Bugs... I LOVE Bugs...

 Steve Under one of the Big Sequoia trees in the Merced Grove.

These things are so freaking cool.

Close up view of the bark of a Sequoia tree. Which I learned today is basically hollow to protect the trees from fire.

There were some very tired critters curled up in the road.

Hetch Hetchy, The next couple photos are from a trail that skirts the left bank of the lake.

Grass and Stick. Ohhhhh Ahhhhhh

TREE

One of the falls on the Hetch Hetchey trail. 

Ok, So.. Krystina left me.... yeah i know it was for a great reason... Congrattttssss Laura and Michael!!!!!  Ya'll are great. But i miss my little wife... so ive been working on stuff that had to be done for the last couple days and biking some... its been cool and i just might get in shape. This photos is at the top of where i stopped yesterdays ride.  its a beautiful long cascading waterfall. the next three photos are from the ride back down the old road.

The waterfall at the top of my ride. its beautiful and cascades fro a couple hundred feet.

Move Flowers along the bike road

Some huge granite boulders and wildflowers

View from the deck of the house where we are staying in El Portal. Steve and Karen Hughes are two of the coolest people i've ever met. They have opened the doors of their house to us in a way that can only be a result of true "brotherly love" Please pray for them that God will bless them as they bless others.

My little wife at the top of 5 open books with half dome in the background.

Krystina leading up the last pitch of Munginella  5.6 in the Valley. The route is 350' tall and she lead the first and third pitches for her first trad lead ever and second valley route. she is learning really fast and really climbing well now. 

Munginella 5.6

Finishing up the 2nd Pitch of Munginella 5.6

Krystina placing her first piece of gear on lead. She got to do her first Trad lead in Yosemite.. Pretty cool. The climb is Munginella  5.6. 

Krystina on the crux of The Caverns 5.8

Krystina pulling the last part of pitch one of The Caverns 5.8 Yosemite Valley.

At the 2nd belay (200ft) this squirrel came scampering down next to me then jumped off the cliff farther down into a tree..

Yosemite Falls

yeppers!!

On the way, a little church in a valley.  (another one for you dad).

On the way to the valley from Vegas Krystina's car flipped to 200,000.... go toyota go..

My Wife!

We stayed with Joyce and John at their place in Las Vegas for a couple days before heading on into California and the Valley. Joyce is one of the best decorators i've ever met and has some really cool things in their home. Thanks guys the soft bed was awesome!! And Joyce hiked in to one of the crags with us for a day of climbing.. It was really cool and she did a great job with the 4th class scrambling getting into the climbing since brilliant Joel went the wrong way into the cliff. Joyce and John, you guys are awesome....

Desert Love

Yes these are golf balls not rocks i know!!!

Joel on Blue Sun 5.10 Indian Creek Utah

Moab to Indian Creek

News Paper Rock:  This thing has etchings from 300bc stretching all the way to "modern IDIOT markings" (BilyBobWuzHeere) carved into the face of a huge bolder with a large roof. 

The Bridger Jacks from our campsite. No cell service, No stores, No lights, No Tv...     

Hot Coals 

We were only able to climb a few routes in the two days we were there. The style is totally different then what I'm used to and though I seemed to be climbing fairly solid 10 it was a real challenge to adapt to the rock that fast. We will deff be going back... with our sunscreen and a much bigger rack. :)

After finally getting to climb our second tower we headed down to Indian Creek for a couple days. I was supposed to photograph somebody but they had a sudden change of plans so we hung out with some new friends for a couple days. The Creek is amazing, beautiful, and it seems to stretch on forever with perfect cracks.

See the little dark spot in the center of the tower? Thats Krystina repelling off the 3rd rap. She used to be terrified to be lowered 30ft. It was awesome to see her confident on this.

Summit of Castleton tower... With my wife!!!

Krystina 400ft up pulling the last move of The North Chimney 5.9 on Castleton. Krystina did an amazing job on this climb.

Finally good weather, Krystina arriving at the 1st pitch belay of the North Chimney on Castleton Tower.

I really wanted to climb Castleton with Krystina so we kept hanging out waiting out the rain. This is the morning we were supposed to climb but it rained too much the night before... right on Que. with the rest of the trip...

My Little Blue Eyes

Home sweet home on another rainy night

So Krystina decided that 2.5 miles of the practice loop was enough. This is a photo of me climbing the first of "a million" hills on the 12 mile Slick Rock trail over Moab Utah. It was one of the coolest trails I've ever seen and it really beat me silly. I would highly recommend this as a rest day activity. :P

Krystina biking the practice loop on the slickrock trail over Moab

Cozy Cozy

The Beautiful La Sals in a clearing storm

Castleton at 4am

Tape Glove Man-somewhere in western Utah

Moab Utah, my favorite place on earth.

This is a water drip that looks very much like a woman to me.

The fisher Towers, Moab Utah. The second summit from left is where we are standing in the next photos.

Krystina standing on top of the Fisher Tower's Corkscrew Summit 5.11. She Climbed the entire thing with no falls and no pulling on gear. She is improving like crazy and its really getting fun to climb with her. MY WIFE IS AWESOME!!!  for those of you that are already scared its only 400ft off all three sides except for where im taking the photo then its like 35 to the ledge im on and then drops off down the rest of the route. ;) 

This one's for you dad!!! and yes i did get straight ;)

Krystina onsighting the 5.10c first pitch of Corkscrew Summit on the Fisher Towers.

God's drip castles the Fisher Towers. Yesterday we climbed the leftmost point of the Skyline. The photos above are standing on that point. 

Dinosaur tracks!

Life in the Desert

Krystina onsighting Nervous in Suburbia 5.10a. Moab Utah

Krystina pinkpointing 30 Seconds Over Potash 5.8. She is picking up on crack climbing quite fast, Yosemite here we come!

It rained all night the first night we were in Moab and this is what we woke up too. It's amazing how the water just evaporates here God is really cool. The ground and cliffs dried in no time and we were able to climb a few routes after lunch.

It never fails, this is the most beautiful tower ever! and what a great place to camp for free.

Two of my favorite things, Krystina and Castleton Tower

awwww... 

Look in the center of the frame in the overlap of sandstone, I like these people

Mesa Verde, Cliff Palace. 

This window is OLD

Mesa  Verde National Park

Cooking dinner in the room with my great grandfathers stove. After 22 hours of driving we made it to Durango Co so exhausted we did the unthinkable and got a cheap room so we could sleep well and climb in a couple days.. Yeah, I know I gave in for the first time ever... Must be the wife ;).  Oh yeah, Monster energy drinks are the devil if you don't handle caffeine very well.