Vantage Weekends

No snow in the mountains, so we’ve been driving even further east to get some climbing and trail running done at Vantage.

The schedule has been:

– Drive out Friday night, set up camp before the crowds come.
– Run Saturday morning. Usually get some 10-20 miles, which has been taking us a while since we’re still exploring the area and figuring out which trails go where.
-Climb a few routes on Saturday afternoon when we get back. Get back to camp early, enjoy the desert evening. Make yummy food. Drink lots of beer.
– Climb Sunday morning.
– Drive back to Seattle.

Checked off the usual routes on Feathers, plus, finally got on Ride ‘Em Cowboy! It’s a much-hyped 5.9, and was well worth getting up early to get on. The no hands rest was hilarious, though I really wished it was up higher, where I could have used it. Really fun and pumpy upper section.

Also climbed ‘Vantage Point’, a 5.8 route I’ve wanted to check out for a while that was also, surprisingly, not yet being climbed. It’s a great place to start the day, and there were quite a few other moderate, tall, sport climbs on Sunshine Wall right nearby.

Running was excellent — we’re starting to figure out which trails go where, which is helpful as the network of jeep trails there webs across both sides of Silica Road, and sometimes deadends into private property. It’s also great mental practice — the trails sometimes feel like they go on forever: flat, with unchanging scenery.

Evening views of the Feathers from the tent.

Katy running along one of the jeep trails we explored.

Stopping for a break along the rim of Echo Basin

Echo Basin

Ely running along the rim of Echo Basin

A climber moving up a route on Sunshine Wall.

Sunset from the top of one of Feather’s routes.