The last time I was at McMenamins Edgefield was… Ohh man, it must have been one of the “Worst Day of the Year” runs! So… 2019? Maybe 2020?
Interestingly, it was also the first spot I saw a concert in Oregon, if my memory serves – Brandi Carlisle, as one of the last concerts of Summer 2015.
Well, that was one of the last concerts of the summer… but this is the first! The National, one of Jess’ favorite bands, kicked off the Summer Lineup – no way I was going to miss seeing a new band as the start of the heat!
Not too much to say, aside from that it was super fun.
We relaxed (thanks to Jess bringing chairs!) We ate delicious concession food (A bavarian pretzel, pulled pork, and a burger!) and we appreciated the warmth and the Sun for as long as it lasted.
See, that’s the joy of working a white-collar job as an engineer – I have vacation time, and I can use it for strange things. Like, say, helping my friend climb 36 routes in a day before her 37th birthday!
Yep, Bri’s turning 37.
I fully supported her goal of climbing one route per year on Earth – I left work around 2pm, and headed over to the gym. Bri and Lea had been climbing for an hour or two by then, and were optimistic about how long the climbing would take… I was a bit more cautiously optimistic, since I know how much fatigue can begin to wear on a climber, but I came prepared.
Snacks, protein shakes, drinks, and the promise of glorious tacos for dinner came with me.
Routes were climbed.
Hours ticked by, and numbers increased. Climbing slowed, but didn’t stop. We persisted, through energy and fatigue, we persisted.
22 routes were climbed by yours truly. – 3x 5.9 routes, 3 on Lead – 16x 5.10 routes, 8 on Lead – 3x 5.11 routes, 2 on Lead
By the end, we were absolutely spent.
But you know what that means? It meant we got extra dinner. Just… so much dinner. Tacos, nachos, quesadilla, chips, and water. So much water.
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday – 25-May-2023, 26-May-2023, and 27-May, 2023
Historically, I used to go on big Memorial Day adventures – trips to Acadia, flights to France, adventures in Joshua Tree, and recently a drive down to Sacramento. This year, though, I kind of needed some rest and relaxation… Life, the Universe, and everything has been a heck of a time, and some downtime was exactly what the doctor was ordering.
Monday, 27-May-2023
Jess and I went climbing! At Ozone! Again!
It’s simple, right? I’d lived in Portland for ages, but how often did I actually get to go climbing outdoors? Not that often… though I will admit that, in retrospect, I did get out a fair bit… it always felt like a major objective, some huge challenge to get out into the outdoors to climb.
Now, it seems quick. A drive to Ozone isn’t long, even though I live further South than I did before. Maybe it’s not having to commute during the week, that lets me appreciate the drives a bit more?
Meh, who knows. We got to climb!
Memorial Day had been chill – biking around on Saturday, lazing around the house on Sunday… I was ready to stretch out and get some climbing in!
The Routes: – Old Toby, 5.7, Trad, Lead! – First Breakfast, 5.8, Trad, Lead! – Second Breakfast, 5.9, Top Rope! – Prancing Pony, 5.7, Trad, Lead!
And… that was it.
We didn’t do that many climbs, truth be told… and even then, I’m not 100% certain that the routes I wrote above are correct. I didn’t actually take notes, this time, and I frankly can’t quite remember why… Either way, I’m very certain that we did get out and get to climbing.
Why am I so sure?
Because, dear reader, I remember the picnic we had next.
After climbing, we drove down the road a little bit, off the main highway, and found a spot to rest.
Jess laid out the spread we’d bought the night before – a meat and cheese plate, with crackers and jam and drinks and… my ohh my. It was seriously amazing! We ate, we drank, we chatted, and I even flew my drone around a little bit… getting one or two good pictures of your favorite picnic-eers.
