Moab is HOT! It has now been hovering at 100 for at least a month, and I am pretty tired of it. I would really like to be getting back in shape from all my after surgery nothingness, but it just isn't happening. Trail Running is pretty out of the question, but I have managed to go a couple times on the cloudy days. We thankfully, have 2 millcreeks very close and have been using them to the fullest! The first has an excellent couple of swimming holes, and the second is in the La Sal Mountains.
Last weekend Josh and I drove up into the La Sals to escape to cooler temps and went on some really awesome hikes. The first was an exploration of the climbing area, Millcreek, where we found a pretty awesome side canyon, this gorgeous waterfall, and many more amazing routes.
We also did some climbing, starting with the standard warm up above, and progressing on to some new stuff. Millcreek doesn't have a guidebook, so you either have to happen on people that know what the climb is rated (doesn't happen often) or take your best guess, so we soon learned just how deceiving easy the climbs can look. Even though we had to bail off of one, we didn't lose any gear, and it was still tons of fun.
We also went on a nice hike up from our campsite, which gave us a quick lesson in altitude... The views of the valley were amazing though, and the silence was very welcome. I'm headed up to Salt Lake next weekend for the OR Show and I'm pretty excited for the change of pace.
Last weekend Josh and I drove up into the La Sals to escape to cooler temps and went on some really awesome hikes. The first was an exploration of the climbing area, Millcreek, where we found a pretty awesome side canyon, this gorgeous waterfall, and many more amazing routes.
We also did some climbing, starting with the standard warm up above, and progressing on to some new stuff. Millcreek doesn't have a guidebook, so you either have to happen on people that know what the climb is rated (doesn't happen often) or take your best guess, so we soon learned just how deceiving easy the climbs can look. Even though we had to bail off of one, we didn't lose any gear, and it was still tons of fun.
We also went on a nice hike up from our campsite, which gave us a quick lesson in altitude... The views of the valley were amazing though, and the silence was very welcome. I'm headed up to Salt Lake next weekend for the OR Show and I'm pretty excited for the change of pace.
Yesterday afternoon we had a wonderful storm with tons of rain! The streets outside my apartment flooded and I took a break from working to frolic in the stream. Most people were hunkered down under the awnings, but there were a few boys standing on the edge of the sidewalk, egging on the cars to drive faster and closer, so as to get a bigger splash. I joined in for awhile... it was tons of fun :)
Unfortunately, during the storm, some lightning struck about a mile north of downtown and started a fire. I first noticed the huge pillars of smoke a few hours later while on the way to the grocery store, and I had to get a better look.
Moab was pretty lucky that the lightning struck just outside downtown and in the middle of the wetlands, otherwise the fire could have been much worse. It was kind of fun watching the helicopters circle between the river and the fire to try and contain it. Thankfully it was stopped before it caught the closest houses.
I had a great 4th of July weekend! Right after work, Josh, Beau and I drove up into the La Sal Mountains (a very short 45 minute drive) . A found a gorgeous camping spot next to the river. The plan was for a restful weekend, full of hikes and my first climbs since surgery.
The first night we went for a hike around our camp site and saw a bunch of possible climbing spots (we have hopes to checkout at least a couple of them this summer) and got to see a little more of the La Sals than I had before. They really are a beautiful mountain range: small and compact, but full of green vegetation, really tall aspen groves, and lots and lots of rock! The temps were also amazing (70s during the day), especially when compared to the furnace that is Moab!
After hiking, we decided to celebrate the 4th with smores! I hadn't had smores in... a long time, and they were thoroughly enjoyed.
On Saturday, we went for another hike (to Clark Lake) and then hiked down into Millcreek Canyon to try climbing again. I was a little nervous that the harness situation would hurt my butt (especially if I fell), but I really didn't feel any pain! It was great being able to climb again after such a long recovery, but I was quickly tired and out of strength. We called it a day somewhat early , and I found myself wishing that the sun would set faster so that I could go to bed already!
Oh, and fetch was also played.
The first night we went for a hike around our camp site and saw a bunch of possible climbing spots (we have hopes to checkout at least a couple of them this summer) and got to see a little more of the La Sals than I had before. They really are a beautiful mountain range: small and compact, but full of green vegetation, really tall aspen groves, and lots and lots of rock! The temps were also amazing (70s during the day), especially when compared to the furnace that is Moab!
After hiking, we decided to celebrate the 4th with smores! I hadn't had smores in... a long time, and they were thoroughly enjoyed.
On Saturday, we went for another hike (to Clark Lake) and then hiked down into Millcreek Canyon to try climbing again. I was a little nervous that the harness situation would hurt my butt (especially if I fell), but I really didn't feel any pain! It was great being able to climb again after such a long recovery, but I was quickly tired and out of strength. We called it a day somewhat early , and I found myself wishing that the sun would set faster so that I could go to bed already!
Oh, and fetch was also played.
