crag log, red rocks Nevada (Vegas baby!)

After resting Sunday from the adventures in Utah, Sunday I met up with a guide from Jackson Hole Mountaineering Guides. Three years ago, I came to Vegas with girlfriends and we did the usual: gambled, partied, saw a Cirque du Soleil show, drank, danced, saw the Hoover dam, and then the not so typical: sky-dived and took a hike into Bureau of Land Management's (aka Bureau of Livestock and Mining) Red Rock Canyon and I found myself drooling at the climbing routes in the beautiful red sandstone of Vegas's best-kept secret. Being impaired with a tender ankle, my guide and I forgoed Froglands which had the more strenuous approach and aimed for Dark Shadows, a four-pitch 5.8 which we did in three pitches, the last being the shortest. Super fun, the rock was super slick, steep, and black looking but the fissures provided some of the best crack-climbing ever. After rapelling one pitch, my guide let me have a go at Slot Machine (5.10c) which I got up only half way with a lot of help. We lowered down one more pitch where I climbed another sweet crack, a 5.9/5.8 who's name I've forgotten.

mem day wknd relaxation

Beat up from Orderville Canyon and the Narrows we took it easy on Saturday, found and established our campsite and rode on the Zion Park shuttle hopping off for a hike here and there. One of the highlights was Angel's landing. Super fun, the last 1/2 mile was scrambling up a narrow exposed fin up to a summit with incredible views of the valleys that converge into Zion. Unfortunatley the down hike once again tenderized my ankle.

mem day weekend on insanity

After retrieving newly washed climbing clothes from the dryer, I repacked my backpack to fly to Vegas. The gambling, shows, bling ... not so much ... been there done that, it was for a different experience. A return to Zion (National Park that is). It was blazin' hot when we arrived, after stopping by the gear rental shop we were informed our intended two-day canyoneering/backpacking route, the Zion Narrows, was closed due to high water levels. We resorted to plan B, Orderville, a technical/slot canyon. Renting wet suits for the anticipated chilly mountain run-off streams and pools we took a long bumpy ride to the plateu-y wilderness and hiked into the valley. Totally idiotic hiking into the desert wearing wet suits. We encountered a bit of a stream at first but it dried up and we encountered the carcasses of two deer. According to the park ranger, we were the first to receive a backcountry permit for Orderville this season and we ought to be prepared for the unexpected. Soon we were in the hallowed red Navajo sandstone canyons, carved layered and fluid by various water flows, but no water in sight. Half way through we ran out of water in our camelbaks. Not until two thirds of the way down Orderville, which would then link up shortly with the lower Narrows leading us back to the park, did we encounter the much anticipated water. After that it was pure fun. We had about three rappels down waterfalls and several times we jumped into cool refreshing pools. We were told Orderville water levels shouldn't be higher than our waist, but we found places with bottoms we couldn't touch with our feet. As the sun disappeared behind the steep canyon walls we finally came across the Narrows. Good news and bad news. Bad news, we should have also rented inflatable tubes. The high water level and treacherous current turned a 6 hour hike into an 8 hour ordeal as we had to cross the river multiple times or generally wade. Finally we reached the park entry, exhaused and wet, we piled onto a bus to find rest and prepare ourselves for the next day.

crag log: seneca

After barely hopping off the plane from Austin Thursday night, I stuffed my backpack full of camping goods to climb Seneca. We took off Friday afternoon and arrived at Princess Snowbird campground around 10 PM. With an early start on Saturday, my partner assured me that no matter what I was going to summit Seneca. We started with three pitches on Ecstacy (5.7) Saturday morning, had no problems on the first and second pitch but found the crux decidedly over-hangy. We traversed over for my climbing buddy to lead a three pitch slimy crack, Marshall's Madness (5.9) while I belayed and watched the double ropes dance in the fierce wind. Afterwards, we made our way up Banana (5.6), and made the final two pitch push to the summit on Gunsight (pic below--5.3). With the insane wind trying to suck us off the crag the nerve factor made it feel like an '8. After summiting we enjoyed a beautiful view of the valleys on either side. We took the Stairmaster down to the base of Seneca, which unfortunatley made my already sprained right foot tender for the next morning. Sunday we did the first two pitches of Skyline Traverse (5.3) which was oodles of fun, I was supposed to lead and plug in my shiny new pro but with the ankle I was discomforted. Sunday afternoon made it back to D.C., unpacked the backpack and started throwing my climbing clothes in the laundry . . . .

day three

You know I'm going to miss Austin. I've had an awesome time. When I said goodbye to my travel companion/colleague this afternoon, I admit I was a bit sad, thinking well there goes company. But I had climbing to look forward to. Originally I booked a guide through Aspire Adventures, but due to schedule changes I had to make last second alternative arrangements and was iffy about the whole thing anyway (you know strangers, sprained ankles, etc.). But the whole experience exceeded my expectations. It just reaffirmed in general rockclimbers are super cool warm friendly down-to-earth people (despite the vertical acrobatics we like to display while scaling impossibly sheer-looking cliffs). Through a local of a friend of a friend, I was hooked up with several UT Austin rockclimbers and we headed to Greenbelt. Being guys they were intent on pushing their limits and for a warm-up linked up a couple 5.9's. Even though I have never even cleaned a 5.9 much less completed one, they were super encouraging and the limestone was great. The downside, the mosquitos loved me and I forgot only 99 % DEET works in woodsy areas. Afterwards, in repayment to my new friends and their beta with a round of drinks, I was treated to some great Mexican, Polvo's. Awesome.

Last night I had barbeque at Stubb's, but I am tempted to say I've had better BBQ in D.C., the hightlight of the night was a seeing a rock-bluesy band at Nuno's on 6th St. who polished off their set with one of the most awesome rendition of Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child. Hell yeah, I'm down with the blue dot in the red state where bumper stickers commonly say, "Keep Austin Weird."

austin, texas

Austin is awesome. When people ask if I would consider relocating, I have to be honest, I would be hard pressed to move away from D.C. where my heart is, namely my family and friends. BUT, I would retire in Austin. It's an awesome little city and seems very un-Texas to those of us who's impressions of the independant republic are formed by the left-wing media. First, people are super friendly. The local airport has only local Austin eateries, like Amy's ice-cream, and the local BBQ joint. One is hard pressed to find bad food in Austin, we had amazing Tex-mex at Z'Tejas Grill. Also Austin well-deserves its reputation for live music. Monday night driving through downtown, there were at least three venues blaring live music into the street. We stopped by the Elephant Room, a long basement smoke-free bar featuring live music 365 days of the year. It wasn't the honky tonk jazz or blues one necessarily associates with Austin, but more the acoustic funky rock jazz. Not bad for a Monday night. Interestingly enough, (as an aside) there are men behind me speaking in Texas southern drawl spewing expetives about the current administration, its foreign policy, and the Texas National Guard.

signals knob (near Elizabeth's Furnace)

Not on how I sprained my ankle during my two weeks of respite from grad school, but rather the otherwise enjoyable circumstances around it.

since I started it, 'g'

The 'G' (gentrification) word, getting more attention!

Some tidbits, one girl living in the U St. corridor and adapting to the 'life-style' there.

Washington Post article regarding a 12 year old DC resident's thoughts on the issue.

As Maria, Tamika and Monique started thinking about gentrification, they grasped the complexity of the phenomenon. "It's really case by case," Maria said. "It's not always bad and not always good. It really depends on how you look at it."

our lolitas

I saw "Hard Candy." An art house film and not atypical from what I've come to expect from Lion's Gate films. Anyone will tell you pedophilia is horrible and few people care to tackle the dicey issue. But watching this movie made me think of J. Lo's "Enough." Why? Same 'big white elephant' issue put into a movie but not being necessarily true to the real conundrums of the issue. Mainly, dealing with human beings who are more complex than the caricatures of the monstrosities they represent. "Enough" is mainly about a battered wife and her abusive husband, and "Hard Candy" is about a pedophile and an extremely vengeful righteous teenager. There were parts of the movie where I wanted the pedophile to get away from the teenager who literally tortured him (Abu Ghurayb style). Hey maybe it is just me, but a bonus for the movie for making me realize I'm not into the whole eye for an eye thing.

manipulated

We all manipulate: our friends, family, bosses, co-workers, etc. Of course its a rather dark way of looking at human relationships and I agree with some people who are fans of "The Art of Seduction," a heartless book on how to exploit others to one's advantage, probably contains a useful study on the modus operandi for some human vampires. I honestly haven't the heart to read the book, but some have already enlightened me with readings from its passages.

Despite all the things I whine and moan about, I am an optimist. There's a part of me that believes in the goodness of human beings, and is always hopeful I'm seeing the best of people. So when I think someone is playing games with me, and puts on a 'good' face, and then I suspect I've been had, I am horribly disappointed and go hard on myself for falling for it. Seems I'm a rarity when it comes to believing in the goodness of humankind, most people I've had this discussion with are pessimistic and have the belief that we are all sinners and need to be saved or forgiven. I know being an 'optimist' about humans and the intentions behind our behavior probably makes me pretty susceptible to manipulation. I usually trust the people I care about and who I believe care about me will not exploit my optimism ... yes it makes me more open to manipulation ... but when I realize what's going on .... well ...

dreamz

You ever found yourself unable to wake out of a dream? This morning it happened, probably because I took Benadryl. Not that I want to turn this into a journal of my nocturnal subconscious visions, but in the dream I was supposed to go to a conference for work, specifically to Khartoum in The Sudan, and a second week in Greece. My flight was supposed to leave Saturday, but I only make it to the check-in counter 5 minutes before and they don't allow me to pass. I buy another ticket for Sunday, and for some reason I forget I'm supposed to be at the airport at 3 PM but don't realize this until 5 PM.

On Monday I go to work and try to find my supervisors to ask if its too late for me or if I should go. In my hurry, I'm feeling out of it, and park my car in the handicapped space in the garage (two places I'm definitely not supposed to park). My boss tells me to not worry about it anymore and then I find out my car has been towed.

I couldn't wake out of this dream until 10 AM even though I went to bed at midnight. A towed car and two missed flights to destinations I've never been before. Odd.

moratorium

I propose a ban on the use of the word 'gentrification' when describing the displacement of D.C. residents by upper-middle class professionals in certain neighborhoods. Gentrification makes me think of 'landed' gentry ... like before women's and black suffrage, in the initial years of American democracy where only the 'landed gentry' could elect the leaders of our great country. It smacks of elitism, oversimplification of the problem, patronization, and for some reason interjects horrible memories of the L.A. riots inspired by the beating of Rodney King. People who use the word gentrification seem to think of themselves as 'gentry,' and I despise it because it accredits someone who is allegedly well educated some kind of superiority over another human being. So I guess all that education couldn't lead the DC 'gentry' to think critically of how all the resume bullets have inflated themselves to what they despised in Virginia and Maryland (namely self-segregation and homogeneity) and inspired them to move into the real, in-your-face, multi-ethnic, multi-age, myriad of experience, uber-diversified community we know as D.C.

old convention center

DCist beat me to it. Sunday walking home from Chinatown without a thought to how I was going getting into my apartment without keys, I was snapping crappy mobile pix of the new artsy walk way. Too bad my t-mobile pictures subscription expired and I can't send them to myself anymore.

compulsive disorders

I think I'm getting addicted to rockclimbing. Like I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUTSIDE and climb. Work, school, and even social events like parties and keeping up with friends over dinner have become a hindrance and nuisance to my climbing schedule. Last year I started out by promising myself at least a few hours of climbing each week. Most of the time I ended up climbing one day during the weekend and one night after work during the peak season. This year I seem to have met some hard-core climbers who are spreading their infection to me. Already I've devoted at least one 1/2 a weekend day to climb. I'm already trying to put in as much after work climbing and think getting into work at 5 AM to jet at 1:30 PM is not a bad idea if I can get some rock under my skin!

I'm hoping part of this is an effort to make sure I'm well prepared, mentally and physically to meet the rigors of climbing the highest mountain in the lower 48 states come July. Mt. Whitney will decide whether I pursue moutaineering.

# 9: Housewarming

Delightful. I have to exercise my creative brain muscles since all I've been writing are dry term papers and products for work. But yes, DC film fest's closing feature, "Housewarming," was just excellent and wonderful, a perfect note to end the District's cinematic annual event. I would maybe write why I think you ought to see it, however I'll leave you with the dedication from the lead actress, 'to the immigrants who enrich our lives ...'

I'm not an immigrant but my parents are and with all the protests, strikes, and political harbingering in DC about immigration laws, the film is very timely. I look around my apartment, and there is not a lot of Bengali cultural influence I see. Instead there's a replica of a Hummingbird guitar hung on my wall, a few Rajput art prints, Korean folk art prints, a touch of Picasso and Van Gogh, and my own eclectic penchant for zebra stripes, beige microfiber upholstery, and metal and glass touches. Yes, multi-culturalism has enriched me as the daughter of immigrants, and I continue to look forward to their contributions. Right now, the protests remind me and revitalize the notions on which this country was built on, namely our founding fathers who saw these lands as sanctuary from persecution and the adventure of economic opportunity.