Photos by rock_rookie

These folks were walking their black lab and yellow lab through the canyons at the Second Pullout. It was totally entertaining to watch the agility and dexterity of the dogs! The owners had a hard time keeping up.

We had not been to Mt Charleston before... the tour was our rest-day activity.

The guy taking the pic (my boyfriend) keeps yelling at me to "Look up! Look up!" I thought he was giving me beta - really he was wanting the belayer to smile for the camera... can you spot the belayer?

Todd spent too many pitches in his brand new rock shoes (5.10 Mojaves)... They did the job perfectly, but left his feet a psychedelic shade of pumpkin...!

The clouds rolled in low over Mt Wilson and Rainbow Mtn... glad we didn't pick this day for a long-approach multi-pitch route!

Getting the packs ready for yet another blue-blazer day in Red Rocks!

My boyfriend's father sent a 5.8 - it was the first time he had climbed, EVER!! He is 62 years old, wore bluejeans and borrowed climbing shoes... I am very impressed! Let's hear it for him!!

Silouhette of Todd on Spring Break, a stellar 11c gear route in Icebox Canyon.

Rainier looks surreal, from the Seattle waterfront. It definitely dominates the horizon!

The large ice cliffs on the Emmons Glacier were very beautiful. This pic of a party descending is taken from our camp at Emmons Flats.

Sunset from our camp at Emmons Flats, on Mt Rainier.

This is our camp at Emmons Flats, on Mt Rainier.

Demonstrating the 'head jam' method of resting, J Mills takes a well-deserved break on Sunny & Steep, a 12a on the Sunny & Steep Wall in the Calico Basin Area.

J Mills moves quickly up the rock on Sunny & Steep, a 12a on the Sunny & Steep Wall in the Calico Basin Area.

Ross Berg uses a heel hook to pull up over the bulge on The Grinch 12c at Holiday Wall in Sandstone Quarry.

Ross Berg is strong as he leads The Grinch, a pumpy 12c, at the warm, sunny Holiday Wall in Sandstone Quarry.

This is Todd, at the crux of Genesis, on the Main Wall in Jack's Canyon.

Todd snapped this pic of me checking our locale on the topo map, while were making our way to Amethyst Lake from the Waites-Gibson Hut. Mt Clithroe is in the background - I'm thinking it would make for some nice ski-touring terrain in the winter!

Here I am, smiling, thoroughly enjoying my first traditional climb! This is on Constellation, in the Ghost near Cochrane, AB. The day was +28C, and the smoke from some controlled burning near Banff rolled into the valley at about noon and just hung there (hence the hazy background). My amateur photographer goof - I had this roll of SLIDE film developed as regular photos! oops - this pic in full color would have done it more justice.

This is me, leading Ride the Wild. This is my favorite climb in the Mine Area so far.

The guide book gives this 10b three stars - calls it 'one of the tallest and most classic routes in the Mine Area'... I did think the route was fun, but I have to say the volcanic rock was a shock to someone whose fingertips are used to smooooooth quartzite and limestone!!

I was eagerly eyeing up Brenta Spire (behind me) from this vantage point atop Crescent Spire - and I'm hoping we get back down to the glacier before the storm rolls in!

I took this pic of Todd and Ken when we got to the top of Lions Way. Everyone is smiling in spite of the rapidly approaching lightning bolts and cracks of thunder!

Here are the stragglers - the ones who chose to WALK down, rather than glissade. You can see the path left by the kamakazis who were completely soaking wet by the time they reached the moraine.

We are having a well-deserved lunch on the summit of A2. If you look closely, you can see the ninja turtle figurine, stuck in the rock just behind my head. What a stellar day this was!

Travelling on Boundry Glacier, to reach our objective, A2 - a subpeak of Mt Athabasca in the Columbia Icefields.

Here I am, still smiling, complete with a 40lb pack, about 10km into the 20km hike to the Waites-Gibson Hut in the Tonquin Valley. This was my first big backpacking trip, and I swear it was UPHILL BOTH WAYS!!! ;)

I'm not catching much, but the scenery is so beautiful, I just don't care! This is on Amethyst Lake, in the Tonquin Valley near Jasper, AB. The owner of a remote fishing camp graciously offered us the use of a rowboat for the afternoon.

This is Brad on Betty Cracker, a fun 5.9 on Cracker Jack Wall in Jack's Canyon. We were like lizards on the rock this day - the temps in the sun were scorching!

Todd and I sit at the top of Trad Rock, in the Cochise Stronghold, AZ. Our buddy says he expects to see some sort of jungle animal running around in the background - the landscape reminds him of an African safari. Definitely a unique place!

This is the tree start on Hairs on Fire, a 10b on Rad Rock in the Cochise Stronghold, AZ.

I love this pic - it my brother-in-law's first time climbing, and I marvel at his intense concentration. This is on Ol Solo Meo (5.6) at the Mine Area in Queen Creek.

Castle Mtn has an amazing, composting outhouse, around the buttress from the small hut. This is the unbelievable Bow Valley view you have while 'taking care of business'!

Todd is 6'2" - so is the cairn at the summit of Eisenhower Tower! Castle Mtn is located in the Bow Valley, near Banff, AB.

Me on the summit of Eisenhawer Tower, on Castle Mtn, in the Bow Valley near Banff, AB. Rockbound Lake is in the background. It was a blue-blazer day!

This pic of Ken and me was taken about halfway up the hike into the remote Conrad Kain Hut. The trail is tough, fairly steep, but the lure of Snowpatch Spire kept us moving!

The Bugaboos are heavenly granite spires, hidden within the Purcell Range in British Columbia. The climbing is fantastic and the views are surreal!

This spectacular range is called The Ramparts. Amethyst Lake is nestled at the base of these quartzite beauties, deep in the Tonquin Valley near Jasper, Alberta.

Interesting rock formation at Lower Looner Land, at the Mine Area in Queen Creek, AZ.