Note from Stacey

On Sunday I had the privilege of taking an outdoor climbing trip to Indian Rock, near Castle Rock State Park. Dave and I met Sasha, Josh, Tom, Pat, and Kathy at the rocks, so it was quite a party. While Dave set up an anchor on the south face of the main rock, Sasha, Josh, and I warmed up on the nearby Hash Rock. At first, I was unsure I would be able to boulder at all, but much to my satisfaction I was able to do some familiar climbs! Hash Rock, small but filled with familiar routes, is my favorite rock to play on in the park. Sasha and Josh, who are both elite youth climbers, happily climbed a myriad of boulder problems while Dave, Kathy and I concentrated on the main rock. We especially had fun leading the 5.8+ slab route, a tricky climb that sports no good hand-holds. Thus, one must use proper technique and look for those ever-so-subtle footholds. I actually found a new foothold that I had never used in all my years of climbing the route, so clipping the first bolt was much easier than I ever remember. Then we moved on to the 5.10a “Puckered Starfish” next to it. I was happy to redpoint (climb without falling) the climb, which I have not climbed in about five years, on one of the first sheclimbs trips. It was rejuvenating to get out in nature, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with friends. Since Sasha lives in Santa Cruz, I hadn’t seen her since before the transplant, when she was training for the World Speed Championships in Bulgaria. Now she and Josh are off to a four-month trip to South America to have more adventures! Stacey, from Belmont