Climbing with Andy in Zion over Thanksgiving.  
  • morning
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  • The first day we were in Zion the moon was only half full (and therefore rose in the middle of the day, except in the spring, right Andy?)
  • The Virgin River
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  • Then we went wading in an icy cold river just for kicks. Stay there a little longer so I can get a good shot Andy!
  • re-shod
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  • Shoeing up after the river to carry gear over to the base of Prodigal Son (the fist route we climbed in Zion)
  • Daunting
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  • It's a long ways to the first clip on Prodigal Son
  • Good Fortune
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  • Fortunately, Andy always carries a 6'3" partner in his back pocker for just such occasions... and away he goes.
  • and away we go
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  • Andy headed up the first pitch.
  • and up
  • Cleaning
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  • Andy cleaning the combined 2nd and 3rd pitches
  • long ways down
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  • Only three pitches up, and the land drops away below.
  • safety
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  • Andy looks for a place to clip himself into the rats nest of an anchor I set up.
  • fixing high
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  • Andy fixed the next pitch that evening, but we slept where I am standing.
  • The Boudoir
  • Bedroom window
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  • The view from the bedroom window was fantastic the next morning.
  • vertigo
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  • but it was still a long ways down
  • comfort
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  • We slept really well despite (because of?) the location.
  • mmmm, hot breakfast
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  • Cook up a little breakfast and we are good to go.
  • ingenius
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  • For those not familiar, jet boil makes a great little stove for walls (and other camping trips).
  • one more time!
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  • Andy starts leading the 6th pitch
  • The attentive belayer
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  • Me, paying careful attention to Andy.
  • whew!
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  • We didn't get to the top of the well until 6PM, from there it was a nasty 3rd class scramble to the top carrying a haulbag and various other acutrements.... then a long hike down. Here I'm taking a little break in the moon light while Andy runs to get the car (he's such a good boy).
  • rest day
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  • Rest day for us, not these guys. He is at the top of the second pitch of Touchstone (the second route we climbed), and about to lose the sun.
  • silhouette
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  • Andy and I hiked up to Hidden canyon and explored a bit on out rest day.
  • chains
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  • The hike had a pretty exposed section carved into the cliff face, so they installed a chain hand rail. I can' tell you how grateful we were to have this type of railing the night before hiking down by headlamp.
  • Moonrise
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  • Now that the moon is closer to full, it rises closer to sunset
  • petroglyphs
  • Touchstone
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  • A climber craning his neck to see his partners above him on Touchstone. We climbed it the day before, and were enjoying a day of cragging at the base today.
  • landslide
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  • An old landslide.
  • Moonlight
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  • The next day we climbed Iron Messiah and finished around dark. As such we took the opportunity to see how other parties were faring on Prodigal Son. Here you can see three headlamps on the wall, the bright orange one is at the ledge we spent a night at, the bright blue one up high is at the top of pitch 6, and a very faint one below them is in the middle of pitch 5. In the winter, Prodigal Son gets no sunlight, but plenty of moonlight.
  • Morning Light
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  • The next morning, Andy and I had a great breakfast at Oscars Cafe and took off for home
  • good bye
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  • Good bye Zion, I hope you are a little warmer the next time I venture out there.