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Megan and I like to rope up and take advantage of some of the best climbing in the world, right here in Colorado. Eldorado Canyon is less than an hour from our house. I've been climbing since 1983 (long enough to be a lot better than I am). I got Megan started climbing just after we met and she was leading within a few months. As a matter of fact, I proposed to Megan at the top of a climb in Joshua Tree National Monument, California. It turned out to be even more a symbolic gesture than I had planned when I learned that I didn't know what the descent route was. If you've ever climbed at Josh you can appreciate what a gesture it was for me to get down on one knee on that sandblasted granite, in shorts. If you're thinking about proposing, I recommend the top of a climb for a good setting. Who needs a Billboard off the freeway, or a Goodyear Blimp sign? Here we are at the summit of Swanson's Arete, 5.6, Eldorado Canyon, Colorado. |
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| Megan leading on Swanson's Arete. We favor the two rope system for longer range on rappels and added safety. Swanson's meanders a bit also and 2 ropes helps keep down on rope drag. | Ker on the sharp end on some route near Boulder. I 'm sure it couldn't have been harder than 5.7. I don't climb much harder than that these days.` | Megan and I back at the car after power burning up McGregor Slab at Estes Park, Colorado. We had to be back at her Mom's to get the kids at 2 so we got up at 6 and slogged up a steep trail and banged out over a 1000' in under 3 hours. We were still 15 minutes late and owed Barb a dinner, but it was worth it. |
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Megan and I got up to Seattle in May of 2002 and knocked out Mt Angeles. Its summit is a little over 6,000 feet so it was like climbing in our back yard. Our house is at 5300'. Here is a shot of me on a corniced ridge on the approach. |
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| Here I am at "base camp" near Gray's Peak in Colorado in October of 2001. A high school buddy, Kevin Adkins, from Kentucky came out and wanted to "do a fourteener". I advised him that October was not the ideal time for it, but he was determined so we headed up. Inside that tent in the morning the next day he tried to put in his contacts which were frozen solid and woke me with his screams. Through much of this trip, I was telling him "I told you so" | Near the summit on the descent we ran into these mountain goats. Almost literally. I had my head down, struggling against the wind and slipping on ice every 10th step. I went down hard once and looked up to see these fellows a short distance away. I took this photo with one of those disposable cameras if that tells you anything about how close I was. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't fallen down when I did. BAM? Maybe? |
Kevin and I at summit of Gray's Peak in October. Really stupid trip.