After work every Thursday, we fall in to a methodical routine of sorting, organizing and packing weekend gear into our trusty rig, Trixie. We’re committed to weekend getaways and are so familiar with the process, it’s become habitual. Ideally, we’d pack up Vincent and take him on these fine weekend adventures, but the old guy has been experiencing some minor hiccups – just to be safe, we opt for lower clearance and tent camping.
Castle Rock – Idaho
A recent visit from Art, the eccentric mechanic out of Hailey, inspired us to get Vincent back out on the road, for a longer trip than his usual-around-the-town stroll. Art’s confidence persuaded us that Vincent could make the three-hour haul to one of Idaho’s beautiful State Parks: Castle Rocks. Instead of loading Trixie to the gills, we wiped the dust out and neatly packed our old pal for his first outing since our week-long trip to St. George last March.
We stopped in Rupert for the night to visit my family. Chicken fajitas and craft brews satiated our growling bellies. No Blazer game to hoop and holler at; however, watching BSU lose to BYU was a great treat, too.
The weather, although a bit windy early on Sunday was absolutely perfect.
Coffee in hand, we moseyed south to meet up with our good friends, JP and Michele, and their new addition, Galena-pup. These two are fiery-outdoorsy-folk. Their passion for recreational activities is contagious.
Michele and Robyn sharing a cozy belay ledge.
The warm sunshine and perfect temperatures kept us cozy all weekend. We scrambled up some amazing rock features on perfect granite. Not having spent much time at Castle, we were pleasantly surprised by the involved multi-pitch lines and long single-pitch routes. A notable favorite and not-to-be-missed if you are visiting the area: Shock and Awe, a candidate for the best 5.10 sport line I have ever climbed. This route started off with big, hueco-like features followed by a 20-foot section of crimps and balance moves, ending on perfect jugs to the anchors. I can see now how it got it’s name..
JP and Michele headed up the west side of Castle Rock on a perfect fall afternoon.
HS D2 R3 on the west side of Castle.
Michele, near the top of the south side of Castle Rock just as the sun was setting.
JP heading up a classic 5.7 multi-pitch to start the day on Sunday.
Ethan getting ready to head for the summit and back before nightfall on Castle Rock.
The landscape is encapsulating, too. Juniper, sage, cacti, delicate wildflowers and large-wrinkly-granite domes overstimulate the senses. What else can I say about the weekend, except that it was beyond. Campfire stories, thousands of stars and a chilly night’s sleep only made it sweeter.
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