First thing we did this year was get dad on the rock. Dad did his first ever rock climb. The first pitch of the 1st Flat Iron (rated 5.6), on the west end of Boulder (no picture, we forgot the camara that day). To give you an idea of what dad did (this is not the most accurate description of ratings), keep in mind that climbs are rated from 1.0 to 5.14¹ (on the Yosemite system, started in you guessed it, Yosemite, CA). The first number is basically a risk indicator, where 1 is walking on a sidewalk and 5 means there is risk of severe injury or death (without proper safety gear AND usage). The second number indicates the difficulty in completing the climb, with 0 being the easiest, and 14 the hardest (originally 10 was the hardest, but at technology (shoes and safety gear) advanced, and the sport grew, limits were pushed and folks started climbing even harder). Please keep in mind that this is just a brief intro to ratings, and that much campfire (and other) time is spent discussing them, and that ratings are often very subjective.

This being said, dad did very well to complete this particular pitch, since the rain, which had been threatening all morning, was starting, and because this particular climb was on a fairly smooth, but not very steep (75 degrees?), which can be very intimidating if you don't trust your feet (especially when it gets wet). Dad did a great job of smearing (just placing your foot on a little bit of nothing and making it work) with the best of them, his first time out!

Then it was off to Canyon Lands National Park in Utah. Since we arrived in the afternoon on the first day (6+ hours from Boulder) we snagged a campsite, registered for backcountry permits, and then went on a day hike. Hiking in the heat of the day, we easily went through over a gallon of water each, and still felt dehydrated when we were done. To the left is a picture of dad in front of "the pinacles" near Chesler Park.

Along the way, we practiced our map reading skills. It really is amazing how much more detail you see than is shown on a topographic map. However, Canyon Lands was definetly an interesting and easy place to get used to using a topo map, since there are so many features visible on the map.

The next day we got up and drove (4 wheeling) up to Salt Creek Canyon - a veritable oasis in the desert. Salt Creek Canyon, and apparently quite of few of the other canyons, foster intermittent streams. A the start of the hike Salt Creek was a babling little brook, but by the time we hike 8 miles into the canyon, it was nothing more that sporadic ponds teeming with tadpoles and algae. The five pictures below are roughly from the entrance toward the back of the canyon (North to South).

In the farthest left photo, I'm showing off my brand new and entirely huge back pack, which worked great. I'm so glad I went to all the shops in boulder trying out all sorts of packs, and spent at least 1.5 hours in the final shop adjusting, walking, readjusting, walking, readjusting... Anyway, I probably had about 50% more weight than dad, but I think my pack was much more comfortable than the ancient external fram pack dad was using.