Climbing Trips

well somewhere in the past month or so i've been climbing! Indian Creek happened late this year- in mid May which is usually flaming hot down south. it was a fantastic trip, but all the pictures were taken with Liz's camera (that's what happens when eric doesn't come along!) and i don't have the pics to post. we also enjoyed climbing with our friends Dave and Allie, a new couple for tripping to the creek with!

I spent the next couple weeks after indian creek just trying to get in laps around salt lake climbing. i realized i had lost more strength than i thought. i just couldn't keep my arms above my head for very long (as evidenced by all the falls i took while in indian creek in may) so a few different partners, including Liz and Jamie, have helped me get my climbing arms back above me.

eric and i just went to a somewhat local climbing mecca in southern idaho called City of Rocks. it's only about 3 hours away, which makes it feel quite close. it's got a lifetime of granite climbing. infact, we were there almost exactly 1 year ago prior to my big hip surgery. so this was an important trip for me. i returned to some of the climbs i had done previously, and climbed them even better than i did before the surgery (no thanks to the surgery however. i think the real reason is that i've had all this time to sit around and think about climbing and not get to. so that when the opportunity finally arrived i was just so stoked to be out that i went on a sending spree. i, in fact, do not have increased range of motion at all in my hip. it's actually more restrictive than before due to the soft tissue issues - such as capsulitis and inflammation in general) i am not back to my pre-surgery flexibility (which was poor to begin with) and don't have better use of the hip. i experience more pain than i did before the surgery as well. BUT (and it's a big but!) i am hiking and climbing and for that i am so thankful, excited, and STOKED about. i'm not complaining anymore, i'm just climbing!!! here are some pics:



E and I on top of Morning glory Spire


and I packed my angry face to show the cold, windy, rainy weather when it showed up...



following Skyline on Morning glory spire



mmm, broccoli for dinner!!


Snakes and Ladders, run-out 5.9



the climb I'm most proud of for the weekend: Double Cracks, the sandbagged gold standard 5.10a in the City



hard to see the bird that i'm mimicking in this picture....



me: "Look Eric, Booty!! I LOVE free cams! and even better, it's a brand new #4 camalot- very expensive and coveted!"
Eric: "ya... i think it's those guys who just now rappelled down. you should probably give it back"
Me: Angry face!

it turned out alright though. i returned this cam only to find another one on a different climb later in the day.