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City of Rocks – The Wart
I’m still up for a single pitch or two in the evening, and Ann is tired but willing to belay. Heading to Elephant Rock we see the first evidence of the weekend crowds – the lot is full and a line of climbers marches toward the shady face. Rather than wait in line we head…
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City of Rocks – Jackson’s Thumb
After yesterday’s multipitch we’re hungry for more, so we start off in the morning to Jackson’s Thumb to climb Theater of Shadows, a four pitch low angle cruiser with lots of bolts for protection. I bushwhack up a steep, rocky, sagebrushy hill to the base where we can clearly the see the nicely constructed trail,…
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City of Rocks – Stripe Rock
We determine from talking to people and mining the guidebook that City of Rocks has a rare offering: easy bolted multipitch routes. Inspired to take advantage of at least one, we head to Stripe Rock to climb Cruel Shoes, a 3-pitch bolt party. It will be in the sun during the morning, but we hope…
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City of Rocks – Provo Wall
We arrive at City of Rocks National Reserve in time for some shady afternoon climbing on Provo Wall, near our campsite. We climb Easy Corner, which pushes me into several awkward (but fun) moves despite the name. We descend on the anchors of Tennish Anyone?, a nice slab climb, then toprope that. Our first impression…
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Movie: The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)
This is a great example of a true story crafted into a hero mythology. The characters and acting are good, and you’d never guess how suspenseful it is from a description. Honest, white-knuckled chair gripping. What fun. Referred by Clare
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Crystal Wall after work
Doug & Liz, not knowing any better, agree to accompany me up the Poudre Canyon to Crystal Wall for some climbing. I don’t tell them until they show up at my house that I need a ride, and I’m not sure if we’ll even have time to climb, but the starry-eyed newlyweds take it in…
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Movie: The Snow Walker (2003)
Films like this make me realize how overdramatized most of the movies I watch are. The story down here isn’t stripped to the very bone like Bubble, but it is told unpretentiously. It’s a worthwhile tale, and the Alaskan setting is intriguing. Referred by Nehring
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Horseshoe Mountain
Dad, ever the explorer, chooses a forest road he’s never been up for his birthday weekend excursion. Four Mile Creek Road in Pike National Forest takes us into the Mosquito Range west of Fairplay, Colorado. We’re initially put off by swaths of private property and mining detritus, but end up having a beautiful hike up…
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Movie: Deep Blue (2005)
This ocean life documentary doesn’t go into great depth in any particular place or creature, but contains jaw-dropping footage from ocean locations all over the world. It does an especially good job of conveying a removal from the human realm, where the camera is an omniscient eye showing us sights that most human beings never…
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Movie: A History of Violence (2005)
David Cronenberg has interesting ideas, so I was willing to give this film some leeway, but after half an hour of swallowing one cliché after another, I gave up. Maybe I’m spoiled, but I’d rather listen to Cronenberg talk about his message than sit through such a bland set-up. Referred by Fresh Air