Melissa i
Strong

Chattanooga to Hueco 
We got a little taste of the south, but just a little, and now we are bailing on our trip ten days early due to the weather.  We took three rest days, hoping to wait out the doom and gloom forecast, but it only got worse.  It’s not so bad, we are just going back to Hueco!  We had a great trip–just wish we had more time.  At one point, we emailed our landlady to see if we could keep our wood-paneled rented paradise in East Chattanooga a bit longer.  Dazzled by the extremely textured sandstone, we thought this was simple genius planning: leave Hueco when it turns into a hectic scene and enjoy this southern paradise—so easy—we might have even chuckled at our friends camping in the snow in Hueco until oh right it can rain in the south and for awhile.  It went beyond sticky damp and has become unpleasantly dank, so we are out in the morning with seven days of in the forecast.  In two days—good lord willing—we will be back in our fifth wheel of paradise in front of West Mountain.
One of the proudest ascents of the trip was Wickwire sending Golden Harvest V10, which I missed, but I have some other images of the problem.  Our sunny days were limited, and I split two tips, day one and two—thin skin from Hueco that the sandstone continued to wear.  I was getting a feel for the place and hoping to return to a few problems, but maybe next year.  We climbed with friends and had a break from the desert.  Also, I got to climb with an amazingly strong, impressive young woman—Shauna Coxsey.  With an injured finger and coming back from a broken leg she was able to take down some problems—here is a video of Shauna cruising The Orb V8 (not using the “off hold”). I also cheered her on as she sent Biggie Shorty, V10 in three tries, but unfortunately, I did not pick up the camera.  Inspiring!
The different styles of climbing presented a challenge that I know was good for me, but I am looking forward to getting my fingers behind some steep iron crimps of Hueco! One day, I hope to be well-rounded :)