After returning to the US late Nov 5 homeless and jetlagged, I went to Montana (place of origin) and stayed with my mother for more than two months. During this time, I started and finished writing a travel guide for the iPhone (available in the iTunes app store under "Wasatch Skiing Essentials)...
During this time, I also experienced no less than broken memory sticks and motherboard, 9 days of fever flu, MCL + meniscus "crunch" (drop-kneeing in the gym), another two week cold/flu, timing belt and engine seals replacement on Subaru, broken camera, broken external HD, lost Blackberry, front break replacement on car, a 520 Swiss Franc fine for being in the Schengen District too long (you don't know what it is, either? yeah. I do now), mmm... oh, and a dog "fight" in which my dog nearly dismembered my mother's finger and killed her dog.
Not surprisingly, I'm about a month late departing on a North American tour. Leaving SLC today. First stop: Southern Utah. Zion, then Moe's Valley.
My friend, Patrick Purcell, turns 51 this weekend and wants to celebrate by climbing 51 pitches in a day. He tried for 50 last year at Indian Creek, but had laryngitis, bronchitis, a sinus infection, and a very sick daughter. So showed up late, climbed sick, and "only" got 40 pitches. This year, he's going for the full 51 (allowing himself to repeat pitches). We'll climb at the Touchstone Buttress (lots of single-pitch routes), not at Indian Creek (as the weather is supposed to be cold and wet this time around).
Next, Moe's Valley. A good crew is rolling down from SLC and from Flagstaff. So we'll have lots o' crashpads.
I'll be tripodding for a while, but am definitely still psyched to get out and climb! Like Peter said, "Bring me a new year!" I feel like 2009 has been a bit delayed in leaving, but is (hopefully) finally on its way out.
-Christine Balaz
