The Vacation.

Well a week or so before school started, Ina and I decided to take a short trip for hiking and climbing. For the first two days I worked on War Tactics. I managed to pull all the moves on the first day. On the second day, I made it to the final move. Day three, I consistently made it to the last move, but refined my beta halfway through the session. Sadly, this was my last day on the route. Not only was it my last day, but later that day we were headed to the Devil's Kitchen to climb with David Lloyd and Jesse Firestone. So after climbing from 8:30 to noon, I had a 5 hour break between the time we actually started climbing at the Devil's Kitchen, and boy, did I wish I had just called it quits on War Tactics. Devil's Kitchen is spectacular. The climbing high quality and the scenery spectacular--unlike any area I've been to before.

I left with the desire to come back; I didn't send anything I had on my mind, but the climbing was amazing. Normally, I will leave with a feeling of no success if I do not send. Over the course of the last two years, I've grown, at least, somewhat past that. I take what incremental successes I have and learn from those.

Ina and I drove to Golden CO after leaving the Kitchen Wednesday Afternoon. I was pretty well exhausted Thursday, so I just sat around being bored and content, for the most part.

Friday, Ina, Rowland, and I made the trek to MT Evans. This time, as a result of my increased hiking this summer, the hike felt minuscule and perhaps left more to be desired. Rowland and I started on the Dali, a terrible Warmup. Rowland wasn't feeling perhaps as strong as we both would have hoped, so we scooted the pads to Clear Blue Skies. On my first try, I made it to the final move and pussed out. After another five or so tries of making it to the last move, I began to be concerned. Would this be a continuation of the lander trip--continually making it to the last move of 11's with no send.

Finally, I managed to pull together the send. YES! From there, Rowland and I moved on to Gorillas in the Mist (V10). Last time Charlie and I were here, we worked on this route, both making it to the final move. I was once again in a similar position. After working the last move a couple times, it was decided doing it static was not to my advantage. I geared up and quickly made it to the final move and just hopped. It went together seamlessly.

Rowland wanted to go try Bierstadt (V9/10), so that was next on the list. I had already completed Bierstadt, so I figured I might as well do the left variation, Banksy ? (V9). In three tries, it went down. This route felt harder than Bierstadt and, more importantly, better.

Rowland left around this time to go to a pretty lights concert. Ina and I, planning to camp that night, took a little break and drank some tea.

Subsequently, feeling relatively drained, we went to the Silverback boulder, and I jumped on this friction dependent problem Blackie (V11). I had tried the problem a year earlier; at which time, I couldn't even pull on. Today, things clicked. And I managed to do the route in 15 or so tries.

Having had my most grade-wise successful day ever, Ina and I decided to just hike in RMNP the next day.

Driving to RMNP, we found out surprise, everyone has the same idea on a Friday. Not wanting to feel like we were in a REC center walking laps, we opted out of the hike. We went to Veratis. I managed to complete Mandix (V10) and flash Stripes (V9). I also managed to complete a two move lower start to Stripes.

All in all a good time.