Dog-o-rado 2023

Zuko may look like a dog but he's actually a squirrel that got struck by lightning. (Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado)

Smooching Alisha goodbye at the end of October it's easy to avoid rumination by charging headlong towards November as it comes hurtling back at me faster still than I expect. Under full-time employment again I return to a life I once lived that now seems strange and surreal. Nevertheless, setting an immutable remote-work stance with my employer I commit to a month in Mountain-West America for friends, sends, and loose ends.

Brian getting that layback action on his project (Teen Wolf, High Profile Wall)

Rolf getting in his evening sends (Curvaceous, Wall of the '90s)

Bryce, Tasha, and Luke round out the solid crew of the day (Little Kitten, Wall of the '90s)

November 4, 2023 Ticklist
Teen Wolf	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > High Profile Wall	5.12b Sport
Teen Wolf	Lead / 1-hang	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > High Profile Wall	5.12b Sport

November 5, 2023 Ticklist
Ten-Digit Dialing	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Wall of the '90s	5.12c Sport
Ten-Digit Dialing	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Wall of the '90s	5.12c Sport
Ten-Digit Dialing	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Wall of the '90s	5.12c Sport

...

My birthday comes and goes. Staring down a week of imminent shit weather I manifest the Colorado lifestyle by free-solo'ing a mountain during my lunch break before meeting a stranger for a stint of sport climbing. Although Danielle's friend Mat's friend Liv turns out to be one superb gal, her choice of crimpy-ass projects gets a big giant frown from me.

Liv is all smiles for someone about to pull on some heinous shit (Highlander Crag, Clear Creek Canyon)

I missed you Maggie. Thanks for the delightful birthday present called 'paying for my own dinner' (Sushi Zanmai, Boulder)

Upcoming vid! Smash that Like and Subscribe fam!!

November 7, 2023 Ticklist
Freeway	Solo	Boulder > Second Flatiron	5.0 Trad
The Other One	Lead / Onsight	Boulder > Boulder Canyon > Sport Park > Surprising Crag	5.11a Sport
Shakedown Street	Lead / Fell/Hung	Boulder > Boulder Canyon > Sport Park > Surprising Crag	5.12c Sport
Shakedown Street	Lead / Fell/Hung	Boulder > Boulder Canyon > Sport Park > Surprising Crag	5.12c Sport
Pocket Fisherman	Lead / Onsight	Boulder > Boulder Canyon > Sport Park > Surprising Crag	5.11a/b Sport

...

Colorado weather confounds me. It's the coldest day so far and it snowed the night before, so naturally it's time to bake in t-shirts at elevation? I send Brian's friend Josh up his project of cracks and crimps, my two arch-nemeses.

With heart, faith and steel in the end there can only be one (Peer Review, Highlander Crag)

Don't ask me to explain it but Josh just looks very Colorado (Highlander Crag, Clear Creek Canyon)

Woah Nelly you're gonna melt all the snow with that cute lil face o' yers (Highlander Crag, Clear Creek Canyon)

November 9, 2023 Ticklist
Peer Review	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Highlander Crag	5.12b Sport
Peer Review	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Highlander Crag	5.12b Sport
Peer Review	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Highlander Crag	5.12b Sport

...

Brian valiantly surmounts his head cold as we head out to my first Eldorado experience with one of my earliest trad-dads. Despite intermittent days of feeling quite stagnant in my climbing it's nice to reflect on how far I've come.

My dear mentor on the road to gold (Wind Ridge, Eldorado Canyon)

Kara you gold-hearted gal I would literally kill for you just say the word and the name (Capitol Hill, Denver)

You know you've made it when you've built a sauna in your own home (Capitol Hill, Denver)

November 12, 2023 Ticklist
Wind Ridge	Lead / Onsight	Boulder > Eldorado Canyon > Wind Tower	5.7 Trad 4 pitches
Calypso	Lead / Onsight	Boulder > Eldorado Canyon > Wind Tower	5.6 Trad 1 pitch

...

Temperatures plummet by Ten degrees as I snipe down my Tenth 5.12c on a climb called Ten-Digit Dialing. Brian dutifully takes on support role today as John, Nick, and Tat come out to play.

Zuko can't understand why we climb rocks instead of eating them (Wall of the '90s, Clear Creek Canyon)

Brian is a prime example of how good friends keep good friends (Yum Yum Spice, Denver)

Peep the vid! Smash that Like and Subscribe fam!!

November 10, 2023 Ticklist
Ten-Digit Dialing	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Wall of the '90s	5.12c Sport
Ten-Digit Dialing	Lead / Redpoint	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Wall of the '90s	5.12c Sport
Curvaceous	Lead / Onsight	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Wall of the '90s	5.11b Sport

...

Liv got her project on the same day mine went down. She's excited to climb together again unaware of my ulterior motives of enslaving her belay for my next undone climb. We head to Peer Review on a gorgeous sunny day.

Liv takes a cooldown spin on some old-school questies (Neo-Quasi Bugaloo, Highlander Crag)

upcoming vid! Smash that Like and Subscribe fam!!

November 14, 2023 Ticklist
Peer Review	Lead / Fell/Hung	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Highlander Crag	5.12b Sport
Peer Review	Lead / 1-hang	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Highlander Crag	5.12b Sport
Peer Review	Lead / Redpoint	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Highlander Crag	5.12b Sport
Neo-Quasi Bugaloo	Lead / Onsight	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Highlander Crag	5.10b Sport

...

Climbing is such a weird unique sport in that you literally put your life in a stranger's hands, for fun. Getting some active recovery today by easy climbing with another new friend. Michael turns out to be one chill homie.

A successful end to a day of no deaths (Hot Fudge, Castlewood Canyon State Park)

November 15, 2023 Ticklist
Ada Jam	Follow	Denver South > Castlewood Canyon > Neanderthal Wall	5.5 Trad
Are You Experienced?	Follow	Denver South > Castlewood Canyon > Neanderthal Wall	5.6 Trad
Pack the Walls	Lead / Onsight	Denver South > Castlewood Canyon > Neanderthal Wall	5.8- Trad
Hot Fudge	Lead / Onsight	Denver South > Castlewood Canyon > Grocery Store Walls	5.8+ Trad

...

One last day out on Brian's project. The climb goes for both him and I. One last free-solo before my flight with Danielle's friend Erik. I wistfully lock the doors of Jason and Sara's home and drop off the car at the airport. My brief but sweet time in Colorado comes to a close as I keep my head and heart up and onwards towards Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon, and the next grand adventure.

Nadya gives us some love as Will and Brian become Facebook official (High Profile Crag, Clear Creek Canyon)

How wonderful it is to free-solo a mountain and make it back in time for lunch (Chase the Sun, Sunset Flatironette)

Danielle singlehandedly carrying my stoke throughout my entire trip (True Food Kitchen, Denver)

Over twenty years of friendship, old pal. Here's to twenty more with you and yer lady (Sloan Lake, Denver)

November 16, 2023 Ticklist
Teen Wolf	Lead / 1-hang	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > High Profile Wall	5.12b Sport
Teen Wolf	Lead / Redpoint	Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > High Profile Wall	5.12b Sport

November 17, 2023 Ticklist
Freeway	Solo	Boulder > Second Flatiron	5.0 Trad
Chase the Sun	Solo	Boulder > Sunset Flatironette	5.4 Trad