You Don't Always Get What You Want

Lucho stares blankly into the computer screen. NOAA's crystal weather ball has given a piercing, painful vision. Black skies, snow, 10 more days of foul weather...but how could it be? A few days earlier we crammed fingers into greasy locks on the Nabisco Wall, stood on El Cap's glassy smears, and grunted up a few of those pure Yosemite slots. 

Yosemite in winter felt more like spring, but day four blew us out. Windy, angry weather spit all forms of precipitation and we left to gather ourselves and some more equipment for the longer routes we hoped to try. One rest day turned to into a few to many, but our commitment to climbing in Yosemite remained steadfast.

Now, sitting here in San Francisco, Lucho and I have a call to make. Watch rain fall on the pavement, imagining the Valley getting pounded with snow, or head for dry rock. It finally seems like a no brainer-Vegas, here we come. 

Since Zion is getting pounded with weather also, Lucho and I head for Red Rocks hoping to sample some of the fine, long free climbs the canyons offer. An hour into the drive I call Zach, a good friend living in Vegas. He knows the routes I'm after and I don't like what I sense in his voice. He claims snow, and a quite a bit of it at that, has all long routes out of the question. When we arrive his report is clearly confirmed and we adjust plans again.

With no multi pitch options available we focus on the numerous short, classic free climbs of Nevada's deserts. Before long, tiger striped limestone and roof cracks of the most wild sort have our inspiration burning and minds scheming. For now we are stacking up the projects, eeking out a few sends, and, although you don't always get what you want, climbing on some very beautiful rock.