Well, my southern sojourn has come to its inevitable conclusion. Five months on the road have left me penniless and psyched for the next chapter.
Since my last post I made my way to the Grand Canyon, where I fought off snow and fog to take in the amazing vistas. I then met my good friends Josh, Regan, and Pete in Vegas for some Christmas bowling, and beers. Oh, I guess we climbed too. From Vegas it was off to J-tree to meet the Evolv crew for New-Years festivities, then a jaunt to Mexico where our buds Jeff and Dea run an orphanage. Josh and Regs headed home from the land of delicious tacos while I spent a week chillin in Fallbrook, California with my buddy Buck. We climbed, we hiked, we ate, we drank. We had a great time. It was in Fallbrook that I learned of my grandmother's passing. I drove to Vegas, climbed with Terry, Selena, and Jeremy for a day, then took a flight back to the great white north. After an emotional, and cold 2 weeks I returned to Vegas. Getting in late, I parked my van at the Red Rock Casino, only to be woken up and informed at 3:30 am that this was not an acceptable location to bivy. In my sleepy stupor I made my way to a nearby neighborhood where I camped-out for the next few days. I departed Vegas and made my final stop in Bishop. In Bishop, I climbed with many good friends, scared myself, and dealt with a misbehaving passenger door lock. Every day I would wake up, make myself a cup of coffee, bask in the rising sun, and question whether life could get any better. Bishop truly is a bouldering paradise. Three weeks of perfect weather led to a couple days of rain. The incoming cold front, in conjunction with my dwindling bank account were all the provocation I needed to make my northerly migration.
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The Grand Canyon at sunrise
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| The crew at the Gallery in Red Rocks |
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| Regs on the beach in Mexico |
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| Josh tucking into a delicious taco |
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| Campsite bocce in Vegas with team Edmonton |
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| Jedi Mind Tricks |
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| Welcome to the Buttermilks |
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| Grandma Peabody southwest arete |
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Paul Szaror climbing Suspended in Silence
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This trip was an amazing experience I will not soon forget. Not only did I visit some amazing locales, but I met a bunch of truly amazing people. You know who you are. Maybe we shared beta on a boulder problem, or hung out at a sport crag. Perchance we were just campsite neighbors, but more than likely at the end of a glorious day of climbing we kicked back and enjoyed good company, and good beer. If this sounds like you, then my thanks go out to you, and I hope it isn't too long before we find ourselves in a similar setting.
Ciao!
AQ
