Continuing East

After two great days of R & R in Provo, Utah with good hosts and great brownies, Max and I were ready to hit the road again.  Before we left, we convinced Julia, our good friend Jeshua's amazing wife, to take part in a little photo shoot.  Looks cozy, huh?

Julia in the Mountain Hardwear Phantom

From Provo, we drove through the night and into Colorado, stopping in Grand Junction for the night and then continuing on to our next destination, Rifle Mountain Park.  Rifle is known as the best limestone sport climbing in the U.S., and it impressed us both.  

The style of climbing there is truly unique and is some of the most interesting either of us have ever done. Due to the way the rock has formed there are very few downpulling holds, rather upward progress is made by using blocky sidepulls and cool aretes, zig-zaging your way up the route.  There are no easy routes there, though, and most of the routes are at least somewhat overhung, so it made for pumped arms and tired bodies.  

Rifle also gave us our first real taste of winter, with sub-freezing temperatures 2 of the 3 nights we were there.  I took this opportunity to try out the bivy sacks I am reviewing.  In this photo, you can see my tiny bivy sack dwarfed by one of the 4-season tents that Max is reviewing...  Max also slept on a bed of sleeping bags (4, I think?).  I suffered through my cramped bivy as he slept lavishly, sipping Earl Gray and laughing at me.  Actually, the bivy's performed beautifully, and, despite being a bit coffin-like, were quite warm and comfortable.  

The MSR Asgard tent and the OR Alpine Bivy

We stayed at Rifle for four days, then continued East into the fun, hip, and forward-thinking city of Boulder, Colorado.  We are staying in the house of Kim Short, a former Hampshire student, and loving the city.  Our first day Max and I toured Boulder on borrowed bikes.  Mine was pink.

Taking Boulder by storm

Max's acrobatics (in skinny jeans, no less!)

Tonight we are going out to eat at a Nepalese restaurant called Sherpa's (http://www.sherpaascent.com/restaurant.htm),and the next few days we hope to sample some of the local rock climbing, spending a day at each of the local areas.  Each looks stellar.  Tomorrow we'll likely do the Bastille Crack, the most climbed crack in Colorado!

Neither of us have ever been to Colorado before, and it is definitely living up to our expectations...