-
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,…
-
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…
-
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.
-
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…
-
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…
-
Movie: Such a Long Journey
A look at the life of a Parsi bank clerk in 1971 Bombay, India during the war with Pakistan. There are some really stunning shots of the city. The story and characters are quirky in some way that prevented me from fully buying into it, though I enjoyed the movie anyway.
-
Movie: Master & Commander
Russel Crowe swashes his buckles, sweeps his strings, swings his hatchet, swabs his wounds, swills his rum, swoons in his cups, swaps his weevils, swears his oaths, and swarms his enemies. Interesting looks at early 19th century naval life. Standard Hollywood storytelling.
-
Climbing Dictionary
A few non-climbers have, bravely or foolishly, attempted to read my climbing posts and soon asked me, “Is there a secret decoder ring somewhere?” Well, it may not look as cool as the one in the Ovaltine jar, but the folks at RockClimbing.com have put together a pretty good glossary of climbing terms. If it…
-
Rattlesnake Canyon, Joshua Tree
Ann’s cold is worse today, so I head off for Rattlesnake Canyon with her dad Bob under grey skies. It had rained during the night, so the pools in the arroyo are all fresh, and soon we’re scrambling up the bed of a running creek. Many of the boulders are masses of golf ball-sized crystals…
-
Indian Cove, Joshua Tree
We wake up slowly in our tent, groggy from the late night drive. It’s good to be back at Indian Cove, though, for the first time since our wedding. We are in campsite #7 with Ann’s parents, right below Dark Shadows Rock, so after breakfast I wander up and rig a toprope on it. We…