You Gotta Know When to Hold ‘Em

You walk outside and look at the sky. The change from an hour ago is incredible. Where there had once been bright blue there are now towering clouds, sure signs of heavy moisture in the air, as it is only 10:30 in the morning. Afternoon thunderstorms are normal during the summer in Colorado, but this is a little uncalled for. Looking toward the crag we wanted to go to, it was clear that clouds had moved into that valley. Maybe it would be ok, but that’s 30 minutes of driving, plus a 20 minute hike. Seems like a lot to get bouted. Looking north, hard to tell what’s going on, but again, would rather not drive an hour to sit around in caves. So to the south we go, because it’s the closest crag with the shortest approach, and if we get rained on, no big deal. As we hike up, it looks like all hell is about to break loose, with dark purple clouds hovering over the tower ramparts of the crag. We climb the first pitch in a light drizzle, determined to persevere unless it really unleashes on us. By the time I clip the anchors, the rain has stopped, and we enjoy a full day of climbing in cool and dry conditions. When the evening comes we head back into town, where we’re greeted by more rain that appears to have been there all day. A smile lights on our faces, knowing we took a gamble, and it paid off. We hope our other friends out climbing that day had similiar luck.