Memories

Maybe it is Winter with all the snow and wind and cold, but I tend to wander into memories this time of the year. Thinking of days past when I was out in the sun and real stone, a couple of friends cleaning and climbing some choss pile in middle of nowhere and nothing to do at work, because I skipped my job again. Sometimes not even calling in sick, just not showing up and climbing 10 hours a day was the life.
Among the memories of boulders from this past year, my China trip comes up often. Almost on automatic default replay setting in my mind, it flashes often in the neurons. A picture of the boulders on my work desktop helps spark it. Just a huge mountain of many, many boulders going on forever and the few I saw as I walked through that picture last May, keep me thinking of another trip there. Then, this morning almost as a thought come to life, Rocker the father of Qingdao bouldering and the first true boulderer in China put a video on Vimeo. It is a video of the little mountain Jinlingshan in the city of Qingdao. Almost a city park of sort, but a little less defined than a city park here in the States, Jinlingshan is where it all began. After work, the few Qingdao climbers who are truly devoted meet on the mountain in the city and practice the art of bouldering. It is where I was first introduced in China and where I spent many days walking and bouldering above the city. It was only  a couple blocks from my little apartment and the same for Rocker. In the third or fourth to last boulder problem, when you can look down a long street and see tall buildings in the smog, that is my old street. Great memories and great people!

 One of my favorite pics from China. Bamboo looking for boulders in another city park in Qingdao.

In addition to the China neuron flood, Bryan Vansickle past through Laramie over the Thanksgiving break and gave a little slide show. It included days past in Wyoming and some newer things from Flagstaff where he's been dispatching hard roof problems quickly. A little memory of Bryan is below for all to see.

The weather is shaping up, at least it is supposed to. Hopefully this weekend will make some new memories.