2008 June

The first order of business this weekend is to get our home moved to Santa Fe, but we figure we can mix in a little climbing too. I meet Ann on the night of my last day of work at Cedar Rail RV Park & Campground, where the owners have fed Ann dinner while she waited for me. The next day we make a short drive to Sugarite Canyon State Park to check out the climbing. There’s a really nice campground right there, but we didn’t want to lug our cargo trailer in there. (The cargo had already sustainted some damage, more on that later.)

The basalt cliff is south facing, and would have been too hot if not for some fortunate high cloud cover. Most of routes are single-pitch trad climbs, but there is one sport climb and a few bolted anchors. To reach one of them I lead a nice hand to fist-stack 5.6 crack, (Pete’s Downclimb I think) and we move our top rope from there to a few other routes:

Salt Mother, 5.8

I think this is my favorite because I haven’t climbed many finger cracks, especially not as steep as this one. I practice different ways of using my fingers, concluding mostly that I need more practice. I do make it up without falling, but the last moves start to feel desperate.

Sangre Verde, 5.10a

This is the one sport climb here, a nice arete. The moves suit my frame and make me stretch a little, which feels good.

Crack Head, 5.8

Good hand jams make us happy!

Great Roof Left, 5.9

Ann lets out a whoop when she finds the sequence for the big roof move. An extra steep finish gives this route a good variety of challenges.

I’ve enjoyed my 3 years and 7 months as a full-time web developer at Colorado State University, but I can’t remain an outdoor weekend warrior anymore! I’ll join Ann in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she is working, and I’ll have some time to explore. My first move is to launch a new website:

Outdoorism

Please help me get it off the ground! There’s some more information there to help you help me. Cyberhobo.net will remain my personal, informal, friends-family-and-friendly-lurkers hangout. I’ll continue to feel free to write about anything I feel like here. Outdoorism will be less personal, more focused, and I’ll try to reach a bigger audience there. I’ll definitely need your help to do that, though.

To start with, I need to decompress and hang out with Ann. It’s taken a big effort to get our entire life mobile and into a working camper and cargo trailer. It still isn’t done, but it’s functional. It’s exciting, but as the transvestite who sat next to me on the El in Chicago at 3 AM said, both of us on our way home after a long night, “I am WO OUT!”

A little mellow climbing with Ann should help me get rolling again soon!

Ann meets Dad and I along the road to the Mount Shavano trailhead for a belated Father’s day summit attempt. It’s a long haul, over four miles and 4,500 feet of elevation gain, but we have good weather and we make it. We’re happy that we gain the eastern ridge early to avoid a few snowfields at treeline - this makes for a more scenic route.

Using up every last minute of vacation during my last month at work, I travel to Chicago to for the 4th quadannual Sociometry Fair. I have to fly to get there and back in 4 days. Having heard radio stories about new charges for checked bags, I take only a computer bag with spare socks and underwear, video camera, XO laptop, toothbrush, and photo prints for my project. I took boatloads of video during the trip that will have to be edited, but the story can be largely told through a few pictures and notes:

Sean pulls himself out of bed at an unspeakable hour to make a 7:30 (make that 7:45) am meeting with Doug and myself. Liz is attending a wedding in New Hampshire, but has left us men a giant carrot cake packed with goodies that helps to fortify lonesome souls for a day of climbing. Clare and Dennis join us in Lyons, and we head up to brave the ATVs and gunfire that swarm around the Ironclads. As usual, we head up to the more isolated Ironsides to find some peace, and hop on some of the fine routes there.

Port Side 5.6

I hear Clare swearing about wet placements, mud, and cold fingers as she leads the one trad route here.

Alloy Madness 10d

Doug agrees to join me for his first two pitch climb. He leads the fun 5.9 first pitch, clips into the anchor, and belays me for my first attempt at the upper pitch. The first moves prod me into a pretty good headspace. I’m fortunate that there’s a rest just before the crux, because I have to start a few times and retreat before I find a workable move. After that the climbing stays pretty hard, and I lose my resolve and hang a couple of clips later. Too much time spent unwilling to move on small holds, I get pumped. After a rest, though, I manage to finish the 90-foot pitch feeling quite good about it. I really wish I had a camera as I watch Doug follow the pitch, surprising himself with what he can accomplish with his feet on the small holds. It’s a great experience for both of us.

Fire Widow 10c

There’s something irascible about this route. Clare backs off not wanting to do the traverse from Port Side anchor, then Doug goes up and makes the first clip, but is foiled by the tricky move onto the headwall. I go up next, make it onto the headwall okay, but lose it and hang once on the crux moves. Like a grumpy friend, I like this route partially for its reliable gruffness.

Unknown right of Slab-a-dab-a-doo 5.9+

I get a true surprise lead fall when I pull an undercling off of this route. I think Sean is more shocked than me, but he provides a perfect catch and all is well. It makes me pay more attention to the rest of the route! It was a fluke, I think, the rock is good. Clare follows and has a ball on this.

Other perspectives: Sean

Clare and Dennis come up for Clare’s birthday, and accompany me to Vedauwoo on a warm bluebird Sunday for some big crack climbing. The Holy Saturday formation provides the goods.

We only hit two climbs, but they provide plenty of material:
Hideaway Chimney 5.5 is nice and long, incredibly varied, and holds plenty of surprises (many of them pleasant)!

Flake 5.8+ is a bit awkward for toproping, but worth the trouble. It’s awkward to climb too - that’s what makes it so great! The leaning flake wants to spit you out, but then embraces you, only to try to buck you off once more.