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It's been a while since I updated everyone on my progress.
I guess I feel that I always had to put something poetic or creative in the blog, but counter productively; it's affecting status updates.
Rifle was awesome. I sent a route called 'Vision Thing' which marked the end of a two month trip. Maintaing school work and climbing was a little bit harder than I expected in Rifle, the availibility of internet service was a bit contrived.
Venturing East, I crashed in Denver for two nights at Reuben Moriscal's crib. The temperatures were very warm, and it was there I realized the altitude of Rifle, and it's positive effect on my body. Running was a big part of my routine in Rifle. Here was the schedule:
3 days on, and run after the second. The runs varied. Either I felt energetic, and persued an hour, or felt sluggish and got the blood moving for twenty or twenty five.
Main point was I was keeping up with the routine from San Diego; and besides excelling at climbing, was becoming a better runner. Besides Vision Thing, one goal was to run the "three forks trail" (in recommendation by another running partner in Rifle, in what seemed like 'forever ago'). The trail is 10.2 miles with the first 5.1 with an elevation gain of 2,000 plus feet (that means all up hill).
I completed the run and was psyched.
Taking off from Denver, the drive on 1-70 east was so expansive. Land stretched on both sides of me, like water from the coast of the pacific. My mind moved with ideas, prospects, and anticipation for the future. I drove for about 14 hours or so, until finding a quaint rv park in a town called Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
The next morning I chilled at a coffee shop called, " Life's Little Perks". The folks were friendly and accomodating. Knocking on the door in the morning, under the effects of limited sleep, seemed surreal as a women walked to unlock the door for the young, sleep deprived traveler sporting an authenic Indian long sleeve.
Traveling Via skateboard to grab a peach for my breakfast cereal, I telephoned artist and friend Jason Kehl. Jason is one of the most motivating characters I have ever met. He embodies some sort of unexplainable essence, and that gets me psyched.
I remember that day vividly. The previous night I tuned into scratchy a.m. radio signals, on unknown stretches of highway listening to Barrack Obama give his acceptance speech. This day was a day of peace for a nation drenched in a history of racial tension. I rolled down that southern illinois block with headphones on, feeling more free than I had in a long time.
The weekend of bouldering in Southern Illinois was awesome. The sandstone out there is really good. The rock is unlike most that I'm accustomed to in California. Our patina (a green or brown film caused by oxidation on things like rock or other metals) is their iron deposits. We visited three areas: The holy boulders, Drapers Bluff, and Jackson Falls. Jackson falls takes the cake for the my favorite, with the Holy Boulders at a close second.
At the end of the weekend I spent my last day doing homework at "common grounds".
The rest of the driving was easy going. Around 2.am. I found myself in a little town called "Slade,Kentucky". It seemed a little more desolate in contrast to the last 6 hours of gas station laden highway.
I woke up in the morning located as far from the rest area's trucks as possible. I woke, got out of my bag, threw on some clean clothes and ventured north on the KY 11. Soon enough, I recognized Miguel's Pizzeria on the left hand side of the road.
What is Miguel's Pizzeria. Tom Lindner says "It's the center of the universe for climbers."
At Miguels it's 2 bucks a night for camping, 1 dollar internet access, heated downstairs, cooking area, bathrooms, showers, a bunch of land for those with tents, and a full parking lot for us who car camp.
A lot of the time I have been climbing for about four or five days on, and taking about 2 rest days, running for about an hour on the first day of rest. I'm worked. The first rest day I'll run, and the second day attempt not to climb. My climbing consists of doing about 4 to 5 pitches. I'll give about 2 burns to a 13 c or 14a and then hop back on a moderate 12 a to 12 d to keep up my fitness. Harder routes seem to practice power and easier routes make those harder routes more endurable.
Tonight's the big night for Migeul's 25th anniversary party, so best to believe I'm gettin' my groove on. There are slideshows, movies , music, and a bonfire. It should be fun to hang around and take a break from doing studies for one night.
As far as school goes, I'm am getting A's in both my classes and I only have 1 more assignment for MAT 125 and one more test, assignment and about 2 easy quizes for Nutrition Online.
Plans are sort of up in the air for the rest of the season. I am definately heading to Chattanooga, Tennessee for either two or three weeks. Out there we got some 'a' da' best boulderin' and route climbing within' a concentrated dia meter on the eastern coast of dis' her' America. Yup. Good quality.
After Chat, I have to make a decision. They are as follows:
- Drive to El Paso and boulder at Hueco Tanks settling with the access issues that may hinder my amount of climbing . Maybe take it easy and just head home for the holidays, see my loved ones and friends, and climb the shit out of El Cajon Mtn. for a few weeks. Then probably work, go to Vegas, or plan a trip abroad.
- Drive to Denver and hit up some of the bouldering featured in Stone Crusade along the way. When I get to Denver I would go with Reuben M. (my basque buddy) to El Portrero Chico, Mexico for a month and then come back to Denver. Then head to Utah.
- Drive to El Paso, maybe boulder at the Tanks for a couple dayz, get picked up and then go Portrero. Then get dropped back off.
Really, most of my work is and must be focused on getting good grades. I have two A's and I don't want to compromise my success as a student. I am still sober from all drugs with the exception of alcohol, and I don't drink in excess. I just grab a good looking brew and drink that with dinner while working. From today I have been sober from smoking pot for 7 months and 11 days. I've noticed that with abstinence from substances people respect you more, and you find yourself succeeding at a lot more things. Drugs are like malnutrition, they can hinder your full mental capabilities.
I'm gettin' a little antsy so I'm headed out to the cliff to watch climbers and get in a few pitches. Thanks for reading, and let you know what's going on in the future.
