Tent Time

We're Back! Last tuesday we headed out to the city of rocks, ID, a super-primo-groovy rock climbing area.  It is composed of large swaths of granite fins/domes that are medium grain, making for friendly crack climbing and fun face climbing (or both).  It was all a giant experiment as we had no idea how squeek would do.  Not only were we all sleeping in the tent together (in 35 degree clime), but also trying to climb as a duo (sienna makes an awful belayer).  As it turns out, we were more successful in the first endeavor than the second.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.
First we drove.  Googlemaps put it at 6.5 hrs, though it took us closer to 8.5 due to various baby-induced stops (and taqueria-induced temptations).  Squeek wasn't too psyched, but did fine.  we had borrowed a mini dvd player thing so she could watch harry potter if she got bored, but we didn't need it ("Peterrrrrr. This is why people think we're bad parents. Stop lying!").  Then we got to camp and set up our place.


Aftering pulling out the camp essentials,
we were ready for fun



getting ready for bed.

 though sienna took a little while to fall asleep (basically until dark), and required mommy to cuddle her to sleep, she slept through the whole night. not bad.  The other nights she fell asleep on her own, so momma and I could hang out and not go to bed immediately.  yeah squeek!  during nap times, we had to open the fly so that it didn't get too hot, but basically she would crawl around in circles for twenty minutes before falling asleep.  A few times we peeked in and she would be reading books to herself or stroking the sleeping bags.  Overall, not bad.


During the days we hiked around a bit.



Checked out the climbs.



We climbed around on rocks



We chewed on some dirt.  Actually,
we chewed on a lot of dirt.



we took a bath



We walked around a bit.







And otherwise chilled out!



 All in all a good vacation. we had to leave early because we were starting to get epic weather.  40mph winds with rain and snow.  Not fun. the utah desert was gettin blown to us, so we couldn't see the other side of the valley because of the dust.  we didn't get any pictures of climbing because, as it turns out, not only does sienna not belay well ("watch your brake hand!"), but she also is bad at photography.  She got one, but it didn't turn out well. 

The first climb set the tone.  I start out soloing up a chimney twenty five feet to the top of a boulder where the climb starts.  I choose left side in when it should have been right side in.  Then I make a long stretch over the gap to get my first piece in, which since it's been a while I don't trust and I have to extend for rope drag anyway.  Sienna, in the meanwhile, has occupied herself with fitting marble sized rocks into her mouth, and so mama is occupied with chasing her around to get them out of her mouth ("watch your brake hand!"). Sienna hates this, and proceeds to yell and cry. I climb up, trying to concentrate, and discover that while my strength is fine, my footwork is awful. It's been since two aprils ago since we climbed anything seriously, and it shows. So up I go a hand/fist crack with good smeary feet.  Then it starts raining and hailing.  Laura yells don't fall, trusts the grigri and grabs sienna to go under a boulder that is protected.  Sienna is screaming, though she finds some bat and pigeon poo to eat and is happy, until momma takes it away.  I'm nearing the top, having walked my three number three camalots up and up and up. I had read that there was a bolt near the top as the crack widened to number six size, but it's still a ways off and I'm runout.  The good news is that I can't hear sienna crying anymore, because I'm far enough away and because the wind has picked up. Unfortunately, what should have bee cruiser friction is runout sketchfest since now my shoes and the rock are saturated.  Additionally, my trail rope (the climb is 150 ft) and the lead rope are really heavy and dragging at this point, further precluding smooth slab climbing.  So I grovel up the 70 degree OW/chimney for the final thirty feet expecting to see some chain anchors as it levels off. Nope, and all my big gear is on the route, so I make a creative anchor and rap off.  Laura is feeling epicked, so I go back up to clean and downclimb the back side.  While the other climbs we do are better, all had an air of "we're in an epic, even though this is a one pitch crack climb."  We ended up deciding that it wasn't particularly safe so said we'd only climb on more straightforward, shorter, easier, and better baby-set-up climbs.  That's when the weather turned, though.  But, regardless, the climbign was fantastic there, and the whole place was beautiful.

Sienna loved camping.  not only could she crawl anywhere and eat dirt, but she could be with momma and dadda always. and there were lots of dogs.  highly recommend the baby camping experience, especially when it's with such a sweet little girl.  We'll be doing it again very soon as we drive out to wisconsin.  hot dog.