"THAT'S THE WAY WE GET"

her name was natalie. i'll have to say the hour long massage she gave me was pretty good; never long enough though. as it goes for most climbers, i imagine, she told me i definitely needed another session: "one is just not enough. if i would have known how bad your back was i would have spent more time on it." so, since the offer for a free massage at the technical college stands until friday, i'm making plans with a couple other people to carpool out there. it's about 30 minutes from the rock ranch, but well worth it.

so the rock ranch. a bunch of land in the desert about 8 minutes from hueco tanks front gate. there are port-a-potties, a cooking "shed," a renovated barn to hang out in at nite, and a big circular gravel road with campsites all-along. it's pretty cush for the desert: there is a tv, vcr/dvd, microwave, shower, foosball, and mini-bar. i kid. . . not really: no mini-bar.

on the climbing front. went out on tour with this local named trevor yesterday [that's him in the picture trying to look mean], along with steph and jason. trevor took us around the end of east spur on a bunch of problems they put up this summer. so that was cool climbing on some stuff that's not even in the guidebook. we did flip, and, or, flop. flop was the hardest (got it 2nd GO), maybe a 5, i don't know; the others were 3s or 4s, maybe. super fun though. we also did an awesome squeezy arete problem/feature that came in around 5 or 6 named tremors (which i laid the flash down on- definitely "my style*"). did another real short power problem that came in around 6 on the sandmaster boulder.

got a dabbed ascent of a fingery big cross-over move problem named dune left (7?) (so i didn't really do it yet). the true line goes to the right as you come out from the overhang. all in a super-cool area that felt like an ancient indian world or something. you can see video of jason kehl doing the FA of dune at MVM online.

here's jason working a project that almost went today.

second day on today, we went all over west and east and east spur with another good crew. i didn't know any of them, so met some more new friends. met a cool girl named jackie, a funny, smart guy named kris (we call him beastie), and some other folks. pulled down another 5 flash walrus in a blender (i think), did that hi-pro glow (6) in a couple go's. got bouted on a 7 and another crimpy 5, and was super close on a rad problem called uncut yogi (6). ended the day (exhausted) on a highball 3 called rattlesnake tracksuit: scary, cruxy topout; i knew i was exhausted cos i was struggling on it. luckily i didn't fall.

ready for another rest day tomorrow. thanks for the comments; they are all appreciated. keep in touch and let me know how you all are doing.


*when i say "my style" it usually refers to a problem that relies less on finger strength and more on core, upper-body muscle/power. not that i'm very strong; it's just what i usually do better at.