Ann and I begin what we imagine will probably be our last day at Vedauwoo for the season in lower Blair, where Ann leads “Awakening to Fat Mosquitoes 5.7”, a short, stout-looking offwidth flake to double-hand crack. Ann plugs in all our biggest gear, belaying me at the top with our lone big bro. This…

We’re happy to see Sean, then Mark and Kate show up with Doug and Liz in the morning at our campsite in upper Blair. Fall is just arriving here, a few yellow aspen leaves flutter in cool breezes, and the morning light comes later every day. Despite all the time we’ve spent here recently, we’ll…

We head to Beehive Buttress, near Brown’s Landing, looking for an obscure bolted multipitch route and maybe some nice cracks. Once again there are too many trees to get the camper to the end of the road, but the hike is still nice, and mushrooms are popping up everywhere in the moist pine needle duff.…

We’re hiking cross-country to lower Blair when Ann looks over a particularly large boulder and says, “Ooh, that’s a nice looking face.” I look it over and reply, “Look behind the tree – a big fat crack!” We hike over and decide to rig a toprope on it. The tree provides shade, and the crack…

We’re infatuated with the Blair area these days. The wind is coming back to Vedauwoo, but it’s still cool and seductive, and the crags are often sheltered. Sun shines most of the time, interrupted by brief bouts of rain. Life feels full when all this change is going on around you, but also comfortable and…

Sean and Rogan join us in our rush to escape to Vedauwoo for a weekend of re-energizing. Last weekend’s discoveries at the Lower Blair area were inspiring, so this time we decide to continue to Upper Blair. A campsite presents itself right by “The Eight Ball”, a giant round boulder perched atop a block with…

Happy with our experience in the Lower Blair area yesterday, we return to try some climbs on another formation. Again it’s all very pleasant, so much so that I forget about my camera until I see this frog on our hike out. Three Roofs 5.7 A nice long route involves friction slab and chimney moves,…

Our small party ventures to a new area of Vedauwoo today! The Northwest face of Blair III is quite the blissful spot on a hot day. We tackle some cracks in a leisurely way, most on toprope: Sweet Variation 5.7- My only lead of the day, but a fun one. Random Crystals? 5.8 – a…

Doug meets us on a fine morning at the Nautilus, then proceeds to dive back into climbing with a solid lead of Stand and Deliver 5.10a. He and Ann then follow me up Ted’s Trot 5.7, just as thrilling for me the second time. Rain showers send us scurrying off the rock to sit and…