Road Trip Through the West

      As we pulled up to our campsite in Maple Canyon, I was less than psyched.  We had just spent the past four days in San Diego for my good friend's wedding.  We stayed in a Hilton, ate amazing food, and had all of our essential needs close by.  As we pulled up to the campsite, our parking spot was on a hill (we were sleeping in the car), there were no showers, and the closest place to get anything we really needed was a 20 minute drive away.  After some mild complaining, mainly out of tiredness, we set up our camp site and climbed in the car to go to sleep.

Ben and I at the wedding in San Diego

      Waking up the next morning was a completely different experience than the night before.  I woke up, looked out the window and could see 3 climbs about 20 feet away from where I was sleeping.  I walked back to our campsite to set up my chair, and was in awe of the beauty of the sun hitting the rocks in the morning.  The weather was cool, which made a warm cup of coffee and a longer breakfast time very nice.  I was psyched.

The view from our campsite

      I went into our trip to Maple with no climbing expectations.  As I had mentioned earlier, I took March and April off from climbing due to an elbow injury from a fall at a climbing competition.  I was able to climb through May until I pulled my left pectoral muscle while warming up bouldering.  I took another three weeks off to let it heal and managed a few rope sessions at our gym before we headed off to Maple.  I was bummed I wasn't able to get stronger but was excited for the experience.
      The first thing I noticed about Maple was the true feeling of a community.  The first day we were invited to a campfire at our neighbor's campsite.  Ben and I had gone into town looking for leveling blocks to even out our car for sleeping but had no luck.  When we returned and visited the campfire, three people offered to let us borrow their extra leveling blocks and one person even offered to hold up our car for us! :)  The amazing camp hosts Rene and Margarita helped us to find rocks to also help with leveling out the car.  Each person there was on their own adventure and had their own story.  It was great to see old friends, meet new friends and hear a part of their story.
      The second thing I noticed was how different the rock was from the Red.  Rather than pulling on crimps and hueco pockets, Maple has a lot of slopey jugs and cobbles.  I knew this going into the trip and was unsure how I would climb on this style.  To my surprise I really liked it and was able to do well with adjusting to this different type of rock.  I enjoyed the various types of movement and pulling moves that were different and interesting.

Pipeline Crag

      Ben and I took the first few days to really get used to the style.  We tested out some different areas and wanted to see everything that Maple had to offer.  My good friend Cassie from Boise and her boyfriend Cale came down and climbed with us for a few days which was a great time.  We never projected anything in Maple due to the short amount of time we were there but I was happy to send a couple 12's, climb some fun 11's and see some amazing looking routes for our next trip.  It seems no matter how long you are on a road trip, you always wish you had more time to do that one last climb.

Rest day hike

      We headed out from Maple to drive to Colorado Springs so we could do the Pike's Peak incline.  For those of you not familiar with what this is, it is a 1-mile ascent of railroad ties that gains 2000ft of elevation in this mile.  It is so steep that at some points you need to use your hands to help you get to the next step.  It was hot, hard and humbling.  This was my fifth time to do this and each time it never feels any easier, but the view at the top is amazing.  Ben and I are hoping to do the Pike's Peak ascent next year (half-marathon that runs up Pike's Peak) and thought this would be fun to stop and do before we start our training.

Top of the incline, we made it!

View from the top of the incline looking down

      As we left Colorado to drive the rest of the way home, I couldn't believe how fast the trip had gone by.  We met many amazing people along the way who had their own adventure and their own story.  Each of the places we stopped held a different adventure and experience and I felt very blessed that God had given us the opportunity to take this trip, spend time with each other, and be with Him in nature.  As I looked around each morning in Maple, I was amazed by what beauty God has created in this world if we can take the time to see it.

Marriage Off the Rocks

      My finals are officially over and it is time to climb.  Climbing has been been difficult for Ben and I lately however, due to injuries and consistent pain.  I was hurt in a bouldering competition at the end of February when a foothold spun on a highball boulder problem.  I fell to the floor, my knee jamming into my chin, but not before my elbow hyperextended trying to hold on as the fall began.  I tried to train for a week after the accident but decided the pain was too bad and I needed to take time off.  Ben's heel has gotten better, but he has had constant wrist pain since he irritated it back in December at a high rise fire training.  He finally got an x-ray only to show that there are two fractures in his wrist, limiting his climbing.  Both of us are back to climbing at this point but we have a road ahead of us to completely heal and get back to where we were.

Shortly after my last comp, ignoring the pain in my jaw and through my arm

      While being away from climbing, there were some things I realized about myself and life.  I tried new things, focused more on school, and felt what it was like to not do something that has been such a large part of my life.  I reflected on what is most important to me in life and where climbing fits in to it all.  Here is a list of 5 things I learned while not climbing.

1.  I really enjoy climbing.
      I have been climbing since I was 11 years old and knew I always enjoyed climbing, however not being able to climb made me realize how much I enjoy the process of it and miss it when I can't climb.

2.  God has a plan for my life that is often different from what I think my plan is.
      I wanted to focus on climbing hard this season.  I wanted to focus on pushing and challenging myself on the wall.  You know what God said?  Focus on Me.  Focus on pushing yourself and challenging yourself in everyday life and focus on your family and your purpose.

3.  Date nights do not have to only consist of a burger and West Sixth at the Rockhouse.
     Climbing friends will understand this.  As fun as this is, every date night doesn't have to consist of this. :-)

4.  Climbing is a great way to stay in shape.
      It could have been the stress of school, but without climbing I felt like I was not in as good of shape as when I am climbing. Climbing is a fun way and great motivator to stay fit and push yourself to the next level.

5. With as much as I enjoy climbing, I don't want it to define my life.
     I love climbing and it is something I will always want to have in my life, however I do not want it alone to define who I am.  I am first and foremost a child of God, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, and a friend.  I am a lover of the outdoors, a runner, a yogi, a student and of course a rock climber.  I am a girl trying to live her life fully to follow Christ and love others.  I am not perfect and am far from it but I strive to be better everyday.  These are the things that I want to define my life.

   I was eager to climb hard this season for one last push before I start Physician Assistant school in August.  I think there was another plan for me however, teaching me that I can survive without climbing and to really think about what is important in my life.  Not being able to climb was hard and I am happy to be climbing again, but I am thankful for the time off to rest and reflect.  I have shared with you what I learned and the things that I want to define my life. What do you want to define yours?

Climbing: Fitness, Fun and Friendships

      It has been pretty crazy around here lately!  I think I mentioned in an earlier blog post that I will be starting Physician Assistant (PA) School in the fall.  I am finishing up my last semester of prerequisite classes of Organic Chemistry II and Biochemistry and it has kept me very busy (and very stressed).  Also, most of my blog posts are written on trail runs and the weather has been less than ideal for running on trails in Ohio lately!
      Recently while training, I have realized the importance of others in the sport of climbing.  I started training with Power Company Climbing again in the middle of January.  Ben took a bad fall at Littlw Rock City in the beginning of January, bruising his heel and as the doctor put it, "really angered his planter fascia."  He was put in a boot for 3 weeks and was unable to climb.  On top of that, he has been dealing with a wrist injury since the beginning of December that he hurt while at a high rise fire training in Florida.  Not having my usual climbing/training partner has made it tough to stay motivated to climb/train.  I love climbing and have a lot of fun with it, but most of that is the fact that this is a passion and love that Ben and I share together.  It is great to watch each other progress, or be there for each other when we are having a tough day or a frustrating session.
      Since I was little, I have always enjoyed the social aspect of climbing.  I was a little 12 year old, out at the crags at the Red, making conversation with whoever else happened to be there that day.  We have met many people over the years and it is wonderful to have such a friendly community in the sport of climbing.

Group from the Wright State Comp

      Yesterday, I competed in a competition at Wright State University.  The climbing was fun, the setting was great, but the part I enjoyed most was spending time with all of our friends who happened to be there as well.  It is fun to encourage others, share beta, and learn more about each other.  There were some very strong climbers there, men and women, and it was great to see how the sport has progressed.  I made new friends, hung out with old friends, and simply enjoyed doing what I love with a great group of people.

Girls weekend at the Red

      Especially with training it's easy to get caught up in the numbers game. But the memorable part of climbing is not climbing a number. For me it's about time spent outdoors, the gift of each rock climb and the great company we keep. I truly enjoy the challenge that climbing brings to my life, and overcoming challenge every time I send. But the true gift of climbing is all of the friendships I have gained the last 18 years and the friends I will meet in the future.

Hanging out at the Gallery