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Time for a flash post from Portland!  After a loooong drive we made it back safe & sound Wednesday night, and here's what we've been up to since our last post, in 1000 words or less:

As I mentioned in our last post, we got a chance to check out the climbing at Poudre Canyon with Le last Wednesday, at a spot called the Upper Echelon - a beautiful, flat, slightly overhung granite wall.  We all were climbing strong - I got my hardest onsight yet on a route called Tamed Donkeys (11d/12a), Le hopped on the send train and got it as well, and Juan onsighted a fun 12a called O.D.K. with a bouldery start, a dyno, and an armbar all in one route.  Le had to run, and then as I was working O.D.K. and Juan a 12c nearby, it started pouring!  Our draws were up on both routes, and since the wall became a little slabby up top, we were afraid it would start getting wet.  Juan managed to clean his whole route but I was exhausted and with thunder and lightning starting to sound, we decided to hike out and come back for my draws (and hopefully some redpoints!) the next day.

Me on O.D.K. at the Upper Echelon, Poudre Canyon

All that evening it poured, and we witnessed the most insane hailstorm we'd ever seen from the comfort of my dad's doorway.  Unfortunately, the next day was wet too so going back to Poudre was out.  We chilled at home and watched movies instead.

The hail turned to rain, which formed rivers through the inches of hail

Friday was our last chance to go back and get the draws because we planned to head out to Rifle that weekend, so luckily it was a sunny and dry day.  I warmed up and made a somewhat meager redpoint attempt, cleaned my draws, and we were outta there.  But before we left town we had to visit my sister Elly at the restaurant where she waitresses, a western grill.  Of course we donned our best cowboy attire for the occasion :)

Elly, second from left, attempts to conceal her embarrassment.  Yes, that is a stick horse in my hand.

After dinner with Elly, Juan & I headed down to Denver International Airport to pick up our buddy Todd from Portland, flown in just in time for our last weekend in Colorado and eager to climb outside after a rainy Oregon winter and a finger injury had caused him some cabin fever.  The next morning we drove ~3 hours west to Rifle, Colorado, and met up with our friends Adam & Ali, Wes, Diesel, and Courtney.  We had a great weekend climbing there, throwing ourselves at crazy difficult routes on the Meat Wall, Project Wall, The Arsenal, and The Anti-Phil Wall. 

The dynamic duo is re-united

We'd heard about Rifle's reputation for hard climbing, and it was no joke.  The steep limestone is at times glassy, and you never get to just grab a hold and pull down on it to move up - it's always side-pulls, pinches, underclings, and gastons, so that by the end of the day muscles you didn't know you had in your back and shoulders are screaming for mercy.  Many of the routes were very beta-intensive too, but lucky for us, Adam and Diesel had been there before and gave us all the pointers we needed.  We all got on some great routes.  Juan sent a 12b called Lost & Found and projected a really cool 12d called Debaser.  Todd worked his way up anything and everything we put up, an impressive showing for someone who hadn't climbed outside in quite a while, and by the end was leading a tricky 11 on the Anti-Phil wall that involved a lot of big moves between holds.  I bagged a few 11's, including an awesome 11c, Jail Bait that had a cool lieback up top.  In the evenings we hung out around the campfire, telling stories, drinking river-cooled beers, and chowing down on delicious grub like Juan & my famous Reese's Cup S'mores.  It was a great weekend and when we dropped Todd off at the airport, we knew this time we wouldn't have to wait many moons to see him again!

Todd proves that you simply climb better in a Stoneworks t-shirt, on an unknown 11 on the Anti-Phil Wall.

Juan on Debaser (12d) at The Arsenal

Me on Fist Full of Dollars (11c) on the Project Wall

The Bags of Dirt relax at camp after a long day of climbing

After a raucous last night at the Brophy house in Fort Collins (involving "extreme couponing" at Ben & Jerry's, Jenga, beer pong, slapcup, and National Lampoon's Vacation), Juan and I set out on the 20-hour drive back to Oregon.  We only had to replace one tire on the way (lost a hunk of tread somewhere near Twin Falls, ID) and arrived back in one piece to Casa de Todd y Amelia, where we're staying for a few days.  The last couple days have been full of catching up with friends, talking to the temp agency about work, making living arrangements (Juan back with his friend Bob in North Portland and me in a sublet I found in a fun area of NE), etc.

The college kids (Elly and her boyfriend Kellan) show us how it's done

Juan did pretty well for his first time playing beer pong!

Tomorrow we head out to Smith to climb and get revved up for Juan's 30 for 30 birthday challenge, to happen next Friday, June 24th!  Wish him luck!  We'll be seeing some of you out there :)

Peace OUT!

Marie