Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Great American Eclipse 2017

Travel Beta. Homeschooling.
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For months I’d been looking forward to my 37th birthday…not because I’m anxious to be another year older, but because this year my birthday fell on one of the craziest weekends of the year – Solar Eclipse 2017.  My one request was that I wanted the whole family to drive to the path of totality to witness this celestial display together.  Considering that our home town of Charlotte, NC was only about 50 miles outside of the edge of the path, it wasn’t a hard sell.  

Not bad for a last minute find.

Rather than fight through the traffic on either side of a day trip, we decided we’d prefer to go up the night before, but we had of course procrastinated too long to get reasonably priced hotel reservations, and all the state park camping had long since been booked up.  That’s where the goodness of the climbing community came in – a friend of ours from the Joccassee Gorges area gave us a heads up on several local first come, first serve primitive camping options that were off the beaten path.  

So after church on Sunday, we drove off to SC for an adventure, not knowing exactly where we were gonna spend the night, but optimistic that one of our 3 options would pan out.  In addition to our giant orange tent, we also packed our 2 person backpacking tent and a couple of hammocks as Plan B in case we couldn’t find enough space in the woods to erect Big Orange.  We were amazed that our first option atop Sassafras Mountain was not only available, but that we were the ONLY ones there!  Well, sort of.  There were in fact several tents strewn across the summit ridge, but our solid climber beta got us away from the crowds, and out of the baking sun by hiking down into the woods from a pullout half a mile from the summit.  The hike in was less than 2 tenths of a mile, and the camping area was perfect – plenty big enough for big orange (although C was kinda psyched on the hammock idea, so we ended up stringing that up for him anyway!). 

We are ready!

Everyone felt a lot better after we had secured our sleeping arrangements, so we went off to find something fun to do for the evening.  And what better way to celebrate a birthday AND an eclipse than an evening paddle on beautiful Lake Joccassee?  Maybe if we added in some cliff jumping in clear water that was perfectly refreshing without being even a little bit cold?!?  We enjoyed ourselves to the fullest, and I told CragDaddy that I haven’t had a birthday that fun since the one I spent in Ten Sleep.  After a picnic dinner overlooking the lake, we headed back up to our own little corner of the mountain.  

Considering that Sassafrass Mountain is the highest point in SC and right in the center of the path of totality, we knew we wouldn’t be the only ones up there viewing the eclipse.  We started hearing the first cars drive up to the summit around 730, our signal to quickly pack up camp in order to grab a parking space at the top, as there was only space for about 30 cars in the lot. We were thankfully able to park pretty close even though we weren’t in the lot, but by the end of the day, cars were lined on both sides of the curvy mountain road well past our camping pullout at the half-mile marker!

We staked out a good spot for our chairs along the top of the ridge, but still had several hours before the action started, so we descended back down into the shade for some hiking, overlooking…and parkour in the woods.  Vaulting across a giant log that had fallen across the trail kept both kiddos entertained for the better part of an hour.  Once the partial phase of the eclipse began, I was very thankful that our chosen viewing area had so many options to run, explore, and get away from the crowds and the sun whenever we needed a break.  CragDaddy stayed glue to his seat for most of the duration, while I did laps with an antsy Little Zu (and eventually Big C, once he figured out that he could leave his seat and still watch the progress of the eclipse.)

After having seen the forecast (and being on top of a mountain), we weren’t surprised when the afternoon clouds rolled in.  They never shielded us from viewing for more than a few minutes at a time, and the cloud cover made waiting around feel much more pleasant.  We got a very clear window for a long time leading up to totality, but unfortunately a cloud moved over at exactly the wrong time, which prevented us from seeing the diamond ring or the corona.  But while we didn’t SEE all that we had hoped to see during totality, we certainly experienced it with all of our other senses…it was like someone just switched the lights off!  I was not at all prepared for it to go that dark, that fast!  And our reward for trekking up to the highest point in SC?  An amazing 360 degree sunset panorama as far as the eyes could see, with nothing but pitch black shadows below us.  

Just before totality…

 

The air got still and the crowds went silent, save a few murmurings and oohs and ahh’s…and then Little Z tipped backwards out of her chair from straining to look behind her.  And with that, the afternoon “dawned” quickly, like we were inside a video that was fast forwarding at twice normal speed.  

Overall, what an amazing phenomenon to witness, especially as a family!  Big C has not stopped talking about the event since, and has told everyone we run into all that he saw and experienced.  Who needs textbooks for science when the world around us is this awesome and we can explore it in such amazing ways?!?  #notus #homeschoolperks How did your family celebrate the eclipse? 

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A Bit of “Pre-Season” Climbing…

Climbing. Hidden Valley, VA.
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Wow.  It has been TWO months since I last posted here…I think that’s a record!  Our summer has been busy, but mostly with family beach vacations and pool/water park adventures.  Exciting and fun?  Of course!  But fit for a climbing blog – not so much.  Speaking of climbing, fall is quickly approaching, and WE. CANNOT. WAIT.  Those first few fall trips are always like a bird being let out of a cage to see if its wings really work.  We’ve been gym rats all summer – hangboarding, core work, and even an impromptu bouldering comp.  Soon it’ll be time to get out and see if it did us any good.  

Getting horizontal during Mating Season 11d

We got a sneak peek at fall this past weekend…sort of.  With a few passing rain showers and a lingering mist over most of Saturday, conditions could hardly be called “crisp.”  But mountain highs in the 70’s at least made for more friendly temps than the typical smothering August heat waves.  We had no agenda other than to get back on a rope and get our family hiking legs back into shape.  

A happy little hiker with Mr. Nick, one of her faves.

Saturday morning the whole cliff was socked in with fog, and even rock that stays dry in a downpour was still wet due to condensation (aka “rock sweat.”)  But we managed to find enough pitches to satisfy us for one day.  Best route of the day was Mating Season 11d, a technical face that led to a big roof.  (You can also stop at the rainy day anchors before the roof for a great 11b face climb.)  We moved on after one attempt, but after seeing how wet everything else was, by the end of the day we were wishing we’d kept the draws on for a send attempt.  We also tried Trans-Vest-Tights on the Chocolate Wall, an 11a face climb with a 12a extension that climbs a steep, crimpy headwall.  CragDaddy bailed on the extension due to unforeseen wet holds, but his report was that it’s well worth returning to in dryer conditions.  (I, however, am not sold on the lower part…it was pretty heady in a reachy kinda way for both myself and our other climbing partner of similar height.)  Also worth noting on the Chocolate Wall was Fudge 12c, a 4 star route that was advertised as “probably 13a for shorter persons.”  Never hurts to try though, right?  CragDaddy and I were both feeling great on all the moves until reaching the last bolt.  Then we both got completely shut down.  Despite every combination of beta we tried, it seemed like we were always short one foot, one hand hold, etc.  I guess it’s back to the gym to train for that one…or maybe just not get back on it.  If I’m gonna put 5.13 effort into something, I’d like to get 5.13 credit for it ;).  

Big C contemplating life on the face of Stallion 5.5

Day 2 brought no rain and a lot more sun, and by the end of the day, all but the seepiest of routes were dry.  Turns out CragDaddy and I, as well as our extra partner, all got a second chance sending go at Mating Season (well, 2nd AND third chance for me due to a hand hold breaking mid-crux, but it eventually went!)  We also thrashed around on the classic Blues Brothers 12a.  Definitely a good climb worth coming back to, but I’ll wait til the fall when the giant, furry spiders are all hiding away too deep for my hands to reach.   

CragDaddy working through Blues Brothers 12a

Last climb of the day was Meatballs 5.12a/b, a short but sweet line on the (you guessed it…) Meat Wall.  It shares a start with another classic – Possum Tongues of Aspic 12c, that we are potentially interested in for this fall.  Both climbs begin with a full-wingspan move that was actually far easier than it looked, then the former takes a right across a sea of incut crimps, while the latter tackles the blunt arete.  Considering it’s still “pre-season” and my endurance is no where near where it needs to be yet, I felt really good about making it to the last bolt (crux) on my flash attempt.  Meatballs packs A LOT of movement into a relatively short expanse of rock – great for training finger endurance.  I rehearsed the upper half of the route as I lowered and got it all clean, so I felt optimistic about a 2nd go send, but I wasted too much time looking for a foothold midway through, and found myself falling just before I could latch the finishing jug.  I’ll definitely get on it again this fall, when hopefully I’ll be in better shape and it’ll go down pretty easily.  

Stretched out like spaghetti on Meatballs 5.12a/b

Can’t wait for SEND-tember!  What projects are YOU putting work into this fall?

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(FINALLY!) Back at the NRG

Climbing. New River Gorge.
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It only took us until the middle of June this year, but we FINALLY made it back up to one of our favorite places in the entire world this past weekend.  All spring it seemed we had one logistical issue after another – weather, partners, schedules, you name it.  The only other time we’ve gone this long without climbing at the New River Gorge was the year Little Zu was born, when we skipped spring/summer up there entirely and waited til fall.  But now all is right in the world.  It may be too little too late when it comes to enjoying “the season” up there, but at least we got one fix in before the summer heat and humidity takes over.  

Narcissus 12a Photo by Michael Johnston

Considering the hot, sunny forecast, we opted to spend Day 1 at Summersville Lake.  Nothing like a gorgeous water backdrop that you can melt into at the end of the day!  We started our day getting some redemption on an area classic, Satisfaction Guaranteed 11a.  CragDaddy and I had both bailed off this route way back in 2010.  He was 50+ pounds heavier at the time, and I was just 5 months postpartum…but we had no issues with it on Saturday, and now we’re satisfied ;).

Kiddos playing pirates (and “shooting” passing boats with a “driftwood gun.”)

Next was Narcissus 12a.  I’d also been on this one before, back in 2012, though it was a bolt to bolt run that was nowhere close to a legitimate sending attempt.  This route is touted as a must-do for the grade, and after my recent successes on the steeps this spring, I was optmistic that it could go down in a day.  My first run, however, was not as smooth as planned, and I struggled more than I’d wanted to on a couple of sections.  My second run felt great – I was clean all the way up to the last deadpoint move.  

For me the line boils down to 3 hard sections – a long move off crimps, a choice between 2 boulder problems (one going left, one going right…I go right), and a big deadpoint off a small sidepull.  The finish is steep and pumpy, with giant, flat holds that SHOULD be good enough if you can just keep yourself together…but it’s by no means a sure thing, and I know at least one person that has whipped at the chains.  

Kaos 12c Photo by Michael Johnston

My third go was shaky, potentialy because I tried out some new clipping beta for the 3rd bolt…something just didn’t feel right, and I fell moving into the boulder problem.  In the back of my mind I was thinking I perhaps had missed my “sending window,” but there was still plenty of time left in the day, so I hopped on it again.  I went back to my original clipping beta, and the lower moves flowed a lot better.  When I got to the deadpoint move, I made sure to get my right foot as high as it could go, and tossed for all I was worth…and it was enough!  The finish was uneventful, and I lowered off with a smile on my face, and a right forearm that continued to feel pumped for the next 12 hours.  

The rest of my day was spent in the water with the kiddos, while the rest of our crew finished up the day on the Long Wall.  Big shout out to Little Zu for hiking almost the entire way out of the crag…barefoot.  There were MANY hiking bears involved, but she powered through until the last downhill bit to the parking lot, where I carried her in my arms like a baby, and she went from hiking to sleeping in a matter of 300 feet.  

I’m not sure what’s going on here but it looks fun!

Day 2 dawned equally sunny and a smidge warmer even, so off to Kaymoor we went to find shade.  I hopped on Boing 10d, which is one of my favorites, then moved over to Control 12a.  CragDaddy had already sent Control on a previous trip last spring, so he decided to put in some work on Kaos 12c, and after a few burns, he was able to do all the moves and link the lower section.  I’d taken a couple of burns on Control once before (the same day CragDaddy had sent), so I was hopeful I’d be able to put it all together.  I took a run up to hang draws, and felt even better about my chances.  Then I proceeded to fall at the SAME FREAKIN’ MOVE on the next FOUR redpoint attempts.  Each story was the same – get through the opening bit, crimp hard on the traverse, get feet set for the crux move, lunge…..and fall.  Then hang for a few seconds, pull back on, and fire the move like it was no big deal.  For whatever reason, I just could NOT do that move on point!  

In hindsight, I think the problem can be blamed on “not enough NRG time” lately.  If you’ve been there, you know…the New requires so much more focus than the same grade at pretty much any other sport crag I’ve ever been to.  Each time I fell on Control, my crew and I noticed some sort of subtle nuance of body position that I was doing differently when I was coming in hot, versus trying the move off the hang.  Obviously, when you’re at your limit, every bit of technique helps no matter what crag you’re climbing at…but NRG is the only place where I consistently have to stay focused on so MANY minute details for the ENTIRE climb, as opposed to just one or two moves.  Nothing is a gimme at the New!  That said, I THINK I have the beta dialed down to the letter for next time on Control….that is, if I can get myself psyched to get on it again!  

Control 12a, Photo by Michael Johnston

The thing that I’ve learned about the New River Gorge is that it can be frustratingly unpredictable when it comes to doling out sends.  The day before, my efforts were rewarded on Narcissus.  The next day, not so much, despite putting in what felt like the same, if not MORE effort.  The great thing is that sending or not sending really has zero importance in the grand scheme of life.  😉

And with that said, I’m so thankful for his place, and I’m so glad we got a chance to go back before the heat got too ridiculous.  Hopefully the logistics will work out a little better for us in the fall, and we’ll be able to rack up some back to back trips during prime conditions.  But, until then, you can find us dividing our time between the gym and the pool for the next couple of weeks!  

 

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Low Gravity Days at Hidden Valley

Climbing. Hidden Valley, VA.
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Crux move on Gristle 12a

For anyone that is interested in beta for sending the steeps at Hidden Valley, VA, here it is – 1.  Climb back to back 3 day weekends at the Red River Gorge.  2.  Go to Hidden Valley and try hard.  You won’t walk away empty-handed, I promise!

Our climbing schedule this month was planned out in detail very far in advance completely impromptu based on the weather, but it seemed to really work for us.  After all the steep climbing we’ve been doing lately, I decided I wanted another shot at Gristle 12a, a route I’d tried once before back in April.  The line starts with easier crack climbing, followed by a juggy traverse to a no hands rest in a corner.  From there the intensity picks up for a few moves until culminating in the short-lived, but bouldery crux that guards the glory jugs over the roof.  My previous attempt had featured a LOT of time spent danging from the crux bolt, with more hemming, hawing, and whining than legitimate attempts at the move.  Eventually I’d gotten through it, but the thought of doing the move on point had seemed so discouragingly unlikely, that I figured it’d be a while before I got on it again.  

CragDaddy’s 1st run up USDA #1 Choice 12a Photo: Mike Chickene

But straight off the heels of the Red, it seemed like if there ever was a time to try it again, the time was now!  Since the first part of the climbing is pretty easy, I decided to go bolt to bolt for my warm-up.  The first thing I noticed when I hung on the crux bolt was how much CLOSER the crux holds looked compared to how I’d remembered them!  I actually did the crux fairly easily off the hang (sans whining), and then on my next attempt, executed my beta perfectly for a send that required a rather anti-climactic amount of effort.  

CragDaddy, meanwhile, had put together a great 1st go effort on USDA 12a, a line that is advertised as “an awesome crankfest over 5 roofs.”  Ordinarily I would say that description alone would be enough to keep both of us away, but with the way things were going, we had nothing to lose?  So when it was my turn to climb again, I took full advantage of his draws and beta, and…I flashed it!!!!  Seriously!  All five roofs went first go!  I couldn’t believe it.  After I went, CragDaddy pulled the rope, and he looked pretty casual as he cruised up for the send.  

I ended our first day on Oregon Trail 10c, which was actually our very first route ever at Hidden Valley, back in March.  Back then, it did not go so well…cold temps, numb hands, and big roof was not the best combination for an introduction to a new area.  But I’m SO glad I got on it again, because this time it was more fun than a playground up there!

Another one from USDA Photo: Mike Chickene

The next day dawned surprisingly crisp and cool, and our goal was to make it up to Yabuisha 12a before the sun hit it just before noon.  CragDaddy and I both had a little history with this one, and we were both out for redemption.  Neither of us wanted to hang draws, so our strategy was for  CragDaddy to climb the neighboring route, Dynamo Hum 11c, then for me to follow on TR.  Yabuisha’s anchors are just a few feet away from Dynamo, so it was easy for me to clean one route, then step over to get the draws in on the way down.  

I rehearsed the crux move on the way down and it felt HARD.  I wasn’t at all sure it was going to go down that day.  But when it was my turn to climb again, everything went perfectly.  Conditions were so much better than they had been a month ago, thanks to all the leaves that are now on all the trees, and I’m certain that helped!  CragDaddy nabbed the send as well, making for a great start to our morning!  

The rest of the day we didn’t really have an agenda, so we just followed our friends around hopping on whatever, wherever.  The kids did a little bit of climbing, and CragDaddy gave another run at the direct variation of Spurs 13a.  I had a lot of fun onsighting Great White 11b/c as well as Goldrush 11c.  If you have the choice between the two, I’d highly recommend the former over the latter, as the climbing is a lot more sustained, and the rock quality is a lot better.  Goldrush did have a really cool boulder problem on the arete at the top, but a lot of rock in the roof was downright bad (make sure your belayer has a helmet!)    

Little Z getting her climb on!

I hiked out of the crag this weekend grinning from ear to ear!  It was one of those rare and magical low-gravity weekends that happens about as often as a super moon, the kind you better take advantage of to the fullest whenever you get the chance! The past few weeks have probably been the longest, most focused effort I’ve ever made to improve my weaknesses in the steep arena, and it feels fantastic to see all the hard work and pushing myself out of my comfort zone paying off!  Maybe there’s hope for me yet at places like The Hole or the Coliseum…although I sure do miss Endless Wall.  We’re heading up to the New this season for what will unbelievably be the first time this year for us!  So to be honest, by the time we get up there, I will probably be so happy to be there that it won’t matter what I get on!  

Not a bad way to spend the evening…

 

 

 

 

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Rainy Red River Gorge Adventures…Round 2.

Climbing. Red River Gorge.
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If I could pick one word to sum up spring climbing season this year, it would be “rain.”  We just can’t seem to buy any sun around here.  The good thing about that is that we haven’t had grueling hot temperatures.  The bad thing is that we’ve been limited as to our climbing destinations.  For example, we have been to the New exactly ZERO times in 2017.  Meanwhile, we just got home from back to back 3 day weekends at the Red, which we have never even considered doing before.  Don’t get me wrong, the Red is awesome…but the 6+ hour drive with two (sometimes screaming) banshees to get there is decidedly not as awesome.  But desperate times call for desperate measures…and it was totally worth it!

CragDaddy on 5.12 #50! Abiyoyo 12b Photo cred: Michael Chickene

The nice thing about a back to back affair at the Red was that for Round 2 we didn’t have to waste half a day getting our “Red mojo” back.  Since steep climbing is typically not our thing, it’s not uncommon for our first couple of RRG routes to feel discouragingly pumpy.  But this weekend marked the first trip in years that neither of us punted off the warm-up on Day 1.  

Since we were originally thinking we weren’t going to be rolling in until after 10, we booked a room at Lil Abner’s Motel for the first night, figuring that transitioning sleeping kiddos to a bed would be far easier than setting up the tent and risking everyone getting fired up with a second wind long about the time CragDaddy and I were ready to crash…but our plan backfired.  It started out well – CragDaddy actually got away from work earlier than expected, we hit very little traffic getting out of Charlotte, and our dinner stop was quick.  But then came the fatal error when Z fell asleep at 6 pm.  At first we didn’t think it was so bad – she had woken up early that morning, and had skipped the car nap, so an earlier than normal bedtime perhaps made sense.  But when she woke up again 2 hours later and it was still light outside, it became apparent that in her mind she was waking refreshed and rejuvenated from a restful slumber, and was ready to rock and roll the minute she got to stretch her legs.  

CragDaddy gets some Little Zu love in between climbs!

The good news was that the early arrival meant CragDaddy could go ahead and head to the LOTA campground to claim our favorite spot for the giant orange dome otherwise known as our tent, which saved us from setting up in the rain the following day.  The bad news was that both kiddos stayed up far too late and everyone went to bed annoyed with each other…in fact, I’m pretty sure that Little Z was the LAST one out of all of us to finally close her eyes.

But kids are kids, and regardless of who slept or didn’t sleep, we still woke up at the Red River Gorge psyched to climb!  Day 1 was spent at Roadside, where our friends Dino-Mike and Sarah hopped on Ro Shampo 12a, resulting in a send for the former, and a first 5.12 lead for the latter! CragDaddy and I warmed up on Pulling Pockets 10d, then tried our hand on Tic-Tac-Toe 12b (awesome…but super hard boulder problem at the top!), and The Return of Chris Snyder 11d (a loooooooong journey through never-ending juggy pockets.)  We ended our day with a casual romp up Just Duet 10d, a super fun slab which was actually CragDaddy’s first onsight of the grade way back in the day.  No sends for us on anything hard, but good times all the same.  

Me going big on Super Best Friends 12b at the Solarium. Photo cred: Michael Chickene

Day 2 dawned surprisingly dry, as it had only briefly rained the night before, and the storms that had been originally forecasted throughout the day had been pushed back to the afternoon.  We headed to the Solarium at Muir Valley, which has always been one of my favorite places to climb.  Every route I’ve ever been on there has been awesome, and I still have lots more to try.  I warmed up by going bolt to bolt on Super Best Friends 12b, an incredibly steep line that I’ve been intimidated by/wanting to try for years.  The moves were actually not nearly as hard as I was expecting…though putting them together would pack more of a pump than I can currently handle, so I only gave it the one go.  

This picture embodies so much of what I love about my little girl – strength, happiness, femininity, and no fear of dirt!

There were LOTS of folks at the Solarium, so in order to get more climb time I turned my attention to one of the less travelled lines – Magnum Opus 12a.  For all of my strong boulderer friends, this one is considered a gimme…the business is all in the first 25 feet, with what basically amounts to a 75 foot victory lap atop a sit-down ledge.  But “the business” sure is hard!  Sequency power moves on 2 finger pockets and underclings, culminating in a toss from a pair of sloping crimps.  I had tried it one other time last year, then quickly gave it up in favor of Galunlati 12b and Mirage 12c, both of which for me personally seem far easier!  This time though, the moves actually felt doable.  I pieced it together pretty well, then my next attempt managed a one-hang with a fall mid-crux.  My 3rd go felt like it was the one- I powered through, feeling pumped yet secure, and was ALMOST out of it, when I slipped off one move before the big toss to glory.  My 4th go was dismally tired, so even though it was still early, I knew it wasn’t my day.

CragDaddy, on the other hand, finally got revenge on Abiyoyo 12b, a line that has haunted him for almost a year.  On previous trips, he has fallen SIX times after the crux, once a mere 10 feet from the chains, on terrain that was no harder than 10a.  But not this day.  While it may not have been mine, today was most certainly his day – he sent 2nd go making it look easy peasy, nabbing his 50th lifetime 5.12!  Woo-hoo!  

Magnum Opus 12a

Day 3 I was determined not to let CragDaddy get any closer to MY lifetime 5.12 count to tick a 5.12 of my own.  After much discussion, the crew had settled on climbing at Drive-by Crag, so I decided to warm-up on Naked Lunch 12a.  Based on the description, it seemed like it might be a good fit for a last day (5.10+ steep climbing to a short-lived crimpy crux at the chains.)  I gave it my best onsight go, but fell trying to get the last bolt clipped.  I’m gonna blame it on the seeping water streak to my left.  None of the key hand holds were soaked, but they were definitely pretty manky, and I had to do a lot of extra maneuvering to keep my feet dry.  I actually stick-clipped the top so I could try to safely navigate a way around the seepage, and eventually got it worked out.  

Meanwhile, as I was awaiting my next turn, the sun was working it’s magic.  By the time I went up again, the manky holds felt much better, and a very key foot jib was now dry.  My Day 3 guns weren’t firing on all cylinders, but like most end-of-trip sends, the battle was probably won more out of sheer determination rather than physical strength.  Rule #1 of Redpointing = just keep climbing!  After giving CragDaddy the complete beta spraydown, he managed to claw his way to the chains as well, claiming the flash (and keeping our individual 5.12 counts within 5 of each other… but who’s counting 😉 ).

I ended my day on what is perhaps my new favorite route at the Red – Hakuna Matata 12a.  I’d wanted to squeeze in one more pitch on the weekend, and another party graciously let me jump on their draws while they were resting.  This line is amazing – steep and pumpy enough to belong at the Red, but technical and crimpy enough it could easily fit in at the New.  Probably no move harder than V3, but very little fluff in between.  Basically lots of short boulder problems separated by good jug rests.  Definitely one I want to make sure to have my fitness up for this fall!  

The jungle that is the Southeast this time of year.

And that was that, folks.  A lot different than our original Memorial Day weekend plans thanks to the weather, but hey, if the Red River Gorge is sloppy seconds, life’s pretty good, right?!?

 

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN