oh god the gear

gee...I hope we have enough

Three days off work, and Kalebs birthday, so we are heading down to St. George, UT for a little sun and a lot of climbing. What began as a big party dwindled down to just the two of us, works for me, and so the packing begins.

A little history on my husband...he likes to tinker. This makes my job really simple. He spreads out the cams, the nuts, the ropes, the shoes, the quick draws, the belay devices, harnesses and anything else we may (or may not) need, and touches them all, tests them, lines them up by size. It is only at this point do I realize how much stuff we have. Climbing is interesting in that we must carry everything on our backs. For those of you that don't climb, let me tell you, a backpack with water and snacks is nothing to what we haul around all day, everyday. But this is also what I love, I am my own mule (however, Kaleb carries most of it)

Hiking up hill, with an additional 20 pounds (me) or 50 pounds (K), makes reaching the crag even more enjoyable, dropping that bag, and climbing without the extra weight makes me feel, well, 20 pounds lighter. It also makes the days when we hike miles and miles without gear, feel like a walk in the park.

When we begin a trip everything is perfect, organized, beautiful. When we end a trip, it's difficult to distinguish one piece from another. In essence, it looks like a bomb went off in our backpacks, and we end up hand carrying ropes. (well, it use to all fit)

But with the gear packed, and the car loaded, we are off....can't wait.