Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Back in the Hole.

The Power Couple spent yesterday hiking and snapping pics of assorted crags before snatching out packs and heading up Reed's Creek to enjoy some stretches and pulls on a sweet new line, Mike Stewart and Company's "Rain", a new 5.9 at the right end of The Reach.

Relaxed later with our buddy Mike D, enjoyed some fine music we'd carried away from our visit to the Purple Fiddle in Davis, WV on our first night back in town.

Up and out early this morning to count bolts and snap more pics, with the river high and the air much cooler than Thursday's mid-80s. Amazing flood debris piled high among the boulders and buds pushing from the tip of every branch. Cindy and I dodge drops as we eyeball lines and try to spot bolts amid poison ivy and tree branches.

Back at the Casa D now with my lovely wife cleaning and sorting gear and a couple of plates of leftover megaburritos from Hellbender Burritos.

Inbound LSC students and good weather for the weekend... life looks good.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

You all might have noticed a storm front crossing the country as a massive cold system moved west to east. It is no coincidence that at exactly the same time that a certain little blue truck began moving east from the gates of Joshua Tree



-racing across the California and arizona deserts ahead of the storm that would dump a foot of snow on the Superstitions three days later, almost burying the base camp of Ronin and Mrs. Pinkpants.

(Truth be told, we were ready for a break after two days of incredible climbing in the Troll Hut in North Devils' Canyon-





-but a foot of snow per day with more on the way was a bit much.)

Forecasts led us led us to bail, moving south towards the Western Stronghold and Tucson.

In seventy-two hours, we crossed New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and half of Virginia, to arrive in the Shenandoah Valley exactly three days after setting out.

Two days of seclusion and decompression have released all the karmic angst and left us ready to get after it, with apologies to anyone we might have left out of the loop. Sooo... don't be surprised to see plates from points west... Just sayin' :)