Zoe goes climbing

Last night I couldn't get to sleep. The problem with having a blog is that I've always got some ideas to write about but have a tough time finding the time to actually type them up. Last night was no exception. I have 3 or 4 good stories in my head just rolling around like spare change in the gravity well at the supermarket. Like the coins dropping through the hole eventually I'll forget them if I don't start typing.

We took Zoe on a little hike this past weekend. About a mile from our apartment is the Keystone Canyon Trailhead at the base of Peavine Peak. Peavine is gradually becoming my favorite mountain around Reno. Peavine isn't the highest mountain around here. It only tops out at 8300 ft. BUT it seems like it is the most massive. The base of Peavine would cover a good portion of Evanston. It is mountain flanked by mountains, backed up by rolling hills, surrounded by foothills, and on and on. Over the summer I tried to summit Peavine but after a 4 hour hike ran out of water and food and still thought the top looked miles away!

Anyways back to Zoe... At a little under 3 feet she notices everything that us adults take for granted. "Ohh… Big Poopie!" she commented noticing a pile of dog excrement off to the side of the trail. Someone must have an Irish Wolfhound around here or some other large beast. We hiked back about 300 yards before Zoe noticed a monster boulder on the side of the trail. The large rock was partially embedded in the canyon sidewall with about 8 feet of vertical rock next to the trail. Naturally I grabbed a hold of the rock face and scrambled up to the top to look down on Ting and Zoe. If Daddy can do it then Zoe can do it and that is immediately what she proceeded to do!

With a few pushes from mom, a boost from Dad and some worried glances between all of us, Zoe managed to crab walk all the way up the steep boulder. She even got a few scrapes on her new boots to prove she was a true climber!

With Zoe on top of the rock I hopped down to make room for Ting. I followed a small trail around the backside of the rock suspecting that climbers might use this for bouldering. Sure enough I could see chalk marks all over the various cracks and striations on the rock face. The back side of the boulder is much taller then the front; Maybe 30 feet at its tallest point. I continued to circumnavigate the rock. Hmmm… Maybe I could climb it?!

On the North side the boulder face was at a 60 to 70 degree angle. That provided enough for me to cling to the rock and get some purchase with my hiking boots on several small 1/2" ledges. I reached up and grabbed a small crack and began to pull myself up. I was climbing! After a few more grunts and grasps I had probably gotten 10 feet off the ground. Not only was I climbing but I was free climbing! Of course now I had gotten high enough that real commitment to the sport was necessary. That and some experience which I didn't have. Hmmm... How to get down without falling and cracking my head open?

I started to inch down the rock and found that the small ledges and cracks were not as big as I thought. By this time Ting and Zoe where already done with their climbing escapades and were yelling my name to continue the hike. When I did not respond (as I was "one with the granite" Ting started following my little path to the other side of the boulder.

When Ting found me I was spread eagle about 4 feet off the ground. Feeling like a fool I half-slide and half-climbed down the rest of the face of the rock, dusted myself off and rejoined my family. For a brief second there I was Dean Potter or Tommy Caldwell. I was a climber...