SkiSickness

Well it's true, City of Rocks is amazing. I've heard it before, but I never actually believed it until I saw it. I can't think of a more fun place for granite cragging. It's absurd. Temps weren't too bad, but what makes the City great is the ability to follow the shade so efficiently and quickly. This is an anti-fuckaround zone. Nothing but splitter and Cows. Some crying babies and cacti, too.

We warmed up on thin slice 10a. which was an amazing sustained face with balancy cracks. From there, we did the 'classic' bloody fingers 10a which I found comparatively easy (much easier than thin slice), but awesome nonetheless.

This is the kind of place to make a breakthrough. I nearly on-sighted my first 11a on gear (Smurph Smashing, a rad finger corner) but had to rest after pulling a key hold like a little bitch. There is a 100 foot crack for every level here. Maybe five of them.

Stef fired the scary and delicate 'Cairo' 11a on sight . Fuck I was schvitzin' on top rope. Good job.

This place is the shit. I'm coming back every week.

Stef scrambling around near Bloody Fingers.


Liz belaying stefan on some nasty run-out slab.


Greg on Bloody Fingers, with some random splitter in the foreground.


Greg on Bloody Fingers again.


I always thought Idaho sucked. I was wrong.




Greg again.


Climbing Fall line (5.8) with Crack of Doom in the foreground. Want to send.


Fall line. Liz and Bro.


Stefan on his ephemeral lead of 'Cairo'


Goddamnit this place is nice. I'll say it again. Did I mention I'm coming back?

Looks awesome. I'd join you if it weren't so far. But that's a lame excuse, isn't it? I'll have to think about an ABQ->SLC excursion. That might be worth it for a three-day or four-day weekend.

I love the City! Did you guys go over to Castle Rocks SP? It's got a ton of excellent bolted shit in close proximity on each formation. I think we might be headed that way soon. Fall/Spring is my favorite time to hit it. Prayers of increased friction seem to be answered more readily.

How bad were the crowds? Usually there's a line on Bloody Fingers, Skyline (5.8 next to Crack of Doom) and anything on Parking Lot rock or Elephant rock. There's more good stuff a hike away, though. Maybe see you there in the next couple of weekends! I'll be the guy with a wife, two kids, two dogs and a Westy... wait, that's 78% of the users there! I'll try to post when we are headed over. We usually stay at the Smoky Mtn RV park. Even though it seems like a total RV campground, it's very tent friendly. It's nice cause there's water and a plug-in at each site. The showers are a bonus, too.

Here's the view from our site last year.

It was crazy empty. Intermountain pussies think its too hot. I'm convinced there's no such thing as too hot above 6000 feet. Especially if you chase the shade (which is silly easy).

There were no more pictures of Liz on the sharp end because I was making no sure no one was around to beater up after her.

Sky, we're gonna do a City=>Tetons trip. Come on down...I mean up.

Idahoalpine, I'm probably going to try and come up this friday to sunday. Maybe I'll see you up there.

DD- I think we are going to head back into the mountains this weekend and skip the City. When are you guys going to the Tetons? I will be over there the 10th through the 15th.

I was at city last weekend again. I went up to someone who had the same van as you, but turns out it wasn't you. I might be going to do the grand next weekend (13th/14th).

You can't throw a rock without hitting a Westy down there. Goddamn all of us pseudo-hippies! Wish I would've been there. We hit the alpine AGAIN! How long are you going to be in UT?

I am not sure exactly when we'll be in the Tetons. We were trying for next week but it depends on some construction jobs getting done. Maybe off a weekend from when you guys are there. I think we might do the NW Couloir on the Middle. Maybe some Irene's and the O/S on the Grand if we are camped at the Meadows.