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Edge's Wild Ride V2013.1:
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edge
Mar 26, 2013, 5:58 PM
Views: 15985
Registered: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 9120
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What a difference three decades can make...,
Some of you may recall my old Trip reports with similar titles: Edge's Wild Ride, A Trip to the Black Hills and Edge's Wild Ride, Boulder and Bolder.
I had threatened to write the third and final installment, but never got around to it; maybe someday now that the statute of limitations has expired on my transgressions...
Fast forward to 2013. I now find myself married 26 years, with two kids and two dogs. My oldest child is teaching middle school math in Denver, my youngest will be graduating college in mid-May, and the dogs continue to freeload and eat poop in the yard, God bless them.
I had wanted to move West since those first fledgling climbing trips in the links above, but life and responsibility got in the way. Fortunately for me, my wife is an avid outdoorsperson, though not a climber. She shared my dream, but insisted on not moving until the kids had left high school; I knew it was the right call, but resented being "stuck" in New Hampshire a full hour from Cathedral, Cannon, Whitehorse, Rumney, and a host of other, smaller venues.
Last Summer I managed to get outdoors a total of 27 days which included 112 pitches and 21 first ascents. I only had to go to the gym 4 times.
Our crew started developing Longstack Precipice in the Lakes Region of NH. I had climbed at the crag in the late 70s when I would ditch high school, and put up 8-10 lines back then. Due to questionable access the cliff sat undeveloped until late last year, but now boasts 60 quality climbs of which I have the FA of 22 of them.
I regained my old "lead head," and flexed my mental self control on a number of PG and R rated routes, but with the new cliff now largely developed, I began quickly losing interest in the Northeast. Again.
And then, after 3 1/2 years on the market, our home of 19 years sold and we had a month to move out. We shed a couple dozen shed's worth of "stuff," moved into a 6 month rental, and decided that following my son's graduation we will be leaving our jobs, packing up our belongings in a 16' storage pod, and loading up essentials in our new (used) RV. Did I mention we bought an RV for this adventure? Of course that required getting a new (used) Tundra to pull it.
So this is the plan, and the reason for this incredibly long and self indulgent post: In mid-May we will be cutting most ties with my home state and commencing a 3-4 month road trip cross country. After visiting family in NY, PA, and OH we will be getting across the Mississippi as fast as the Tundra will go, heading for the desert Southwest before it gets unbearably hot. From there, west into Cali, then north to OR/WA, and circling back to the Black Hills for August/Sept before dropping into the front range of Colorado to look for a home and employment.
We have no real agenda, and will be travelling wherever the weather, the adventure, and our will dictate. We will be limited in some regards by the doggers, but are not opposed to placing them in a kennel for a few days or week while we enjoy some freedom. We want to hit many of the National Parks and BLM lands, with me getting the wife's blessing to climb. A lot.
We definitely want to hit Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Sacramento, Devil's Tower, the Wind Rivers, and the Black Hills. Any and all suggestions for "must see" stops along the way will be appreciated, as will offers for meeting up and climbing for a few days. We are also looking for great hiking, rafting/kayaking, fly fishing, skydiving, and other outdoor pursuits. I already have an offer for some WV white water (you know who you are, and I will be holding you to it.) I will sport climb if necessary, but prefer trad cragging and long routes. I am comfortably leading trad to .11a/b, sport to .12a depending on the area, and will follow anything (I was French freeing back when they charged for it, heh.) I suck at bouldering, but will have a pad for wandering around solo.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Concerns? Cheap shots about my age? S'all good.
To be continued...
(This post was edited by edge on Mar 26, 2013, 6:35 PM)
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Edit Log:
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Post edited by edge
() on Mar 26, 2013, 6:29 PM
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Post edited by edge
() on Mar 26, 2013, 6:32 PM
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Post edited by edge
() on Mar 26, 2013, 6:33 PM
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Post edited by edge
() on Mar 26, 2013, 6:35 PM
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