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Live Music: Zap Mama
We don’t go for many Monday night shows in Boulder, but we didn’t want to miss this one. Marie Daulne, the founder of Zap Mama, has explored her musical roots in Zaire and taken them in amazing new directions. Ann has always enjoyed Zap Mama’s many reminders of her childhood in Zaire, and I’ve liked…
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Vedauwoo – Walt’s Wall
We rise early and set off bravely through the fog to Vedauwoo, where the frosty weather inspires us to take a nap in the car. We’re woken pleasantly by the sun, and we pack off happily towards Walt’s Wall. In the pay-parking area four climbers dart off as soon as they see us without so…
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Arthur’s Rock
Not many people were out hiking today, perhaps due to some clouds earlier, so we have this temperate, sunny afternoon on Arthur’s Rock to ourselves. It’s the perfect hike for the day, the grass is long and yellow, the leaves are starting to turn, there isn’t a breath of wind, and the trail climbs just…
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Medicine Bow Peak
Dave, Lisa, and Dyson join us for this classic hike from my Laramie days. Despite the familiar territory I miss the turn to the Lake Lewis trailhead. Soon I recall that I always started from the dirt road a little further east to avoid the $5 parking fee at Lake Lewis. It’s a bit windy,…
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Ann’s first onsight in Poudre Canyon
A lazy, disorganized start to the day gets me to the crag without my climbing shoes. By the time I find the Ra area we don’t have much time left anyway. Ann steps up to the plate and leads the first pitch of Warm Beer and Cold Women, 5.8. It requires the placement of a…
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Movie: DiG
A greasy sausage of a documentary that follows two promising bands, The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre on their adventures in the 90’s music industry. Watch this only if you want to see what’s inside. Referred by Netflix.
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Book: The Kite Runner / Khaled Hosseini
This was a rewarding read, a mix of character drama with some pre- and post-Taliban description of Afghanistan. It doesn’t go into great depth in any one area, but chooses instead to remain accessible to a mostly clueless American such as myself, which I appreciated. The plot devices get a little transparent here and there,…
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Vedauwoo – Fall Wall
To fill out our vacation we head back for one last day at Vedauwoo, this time with my long-lost cousin Doug Blocksma. We find Fall Wall vacant, which seems surprising for a Sunday. Ann, hungry now for some more leads, sets up ropes on Easy Friction, 5.4, and Cold Fingers, 5.7. Cold Fingers is fairly…
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Arapaho Pass
After a leisurely breakfast in a national forest campsite we found in the dark last night, we drive through Eldora to the Fourth of July trailhead. From here it’s only three miles up to the divide at Arapaho Pass, a point just a little ways north of the Devil’s Thumb where the Continental Divide Trail…
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Ann leads a 5.8 in Boulder Canyon
A little sport climbing sounds appealing, so we head up to the Riviera wall in Boulder Canyon. Despite dark clouds, we enjoy climbing Chouette, 5.6, and Splash, 5.7, on beautifully smooth, featured granite before the rain starts. We have to wait out half an hour of rain, then Ann surprises me by announcing she’s in…