Miscellaneous
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area provided the perfect back drop for the weekend’s vertical adventures and podcast recording session. Situated halfway between San Diego and Salt Lake City, it would be equal distance for all those hitting the road on the Wilder Mind side of the crew while Anna and boyfriend Mike Coyle were already posted up at the campsite on the tail end of their 9-day working/climbing trip. After coffee and a bite to eat we made our way toward the popular “Panty Wall” to enjoy some fair weather desert sport climbing. Conditions were just right with plenty of blue skies and sunshine to go around, but relatively mild temperatures. Thankfully everyone had a chance to get some time on the rock before the midday sun pushed us further into the canyon seeking a bit of shade. As luck would have it, our friends Joey and Camille were also out climbing and found their way to our campsite for some evening celebrations. Big stories, big laughs and even bigger smiles as friends gathered under the starlit desert sky. At some point, after some wine for Anna and some beers for me, we decided that we were primed to record the best podcast ever! We may have been slightly off the mark with that belief but we sure did have a great time recording! One standout clip, from the beginning of our evening conversation, did find its way into the final cut. The next morning the crew was ready to rack up for some crack climbing before recording the podcast. Climbing rocks with friends amongst the splendor of nature is such a great reminder of the abundance of beauty in this world and this life. After (re)recording the podcast from the crag parking lot, this time with greater success, we made our way into Summerlin for a late lunch before all heading our separate ways. As I rolled through the miles back to Salt Lake City I was feeling weighed down with the fact that I wouldn’t see the familiar faces of my San Diego crew for quite some time. I was confident in my choice to relocate my home base but was feeling a slight hint of loneliness. A couple hours into the drive I stopped alongside a quiet stretch of highway to brew some coffee to get through the night and make it back in a single push. My phone buzzed and the message read “Are you back in Salt Lake yet? We’re all meeting for dinner and drink’s if you can make it”. Another adventure in the books and an entirely new chapter ahead. I continued on into the night, my heart full from everything behind and growing with everything ahead.