Outdoorsy

Utah is full of outdoor fanatics. I always thought I was "outdoorsy" growing up- we hiked once in a while and spent summers swimming. I had no idea what being outdoorsy meant until we moved here. Almost everyone is an extreme mountain biker, rock climber, skier, snowboarder, kayaker, camper.... the list goes on and on. It has been kind of a hard transition for my klutzy self, but I am trying. Last weekend we went with a bunch of friends down to St. George, where we spent the first day mountain biking and the second day rock climbing. We spent the rest of the time with Matt and Jill and the kids. It was a blast, minus my small panic attack. We'll get to that in a second.I have climbed in a gym before. I figured climbing outside would be the same. I was wrong. Very wrong. So just to get to the start of the climb we hiked up. I don't know how high, but it added to the freakiness. Then you climbed straight up about 80 feet, where you clipped into the mountin on this little 1 foot ledge, to get ready to do the seond part of the climb, and then the third. I was the last one to make the climb, and since I was being buhleyed from above, all I could really see was this measly rope holding me up, and I started to panic. I honestly was sure that if I slipped I would die. So by the time I reached everyone else at the first ledge, I was kind of a wreck. As much as I loved hanging out on a 1 foot ledge, 200 feet above ground, I could not stop shaking and talked them into letting me rapel down while they finished the climb. After this climb we headed over to a NORMAL climb where you actually start on the ground and buhley from below. It was FUN. I loved it. Sam was in heaven. Rock climbing is all he wants to do now. I don't mind.

Funny story: So while everyone else was finishing the first climb, I really really had to go to pee. So I slipped on Sam's flip flops, hiked around the cliff and went, camping style. I have never been good at doing this. There is no control. I accidentally got Sam's sandal. I was hiking back, about to wash his shoe, when I hear this other rock climber saying, "Where are my sandals? I know they were here!" So I ask if the ones I am wearing are his, which they are, and quickly apologize and hand them over. Some things are better left not known. Poor guy. I really feel bad. Still.