Well the tourist season has come to a close. The streets are empty, the air is quite. It's my favorite time of year. My last day of work is tomorrow, Friday Oct. 30 and just like last year I'm so excited that I'm done here but at the same time, it's always bitter sweet leaving. This winter is going to bring some new adventures, life changing experiences and memories that will last a life time, and I can't wait to get started.
With all these great trips planned, the past few months have been hard, always looking to the future, and being excited for things that feel like they're never going to happen. Well they're happening now. Halloween weekend is only the kickoff. Spending the weekend at my favorite camping spot, climbing in one the most amazing areas in the world, while being silly and climbing in costumes, then starting full time work at the climbing shop. Then we fly off to Hawaii for a thanksgiving that'll be one for the books. Christmas with my folks, in Sedona, or has the climbers call it SENDona, and the mountain bikers call it SHREDona. Needless to say our Christmas will be everything but normal. One more week of trade shows after that, then we're off on some over seas magical climbing trip.... a magical climbing trip the doesn't have a destination yet. I'm a little stressed about it. Currently we have decided on Greece, which I'm thrilled about. Climbing on the Greek Islands, and taking in the beautiful history and culture of the main land. It's going to be awesome. After six weeks abroad we're back in Moab to start the whole process over again. Working ourselves away during prime season, and taking trips when it's too hot or too cold, for the tourist.
I know it sounds like I complain a lot about the tourist industry and I really shouldn't, it's what keeps this town alive. Without tourist we'd all just be a bunch of hippies, livin' in a van down by the river, riding bikes and climbing rocks. Sometimes I wish that's how it actually could be. But it's not and if I want to live in Moab for the rest of my life I better get use to it. And winter vacations will have to become a routine.
Aside from me complaining more about my job and tourist and things like that. There has also been a change of heart in our small climbing community, between young guns, and the heavy hearten legends. The recent passing of a climber named Billy, long time climber and pioneer of the area, and a family friend has brought new light to some long standing climbing traditions. Every year on his birthday Billy would climb this tower in the Fishers area just east of Moab, called Ancient Art. This year I did Billy's birthday climb with him, that was my first time on the summit of that tower, and sadly Billy's last time. During our memorial, Jimmie, Jeff, and Jamie, the closest people to Billy, passed the torch on the to me, to continue the birthday summit of ancient art every September. And my birthday isn't even in September. I'm happy to carry the torch. With young bodies and old souls, I'm honored.
I know it seems like this should have been two separate posts but to me changing of the tides, is an over all emotional roller coaster that it my life recently.