Looking Ahead and Looking Back

I just finished up with my second quarter in the Masters in Teaching program here at Evergreen. I'm really enjoying it but it is a lot of work. Last Saturday I managed to get out climbing with Dave and Lisa, and her son Sky to Vantage. It was too nice a day not to be outside climbing, I managed to get in 7 routes out in the sun. It was a really mellow day which is just what I wanted. Vantage is a really fun place to climb, and there is still so much there that I've yet to do. Here are a few photos from last week.

A busy day at The Feathers

Dave clipping the chains on a 5.9

Dave belaying Lisa up a really fun 5.5 chimney

Now that I'm done with the quarter I can start thinking about our spring break trip more. We leave tomorrow to Spokane. We're going on a 10ish day tour of some of the best crags of Eastern Washington, from Banks Lake to Metaline Falls up north to Post Fall, just over the border in Idaho, and a couple other places in between. I've looked through the guide and made a ticklist of all the classics that I want to get on. I'm not sure what my expectations should be. I've been climbing a lot of routes in the gym, so hopefully I'll have decent stamina. But my overall fitness feels pretty poor since for the last few months I've done a whole lot of nothing in terms of other physical activity. I'm going to get on some 12+ routes and try to onsight some 12- routes, maybe I'll get lucky but maybe I wont. There will be a big group of us out there so I'm sure we'll have a great time. I think what I'm looking forward to the most is hanging around the campfire under the stars with a good group of friends.