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
Note from Stacey
Friday, I had my monthly shot of octreotide. It is an IM (Intra-muscle) shot. The needle is so big it even scares the nurses, since I am so small and thin. The nurse asked me to stand up and bend over the chair while she gave me the shot. It brought back memories of junior high at a tiny school in Joyce, Washington. One afternoon, my parents came to class to talk about transferring me from 7th grade math to 9th grade math, and we were told to wait outside for a minute. It was school policy for the teachers to hit “bad” students with wooden paddles with holes in them, and the teacher was in the middle of a paddling session. I find it hard to believe I lived in a time where capital punishment in the public schools was the norm. Well…the shot was not nearly as painful as I imagine a whack with a paddle would be, but it did leave me a little sore for two days. Stacey, from Belmont