So much sandstone!

Mark and I have been on a dizzying tour of national parks, all with sandstone!  Mark's shoulder is still not ready for climbing so we have been doing things that we would not normally be doing: namely, hiking and exploring non-climbing destinations.  And I must say, we have been on some incredible hikes.  I have so many pictures so I apologize if it takes forever to load.  I narrowed them down as best I could, but as you will see, I had a hard time choosing so I just chose a lot!

We had originally planned to leave last Saturday, but literally, as Mark and I were in the truck, ready to leave, the truck wouldn't start again!  Mark had replaced the battery so we thought the problem was taken care of, but apparently the truck needed a new IAC valve (not that I know what that is, at all).  It was a bummer, but we were glad to take care of the problem at home and get another day with family.

Sunday morning, we hopped back in the truck, and this time had no problems!  Car problems are right up there with computer problems for me, I can't stand them.  We had a pretty uneventful drive out to the Grand Canyon and were there in time to scope out some sweet free camping, and take a look at the canyon.  Both Mark and I had been to the Grand Canyon when we were younger, but didn't remember much.  As the 22 minute visitor center video says- the canyon is both immense and intimate.  I was so impressed, and couldn't stop taking pictures.  Really, you will see that not much went undocumented.

Our big activity was a hike down to the Colorado River and back up via the South Kaibab and Bright Angel trails.  We took the South Kaibab trail down almost 5,000 feet to the bottom of the canyon, and then went back up on the Bright Angel trail.  The park service strongly urges against doing this trip in a day.  Which at first seemed like overkill (the posters seem a little outrageous), but there are actually a large number of fatalities in the canyon due to fatigued and unprepared hikers.  That said, Mark and I were pretty confident that we could manage, and made sure we had a ton of water and food.

The trail down was gorgeous- sweeping panoramic views, and all downhill!  Although by the time we got to the river our knees were happy to be on flat ground and heading up.  We went across two sweet suspension bridges (not mandatory, but why would you pass it up?), and then started back up.  There are two BIG advantaged to taking the Bright Angel trail back up.  First, it is longer and thus not as steep as the South Kaibab trails, and second, there are multiple spots to refill water.  And the Bright Angel trail is less exposed so you can take breaks in the shade.  Mark and I were cruising until probably the last 4.5 miles, but we put our heads down, forced down some bars, and charged the last 3,000 feet to the top.  Slightly haggard, and a bit dazed, we took the shuttle back to our car and refueled with some Top Ramen in the parking lot.

So here are the stats:
Elevation loss: 4780 ft
Elevation gain: 4360 ft
Mileage: 16.6 miles
# of pictures taken: hundreds
packages of gushers: 10 (approximate)
total time: 7 hours, 52 minutes

Mark starting down the South Kaibab Trail

Look at all those switchbacks!

Almost to the bottom!  Black suspension bridge in the back.  (It is literally called the black suspension bridge)

Our first view of where we had to get up to.  That is a long way away!  I am not so sure about this hike right now.

Don't worry, the camera has a lot of zoom.  He was chilling by the trail.

Waiting for the shuttle.  We were a bit wrecked.

Post hike recovery.

Sweet free camping just outside the park.

Example of the posters emphasizing how dangerous hiking in the canyon is.  

We woke up the next morning, calves sore beyond belief, and made our way to Zion for our next hiking adventure: the Narrows!

The Narrows was awesome!!!  We originally had permits to hike the entire thing from the top down but due to our IAC valve snafu we missed out on those and did an out and back hike from the bottom.  Which really, was probably all my poor little calves could handle.  The Narrows is a hike/ river walk up the Virgin River.  Sometimes you are cruising on sand bars, and other times you are thigh to waist deep in the Virgin River.  Due to some road work we had to tack on an additional 2 miles of road walking, which seemed daunting at the time, but was totally worth it.  Mark and I just planned to hike until we weren't having fun.  That happened about 3 ish hours in?  We really don't do a great job of tracking times or mileage.  We did hike through the Wall Street section which was awesome, but I am not entirely sure where exactly we turned around.  Regardless, the Narrows are awesome, I highly recommend having a trekking pole, and embracing the trench foot.

Cool bridges on our way from Grand Canyon to Zion

On our way up to Lava Point, a more obscure spot in Zion.

Sweet free camping at Lava Point.

Our friend who was hanging out in the middle of the road.

Mark not too sure about getting his feet wet.

Content with our stay in Zion we moved on for a smash and grab visit to Bryce Canyon and a night along the Colorado River in Moab.  Mark was super impressed by Bryce Canyon and took some awesome shots.  After we got our fill of hoodoos in Bryce, we found some river side camping and called it good for the day.  The next day, we set out to Arches National Park after filling up at Milt's Stop and Eat in Moab, and awesome burger place that we were introduced to after our first Indian Creek trip.

Mark tosses up a salad for dinner.

View of sunset from our campsite.

That light streak is some plane contrails being lit up by the moon!

Some Bryce Canyon Hoodoos

Arches was pretty awesome, but unfortunately tainted by some real tools.  In the afternoon we hiked out to Delicate Arch and when we got to the arch, some guy was carving his name INTO the arch. (Illegal btw)  Despite a decent sized crowd, Mark was the only one who said something.  I guess you may gather that someone dumb enough to carve their name into the Delicate Arch is not the most fun to try and reason with.  I am really proud that Mark said something.  It was a bummer that the incident kind of ruined the experience but I am glad that Mark was willing to stand up for what he knew was right.  We tried our best to get a ranger to meet him at the trailhead but we never were able to get through to a ranger.  So that was our Arches experience.  Despite all of it, Arches is a rad place and the Delicate Arch is truly beautiful.  (although tainted with the name ANDY scratched into it until the park service can remove it).

Yeah, this happened.  Mark holding up Balanced Rock.

I think this is called Double Arch.

North and South Windows.

We found some amazing free camping off the highway leading to Canyonlands and settled in for the night.  Yesterday we made a stop in Canyonlands NP.  Slightly burnt out on walking, we made a few excursions and saw some rad things.  We went out to Mesa arch pretty early and it was gorgeous.  The rock underneath the arch was lit up, perfectly framing the landscape beyond it.  I can't recall the names of what else we saw but we were both pretty psyched to catch a glimpse of Indian Creek in the distance.

Mark reading a book at our sweet spot off the highway.

Indian Creek!

Me and Mesa Arch

So now we are at the Hyatt in Breckenridge, CO.  Seriously!  It is quite the upgrade from the back of the Tacoma and I am literally sitting by the fireplace writing this up while Mark cooks up some eggs for breakfast.  My mom really worked some magic with the whole timeshare thing.  Mark and I are pretty frugal so you have to imagine that the deal she got is pretty amazing.  The biggest hurdle of this whole thing was making myself look presentable enough to check in and request a room that wasn't on the street side.  Which may sound easy enough, but when you have gone for more than a week without a shower, it took a healthy amount of dry shampoo and some mascara to feel confident enough to go up to the front desk.

Updates from Colorado soon!

xoxo
Lauren and Mark

A few of our favorite things

As Mark and I get ready to head back out, we are slimming down what we brought along for the first few months, and stocking up on our favorite things.  It got me thinking that it may be interesting (?), and maybe even useful, for us to share some of our favorite things: places, camping gear, climbing gear, camping food, etc.  So in no particular order, here are some of our favorites.

Gear and Shoes

ThermaRest NeoAir Dream:  After spending summers backpacking in the Sierra and getting psyched on going light, I decided that if we were car camping this trip, we were going all out.  I am talking two burner stove, cooler, blankets, and most importantly: deluxe sleeping pads.  Out of all our gear, these may have been the biggest splurge money wise.  But being an avid bargain hunter, I found some cosmetic seconds for a total steal.  These sleeping pads, the ThermaRest NeoAir Dream, are a combination of a NeoAir self inflating pad, and a pillow top (memory foam-ish) topper.  The NeoAir has quite some loft (I have found myself lightheaded at altitude blowing it all the way up) and combined with the foam topper, it is the ultimate in car camping luxury.  They pack down to a reasonable size, and they have a system to connect multiple pads next to each other.  As a bonus, the NeoAir part can be taken out so if for some reason we are backpacking and want something small and light, we have it!

La Sportiva Muira: Some girls are really passionate about their shoes, they love how they look, don't mind the pain, and know that they are worth the price tag.  I have to say that I share that sentiment, but maybe in a different way.  I am not talking about some cute heels- I am talking about my favorite climbing shoes: the La Sportiva Muiras.  First off- they are gorgeous.  Second- they perform.  They are relatively comfortable, but when it comes to climbing shoes, especially for harder climbs, comfort is not that high on my list.  Before this trip I knew I loved Muiras, but after Smith, I knew they were my favorite shoe.  My favorite thing about the Muiras is how well they edge, while still being sensitive.  All this said I have to admit that these shoes fit my foot really well.  Mark's feet for example just don't fit right.  I am guessing that I have probably lost most people by this point so I will cut myself off, but seriously, I think every climber should try these out.  Oh! I almost forgot- they resole well too.

The Muiras performing at Smith

Five Ten Guide Tennie: I have gone through a few pairs of pants because I have gotten holes on the butt from scooting down steep sections of rock.  This was pre- Guide Tennie.  Now, thanks to some sticky rubber, I have slightly improved by scrambling ability and I don't think I have destroyed any more pairs of pants.  Guide Tennies are considered approach shoes which means that they have stick rubber so you can do more technical moves on steeper terrain, but they are comfortable enough to wear on the approach and descent.  I totally suck at scrambling and am one of those people that really insists on having three points of contact at all time so having these makes scrambles much easier.  I have a pair of the leather, and the canvas, and so far I prefer the leather ones.  I would imagine that even if you are a hiker that gets a little nervous on slabs, these shoes would be confidence inspiring.  I often find them on 6pm.com for pretty cheap if you are interested.

Food

Great Basin Bakery: If you are going though Bishop, you gotta stop here.  Yes, Schatt's has cheese bread, but aside from that, Great Basin has them beat in terms of bagels, bread, and baked goods.  Everyone we have taken here or told to stop by has had nothing but good things to say.  So if you are headed up that way, it is well worth the stop.

Red Thai Curry: One of our favorite meals this trip has been quinoa, veggies, tempeh (or garbanzo beans), and....Trader Joe's Red Thai Curry.  Between the quinoa and tempeh we are set on protein, and the curry is worth the extra bit of money you pay.  I think it is like $2.70 a bottle, and every time we have it, we are always psyched.  I would post a picture of the meal, but it does not really fall into the picture worthy category.  I will just say that this little bottle of curry turns a bland camping meal into something worth sitting down and enjoying.

Clothes

Patagonia R1 Hoody:  I would recommend the R1 hoody to anyone who does anything outside.  It is versatile, it has a hood (!), and it is a perfect weight for taking up climbs.  It is my go-to layer: it is surprisingly warm and breathable.  The only downside is that this thing gets stinky, as do all synthetics, but this thing really retains the stink.  This could also be correlated with our frequency of showering.

Life is good in an R1 Hoody

Lululemon Swiftly Tech Racerback:  I would consider myself a connoiseur of racerback style tank tops, and I have the tan lines to prove it.  After testing out just about every brand and material, I have decided that my favorite is the Lululemon Swiftly Tech Racerback.  They are cute, they dry super fast, and they are lightweight.  Yes, as with everything Lululemon they are super expensive, but I would say this one is worth it.  I also like the Short Sleeve version in the Swiftly Tech fabric, but I haven't bought the long sleeve because I find that it is way to snug on the forearms. #climbergirlproblems (?)

People

Mark:  Even though I already knew this, a few months on the road confirmed even more that I am one lucky girl.  Mark is so supportive, so understanding, and reminds to enjoy each day as it comes. I also have to hand it to him: he didn't even give me grief when I threw my big bag of nail polish in the truck. I could go on, but I'll just leave it at that.  He is a great guy, and I am so happy to be on this adventure with him.

And that wraps up some of my favorite things.  Tomorrow we are headed out to the Grand Canyon, then onto Zion, Canyonlands, and Arches.  We have a week in Breckenridge planned thanks to my Mom's timeshare magic, and after that we will get back into some climbing!  

xoxo

Lauren and Mark

Squamish to San Diego

A little over week ago Mark and I woke up in Squamish with a lot of rain in the forecast and decided to pack up and head south.  By dinner time we had crossed the border and were eating Chipotle.  Charlotte and Huckleberry graciously hosted us in Seattle and in the morning we were off to see our friends from San Diego, Jen and Caleb.  After attempting to eat an omelette the size of my head we eventually headed to our destination for the night: Lava Beds National Monument, about an hour outside of Klamath Falls.  We rolled in around 11 and got back on the road at 5:30 so I am not actually sure what this place looks like.  The general consensus on Yelp is that it is a very cool place with lots of deer mice that make driving at night more like dodging bullets.  Well, maybe not bullets, but who wants to run over 50 deer mice?

The whole point of this whirlwird trip south was to meet up with our friends Tim and Jess in Tuolumne.  Both of them were originally planning to climb Whitney but the thunderstorms have been dominating the Eastern Sierra this past week.  Because they are leaving for Europe soon, we persuaded them to keep heading north and go to Tuolumne so we could climb and hang out before they leave.

Passing by Mono Lake on our way to TM

Jess' brother Matt also came, which was super fun.  Matt had never been to Tuolumne, and he is a climber, so showing him around was akin to taking a kid to Disneyland for the first time.

Our first day there all of us topped out Lembert Dome in some fashion, finally getting our first look at the smoke from the Rim Fire.  At this point, the skies in Tuolumne were completely clear, and the only effect of the fire was the deserted Tuolumne campground, and some spectacular sunsets.

Mark giving Matt a lay of the land

The next day we cragged at DAFF dome.  Just over 3 years ago, Mark, Tim, and I cragged in the same spot, and climbed what may be the best 5.10 slab I have ever done.  Perfect crimps between slick glacier polish- requiring precision and thoughtfulness.  This time, we toproped a 5.11 slab at the same crag, and I was equally impressed.  After a leisurely lunch/ nap at Tenaya Lake, the boys decided to climb the water cracks on Lembert Dome.

One may think this is an extension cord given the way it is coiled.  But, it is in fact a rope.   I still don't understand.

The water cracks are apparently notorious for stranding tourists- they start as steep walking and before you know it, you are stuck in a water formed groove, that is slick and not too easy to downclimb.  Interestingly enough, an international tourist found herself stranded on the side of Lembert dome (but not in the water cracks) right when the boys were starting up the climb.  Some guy in bare feet walked over to her, trying to coax her from her little perch and eventually she made her way back to the significantly lower angle slabs leading back to the parking lot.  Since she was really in no danger, the whole situation was pretty laughable, especially given the stories we had heard of tourons getting stuck on Lembert dome.  However, I decided that it probably wasn't the most tactful thing to whip out my camera and snap some pictures for the blog.

The boys nearing the base of the water cracks.

A big bird came swooping by while Jess and I were watching the water crack adventure.

After the minor rescue, Matt, Tim, and Mark, began what turned into an hour long search for the bolts that are supposed to exist on the water crack.  Not psyched on questing up into unprotectable territory with no bolts in sight, we all headed back to camp and got ready for the next day- Cathedral Peak!

Cathedral Peak is one of the most classic climbs in Tuolumne- moderate climbing with spectacular views leading to a memorable summit block.  And this just so happened to be Jess' first multi-pitch climb!  The approach was not as bad as I had remembered, well, minus the additional mileage we tacked on by leaving from our campsite.  Just for future reference- the Cathedral trailhead is not close to the Tuolumne campground.

About three pitches up the route, we could see smoke from the Rim Fire creeping in the meadows due to a shift in the winds.  Within a few hours the smoke had completely enveloped us.  Fortunately it didn't affect the climbing at all, but it definitely added some eeriness to the climb.  Getting on the summit and seeing Fairview Dome shrouded in a cloak of smoke was pretty weird, and a little creepy.  By the end of the day we couldn't even make out Lembert Dome from the top of Cathedral.  After negotiating the downclimb and getting off the backside of Cathedral it wasn't long before we were back at camp, calculating, or I may say, exaggerating, the distance we had covered that day.  I think the final calculation came to about 15 miles.  But I also heard 20 thrown out there.

Jess and Matt heading up the 4th pitch of Cathedral 

Party wall!

Looking back at Cathedral and the summit block.

By that time, the smoke was pretty overwhelming and by the morning it was obvious that sticking around was not really an option.  After some car troubles, we finally made it to...the Buttermilks?!  Yep, we ended up at the Buttermilks.  There were some other stops in between, and we got to catch up with some friends that we had not seen in a while.

I love this view!

Now we are back in San Diego, and I have to admit that I have already watch the rest of the Real Housewives of OC season.  Mark and I will be back on the road soon, with a different trajectory than we had planned but that is the beauty of this trip- we can adapt to changes, and go where we want.

xoxo
Lauren and Mark