The Road trip Mindset:

The Road trip Mindset:

“When are we going to California?” This question has been coming at an almost constant stream from my daughter Yvie. The response each time is “We are going to California right now sweetie.” This answer is true; it’s just that we are getting there via the Sand Dunes, Penitente, Durango and now Chaco Canyon. We are constantly going to California, just not via a very direct route much to the chagrin of our four year old that can’t wait to see her cousins and play on the beach.

            In our everyday life we are constantly deluged by deadlines.

Rock And Brews Tour 2014 Stop Two

Stop 2: Penitente Canyon and Three Barrel

Awesome history to this climbing area.

            Somehow we’ve managed to live and climb in Colorado for eight years now and had yet to visit Penitente Canyon down in the San Luis Valley. Maybe the rumors about the laziness of Front Range Climbers is true. (We do have Eldorado Canyon in our back yard as well as a half dozen other world-class destinations within an hour or two.) At any rate, we finally got down to this amazing place; and they have a local craft brewery too! Three Barrel Brewing Company in Del Norte, CO. Bonus!

            The Rock: Penitente Canyon is an excellent cragging destination for beginners and experts alike. The volcanic tuff that makes up the rock here provides great friction and the weathering (or possibly other geologic processes, maybe gas bubbles?) has created interesting pockets both of which make for excellent climbing.  Although rattlesnake warnings abound both in guidebooks and at the trail heads, we did not have any rattler sightings and found the canyon to be very family friendly with short approaches, short climbs

Rock And Brews Tour 2014 Stop One

Stop 1: Vedauwoo and New Belgium Brewing

            Okay, so maybe it’s a stretch calling New Belgium Vedauwoo’s local brewery as it is over an hour’s drive to the south and in another state. But, we did go there after cragging up in the ‘Voo so we will count it as the inaugural stop on the 2014 Rock and Brews Tour.

Road trip begin

Road Trip Commences with a Yo-yo to Vedauwoo!

The On The Loose Mobile at it's first stop!

After a solid week of midnight and 2AM preparation nights, we finally launched off on this year's tour! Driving the rig up to Vedauwoo for the weekend, we met up with friends for an afternoon of fairy house making, bouldering and an awesome night around the campfire surrounded by the pre-cambrian granite domes of this Wyoming masterpiece. 

Getting Lost in Boulder County Open Space

This is Boulder!?

With Brenda returning from her class trip (Major props to Bren for chaperoning 7-8th graders in the Grand Canyon for over a week while coping with pneumonia!) it was time for me to shed the slow moving solo daddy in favor of something a little more up-tempo.

I've been itching to do something badass. Something to push myself and shake off the cobwebs of a winter spent recuperating from surgery. I recently read about the Boulder Grand Slam on Paul Magnanti's website and thought this would be a good stretch goal for a big day hike close to home.