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Owens Peak
We allow ourselves a mellow morning and a slow start, changing our destination from Wildrose Peak to the closer Owens. It’s a no-nonsense chug, claiming to climb 2,850 feet in 1.5 miles. I think it must be further than that, but definitely gets down (up?) to business. Ann is disappointed to make it up “only”…
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Wagon Wheel
It’s been long enough since I’ve bouldered that it feels kind foreign and strange. Ted, Randy, Greg, and Curtis are working on something right of Walter’s crack when we arrive. I do a number of familiar and long-neglected problems in the area. Some that used to seem hard are now not so bad. Others I…
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Movie: Roger Dodger
I rented this movie after reading the Radical Wacko’s review. It wasn’t hard to watch in the way I was expecting – just when we thought it had lost its momentum and overdrawn it’s characters, it would come through with a little gem of wit or insight that would keep us going. In the end…
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Black Velvet Canyon, Red Rocks
We had planned to do a hike today, but were enticed by Oscar and Jules’ plan to get an early start on Frogland (5.8-), a seven-pitch route in Black Velvet Canyon. The morning goes well, and we have the base of the route to ourselves at 9 am. Jules follows Oscar up the first pitch,…
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Flight Path, Red Rocks
Some of the climbers in our party are up at 5 am to head for long multipitch climbs, but we sleep in til 7 and make breakfast. One pair, Ian and Ingrid, leave for an 11-pitch route around 8. We wish them luck. Those of us remaining head to the Flight Path wall in Pine…
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Red Rock Thanksgiving
We’ve been planning this Thanksgiving trip to Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas for a long time, but it goes anything but smoothly. We thought Las Vegas wouldn’t be a big Thanksgiving Day destination, but I-15 is crammed with crazy traffic. I try to stop at the climbing store to pick up a guidebook,…
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Movie: Ice Castles
Ann has been holding this movie over my head for months, saying it would be a test of my ability to reconcile my masculinity with our marriage. I was dreading it. So when it finally arrives I propose getting it over with quickly, like pulling climbing tape off when it’s stuck to your armhair. As…
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Puzzling World
Today Ann buys a world map jigsaw puzzle at the thrift store. We sit down at our table and put it together. There is one piece missing in the end, an empty spot in the middle east. It has a sort of chilling effect.
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Movie: Following
When I watched this I thought it was directed by Darren Aronofsky, the director of pi and Requiem for a Dream, so I was prepared for a VERY dark and disturbing movie. The actual director is Christopher Nolan, who went on to make Memento. Still dark, but more concerned with a plotline. It’s interesting to…
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Fossil Falls
What a good time of year it is to spend a day at Fossil Falls. I’m just recovering from a cold and relish the ability to be active outdoors again. There’s a chilly wind, but it feels perfect in a windbreaker. We TR some old favorites in the upper canyon, starting with the aptly named…