End of the road means new beginnings

Last Wednesday marked the end of a six month traveling and climbing journey around the US.  Needless to say, I was tired physically and emotionally.  The road can be a very rewarding place, but also an unforgiving one.  Even the smallest of hiccups can bring your life to a screeching halt.  Side bar: never lose your keys while crossing a river and hiking in the woods, especially if those are the keys to your whole life.  Those six months were and will always be special to me for the people I met, the places I experienced, and the climbing.  After only a week, a part of me wishes I was already leaving for another adventure again.  The road is everything you need it to be right when you need it.  Example, you can leave for a new setting as soon as the current one stops being what you want or need.  Well, that's not the case anymore for at least a good while.  I'm in Boulder for the time being as I have just taken a job as a live-in nanny for a wonderful family of five.  I hope to have children someday if it's in the works, but that only because I love them so much.  This should be a good trial and a nice way to get the toes wet before diving in head first.

So the bulk of the next, undetermined amount of posts will be from the last month and a half in my journal.  Unfortunately, a journal of daily happenings was not kept throughout the trip; however, the other four months were spent in places I had been previously.  Little exploration done in those places and more settling into routines that once existed.  Also the last 45 days were more or less a solo mission with different supporting cast at each venue.  Enjoy if you are interested; if not, this will be all you receive from this blog each day for a while.

3.25.09 Day 1

I arrived in Bishop late this afternoon.  Had to call Pierre for directions the last 15 miles, but the extra effort was completely worth it.  Clutch, Pierre.  The Buttermilks are amazing!!  The weather was perfect when I arrived around 5:30.  Quite a few people are here for Spring Break and just in general.  Perfect, perfect, setting.  Steep mountains with snow in the near background and quartz monzonite eggs of all sizes litter the hillsides.  Super concentrated boulder field, zero approach, fairly friendly landings, and stone that offers a variety of textures and holds.  So pretty; gorgeous!! I'm parked below the Iron Man Traverse.  I don't have a guidebook, but that seems fine.  There is a small field of this blood red, twiggy ground cover next to my car with random large tufts of waist-high, golden wheat.  The Sierras are only a few miles away and are covered in snow.  This is already a special place to me even though I've only been here for a few hours.  I couldn't sleep much last night at Rob's house in Vegas.  Probably because of all the crazy dreaming or that I wasn't used to sleeping on an air mattress. 

 There is more but not necessary for here.