This trip begins with Holly having a house in Moab. She graciously invited Emily and myself to join her and Braden for some off-season fun.

Moab is a super unique place. Our first day we went climbing at Wall Street. The approach here is nice, maybe a foot or so. It's basically like Moab's rope gym.

Immediately we made a friend; Ben. He insisted we were going to crack climb and so we did "30 Seconds Over Pot Ash". With crack gloves it was a pretty cozy experience.

Braden decided to climb this other crack, Lucy In The Sky With Pot Ash (5.10b). He unfortunately didn't make it to the top but he's also one of the only people reading this blog so we still agree he's super strong and will definitely get it next time!

In the afternoon we did a steep but cute hike; Hidden Valley. Piper did great. Our turn-around point was the meadow in which we took the cover photo. Really the La Sal mountains are the star of this trip. Everywhere we go they look epic.

The next day we did a Moab classic bike ride, Slick Rock. Or at least some of it. This was supposed to be a good introduction to "modern" mountain biking for Holly. Alas, it was somewhat harrowing for a beginner and Braden and I take full responsibility for the lack of fun that was had.

The day following Holly had meetings so Braden, Emily, and me did Navajo Rocks. Apparently the trails are relatively new but still give off the "Moab" style of trails.

They were a ton of fun. I think they were right at the edge of what Emily was comfortable with. Braden and I practiced the 'hinge' technique I learned at Syd & Macky's Glorieta Camp.

Bouldering day was the most intense. We all sent some proper Moab problems. Kickstart (V0), Center Start (V1), and even Slots of Fun (V2). Emily was the closest in the group to send a V3, "arrêt right side" on the blackbox boulder. On Wash boulder we all sent the highest rated climb, "Washing Machine" (V2), and Braden cleaned the V4 on it, Washed Up!

In the afternoon Braden did a short swim in Ken's lake. He turned around when his "chest started to feel tight" which was fortuitous because by the end he lost mobility in his arms and Holly said his hands looked funny.

I took the opportunity to ride one of my favourite trails of all time, Captain Ahab. This time of year is perfect for it as the climb is quite punchy.