While sitting at home in the rain today, I decided to look at a calendar and realized the odds of me doing even a tenth of the routes on my all time Southeast tick list approach zero. Most likely, I will be moving out of the South next summer, and I only have three or four weekends to get out to my favorite winter crags before spring sets in. This realization hit me like a ton of bricks, please excuse the cliche. Whenever I made an excuse not to get on a dream route, I always rationalized it with, "It will be there next time. The rock isn't going anywhere." That always made sense to me, but today, I realized I won't be there next time. In the last six years, I have driven countless hours, spent thousands of dollars, and let many dear friendships fall by the wayside to pursue climbing, but in retrospect, I threw away much of that time because of fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of falling, fear of whatever; all of that led me to say, "maybe another day." Now there are hundreds of routes I passed up and only a few days left to do them. How many days did I climb only a few pitches? How many days did I do nothing but repeats or moderates well within my abilities. How many days did I truly take advantage of the wonderful opportunity I have been granted?

I am not saying I did not enjoy myself. Without a doubt I loved every minute. I wouldn't trade anything for blue skys, cool winds, and the awesome people I have shared this time with. I just had so many plans, and it never occurred to me that is all they were. Here is to a guidebook with too many stars and not enough checks.

While sitting at home in the rain today, I decided to look at a calendar and realized the odds of me doing even a tenth of the routes on my all time Southeast tick list approach zero. Most likely, I will be moving out of the South next summer, and I only have three or four weekends to get out to my favorite winter crags before spring sets in. This realization hit me like a ton of bricks, please excuse the cliche. Whenever I made an excuse not to get on a dream route, I always rationalized it with, "It will be there next time. The rock isn't going anywhere." That always made sense to me, but today, I realized I won't be there next time. In the last six years, I have driven countless hours, spent thousands of dollars, and let many dear friendships fall by the wayside to pursue climbing, but in retrospect, I threw away much of that time because of fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of falling, fear of whatever; all of that led me to say, "maybe another day." Now there are hundreds of routes I passed up and only a few days left to do them. How many days did I climb only a few pitches? How many days did I do nothing but repeats or moderates well within my abilities. How many days did I truly take advantage of the wonderful opportunity I have been granted?

I am not saying I did not enjoy myself. Without a doubt I loved every minute. I wouldn't trade anything for blue skys, cool winds, and the awesome people I have shared this time with. I just had so many plans, and it never occurred to me that is all they were. Here is to a guidebook with too many stars and not enough checks.

I really don't mean to come off as so negative. I am really happy with climbing and excited about the future. I am having a difficult time trying to articulate what I feel. The best I can do is to say that certain routes hold a really special place in my emotional makeup. Every great route I have done can easily bring from a one to a ten on the excitement meter just by thinking about it, and there are so many routes I had "definitely" planned on doing eventually. The fact that I will never even see the vast majority of those routes now struck me kind of hard. The feeling is not really sadness or angst but instead very sobering.

Where are you going?

Philadelphia, Davis CA, Madison WI, or possibly Atlanta, Depends on where my future wife decides to get her PhD.

Well, based on the volume of front page pics on mountainproject, Wisoncsin is a destination-epicenter for toproping climbing in North America! You're all set!

As weird as it sounds, Devil's lake really seems like it is my sort of thing. I really like short routes with poor pro because of the problem solving aspect. I am not excited about the dearth of other options though.

There is also that interesting looking step limestone sport area near the twin cities (like 4 hrs from Madison?), but I think you can only climb there on weekdays or something. Can't remember what it's called.

Too many routes, too little time.

Wisconsin has fabulous climbing--not only the superb quartzite at Devil's Lake but a number of excellent sandstone crags and even a bit of steep limestone.

I am not saying I did not enjoy myself. Without a doubt I loved every minute. I wouldn't trade anything for blue skys, cool winds, and the awesome people I have shared this time with.

For emphasis of the good.

Having lived in Wisconsin, I can tell you that the winters are COLD! Madison is really a great city, though, and of course the college is too.

But COLD!!!!

I grew up in MN, so I am used to it. Maybe It would be a good opportunity to climb waterfalls.