Camp and Climb

I had a wonderful weekend!  I got to spend alllllll weekend with the boyfriend (which doesn't happen too often) so I was happy as a clam.

We decided to go camping and climbing.  

I love love love camping.  

I love campfires.  

I love going to sleep smelling like campfire.  

I love s'mores.  

I love camping food. 

I love sleeping outside.  

I love the smell of the forest.  

I love being disconnected from my phone/computer.

I LOVE it all!

Friday we found the BEST campsite in Castle Crags State Park.  It was a beautiful campground and we got the BEST campsite there.  Really.

We cooked an amazing BBQ Chicken/Corn on the Cobb Dinner (with S'More dessert, of course).  Then we made sure to get to sleep early because we had to get up early on Saturday morning.

 (Real men make fire)

Saturday we woke up bright and early, ate a full breakfast, then headed off to begin the Castle Crags journey.  The information regarding the approach wasn't plentiful so we wanted to give some extra time.  Good thing.

We began our approach, and at first I was optimistic.  Hiking a steep hill, sweating from places I didn't know you could sweat from (Aaron's butt was soaked), and loving the burn in my butt from hiking such an incline.  After half an hour I asked, "Are we there yet?"  Nope.  And who knows when we will be.  I continued to ask this question until finally we broke free from the forest and saw Mt. Hubris.  IT WAS SO FAR AWAY!  Like we-are-never-going-to-make-it-unless-we-get-a-go-cart far away.

 (See... SO FAR AWAY!!)

 (Aaron trying to snap a picture, but I was BEAT)

(Aaron at the beginning-ish part of the trail)

(That's what we climbed!!)

We never got a go-cart.  All we got was sweat soaked clothes, a good butt workout, and a hankering for ice water (with  lemon please).  Since the information regarding the approach was so minimal, we didn't really know where the trail broke off to head to the base.  All we saw was manzanita bush. 

So we bush-whacked it.

And I have a million bruises to prove it.  I think each Manzanita bush was personally out to get me, and I can't count the number of times I yelled, "owwww mother EFFER!"

Aaron:  "You ok?!"

Me:  "Yes *says in a pouty fashion* but owwie"

Me again 5 minutes later: "Ahhhhhh OUCHHHH!"

Aaron:  "Babe what happened!"

Me:  "Manzanita Bush bit me *says in a pouty fashion again*"

I've realized, I can be quite the drama queen.

FINALLY we get to the base.  It was such a long approach!!!  But I couldn't wait to climb.  The route looked amazing, and I wasn't let down the least bit.  

The route was beautiful.  It was 6 pitches total, and the hardest being a 5.6 [so it was fairly easy :-)].  It was wonderful the entire time.  I slipped only once, and I completely blame myself.  See, have a knack for picking out the HARDEST way to go up the route.  So after I slipped I thought, "shoot, I wonder how Aaron did this" and looked over to see his protection on the other side.  I had to traverse over but I finally got it... on the actual route (not my made-up-harder route).  

After we finished, the views were amazing.  We sat on top for a while snapping photos and taking in the view.  We made sure to get a picture with Shasta in the middle.

(This is me!)

(And this is me doing a happy dance)

After we rapelled and decended, we hopped in the car, purchased more fire wood, and had a dinner of champions:  Hot Dogs and Veggies.

Did I mention I love camping?

I a