Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Idaho - September 2011

City of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho

Sleeping Elephant rock






Sliced loaf rock.
Last year, my old roommate Meg got married to Jaime in Idaho. I had never been to Idaho and used it as an excuse to get up and play. On the way up, I stopped and camped at the City of Rocks. I had never heard of it until I got a recommendation and now I can't recommend it enough. Even if you don't climb, the scenery is amazing and it isn't that busy, at least in September.

After that, I went to see so many old friends for an amazing few nights in McCall, ID.  Good, great, goodness.  Meg's wedding was in and around an old barn. The barn wasn't planned to be used, but there was a crazy wind storm that sent us all inside for cover. Luckily, the storm blew through just as fast as it came.

On my way back out, I stopped at Craters of the Moon national monument. Lots of lava fields. Old lava tubes. Mountains with huge craters missing from the top. Very cool, but not as cool as I had hoped. I think I saw it on a map too long ago and just built up too many expectations. City of Rocks and McCall which I didn't know as much about were the winners. I should have taken more time and gone up to Northern Idaho, but that will have to wait for another visit.





Payette River Canyon

Tetons, maybe?

Crater of the Moon national monument


Monday, May 21, 2012

Mt Evans and Grays Peak - summer 2011

Me after biking up Mt. Evans
Last summer, I drug myself up two 14,000 mountains in Colorado, Mt. Evans and Grays Peak.  Mt. Evans was a serious effort. I was biking up it and had not really trained for it.  It was one of the more rewarding climbs that I have done. I wish that I had done it right after my bike trip through. It would have been a LOT easier.

The second peak I went up was Grays Peak, near Denver. I had a teammate from New Zealand in town and they wanted to take a look around.  Up we went.  Photos below.