A Thanksgiving family road trip to Moab – my folks & brother, Shirley & I, and Blondie. Fitting such a crew and the accompanying camping and climbing gear into a car (OK, big fat SUV) was the real crux of the outing. Stuff had to be prioritized (alcohol) and ultimately some had to be left behind (camp chairs). Three+ days of camping, sightseeing, and even a touch of climbing. We took my brother up the South Six Shooter where we were able to negotiate our way through the crowd by doing one of the alternate start variations. We were not so lucky on Castleton where after waiting two hours at the base and eventually doing the first pitch of the North Chimney route we bailed off due to some significant back up above us. Oh my goodness!! Multiple parties on everything within eyesight! We fondly reminisced about doing Kor-Ingalls back in ’04 or ’05 when we were the only people in Castle Valley. Rest assured that climbers are not an endangered species…
Photos
Will it all fit?Packing up…each item was assigned a unique range in the (x,y,z,fuck-it) space (Nov. 2012).Ready for the longish drive down to Moab (Nov. 2012).Welcome to Moab. Watery yes but in creative packaging (Nov. 2012).Tommyboy stocking up on shitty beer in Moab (Nov. 2012).A nice campsite (Nov. 2012).Setting up our home for the next few nights; right next to the Colorado River (Nov. 2012).Camp scenes (Nov. 2012).Well loved girl.On the family hike into the Fisher Towers (Nov. 2012).Dad and Tom (Nov. 2012).Hiking in to the Fisher Towers (Nov. 2012).Unknown climber topping out on Ancient Art (Nov. 2012).The family taking in the sights of the Fisher Towers (Nov. 2012).A very busy day on the Stolen Chimney route on Ancient Art formation in the Fishers (Nov. 2012).Dad, Mom, and Tom with Ancient Art summit in the background (Nov. 2012).Dad and Blondie in the Fishers (Nov. 2012).Tom amidst the mud (Nov. 2012).Dad, Blondie, and I at the Fishers trailhead (Nov. 2012).Driving down into Taylor Canyon in Canyonlands National Park (Nov. 2012).Moses (Nov. 2012).Happy family times (Nov. 2012).Moses, Shirley, Mom, Dad, and Tom (Nov. 2012).Majestic views (Nov. 2012).Family at Newspaper Rock near Indian Creek (Nov. 2012).Shirley prepping some pre-dinner appetizers at the campsite. Yes, much time was spent eating and drinking on this particular trip (Nov. 2012).Family camping sponsored by Knob Creek (Nov. 2012).Some marinated chicken breasts and some horsecock grilling on an open fire (Nov. 2012).Family grilling times (Nov. 2012).Dad grilling (Nov. 2012).Family times at our campsite in Moab (Nov. 2012).Hiking up to the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Mom and Dad exploring the desert near the base of the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Mom & Dad at the base of the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Sweet Blondie girl in the desert (Nov. 2012).South Six Shooter with an unknown climber nearing the summit (Nov. 2012).Taping up for some South Six Shooter action (Nov. 2012).Leading a variation on the first pitch of the South Six Shooter. Fun climbing till the tricky exit from the crack into a flared groove which was pretty damn tricky (Nov. 2012).Starting up the variation pitch on the South Six Shooter belayed by Shirley (Nov. 2012).Leading the variation pitch on the South Six Shooter belayed by Shirley (Nov. 2012).Leading the variation start on the south face of South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Shirley starting up pitch 1 (Nov. 2012).Shirley higher on pitch 1 (Nov. 2012).Shirley topping out on the first pitch (the 5.10-/5.10 variation crack) of the South Face of South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Tom arriving at the first belay on the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Looking back at Shirley & Tom atop the first pitch belay on the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Shirley topping out on the South Six Shooter’s summit (Nov. 2012).Climbers on the other summit of the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Tom and Shirley on the summit of the South Six Shooter tower (Nov. 2012).Shirley, Tom, and some ahole atop the South Six Shooter. North Six Shooter in the background. Photo taken from the south summit of the formation by Kevin Prince (thanks!). November 2012.Climbers on the other summit of the South Six Shooter. Thank you for the photo of us (Nov. 2012).The North Six Shooter from the summit of the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).The North Six Shooter tower as seen from the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Shirley and Tom on the way down the south face of the South Six Shooter. North Six Shooter is in the background (Nov. 2012).Shirley, Tom and Blondie hiking down after our climb of the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).A family portrait near Indian Creek after our climb of the South Six Shooter (Nov. 2012).Shirley in action (Nov. 2012).Evening in camp (Nov. 2012).Mom tucking Blondie in (Nov. 2012).Tom, Shirley, and Blondie on the hike up to Castleton (Nov. 2012).Our sweet girl enjoying the scenic hike (Nov. 2012).Same spot (Nov. 2012).Tom and Blondie with the north face of Castleton (Nov. 2012).Castleton’s shadow, followed by The Rectory, The Priest and the Sister Superior formations. Crown jewels of Castle Valley (Nov. 2012).Waiting in a loooong and sloooooooooow line at the base of Castleton’s North Chimney route. We eventually start up the route only to run into a major jam and end up bailing (Nov. 2012).Waiting and waiting for the wanker jam to clear up (Nov. 2012).Leading the first pitch of the North Chimney route on Castleton Tower – very fun climbing (Nov. 2012).Blondie hanging out at the base of Castleton’s north face (Nov. 2012).Shirley on pitch 1 of the North Chimney route on Castleton (Nov. 2012).Unknown parties on the very fine Fine Jade route on the southern prow of The Rectory (Nov. 2012).Unknown parties making for a slight traffic jam on Fine Jade (Nov. 2012).Tommyboy jamming his way up North Chimney’s pitch 1 (Nov. 2012).Tom topping out on pitch 1 of North Chimney on the Castleton Tower (Nov. 2012).Waiting back at the trailhead to be picked up by Mom and Dad (Nov. 2012).In the meantime, Mom and Dad with The Delicate Arch (Nov. 2012).Mom and Dad at The Needles Overlook (Nov. 2012).Mom, Shirley, Dad, and Tom at a Canyonlands overlook (Nov. 2012).Washer Woman (left) and Monster Tower from the Mesa Arch overlook on the Island In The Sky (Nov. 2012).Washer Woman tower from the Mesa Arch overlook on the Island In The Sky (Nov. 2012).Family with the Washerwoman (arch) and Monster Tower in the background (Nov. 2012).
