Hey everyone! It’s Quay-Quay again! Thanks again to Maddawg for giving me the break yesterday! We had a super late night last night, because Kyle FINALLY let us shoot off the hundreds of dollars worth of fireworks we bought during training trip. The kids had a blast shooting off Roman Candles (not at each other … we’ve learned many lessons from that) and jumping over the stationary fireworks that shot off sparks. Eventually a torrential downpour put an end to our attempted arson, but the kids were still so, so amped up!
As I said good night to everyone, they were still wide awake and chit chatting in bed. They have all adopted “Kentucky names,” and are only referring to each other by them. Niko has been dubbed Tim, and Peyton is Timmy for some reason, Gabe is Jim, Callie is Peggy Sue, Kyle is Marsh, Beans is String Bean (amazing), 2 Chainz is Herb, Daniel is Danny Daniels (but he doesn’t like it) Delivery is Martha, Meredith is Agnes, 8lyn is Bertha, Eric is Earl Breezy is Ten Toes Tubby for whatever reason. And I am so ecstatic that the name “Big Mama” has been bestowed upon me … so ecstatic.
The crew was a little split today, and for better or for worse, Kyle was absent from the wall. He needed to drop off Claire and Brendan at the airport, so he stayed behind as Ellis, Emily, Maddawg and Carson took charge of the kids and took them to the Sore Heel area. Added bonus: it was Ellis’ birthday today!! He officially turned 101 today and we are all so happy for him. So happy in fact, that 2 Chainz kept singing the “Happy Birthday” song to him constantly. Ellis said he was annoyed by “time number 2” but also that 2 Chainz “probably ended up singing it about 80 times.” As of this writing, 2 Chainz is still singing it.
Ok, the run down of the climbing today! It was a heavy pitch day for sure. Eric did 7 pitches, and demolished everything at the Shire and sent an 11 at the Courtesy Wall.
Ellis tricked Peyton into getting to last bolt on a 12a by telling him it was just a 10. Peyton literally had no idea he was on a 12 until the very last bolt.
Meredith onsighted an 11 today, and got her first outside 12 yesterday, Ro Sham Po! We are SO FREAKING stoked for her!
Gracie got 3rd lead send of the trip, another super baller achievement.
The kids all had the benefit of seeing Amarillo Sunset today, probably one of the most beautiful routes in existence. It’s an 11b, and quite a few kids got on it/sent it today. Niko flashed Amarillo ( He sent Ro Sham Po and Way Up Yonder yesterday, and Way Up Yonder is like, a mile straight of 12a climbing, it’s so dang tall) and Ner sent all these routes, too. Maggie friggin’ flashed Amarillo and Beans (also sent Ro yesterday, too!) gave it a really solid effort and got to the chains. Daniel was falling at the top of Amarillo (fell at seriously, the last move of Ro yesterday, which is actually a really common, heartbreaking thing on Ro) and Delivery worked Amarillo despite her hurt shoulder.
Kaylie did a stout six pitches, a 7, a 8 and a 9, two times each. There was a 5.7 at the Shire that probably everyone did today, because it was so fun. Just when we thought that everyone had run on it and we cleaned it, turns out there was another person who still wanted to give it a go. We probably ended up stringing and cleaning that route like, 3 times before we were actually done with it.
So funny story: I dunno if anyone knows this, but Nerr is the funniest person ever to listen to as she is climbing. Because there is so much to listen to, because she talks to herself / the rock / the belayer? / but mostly just the universe SO MUCH. Every time she is on something relatively hard, she has this ridiculous running dialog up the entire thing, about how hard it is, how the holds are bad, or SWAG she found a jug. Belaying her is so dang entertaining.
Obviously since we’re not just rock climbers, but incredibly competitive people, a couple of us made up the game “Sticks on Martin,” which is pretty much just what it sounds like. The game goes thus: pile sticks on a sleeping Martin until he wakes up BOOM END. It’s hilarious because Martin loves sticks and wakes up so excited, and freaks out trying to eat all the sticks piled on top of him.
Brendan and I split off for the morning, and had a bit of an epic — but he got some pretty sweet photos taken of him by a local photographer on a secret 14b! Let’s just say I have taken 2 showers now and my feet are still muddy and I may consider bringing a machete next time someone invites me to a “secret area.”
After Brendan, Kyle, me, Lolo and Claire headed into town to climb at the gym for a bit before dropping Claire and Brendan off at the airport. We are sad to see them go, but good luck to the two of them at Psicobloc!
We headed straight to Miguel’s after climbing, and then Dairy Queen to stock up on MORE ice cream after we destroyed two ice cream cakes for Claire’s birthday yesterday.
Tomorrow is a rest day, and I have heard talk that the milk challenge just might be a thing …
on the road with team texas 