Climbing- a Forgotten Pleasure

As Atalie mentioned in her Santa Cruz "girls weekend," I went to Arkansas to climb with some pals (Pat, Jackie, and Derek) in mid October.  We were all in need of a vacation and what better way to spend it than with good friends and no cell service!  

I left on a Tuesday and returned on a Monday (not as planned but it worked out).  P, J, and I all arrived in St. Louis and jumped in a rental car.  "Jumped" might not be the right word since it took some Tetris skills to make everything fit nicely.  Turns out, climbing/camping trips demand a lot of gear.  We grabbed some dinner and drove down to Springfield, arriving at our friend's Matt and Jen's house about 1 am.  After stocking up on groceries and visiting some local favorites (Bass Pro, Brown Derby, and Buckingham's BBQ) we headed south for Sam's Throne.  The next two and a half days (Th, Fr, 1/2 of Sat) were filled with good times, little sleep, tired arms, and lost fingertip skin.  Derek had been the only one that had recently climbed so we were all a bit rusty but had a blast regardless.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy climbing and how therapeutic it can be to "get away."  

Here are some of my photos (with a couple from Pat and Jackie's stock):

Pat standing on the bluff with Sam's Throne in the background on Wednesday afternoon and a storm on the horizon.

Jackie under the tarp- borrowed from Matt and Jen- during the storm Wednesday evening.  It was nice to see a real thunderstorm with tornado watches.  We don't get that here in CA.

Derek met up with us Thursday morning after driving most of the night from TN.  We hadn't seen him since he moved to TN for grad school (a couple months before we left for CA)-  a LONG time!  Here he is near the top of one of the tallest routes in Horseshoe Canyon, "Orange Crush" (90 ft).

Pat resting on the rope while belaying at Sam's Throne.  Tisk, tisk.  :-)

Pat just before he came off the wall while attempting the crux of "White Trash."

Jackie in her beloved hammock trying to stay warm on the shaded side of the Throne.

The four of us on top of the Throne for lunch.  Fall colors creeping in among the trees in the valley below.

Me working on "VD" at Cave Creek with Pat on belay.  It was hard work!

The four of us at the end of our climbing for the week.

I was supposed to fly back on Sunday but my flight got canceled because AA broke their plane.  No problem, though- I got to spend another day with Pat and Jackie and got a voucher to use at Christmas!  Win-win!

We're looking forward to doing it again next year!