Chautauqua. We eat lots of food, then go for a short hike around the park.
6/18 Tom, Tina and I take Margo climbing in Eldorado Canyon. We consider climbing Recon, but some guidebooks have that joining the last pitch of Calypso, which I climbed back in 2006. We end up on what at least one book calls The Bomb (5.4). This is Margo's first time following a climb. She and I climb two pitches and Tom and Tina follow us. Then we join ropes and do one long rappel from the top of Wind Tower. After climbing, I head to Amy and Charles' house for a shower and dinner.
6/19 Take Luna for a nice long walk. When Amy and Charles finish work, we head to Boulder Canyon and meet a bunch of their friends at The Bihedrals for some sport climbing. I lead Hold the Line (5.9), Rhodian Shores (5.10b), and Flags of our Fathers (5.10-) all onsight. It was dark when we finished, so rather than take the 4th class scramble to the road, we rappelled down. To save time, Charles and I simulrappelled. First time I've ever done that. So this trip I managed a simulclimb, tandem rappel, simulrappel, and tyrolean traverse. I'll call this trip "Rope Tricks Over Boulder" in my memories.
6/20 One final pool party at Beth's house. We look at pictures from the wedding and eat all the leftovers from the reception.
6/21 - 6/23 Driving back to Ithaca. I listen to The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver and a bunch of David Sedaris short stories. Also, I stop in the library in Ogallala, NB. That means I've only got Idaho, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota left in my quest to do something in all 50 states. Maybe next summer...
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Alana Boulder, CO -- 6/10/2007 |
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Alana made us ice cream sandwiches. Yum! Boulder, CO -- 6/10/2007 |
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This chipmunk enjoyed rummaging in another climber's pack. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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I kept tossing rocks at him, but was too busy belaying to really run him off. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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Alana most of the way up the approach slab we simulclimbed to the start of Ruper. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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Following the approach slab. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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Alana ready to lead P1 of Ruper. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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Following P1 of Ruper. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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About to lead the traverse on P3 of Ruper. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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About to lead the traverse on P3 of Ruper. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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About to lead the traverse on P3 of Ruper. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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The rock column we slung to rappel the approach slab. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/11/2007 |
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Becky cooking an entire head of cauliflower. Boulder, CO -- 6/12/2007 |
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Chris smashed his finger playing soccer, so no climbing for us. Boulder, CO -- 6/13/2007 |
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Alana and Becky Boulder, CO -- 6/13/2007 |
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Becky and me Boulder, CO -- 6/13/2007 |
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Becky and the fish. These pictures crack me up. Boulder, CO -- 6/13/2007 |
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Becky and the fish. Boulder, CO -- 6/13/2007 |
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Becky and the fish. Boulder, CO -- 6/13/2007 |
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Becky and the fish. Boulder, CO -- 6/13/2007 |
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Brielle hiking Mt. Sanitas. Boulder, CO -- 6/14/2007 |
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Brielle hiking Mt. Sanitas. Boulder, CO -- 6/14/2007 |
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Bouldering along the Mt. Sanitas trail. Boulder, CO -- 6/14/2007 |
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Bouldering along the Mt. Sanitas trail. Boulder, CO -- 6/14/2007 |
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Brielle at the top of Mt. Sanitas. Boulder, CO -- 6/14/2007 |
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Tom at the top of Mt. Sanitas. Boulder, CO -- 6/14/2007 |
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Cactus Boulder, CO -- 6/14/2007 |
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Cactus Boulder, CO -- 6/14/2007 |
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The Dome. East Slab is on the far right and stays right of the huge block. Boulder Canyon -- 6/14/2007 |
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Looking down The East Slab of The Dome. Boulder Canyon -- 6/14/2007 |
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Tina following The East Slab of The Dome. Boulder Canyon -- 6/14/2007 |
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Tina following The East Slab of The Dome. Boulder Canyon -- 6/14/2007 |
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Tina following The East Slab of The Dome. Boulder Canyon -- 6/14/2007 |
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Tina following The East Slab of The Dome. Boulder Canyon -- 6/14/2007 |
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At the top of The Dome. Boulder Canyon -- 6/14/2007 |
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At the top of The Dome. Boulder Canyon -- 6/14/2007 |
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Tina doing the Tyrolean across Boulder Creek to get to Cob Rock. Boulder Canyon -- 6/15/2007 |
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Tina doing the Tyrolean across Boulder Creek to get to Cob Rock. Boulder Canyon -- 6/15/2007 |
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Erika, David and Virginia Boulder, CO -- 6/15/2007 |
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Biking around Boulder. Boulder, CO -- 6/16/2007 |
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Beth and Erika Boulder, CO -- 6/16/2007 |
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Tom Boulder, CO -- 6/16/2007 |
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Everyone thought this was a particularly funny picture of Tom's brother-in-law, Rick. Boulder, CO -- 6/16/2007 |
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Getting ready to ride. Boulder, CO -- 6/16/2007 |
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Riding around Boulder. Boulder, CO -- 6/16/2007 |
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Erika's orchestra warming up before the wedding. Boulder, CO -- 6/17/2007 |
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Erika, Tom and Beth Boulder, CO -- 6/17/2007 |
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Mary took most of the pictures, but I stepped in when she had to be in the photo. Boulder, CO -- 6/17/2007 |
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Mary took most of the pictures, but I stepped in when she had to be in the photo. Boulder, CO -- 6/17/2007 |
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Hiking around Chautauqua. Boulder, CO -- 6/17/2007 |
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View from Chautauqua out past the University of Colorado at Boulder. Boulder, CO -- 6/17/2007 |
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First, second and third flatirons. First is on the right. Boulder, CO -- 6/17/2007 |
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Margo Eldorado Canyon -- 6/18/2007 |
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Margo at the first belay on The Bomb. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/18/2007 |
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Me and Margo at the first belay on The Bomb. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/18/2007 |
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Margo, Tina and Tom on The Bomb. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/18/2007 |
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Get the manicure AFTER climbing. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/18/2007 |
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Margo finishing the rappel from the top of Wind Tower. Eldorado Canyon -- 6/18/2007 |
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Luna Boulder, CO -- 6/19/2007 |
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Leading Hold The Line at The Bihedrals. Boulder Canyon -- 6/19/2007 |
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Leading Hold The Line at The Bihedrals. Boulder Canyon -- 6/19/2007 |
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Charles climbing at The Bihedrals. Boulder Canyon -- 6/19/2007 |
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Amy climbing at The Bihedrals. Boulder Canyon -- 6/19/2007 |
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Additional Wedding Pictures - Pool Fight! Boulder -- 6/20/2007 |
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Additional Wedding Pictures - Tina and me Boulder -- 6/15/2007 |
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Additional Wedding Pictures - Tina and me Boulder -- 6/16/2007 |
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Additional Wedding Pictures - Tina and me Boulder -- 6/15/2007 |