A Vertical Life, In A Horizontal World: Indian Creek

For the last 7 weeks, every Friday, I've been making a mental check of the date. Counting down the Fridays until I was in the Creek. Finally the last check has come, and in one week desert bliss will be upon me! This will be me second trip to the area, and I'm excited to push my skills even that much further on the splitter desert sandstone. Myself, Marge, Loren, Bridget, Eric, Susan, Brad, Jo, Scott, Tate, Pat, & Wilson will have 9 days to see who can destroy their hands the most. My primary goal on this trip is enjoy life to its fullest and the company of such an amazing crew. They are some of my best friends, and the desert setting is truly unique and captivating. Second however, I'd like to figure out 5.11. On both the big end and small end of the grade. As wonderful as it is to walk up the multitude of 5.10 hands splitters (don't worry, I'll climb my fair share) I'm very intrigued by more challenging sizes and jam configurations. Indian Creek is the only climbing area can truly shut you down on a grade. We're not talking about your normal sandbag or perhaps a sustained route. We're talking shut down to the point where after hand for several minutes and you finally discover how to move several inches . . . your so excited that you are utterly compelled to continue climbing. This was the experience which typified my last visit to the sandstone mesas. I have, for some severely deranged reason, decided the big end of the grade might be an easier goal to obtain. Thus I have borrowed and bought more #4 camalots than most people would like see on widefettish.com in hopes of having a respectable go at Big Guy & Big Baby. Time to nut up or shut up. Here are a few photos from my first trip to The Creek last November.