The Creek of the Ages
Tapestry
There are way, way too many storylines tied up in the mere five days I spent climbing in Indian Creek in early April. I want to tell them all at once and time-and-again end up tripping on my mind's over-enthusiasm to unweave and pursue the many tales that, threaded together, make the best Indian Creek trip I've ever had.
When I start thinking of the climbing company I think of Alex, and begin to tell the story of our minivan-doctor-dirtbag-intruder-friend but then think of how Dave was how he got pulled in, and of course Dave only met him because we had too many men sleeping in too many cars at the campsite of Paul and Katie and Tori and Steele and - oh man, Steele, this was our first trip to the Creek outside of Creeksgiving together - but anyways, Alex was this guy we met because when Jared and Dave and I - oh god dammit, did I mention this was the first time Jared and Dave and I were all together since my first dirtbag summer out at Wild Iris two years earlier? And speaking of Jared, he was such an inspiration with the camera - like on the drive in, we arrived late because we kept stopping to shoot the rainstorms over the Creek. And rainstorms! Wait.
Wait.
Shit.
What story was I telling again?
Deep breaths.
Deep breaths.
Jared, Dave and I were three men in three cars, driving into Indian Creek late at night looking to crash a campsite. Steele had made the mistake of scrawling "ENLOW" on a note clipped to the backside of the Beef Basin lot board. While it didn't also say "HEATH" and "MEYER", that's what he got.
Reunited for the first time in two years
Greetings were given around a fire ring in the dark: Steele was camped with his friends Paul, Katie, and Tori. After a little bit I drove over to Creek Pastures, where my good Canadian friends Phil and Amy were camped out along with Drew and Michelle of JTree!! We made plans for all the people (and that's a lot of people) to meet up at Broken Tooth the next day.
After Broken Tooth was Second Meat. That night Dave and Alex took off to climb towers. Next came Res Wall, where Steele left us, and we finished on Battle of the Bulge. Our fifth day rained out and the team split up, leaving Superbowl #10 vacant.
Along the way others came and went, and I spent time with my beloved Canadians, and finally got photos of Amy smashing to compliment all the ones of Phil.
Wait, that's it? you might be thinking. After all that fretting about which story he was going to tell, he doesn't tell really tell any at all?
Yeah, actually. After all, a picture's worth a thousand words.
So here's my novel.
Landscapes
Res Wall
Broken Tooth
Storms
Sunsets
Dirtbags
Paul
Hank
Katie
Tori
Dave and Alex
Jared
Steele
The Crew
Rock Climbs
Broken Tooth
Golden Crown (Alex)
Rock Lobster (Amy)
Polygrip (Alex)
Pente (Steele)
Ernie Use to Box (Jared, Steele)
Think Pink (Paul)
Pigs In Space (Tori)
Ticklist / Route Notes
Broken Tooth
- Rock Lobster (Warmup, RP)
- Polygrip (2x, no sendo) Many .4, 2-3 OJ, 2x .5, 4x .75, a 1??
Second Meat
- T-Bones Tonight (2x, 2 hang, 1 hang). OJ, .5, .75, Black Metolius, Reds, Yellars, Blues
- At Your Cervix (RP) Book is backwards on 75 to .5 ratio. It's more .5s. Bring 4-5 75s though, save one or two for the finish.
Res Wall
- Pente (RP)
- Middle Crack (1x lead (bailed on sport part), 1x TR - one hang). .4, .4, .4, OJ, .5, SEND
- Warmup Handcrack (First < 5.11 of the trip, OS)
Battle of the Bulge
- Think Pink (OS)
- Crack Attack (OS)
- Black Corner (1 hang)
Memorable Quotes
Tonight we feast on cookie dough! Jared after Half Dome
Why do you have wood on the walls? What's with the wood slats? New climber, unfamiliar with hashtag vanlife
I use to go out on dates a lot more than I do now. Like, just say, "Hey you want to go get dinner?"
But then I realized I would rather just sleep instead and then wake up early and go climbing. Jared