The CragBaby

The Red Cross released an article in the Salt Lake Tribune last week stating that donations of blood are low during the summer months and requesting blood donations. I would encourage all my friends to call 1-800-Give-Life and make an appointment to donate as giving blood is the easiest form of service with a huge impact.

I am still in the healing process from the fractured ankle, but relative to many friends’s injuries I seem to be recovering quite quickly (most likely due to the small size of the fracture). I have been visiting the physical therapist bi-weekly for the past couple weeks and have definitely felt an improvement in my foot’s mobility. So, today I inquired if I could try to go jogging and was told to go ahead if it felt strong enough.

I have been real anxious to run ever since the injury. It makes me think back on a particular teenage experience. For approximately 4 months at the age of 16 I lived with my aunt rather than my parents for a variety of different reasons. I had grown up playing and competing in piano performance since the age of 5, but for this four month stint I had to quit lessons. A hobby I used to despise turned into a hobby I loved due to the lack of access. Upon moving back in with my parents I became extremely serious about competing and auditioned and was lucky enough to be accepted to an honorable studio in Orem, a city an hour and half away from my home. I started practicing four to five hours a day, driving once or twice a week to Orem for lessons and began competing on a whole new level.

The above example isn’t an “apple to apple” comparison as I doubt highly I ever become that motivated with running. Rather I bring it up as an example that sometimes I am surprised by the things I miss once no longer in my life. I have always ran as a way to keep in shape and never really enjoyed it, though I have done a couple of races. Yet, now I really miss it and look forward to training for another half or full marathon.

Today’s run was a short and succinct one mile, but the ankle felt okay and I think if I taped it prior to the next run there is the possibility it might feel pretty good. I think if the ankle isn’t swollen in the morning, I might go out for an early run.

My good friend HIP #1 is currently traveling and climbing through the Asian and South Pacific regions. He was recently in the Australia for 3 months and as of yesterday caught a flight to New Zealand. On occasion I get a postcard or package from him in the mail and this past week I received the best postal package ever! He had warned me that something was coming and that I needed to use it outside only. Upon its arrival I opened it up to see a boomerang inside, but was in a hurry and didn’t get the chance to read the note. The boomerang itself was so cool, but later that evening I read the note and it said that the boomerang was actually HIS boomerang and that he would get it next time we met up. Wow… what a cool idea!!

Since HIP #1 is a fellow climber I thought I would take the boomerang with me on all my climbing adventures, posting pictures of the places it has traveled. It’s first trip was to Castle / City of Rocks, of which photos will be posted soon.

Thanks for the fantastic postal package HIP #1! Hopefully we can meet up sometime this summer…

I have been wanting to go to the Horn for some time now, but every trip I have tried to coordinate had not come to fruition. Luckily, the weekend of June 9 not only did a trip happen but we had an awesome crew of folks and had a fabulous time. Picture highlights below.

The first photo of the trip while still in Salt Lake. Shaft and CB. Photo by Shaft.

The Grayghost putting climbing a beautiful trad line.

Me on a very thin 12a that was a lot more enjoyable on a top rope. It was such a beautiful line. Photo by the Grayhghost.

Mathias bouldering as dusk approaches. Photo by the Grayhghost.

Dr. A sending a new project. Photo by the Grayhghost.

Dr. B eating a couple days old burrito while the Grayghost throws up a top rope. Ah, good old climbing trips.

One of the best climbs I have ever been on. Aesthetic, positive pockets, arete and numerous heel hooks. What else could a girl ask for? Photo by Shaft.

Dr. B on The Promise Child. Extremely aesthetic route! Photo by the Grayhghost.

CB tuckered out.

The whole crew except JKnight as he was fixing a bolt on a route. Crew included (from left to right) Boissal, Me, Shaft, Dr. B, Mathias, Dr. A, Triznut and the Grayhghost.

I went out night bouldering a couple weeks ago with Doughy and Shaft. The night was filled with headlamps, PBR and a little Wah. I laughed so much my cheeks hurt.

Shaft feeling the groove of the music and sending.

Me, the Wasatch Girl, finishing a real fun problem.

The Doughy pose. Sorry ladies, he is taken.

• Millcreek – this is my favorite crag. I would like to make a couple trips there.
• The Horn – yay! I went there last weekend, but would like to hit it up again. Two fantastic 12′s are down there that I would like to try out again.
• Uintahs – so far I have only climbed at one crag there
• Joes – only spent one climbing day there and it was great
• Triassic – want to go
• Wind Rivers – need to wait until the ankle heals
• Castle Rocks – haven’t been and want to go
• Fisher Towers – I have only done Ancient Art and would like to run some more of the towers
• Wild Iris – been there once… wouldn’t mind hitting it up again
• Causey – according to the guide book, this place is ultra hard but it looks like it has some stellar 12′s.
• St. George – honestly, why I haven’t I climbed there yet?
• AF – been there a bunch, but there are a lot of crags to still explore.
• Echo – heard about it and it is close… so I should go

A couple routes I would really like to work include:

• Highlander (BCC)
• Big in Japan (BCC)
• Right Pile and Left Pile (BCC)
• Naked Nebula (AF)
• License to Thrill and the 12a right next to it (AF)
• All Chalk, No Action (LCC)
• The Classic 12a pictured below (The Horn)

Pic by the Grayhghost.

This week has started out splendidly, but the last couple weeks were a little rough for a handful of reasons. However, during the bumpy times I was fortunate enough to receive many nice gestures from a variety of people and so wanted to say thank you.

• One day it was raining and I was trying to head to a board meeting in Orem; however, my car decided to boycott starting. A female neighbor I had never met came and jumped my car and then, when it still didn’t work, helped push it to the side of the road. And yes, it was down pouring the whole time and she had just worked a graveyard shift.
• The bummer week hit a climax on one particular day. Yet, upon arriving home I had a DVD of new music from my friend New York friend Harper.
• I have a great friend here in Salt Lake who for some reason always comes to my rescue. No matter if it is a ride to the airport, a ride home from work, helping me when my scooter gets stolen… you name it he is there. His name is Dave and he has truly been a great friend to me. When the car decided to stop working last week, Dave not only gave me a ride home from work, but tried to jump it again and then called around to diagnose the problem and find affordable parts.
• My friend Shaft has listen to me complain quite a bit this last week. Talking through problems is extremely beneficial for me and I definitely appreciated the listening ear. Plus he always brings fantastic snacks to the crag.
• A couple weeks ago I was planning on heading to Momentum to climb. My friend BW knew I was heading to the gym so left me a free guest pass on the windshield of my car.
• My Irish friend HIP #1 is traveling through Australia, yet seems to always have the time to drop me an email or call to check up on me and CB.
• My friend Orange has occasional dinner parties, of which she is increasing to a bi-weekly frequency working around the weekends when I am in town. It was so thoughtful and I am stoked to get to be there each time.
• My friend Cutesy Doom has left me a couple awesome voice mails that have made me giggle out loud.
• Two weekends ago I headed to The Horn with some climbing friends. I was able to hop on two of the best climbs of my life because two fellow climbers threw up a rope. Both routes were pushing my limit and I don’t know if I could have lead them. So thanks to these climbers I was able to experience two classic Horn routes.

Thanks….

I haven’t written a blog for quite a while because it has just been a little bit of a downer period lately. Not only have I been a little bummed, but I went out of town last weekend to climb and came home so extremely exhausted that I took five consecutive rest days. I think the rest was needed and I definitely feel a little bit more up to par.

I have been thinking a lot lately about a variety of subjects, one of which being the difference between needs and wants. It seems that many Americans can’t distinguish between these two words and proof of this is shown in the fact that economic reports show us spending more than we earn.

I try to live a really simple life. I have a small apartment, almost all my furniture was used prior to me taking ownership, my used car is old with dents, I seek out “good deals” and the only belongings that really mean anything to me would be the data on my computer and my dog (but I consider her more of a friend than a possession). I seriously enjoy living a minimalist lifestyle and being able to save over 50% of my paycheck. If anything it makes me feel free and mobile.

The only main expenditure I have on an annual basis is a plane ticket to a new destination and from there it is just backpacks, hostels and thousands of great memories. And perhaps that is why I am thinking about all this. It is time for me to book another trip and I am starting to contemplate where I might head for this year’s adventure. In 2005 I did a solo backpack trip through China for a month. It was probably my favorite destination thus far in my adventures as not only did it open my eyes to a whole new culture, government and lifestyle, but I realized how lucky I am to have been presented the opportunities that I have received thus far. In China I went through many small villages and saw a whole different standard of living. Not only did I have bugs in my food on a handful of occasions, but I used some restroom facilities that were anything but sanitary. I saw many people who lived with very little and here I was bopping around the whole country with ipod in hand.

On the other side of the economic spectrum, I had the opportunity to meet Warren Buffett a couple years ago and one of the things that impressed me the most was the simplicity of his life. He drove a pretty old Ford Explorer and lived in his original home. Here, the wealthiest man in the U.S., didn’t have a need to be showy or prove his status to others. Best of all, he attributed his wealth to being lucky enough to have won what he referenced as the “ovarian lottery” meaning he was lucky enough to be born in the US, as a male (for when he was born his situation would have been different if he were female) and to his parents who taught him good principles and leadership.

One of my annual goals for the past couple years has been to really contemplate needs versus wants when making a purchase. Of course I am not going to a full fledge extreme and refusing to spend any money, but rather just try and keep the concept in mind. Do I need to purchase a new car when my little Honda is still plugging away? Do I need to move to a different house when what I have is sufficient? Do I really need a gym membership when it is warm enough to climb outside? Yeah, I am just trying to keep it in perspective.

I worked with two co-workers who used to refer to me as rachelstrateparty.com or just .com. The joke started because the summer we worked together I had somehow gotten my picture on two websites highlighting the Salt Lake social scene and one small newspaper in a different county.

This weekend those co-workers would be proud as it was a definite party.com weekend. It included fantastic climbing, sushi, a keg party, a dinner party and a fantastic symphony date that turned into a couple visits to the urgent care. Here are some pics….

Saturday climbing was at Challenge Buttress with Shaft, SP, BW and a new partner Jon.

SP posing on Hollow Man. Please note the PINK ATC hanging from his harness.

Sunday climbing was in American Fork and was such a great time. The posse was BW, Stone Face Killah and Allen. We worked on the Hard Rock wall and White Wave Wall. Three of us hopped on Naked Nebula, a 12a pumpfest. The climb was absolutely stellar and I am excited to work it as a new project.

I got behind on my climbing updates because I was waiting for pictures from the Maple trip. The quick summary of climbing prior to Memorial and the Memorial weekend itself was one day I cruised up to Storm Mountain with Shaft, Doughy, BW and some others.

Gumby Doughy hanging out enjoying the sun. Doughy, a boulderer, can only be referred to as a Gumby (a beginner) when on a rope. In reality he is great on a rope as well, but I just like calling him Gumby Doughy.

The next day I met up with one of my girl friend climbers, Jules, and another person at the Pile. The temps were perfect and I learned how to implement a knee-bar for Right Pile.

Jules working Gomer Pile.

Me, still climbing with the boot, on Gomer Pile.

Memorial weekend was spent in Logan. I went up with the entirely wrong crew, but there were still some highlights to the weekend including climbing with Zoe and Ms. Pear, working an awesome climb called Tooth and Nail and getting this picture of CB wrapped up like a baby.

Yes, it is summer and my dog is still cold.