Man! That was one sick ass weekend. All of the key ingredients were blended with perfection. The venue, people, and weather could not have made a better combination. Spirits were SUPER HIGH as everyone knew exactly what was going down this weekend.
I arrived Thursday morning, set up the Evolv and Sterling tents, and took a walk through the boulderfield. The night prior had dumped a cold winter-like rain on the mountain top. To my surprise it was really windy and things were drying quick. I made note of how cold and sticky things felt and thought this would be a pretty sweet day for climbing. However, the Monday before the event I went bouldering at Little Rock City with some friends and was recklessly trying super crimpy over hangs. The next day I woke up to a tender and weak sensation in my right ring finger. BUMMER! What happened? I don't even know. All I knew was that I probably shouldn't be climbing much. So, with caution to the wind and crisp boulders to be climbed I began evaluating my injury on easy-moderate problems. With no pain or real tender feeling I thought to myself, "this is going to be reeaaaalllly fun." The day ended up being absolutely pleasantly amazing. I was all alone and had found solitude AT HP40!?!?! Only occasionally was silence broken as locals and arriving vendors made their way into the boulders. It was a taste of serenity that I need for balance in life. Soul mended. At the end of the day I had done some boulder problems that I had never done before, Slabolicious Low and It's a Natural, which is what it's all about.
Friday was really nice too. As the park began to fill, tents went up. The sound of climbers heaving crash pads and tires rolling over the gravel road permeated throughout the day. Adding to the special feeling of the weekend to come was the sleet! It was three or four in the afternoon when the grey clouds above started dusting the area with sleet as if we were an entree being salted to taste. Mmmmmmm. For me though, the day was all about work. We had a party to throw. Kurt Smith and I made the necessary arrangements to make sure that the Evolv, Sterling, and Friksn booths were in full affect. Hosting chips, candy, and beer we were sure to make a few friends over the weekend.
Comp day. Shwoah. I was a little tired from a late night around the campfire. Fortunately, I wasn't climbing with 300 other people or at all for that matter. The morning of was like a whirl wind. Between waking up and setting out the demo shoes I somehow managed to eat breakfast, acquire some coffee from The General, and eventually capture some video footage, all the while fitting 30 or so different people in the appropriate Evolv model. My time during the comp was spent chilling in the sun with the good people representing the Southeastern Climbers Coalition, Lee Means, and others who stopped by to chat. The kegs were tapped, gear laid out, and competitors began to fill Vendor Square. Not long after, the sun set, leaving us with only the heat of barrel fires and each other to stay warm.
The next day was kinda sad, knowing that everyone was leaving and I would be too. The buzz around the booth was all about who is staying to climb. I was. Who else? We broke down tents, lending each other a hand to do this as mindlessly as possible. We were all frozen, probably hungover, and barely awake. Around noon the deed was done. People were peacin' left and right. That sound of tires rolling over the gravel drive cruched again just as before. Ok. So, who's going climbing? WOOO!!! Those that stayed were blessed with one of the best days ever. I personally was feeling good and on fire. I quickly sent three new problems, which were Landslide, Green Lantern Low, and Trick or Treat. All are very worthy of your skin. The camera kind of got neglected due to our enthusiasm and crushing nature as a group. We never really spent much time at any one spot. People were sending. Lunch was on the horizon for me now. I wanted to stay and finish out the day trying to settle some left over business. As the others left, I grabbed my book, On The Road, and headed back out to have my serenity once more. I think I ate too much. My efforts were slightly less energized than before. Maybe I had come to terms with satisfaction of the way things had gone down up to this point. Everything seemed to happen just as I hoped it would. Anyway, I was the first one in and last one out.
Here's the video.
I LOVE ROCK CLIMBING!
Cheddar.
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