With a new rope fresh out of the package and blue skies and temperatures just cool enough for long sleeves, we cherished the time in the woods not far from my new partner's house at Bays Mountain Park. Here he is figuring on a 5.7 I had led to give him toprope opportunity.
The rock definitely reveals its sedimentary layering. The trail to the climbing area descends from an overlook down through the wide crack in the cliff seen here.
Always a sure indication of light use are trees growing very near the rock face. Much traffic eventually kills the roots and then the tree.
Getting organized to climb, my partner sports a University of Michigan shirt. As we say, "He ain't from 'round here," but he is a real nice fellow anyway. By the way, how 'bout them Vols?
The colors were even richer than the picture indicates, especially a few minutes earlier when the sunshine was just right on the leaves.
We could hear people above and below, for it is a busy park, but no one else was climbing. It is nice to find yet another new crag, even if it is a bit small.
We talked about family, theology, football, climbing and equipment, work, and how we got here and where we came from. It was a good time to get to know each other. It was pleasant and encouraging to climb and discuss with a Christian brother.
No comments:
Post a Comment