Jackie - Successfully Avoiding Winter

So it's been a while, just been wrapped up in being home and all that jazz. Not too much going on around here, a little bit of climbing, but mostly hanging out with friends and getting stuff taken care of. The big news is that I've got a job in BC! I'll be doing archaeology work on a pipeline that runs from Tumbler Ridge in the east to Kitimat in the west. I'm really excited! I will be starting at the end of aug/beginning of sept and working there until I leave for hueco at the end of october! I won't be able to do much climbing while I'm there (unless I find a totally awesome spot in the north!)

I have some pics from a climbing weekend we did a couple weeks ago, I'll be sure to post those soon. Otherwise, hope all is well with everyone!

J

I just found this looking through some of my pictures. This was taken at a climbing area in Flagstaff, the piece is probably 6 feet high. I didn't get a very good picture of it, but you'll get the idea when you look at it long enough.

P1010412

So I've made it back home safe and sound, got in last night at about 12:30 local time. Of course, just a few short minutes ago, I locked my keys in my car, and had to call CAA. I guess it's good that I was at home, since I have a nice comfy chair to sit on and wait for them to come.. haha

Trip home was good, took longer than expected since I ended up having to detour around Iowa because of flooding, but went well otherwise. It was sad to be leaving, but I know that I'll also be going back down there in a few short months to guide at Hueco, so that made it a lot easier. It's strange being back in Canada, but quite nice as well! I dont' have to do mileage conversions in my head anymore, gas is in litres, I'm in the same time zone as a lot of people..and best of all, I have a really comfy bed and room all to myself!

In the last few days there I went out of water climbing (super fun!), hung out, and tried to forget I was leaving! I'm going to go through my pictures, and post up what I haven't already, so you guys can all be super jealous!

I've decided to keep the blog going just for the sake of having somewhere to post pics of different stuff, as well as keeping those of you who are down south updated on what I'm doing...but I will be updating it even less often than before haha But don't worry, if I go anywhere cool, you guys'll know. Oh! my friend Julie invited me down to Chile for January 09, so there's something to look forward to..sport climbing in Chile whaaat!

over and out,

J

So just got back in from EP, now I've gone through the guide training, and just have to do two observation tours and then I'm a guide! So excited! I'll just have to do the observations when I get back down, since we didn't have time to stick around and get them done right now. Its quite hot in Hueco right now, which made part of the walking around kind of miserable, but it was still awesome to be back in the park! Went climbing a couple days, which was actually totally bearable, as long as you found stuff in the shade.

Another few pics I got from my friend!

So I''m back in Flag for a couple days, then heading down to Hueco for guide training! Here are some pics from the rest of Utah. Went backpacking in Canyonlands, which was amazing!

Today Geoff and I went out to Ogden - some fun stuff! The quartzite was different, never climbed on that before..maybe it was just me, but it felt burly!

Will be sure to post Geoff's pics when I get them! only a few, but its something

haha I so funny :D Anyway!

So I went to Yosemite for a few days - so awesome! Did some bouldering, and did a route up Half Dome which was so rad! It was lots of fun to hang out in the valley and get around and do some climbing. Probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to, definitely going to be going back there when I get the chance! The route we did was called Snake Dike, which runs up the right side of HD, and was quite the day..or two. We started hiking at 11pm, planning on climbing by the full moon, but when we finally got to the base at 430am, we decided to sleep until the sun came up, and then climb. Route went well, was incredible to climb - with amazing views. Once we got to the top, we celebrated by having a nap before the slabs, then had some bleh american beer and started the painful hike back down to camp. Though I was exhausted for the whole thing, it was definitely worth the lack of sleep.

After I left Yosemite, I headed out to Utah to meet up with some friends. The hanging out was tons of fun, but it basically rained/snowed/sleeted/hailed every day. So I think that if that wasn't the case, I'd probably have enjoyed it a whole lot more! However, I still had a really great time, and did some totally awesome problems. I think my fav was probably Self Service at Area 51. I think on my way back down south I'll probably try to hit up Triassic for a day or so, looks totally amazing.

Now I'm in Salt Lake, up here for a couple days since a friend from home is in town on business, so I'm crashing on the pullout in his hotel room with showers and electricity! Thank you Geoff :D haha Went climbing at a gym for the first time since I was in Chattanooga, which was weird..definitely will be avoiding this.. hahaha

I'm having some problems posting pics, so I'll do that once I can..soon!

So I'm  leaving a quick update on here, so you guys know a bit of what's going on!

It's been either really uneventful, or really stressful lately! Just been doing lots of climbing in the local Flag area, having lots of fun hanging out and all that. However, last weekend I lost my wallet.. But there was a guy who basically went through everything he could do to get it back to me, emailing people I had addresses for in my wallet, even finding me on facebook. So he was definitely my favourite person for a while! My cards are a little bent from being run over, but it's all good, they're back in my hands safe and sound.

In other news, I'm now in Bishop (haha finally made it guys!), but not staying here to climb. I'm just passing through on my way to Yosemite! Yahooooo! I'm so excited! My right arm is a little tweaked, so I dont know how much climbing I'll get in, but I don't even care all that much. I'll be sticking around there until the 21st, then off to Joe's - yay for mormons!

I dont' have my camera with me right now, but I've got pics to put up! It snowed 4 inches the other night, which was quite a surprise when I woke up! Very pretty, didn't last thankfully.

So I haven't updated this in a little bit, and I'm going to go ahead and do that now! Since I last wrote, I went out to Vegas to see Lorri (yay fun times!), which was sooo amazing. I didn't climb at all really, since my finger was hurting pretty badly, but we did tons of hiking, and generally had an awesome time. We hiked to the top of Turtlehead Peak, which gave us an incredible view of Red Rocks park, as well as gave us a bit of a butt-kicking haha for a short (5 mile round trip) hike. Though it was fairly tough, it was really worth it! We also walked a short bit up another trail, which said it was supposed to give you a good chance of seeing big horned sheep, we didn't end up seeing any..big disappointment! haha I felt let down, and my sheep calls did me no good - thank god no one was around other than Lorri to hear them..! hahaha

After RR, I came back to Flag, where I went climbing, and my finger is feeling pretty good! The other day, my friend and I hiked to the top of Mt. Humphreys, which is the highest peak in Arizona, at 12,633 feet. We didn't hike that whole way, since the town is already at 7000 feet, but MAN, it was hard. Probably didn't help that we couldn't find a trail, so we hiked straight up one of the false peaks - straight up old lava flows covered in snow, and massive scree hills. Most of the way it was 30-45 degree angles up loose lava chunks and rock. It was definitely one of the hardest, if not the hardest hikes I've ever done! When we made it to the top, the altitude definitely got to me, and I felt so nauseous, and had a brutal headache..the headache may have been from not having coffee that morning, but I think the altitude definitely had something to do with it! I look like I'm smiling at the top, but I think it's just cringing! haha Surprisingly, I felt pretty good the next day, though my knee is hurting a bit. Nothing bad, just no more crazy hikes for a few days at least! Bolder (Andy's dog) was psyched the whole way up (and down!), but we were definitely making jokes about crying..and thinking we might actually start soon!

Last weekend my friend came up from Tuscon to climb, which was lots of fun! for one of my first days back, it was pretty good! No crimping or small pockets for my right hand, but I think I can pull that off. Today we might be going to a sandstone area, so I'm hoping for some real nice slopers! After HP40, I have a big place in my heart for sandstone sloper madness.

And now for the pictures!