Monday, October 29th: We woke up to a light drizzle in Mount Hood National Forest. Even in dreary weather, the forest was beautiful and both of us were excited to spend the day on the wall. After a short 2 hour drive we arrived back at Smith where our 2 week break away from climbing became very apparent. We had not only lost our protective calluses, but also the security that is required in order to climb confidently. We started on 5 gallon buckets, the parks most renowned route, followed by a few others that were on the same wall. There had been palpable tension growing between Tom and I that had started right before we left for Hawaii, and although we had called attention to it, hadn’t dissipated as we had expected. Our interactions that day were a testament to each of our seething frustration, a harsh but sobering reality check. The dead silence on our way back to camp was finally broken with overdue confessions that outlined the hurt and irritability that each of us had been feeling. Our honesty about the present moment helped us soften our stubborn resistance to future reconciliation. In order for our relationship to improve, we knew that we needed to make the conscious effort to treat the other person with love rather than distaste. Spending so much time together has definitely had a positive effect on our relationship, but has also presented challenges that slowly wedge their way between us. We have found that the longer we ignore these issues, the more toxic and destructive they become. At the end of all of it, we are both unbelievably grateful to have someone that cares enough to see the other person through these hardships.
Tuesday felt as if our relationship had been completely transformed. I think that more than anything this was a result of us feeling appreciated, forgiven, and subsequently less combative. During our first climb of the day, Tom slipped before the first clip and took a ground fall. Fortunately his pride suffered the the worst of his injuries and we were in a good place to work through it. Tom was understandably tentative for the remainder of the day, but kept a positive attitude and had fun. We had met some other climbers that told us about a free campsite that we weren’t aware of. Since we had spent so many nights at the BLM land, we decided to switch it up and try somewhere new.
The place where we had camped was small and open, making it more noisy and less private than our normal spot. Although we didn’t plan on coming back, it was just fine for a night. Wednesday was quite possibly one of my favorite days that we spent at Smith Rock. We started the day on Wherever I May Roam, a 5 pitch route that offered exciting exposure and mellow climbing. After repelling off of the top, we hiked back to the car and prepared for a trail run. The loop around the rocks is 9 miles long and fairly aggressive. Tom agreed to come along and keep me company which I’m sure he regretted during the 2 miles of steep uphill on rocky terrain. The rest of the way was predominantly downhill with an open landscape beautifully illuminated by a colorful sunset. Feeling high off of an amazing day spent outside, we headed toward Redpoint to fill our growler with celebratory beer. On our way there, a mule deer ran into the side of our truck. We turned around to survey the damage and found the deer laying in the ditch, struggling to stand up. In an effort to repair the unfortunate mishap, Tom called animal control who sent someone out to perform the necessary protocol. After filling the growler, we headed to camp and played cribbage while sipping delicious beer.
We spent all day Thursday climbing, trying hard on some difficult routes. Cool Ranch Flavor was one that we worked for a long time but weren’t able to get clean. Afterwards, we jumped on Blasphemy, a tricky 11a that boosted both of our confidence. We each climbed it slow, making every effort to accurately read the sequence, which we both were able to do without falling. We ended the day on an “easier” climb that turned out to be difficult for it’s grade. With the sun setting behind us, we had limited light on already freaky holds that had us questioning our decision to jump on it. In hindsight, it positively forced us to make unprotected moves which builds mental courage and trust in your abilities. Both fried, we headed back to camp where we made chili and fell asleep.
We relaxed around camp on Friday morning before heading to Smith. Once there, I did yoga and went for a run while Tom read and journaled in the truck. That afternoon, we walked up to the area where we had hoped to climb and found Jess, a girl we had met at the climbing shop. She introduced us to all of her friends who are all really fun people. We spent the day climbing and hanging out with all of them before following them to Jess’ going away party that night. She spent the summer working in Terrebonne and is now heading back to L.A. for the winter. We couldn’t have had a better time conversing with other climbers and playing games. We ended the night feeling like we had known all of these people for a lifetime.
After a night of partying and 5 days in a row of climbing, we were content letting Saturday be a rest day. We kept it low-key, hanging out with Jess, Austin and Cory. That afternoon, the 5 of us when to a place called JC’s in Bend to play pool and foosball, then drove back to Terrebonne to hang out at Redpoint. Jess was scheduled to work, so we sat at the counter and played games. Our friends, Rachael and Derek, met up with us later, at which point we left to go camp with them in the BLM land. We had a really fun campfire with them that night; learning more about who they are and laughing about the less appealing parts of living on the road. They had only been on a few dates before deciding to move into a van and traveling for multiple months and are now temporarily settled in Bend. Veronica FaceTimed us later that night to include us in Joe’s Birthday celebration. It made our hearts smile to see everyone from home and reminded us how blessed we are to have friends that care so much.
We followed Derek and Rachael around Smith Rock the next day, trying out the projects that they’ve been working on. We both appreciated the fact that their climbing style is so different from ours, pushing us to try things that we wouldn’t normally. After a long day on the wall, Tom, Rachael and I drove back to Bend. Derek had left earlier in the day to get back for his shift at Bend Brewery. The 3 of us ate dinner at a restaurant called Taj Palace where we gorged ourselves with delicious Indian food. Afterwards, we headed to their place where we started laundry and relaxed on the couch. We slept in their driveway that night; sleeping soundly after a great weekend.
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