Utah - The trip to, as well as Indian Creek and Castle Valley

What a drive! Once I got past Silver City, NM on my way to Southeastern Utah, it got gorgeous. I never realized how dramatically landscapes can change over such a short distance. Arizona, from what I have seen, is beautiful state. Several folks that I have met along the way encouraged me to visit and from what I saw along the drive, I need to. This is a sunset just outside of Alpine, AZ.

The next morning I drove through Monument Valley between Kayenta, AZ and Mexican Hat, UT. I had planned to drive through at night but, on my father’s recommendation I decided to stay over and see in during daylight hours. Good call. Awesome landscapes, almost like waking up in another country.

Indian Creek (adjacent to Cayonlands NP) – I finally made it. I had to dodge some free range cattle and one mule that almost took me out. I say that because, he would have won had we collided. I swerved and the mule stayed put, a game of chicken Utah style.

Steep sandstone cracks. Hand cracks, finger cracks, fist cracks, basically anything you want in the way of crack climbing (crack climbing is when you stuff your hand, fingers, toes, knees, shoulder, whatever in a crack, expand it and try to make upward progress) and the routes are long. Most routes are 100-120’ in length but do not top out (the rock up high on the cliff gets a little loose). Endurance and technique are a must and I have neither. We’ll have to give it a few weeks.

Castle Valley – I climbed my first desert tower. I am not a tower rat yet but I could be persuaded. Tom, a partner I met in camp and I sent Jah Man on the Sister Superior Tower, in Castle Valley. The tower and route itself was only about 400’ but the approach took over 1000 vertical feet of talus climbing making for some awesome exposure on the route. It the background are two lower towers, Castleton (to be done) and the Rectory closest to my left arm.

Cool nights, warm days and the desert keeps getting greener.