You guys have some gorgeous country out there in AZ

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Oh, no, I have a long history of dirtbagging it in free or remote camping areas... except we were glamping, grilling steaks, pounding craft beers, burning heller chronic, etc., etc.

Riding dirt bikes to go climbing, especially in the Valley of the Moon and Lark Canyon (McCain Valley, Lowenbrau Pinnacle).

Didn't ya catch the second shot in my linked photo thread? The one where I'm truck camping in the Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine? Here's the link again, check it out... primo bouldering in the Alabama Hills. I also soloed that granite crag above Horseshoe Meadow the following day, it's in there too, maybe on the second page.

Outdoor Adventure Shots

That was an on-sight "tribute solo" to a friend who died an untimely death (totally unrelated to rock climbing, go figure). Perfect weather, awesome route, and I even met R.C. (Ron Collins) afterward in the Horseshoe Meadow parking lot... you know him, by any chance?

Pretty good climber, I think he might have written a guidebook for the Alabama Hills... he said he put up a shitload of routes there, but he might have been "stretching" the truth, lol. Still a funny guy, just like me, so we got along for the relatively short time we were talking...

ENJOY THE SHOTS, THERE ARE SOME OTHER COOL CLIMBING VENUES IN THERE TOO, LIKE VEDAUWOO, WYOMING, AND MT. LIVERMORE, TEXAS, A ROCK CLIMBER'S PARADISE!!! NO SHIT, JUST LOOK AT THE PHOTOS, LOL... CHEERS!!!

 

[Sidewinder]

Trashin' around the Stronghold... actually, these two areas are relatively small compared to the overall complex, but that's what makes the Stronghold so cool, you can find all kinds of places where there's nobody else around. If ya don't feel like socializing, keep driving down the dirt road, lol...












Maybe I'd better break these photos into multiple posts to make sure they upload with no problems. Those climbing shoes of mine have some wear & tear on 'em, they've been with me on many adventures. Y'all like my chalkbag with little John Deere farm tractors on it? In the world of trucking, it's a grievous insult to call some hand's rig a "farm tractor"---them's fightin' words, lol. So when I saw the chalkbag, I automatically bought it, never seen another like it so maybe mine is the only one, WOOHOO!!! Oh, yeah, BTW, that's the hiking trail that leads toward the Sheepshead, you'll get a closer look in a moment.

 

[Sidewinder]

Round #2 of Stronghold pics:










Back in a moment with more shots...

 

[Sidewinder]

Round #3 of Stronghold pics:












Pretty cool little trail, plenty o' scenery... and at times, you can look over and say to yourself, "Hey, there's Tombstone!!!"

This was simply a recon to get a closer look at the Sheepshead... there's a 5.8 route called "Ewephoria" on that dome, and I'm thinking of doing it once I find a partner with a rack o' gear, lol. All I have right now are my ultralight summit pack, two pairs of climbing shoes, and my trusty John Deere farm tractor chalkbag... plus heaps of regular field gear. Meh, maybe I'll solo that route, but I'd rather do it roped due to my age and a couple of permanent injuries sustained over the decades. Injuries unrelated to climbing, I mean... funny how that works.

Oh, yeah, that one shot just shows some critter's burrow alongside the trail. I snap plant pics too, that living Christmas tree was primo, I have another shot of it, lol. Best kind of Christmas tree there is: alive and flourishing in the high desert, with no dipshit taking an ax to it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against logging when it's done right, as we need the lumber, but some trees should just be left the fuck alone... and this evergreen is one of 'em. Again, and I can't stress this enough, this area is just one relatively small part of the Stronghold complex, the huge natural stone fortress literally sprawls over square miles, it's an impressive place.

 

[Sidewinder]

Round #4 of Stronghold pics:












Damn, I like that Christmas tree, lol... and that young barrel cactus was cool too, very colorful. All shots after the barrel cactus were taken in a new location, a little farther up the dirt USFS road that runs along the base of the Dragoons. I just randomly chose a boulder outcrop and hauled my lunch up there to mack and enjoy the scenery... you can almost see my Camry left of center in the last photo, hiding behind a tree. I didn't even notice that other rig until I started up the outcrop, I guess those folks were off hiking somewhere. That's another thing I like about the Stronghold: you can simply park and climb some nearby outcrop to fuck around and have a picnic, or you can equip yourself and head farther into the wilderness to find REAL solitude, lol. There are SO MANY CHOICES, it's fucking insane... don't like this particular place? Fuck it... NEXT!!! And off you go, lol.

OKAY, LEMME SEE WHAT ELSE I HAVE, I THINK THERE ARE JUST A FEW PICS LEFT FROM THIS EXCURSION...

 

[Sidewinder]

Round #5 of Stronghold pics:












Since I mentioned my farm tractor chalkbag, I might as well include a few tractor shots to round out this final post... this primo collection can be seen in St. David, not far from the VW Bug in my avatar, lol. It's a pretty cool assortment, definitely makes a statement here in Redneck Land. Yesiree, ya gots cool scenery on the way to and from the Stronghold, lol... same goes for the east side, there's cool shit over there too, and cool stuff to see en route. Could be worse, I could be looking at Compton, North Philly or the Lower Fucking Bronx, lol... meh, "I'LL TAKE FARM TRACTORS FOR $500, ALEX!!!"

TIME FOR ANOTHER COLD BEER, Y'ALL BE GOOD... HOPE YA ENJOYED THE STRONGHOLD EXCURSION, ONE OR TWO SMALL PARTS OF IT ANYWAY. COOL VENUE, THE STRONGHOLD ROCKS!!! NO PUN INTENDED, LOL...