Utah-Italy 2001 (7)

I have some good stories.. so many in fact that I'm screwed cause I only have 15 minutes left before this place closes for the day and I just want to get it all in... I have to write so often or I'll forget the details and thanks to these letters, I don't have to write so much in my journal...This is my journal... and you are my parchment! (isn't that the word?)

Let's see. Well, on a personal note, I noticed in the shower the other day that after all this hiking I've been doing, Baby Got Back is no longer my theme song! yay.. I know, disappointing for some.. you can't sing and dance on my bootie anymore - Bambi. Ha ha!! Just kidding! That was high school right.. and it was Sarah that liked to shake her booty with me.. at the Magic Attic!! Whew! What a crack! Speaking of hiking. Here's a song that comes to mind.. 'Ain't nooo stoppin' me noooow' That's all I know.

I used to peruse the guide book and talk options with Susan and Tim and think, oh mamamia, hour and a half approach.. Of course, I'd play tough and keep that to myself.. now I say, bring it on. Let's do it. Oh, is that all... Why not 2 hours, 3 hours... Come on baby! So, all those trail blazers that used to leave me in the dust, watch out. It still hurts though, just not as badly.

Ok' here's a story. Yesterday, Tim and I ...well, let's start a day earlier. Thursday night, Tim and I have a plan.... Punta Fiames...15 pitches... fairly easy climbing up this knife edge arete that overlooks Cortina and faces South. The approach is an hour and a half (yeah!) and the climbing is supposed to be classic. So the pack is loaded, the food for munching on the summit and the halfway ledge is packed, we have our water, we have our enthusiasm...and ten minutes later as the kids are going to bed, we also have RAIN!! Damn it!! But, the plan is still in place, exept this time, we'll get up at 5:30, check the weather and then decide... Denied. Until later. We get up at 8am, eat a casual breakfast with the daily coffee dosage and then decide to punch it! We reach the trail head at 9:08... start marching.. The guide says to leave the main trail just as it leaves the forest and head up and right toward the route... Just as it leaves the forest, right? Not just before it leaves the forest... Well, hello Tim!! Boyz. I swear. When they think they are right, there ain't no changin' that mind.. It went from being probably the right way to definitely the right way! So, I bit my tongue and followed. His choice of trail took us through some major bushes, in humid, post-rain conditions that left our pants wetter than if we had been caught in a rain storm. I was sweating so bad that I tied a shirt around my head. I looked just like a GI Joe figure, only I had two 70m ropes strapped to my back. I figured while I was at it, ya know, playing combat-the-juniper-tree, I better be prepared.. so I took my index, middle and ring finger on each hand, dug them into the ground and pulled three stripes of dirt across my cheeks. Now I was ready for anything that would possibly sneak attack me, like that 8 legger just ahead... Thank god I'm not aracnaphobic cause I walked through ten or so webs with spiders lingering dead center.. Their webs now exist in my armpits at this point. My pants and shirt became filled with pine'ish needles from the Juniper-like tree that I was battling on my upward journey toward the route.. all the while thinking to myself..'If only he had listened to me.. if we had only gone twenty more feet on the main trail..' Well, at approximately 10am we bumped into the main trail and had another 40ish minutes to the base of the route...which was a luxurious 1500 feet off the deck. The route's an odd one in that way. You start at this wonderfully exposed height with still 15 pitches and loads of meters to gain. Well, just barely up the first pitch and what should fall upon our little helmets... RAIN!! Claro que si!! We kept motoring, knowing we would probably be screwed but not having much of a choice. The first 6 pitches wander through some marge rock, with lots of loosies and little gear. Most of the belays were half ass, slinging boulders and stuff, so evacuation was not an option. Finally, on the 7th pitch, we get a good solid glue in anchor, resembling what other routes had to rappell from, but the rock just got great!! No turning back.. The rain had subsided so we just kept going up... Mind you, the clouds were still looming and looking ominous in the west...which, I must mention now, is where most of the storms have been coming from so far... make a mental note of that detail for later! :) So, 10 pitches up the route and the clouds from the west are beginning to leak on our heads. Then they begin to vomit all over us. Tim is half way up a pitch and SisterLightning joins the party with her bro, Thunder.. Since the next belay is on top of a huge pillar, we decide Tim should wait right where he is until the heat passes. So, I sit in a small ball on the belay ledge below, hiding in my rain coat and holding onto the rope so tightly, for some sense of relief. Tim is meanwhile clipped into a piton and crunched into a ball about 50 feet above me on a small exposed ledge. The rain turns to that heavier stuff before snow and after sleet.. Then it subsides. So, he finishes the pitch on wet run-out rock and I run up behind him. Our company on this climb are two French dudes that were supposed to go left a couple of pitches ago to do an easier line, and now they lie in our hands, following us pitch for pitch to the top, less prepared for the rain than us too!

Well, let me put you in some similar shoes for a second... Imagine you've been hiking for hours and you're just butt tired and can barely move your legs anymore, then all of a sudden your most feared enemy comes out of nowhere and starts chasing you...Suddenly, you can run faster than ever in your life.. What is that? Adrenaline, right? Well, on this climb, we weren't quite that wasted, but we are cold, wet, hungry and a little tired... Then, the monster showed its ugly face. More HUGE than I can even describe in words, the darkest blue I've seen(outside of a Crayola box) and so full of fury I almost peed my pants! It was a torrential sky monster, a storm with the potential to kill us with one breath of its fire! And it was racing in from the SOUTH!! What the hell. As we looked down on Cortina from the route, it became engulfed in this maddness. Tim's eyes popped right out of his head, like the truck driver in Pee Wee's Big Adventure... I swear! My eyes just filled with tears, not really. :) But man, did that fire get lit under our tails and we set off running. Of course at this point the pitches are at their hardest and Tim took over, leading like a madman, racing up every pitch, me in tow with the pack on my back.. We would barely talk at the belays, just clip in and go, go, go!! It was pure insanity, but we were being safe. The storm held off but it was ever-present... 85 meters to go and the lightning is decorating the sky for a celebration of some great victory of the stars. The thunder was loud as hell and lasted for seconds at a time. 40 meters to go and we were starting to smile again.... Then I hear a glorious YEEHAW echo down the gully by my side and I know the summit is just waiting for me! We made it! We got all the metal right off our bodies, shoved the packs with gear and our mouths with chocolate.. I scribbled some illegible nonsense in the summit registry to prove our slight presence and then we booked it down the trail, leaving the French in our dust...they were safe. So, we skipped along the trail, taking our time and rejoicing that on such a marginal day, we stole a great climb from the weather gods!! Against all odds. That storm just sat back and laughed as we climbed so fast.... so fast that I don't even really remember much other than pulling on holds that were shaking under my grip and on any other day would have come right out and sent me flying!

The trail down was another historical journey throughthe old barracks of Austrian War dudes...their stone walls barely in tact, but present enough to remind us of the hell they went through as they sat in the snow guarding their piece of Italy from a very defendable spot in the hills, unfortunately, they didn't plan well to get their provisions and while they starved in the mountains, 8 Italians took over Cortina and stuffed themselves with all the bread in the area.. comphy and warm. On the way down, I was so thrilled, I started to think back on the climb and sang along with John and Olivia to this tune...'I got chills, they're multiplyin'....ANd I'm loooosin' controool, cause the power that you're supplyin' is eLECtrifyin'...Better shape up, up,up...etc..... Home dry, mostly and safe! And within a half hour of reaching the car, we got dumped on like no other...sorry, our tents did. We were all cozily taking refuge in a Pizzeria, looking out as the thin crust of famous Italian pizzas left this world!!

Today, Susan and I were meant to take on some brute wall, but the weather sucked and we figured those weather gods would only be so kind, so we went sport climbing close to camp. The ratings were sandbagged and we found ourselves feeling very inadequate for sport climbing, which is a bummer for me considering that the rest of my trip in Europe will be mostly focused around sport climbing. My game plan right now is to head up to Northern Italy for some climbing in Finale... Then over to the south of France to climb inthe Verdon Gorge, Beaux and Ceuse. Weather permitting on all accounts. Then, on October 1st?? I'm still planning to meet Doug H. for some more sport climbing in Sardinia. Then, it's off to the east coast of the Carolinas again. Spain is still in there somewhere, but I want quality not quantity so I'm not going to rush from country to country... Well, I have more juice, but we'll let that suffice for now. Our very blessed time here in Cortina is coming to an end on Wednesday when the Wolfe's and I head to Florence for a few days of sight seeing...then they go their way and I, mine. I'll have to wake up via alarm clock instead of my already made coffee at 5am (by Tim) and the screaming kids at 8am on my babysitting days (3 siblings in one tent.. ouch... get'em dressed, get 'em out!) love and kisses and monster energy to you all!!

Utah-Italy 2001 (6)

Hello!! Let me take you on a quick tour of some other parts of Italy that don't involve such things as climbing... why? Well, cause I haven't been climbing!!!!!! Why? Well, cause it's raining!!!!!!! Bummer. I guess all those days when Susan and I were getting rained off from the 5th, 3rd and 4th pitches of routes, we were actually lucky, cause we could at least do that much.

At this juncture, the sun is splitting the clouds and we'll be back on the rock tomorrow, but the last few days have been rough. It's hard to find enough to do to keep one busy when no one nearby speaks your language, none of the shops are open from noon to 3:30pm and you have three small kids to entertain and the playground and pool are out of the question. Well, this is what we did...One day we went to Venice. When in Venice, hire a gondolier? Yup. Expensive though it may be, it's well worth it ... and what do I know of the costs anyway.. Venice by gondola was great. OH, what's a gondola? Well, those are the long boats that you cruise around in, with the dude on the back end holding a long, long oar. The gondoliers wear a shirt with black and white stripes, fancy enough not to resemble old school prison uniforms. They also usually wear a hat to keep the sun out. Some folks will hire an old Italian dude to serenade them while they get rowed around venice.. He'll usually have with him a woman or another partner, playing the accordian.The boats are crafted with pride and cared for by the men that steer them. They are all black and shiny. They have cool little seats in them and can take up to six or so people. But, let me not give you the wrong impression of Venice.. Along side of those romantic boats are speed boats, taxi boats and tourist sight seeing boats. Luckily, those big rigs can only ride in the Grand Canal and the gondolas can at least go through the small channels between the buildings. We got into a gondola traffic jam in a small alley way between the walls of sinking old buildings and we could see the rot that had taken place on the first floors of so many of the buildings. Apparently, most people live from the second or third floor up. It is way expensive to live in Venice and a lot of the gondoliers live back on the main land and come intoVenice to work every day. We floated past the house of Shakespear's family, Mozart, and Marco Polo. I think. Our gondolier guy said he spoke English, cause that was important for Susan to get a bunch of info on the creation and development of Venice... but he didn't speak enough English at all... so most of the tour was done in Spanish through me! We went by their Opera house which burned down five years ago and who's reconstruction will not come to an end for another five years or so. Very sad when you see how much theatre and opera mean to these people. Every shop window hosts many masks and wonderful styles of theatrical clothing... very expensive. I also saw in one shop window a real Pinocchio puppet! That was cool. I guess he is from Italy, eh? I've also been called Pinnocchio a couple of times for one reason or another. Our Italian camping neighbor, Gratziano, didn't think we should have heard about Pinnocchio in the states.. guess he hasn't heard of Disney. Back toVenice. The best part of our tour of Venice was when we got out of the gondola and walked around. We saw all the fancy shops ' Gucci, Armani, and whatever other names are big.. Like I would know.. But, the shops were super air conditioned and from what I could tell, few people shopped in them and those that did were bombarded by sales people the second they walked in the door. Meanwhile, on the outside, were the rats of society, me included, looking in with sweat dripping like butter from a hot bun...familiar?? Oh, yeah.. what's the name... oh, some music group.. AlleyCat... Io non so!
Anyway, you can walk all over Venice and you just have to cross the canal every block or so via an old bridge that gives a vista of the small canals with the gondola traffic jams. I bet it was a wonderful place to be back in the day before all the motors and tourists. Enough on Venice.. Just go!

So, one night in our boredom Susan and I went to the neighboring campsite to get some pizza. Well, we were greeted in high style by the four Italian men that worked in the bar/pizzeria. They sat us down even though we ordered to go and gave us some breadsticks. We decided to order a beer each.. Well, one beer later and still no Pizza. They asked how long, we said, give us another five minutes and another beer. We were all having a blast. Two were Italian and two were Moroccan, so between the four of us, the only exchange of language was my broken Italian and good Spanish, Susan's french and their broken English and decent French! Well, it was fun. Following the second beer, we were gifted a glass of chardonay each... following which we were given a glass of champaigne each, and then another... meanwhile, two hours have passed and Susan realized that Tim was back at camp, with the kids, starving... So, she left me in the bar and ran back with his pizza.. I sat and ate mine with a newcomer who is also from Cortina, but who spent several years with his wife and kids inWisconsin. He gladly showed me his version of the Wiz'can'sin accent. Then he told me about his divorce and how he misses his kids who are still in the states cause one of them needs special attention for Autism in Wisconsin.. Well, Susan came back and the lesson in languages continued with a little bit of pantamiming on the side.. FUN!! I love that kind of stuff!!

Finally, on our last rainey day, we dandered through a local graveyard that holds the remains of so many war casualties.. Cortina was a huge player in one of theWorld Wars... the one that happened in 1914 or something... I know!! Shush! I had shitty history teachers!! I'm sorry!!!! Anyway, this part of Italy used to be Austria until that war. We also cruised through a rad museum that had tons of war relics, fossils, old clothing and weaponry, lots of dead butterflies, beetles and moths? and a bunch of other old shit. It was cool. While walking through town in the rain this fine Sunday in Italy, it ocurred to me that ABSOLUTELY no one here neuters their dogs! Balls in my face left and right! But, to their credit, they were all on leashes and mostly well-behaved. People are weird with their dogs here. No one seemed even the least bit amused that I would walk by with a sparkle in my eye at the sight of their dogs. Not even my funny dog kiss noises could make them smile back or pause for me to pet their stinking mutts! I need dog interaction.. It's killing me!!!! Luckily, two days ago, a great dane moved in across the street from us. His name is Duka and I do get to touch him once or twice a day. His owner and his wife brought us some Grappa last night! Yuk! That shit tastes like Everclear! Me no like!!! But, when in Italy, try grappa! Ciao amicos!

Utah-Italy 2001 (5)

Hello! So, I heard from more than one of you that following my last e-mail I may have obtained status of a whacko! Yay! I achieved my ultimate goal in life. Do you just love me!!?? I'm crazy. Here we go again...My it's been so long.

I'm buzzing on a stein of a Pilsner type beer that I just slammed following the 18!!!!!! pitch route that Tim and I just ticked today in a matter of ocho (8) hours today... not counting the hour up and down hiking. Ouch, my knees! The climbing was great! Absolutely Grand! It was on a peak called Tofanna that is absolutely impossible to miss from anywhere around here. Every day we look up at it from camp and from every climb I've done so far, I see Tofanna! And today, I sumitted Tofanna! We did this casual route with only a few scary pitches. Questioning my mortality wasn't even an issue today. It was just plain fun. Well, besides that..I'm a mental Giant right now. This place is so good for me. I hung it out over some crazily exposed spots with gear dangling far in my past and I wasn't even fazed. In fact, the holds on this one pitch were so kick-ass that I could shape a line for Pusher or Franklin based soley on that pitch. The only shitter of the route was that as we began up the first pitch, this Italian woman and her Austrian lover came along with every intention of passing us, but without so much as a mention one way or the other. She actually started leading a pitch with her bum in my face while I began to second it..(sorry for all the climbing info).. So, then on the second pitch, I started out leading while she was belaying up her partner. Next thing I know, she's on my tail and on this traverse, she passes below me, pinning me to the wall with her rope-draggy rope and gets a cam tangled up in my line.... Tim was choked, so on the next pitch, he dogs her just for the fun of it and links two pitches to blow the bitch out of the water.. Well, we let her pass in the end cause she had ill energy and no desire to be pleasant about cramming herself in our faces on very pitch.. she proceeded to do the same thing to the Germans above us. When we caught up to them, they asked Tim where we were from, Italy?. NO, not Italy..Oh, good, then you won't be rude.... They have a bad rep here. It's not the first time that's happened to us. In Yosemite, they would have their rope cut!

I'll tell you what too, at the top of that route, I would've been a great body shot... I just learned about those from my friend, Bambi.. if you knew her, you'd see it as ironic! :) But it's kinda like when you lick the person's neck, do a shot of tequila from somewhere on their body and then lick some lime from their mouth...or something... I would have given enough salt to eliminate any tasting of the tequila or needing of the lime.. yuk, I know.. But, funny thought that ocurred to me as I licked my shoulder out of nervousness on this hairy traverse... I know, whacko..

The other day, Susan and I went out to climb. We got up at 4:30 am and charged... well, we had a two hour drive. We got to the base...well, we never got to the base, but we got to the area at 8:30. The guide book sucked and we couldn't find the route that went with the approach description, but we thought we saw the line. We hiked around for at least an hour and marked the territory like Bears and then found a clue that told us that the original line we saw, was the line!!Of course at this time there are clouds the size of Utah overhead and the way they have creamed Suze and I so far (3 for 3) we weren't going to take a chance...So, we bailed, back down the hour and a half trek and into a cute little town on a lake, Aleghe, and we had lunch.. and boy did we have lunch. These two littleAmericanas had one big pizza, one bowl of spaghetti, two mixed salads, one order of fries, and two cokes..oh, I'm eating so well in Italy! Like a champ. Thank god for all the early mornings and big approaches orI'd be a tank. Instead, I'm actually losing weight! Yowsah! But, on the way home, we were so overcome with guilt for not climbing and were too afraid of going back to camp and facing Tim who would look at the ground and shake his head and then say, well I'm sure you made a wise call.... FUCK THAT... we mustered up the energy to haul or lazy buns with our heavy packs up a trail and do this classic Arete that overlooks alot of the climbing around here. It was seven pitches of perfect, but polished climbing, with mostly threaded limestone rings for pro! It was a knife edge too so on either side, it just fell away to the ground below! Lovely! Yay! We did a route... to the top! I would love to be funnier and tell lots more, but didI mention I've been climbing all day!? I must run. I'll tell you about our day trip to Venice and whatever else comes to mind soon. Love yas! Thanks for the notes.

Utah-Italy 2001 (4)

Ho Fame! That means I'm hungry, and I ain't lyin'. So, here's a quickie! Thank you thank you so much for all the messages! You guys are makin' my days and I'm not homesick at all!! Although, could you see the view I have, you'd know why! So.... the girls set out to do some rock climbin! We had originally planned to do the 11-pitcher, but the clouds moved in yesterday and started to thunder and make rain, so we changed plans and decided to do these towers. Several routes, 4 pitches long. Get this.. you take a ski lift to the top of the mountain and then take a 5 minute walk to the base! Ha Ha! What a life! So, we packed up and planned on sleeping in until 8am or so.. and did, cause the lift wouldn't run until 9am anyway... Well, somewhere after dark, we fell asleep after many trips to the big kids tent to make threats, promises, bribes, and deals of all types to get Todd, the toddler to settle down and sleep.... In the morning, oh the birds, they were a singin' and the sun was shining and everything was perfect, so us girls make a quick change of plans.. big climb, here we come. We only had to make one change... not one 60m rope, but 2 70m's instead. So, we slam back our coffees, shove a banana and some bread down our throats and into our empty stomachs and head out in the souped up auto we rented... (Guess who gets to drive! Me! Tim and I are the authorized drivers! I'm becoming a pro Euro driver. Zoom Zoom. Watch out Mario!) We get to the trail at 9am, the base at 9:45am and on the rock at 10am. Susan took the first pitch... Cruiser with barely any gear... just a few tie offs...threads. Then I come up with pack on back.. Oh, those shoes they do weigh somethin' fierce. We make the quick hand off, discuss the impending cloud action and I cruise ahead.. Bustin' out some real moves on vertical rock fifteen feet over a shitty thread with an inch of limestone as my pro! Susan takes the next pitch, an awesome chimney! Then, it's me on the crux. Fantabulous stemming on an overhanging dihedral, a bitch for Susan to follow with the pack! Thank god I got the lead! Hee Hee. Then at the next ledge, just as we're wetting our lips with acqua and sucking down some nectarine, what should come from behind our mountain.... Hail!! So much hail in our face, on our head, in our mouths, down our pants! Yikes! Luckily, we were at a ledge with a little overhang.. We take shelter and as soon as the ramp above us becomes a waterfall, we decide to rap. Luckily for us, that was an option. The day before, Susan and Tim were on a route that they couldn't have rapped cause of the wanderingness of it. So, we rapped off cemented bolts! Yeehaw. We were doused and cold, but with the 70m ropes (lucky) we were down in three raps and no ropes got stuck! Someone was watching over us... I'll say it was mother Venus, today. Once down, we ingested some Milk Chocolate...yes.. milk! Man, I tell you what. We've been on some crazy ass starvation diet in this country. Not really on purpose, but for some reasons, the meals are small and they come just in time.. probably cause we have to prep for the kids and by the time they're done eating, we are just starting. Seconds are not a big option. Someone (or all) is having to break up a quarrell or satiate another hunger of the kiddos! But- I tell you what friends. I love these kids more and more everyday! They are just little blessings. Megan loves me so much. She always takes my hand, my lap, my clothes. And the way she talks.. ouch, that's too cute! Hilary- she can't say her [k] or [g] sound. She only says [t] and [d]. So, when we talk about tyrannasaurus Rex.. their favorite monster, she says... I tit dum an I wuh tase dum in duh mount'n. Oh, god she kills me! (I kick them and I would chase them in the mountain) Well, more later. Must go eat some bread and drinksome water.. ;) love, loyalty and friendship to all.

Utah-Italy 2001(3)

Bellisima!! The Dolomites absolutely increible! That's spanish, not a typo. Say it with me -in'cray'ee'blay! Good job! Anyway- those Dolomitis! Yikes. So, we set up camp with 350 other campers, at least, in a campsite to cater to the little ones...pool, playground, grassy fields, snack shop, laundry machine, hot showers, nice clean toilettes, etc. I'm not complaining about the crowd, cause everything else is too awesome... plus, the people here are so beautiful and diverse. They are from everywhere on the globe... lots from Holland, Germany, Italy, Austria.. few that speak English, although, as usual, the Britts are out in full force. They are such great travellers.. Who pays for that anyway? So, day one in camp and Tim is jonesin' to get on the rock.. So, I oblige. We headed out blindly into the Dolomitis and hastily marched to the base of this 11-pitch route we were planning to take on at a casual...2pm in the afternoon.. HaHa! So, I know, you won'tbelieve this, just trust me... I opted for the firstlead! Well, ten feet up and in my face is a shiny newgold Metolius BOLT. WHAT THE??? But, I didn'tcomplain. I did look down at Tim and ask if I should clip it. He said 'Naw' jokingly and I moved on. Then he laughed and said, 'you thought I was serious?'. I don't know... I just thought with all the gear and so close to the ground, why bother.... me!! So, I kept climbing for 60 meters, clipping bolts every 20 feet at least... There was no gear to be found and I was looking to find a belay ledge with a dead tree... That ledge never came so I slung a horn and threaded a hole.. (limestone, ya know), and belayed Tim up. He came up, passed me, searched above and found the rock to be shit, and no dead tree... So, we rapped off single bolts to the ground.. yikes! We were...oh...2,000 feet to the left of the right route and now it was too late, so we went back to the unmentioned planB. Recon. Search and figure. We found the route we were meant to be on.. A specfuckintacular arete to a pure face followed by a dihedral, through a small cave to the summit. So, we got back in the car, drove around and found definite trails and starting points for several more climbs as not to goof up and waste another day.. The next day, I watched the chitlins while Tim and Susan did another route.. a 14 pitch beauty up perfect rock on an exposed arete. They hauled ass and did it in time to come down and go to the pool. Tomorrow, Susan and I are going back to that gorgeous route that Tim and I sussed the day before. I can't wait, though a little nerviosa! It's 11 pitches long!

Days with kids. Did I mention that I will never have three!! Today, we got up at 8am, Tim and Susan were already gone climbing. So, I rounded up some lire ($) and headed to the store... bought some bread and cheese, jelly, juice.. they don't have much but it's always quite healthy. So, we had breakfast, then we played kid games and I kept the peace between siblings, then we had lunch, then we went to the pool(which is filled with glacier water... cool?), then we took a nap - not me, just the two wee ones. I got to go back to the pool with Zach and then an hour later,the rents were home. It's exhausting to say the least, being a mom. What a drag too that all the sexyItalian boys think I'm a burdened mamà. ;) Let me tell you too. These people know how to stay in shape. Everyone, of all ages is in great shape. There are noooooooo obese people here! Every day they are hiking, walking, biking, swimming, playing with kids, climbing. NO one seems to run, but they are all in top form. We need to recruit some Americans for activity camp in Europe to learn a piece or too. Well, I'll hopefully have wonderful stories of a route successful. I'm totally amped! Even more so now thatI found the internet place.. It almost seems weird to be in touch all the time, but I'm, again, not complaining. I hope all you SLers were at theMichelle Shocked show with Joe and Emma. Good times! Have 'em for me, and I'll do the same. Ciao amicos.

Utah-Italy 2001 (2)

Yodle-This is just a quickie to let all those interested that this woman is officially fleeing the country as of Monday Morning - July 16th. I will be heading fromMyrtle to Atlanta to Philly to ROME!! ITALIA.. And so far all I can say is MI CHIAMO RAQUELITA and I can count to ten or so... Ok- I'm being modest. I'll be able to get by in the airport, but go shopping, I think not. Well, my times here at the beach were wonderful and to those of you who I saw, it was awesome.. and from whatI remember of it, I don't regret a thing... except maybe a comment or two about slow motion and showers..:) but, it'll be forgotten by October, right? Yes,we did some partying and now it's time for some serious climbing and kid business. For those of you who have no damn clue what this is all about, here's the bizz..

1- I fly to Italy on Monday and meet Tim and SusanWolfe and their 3 children, ages 2, 4, 6. Then we tour Rome for four days. I'm standing in as nanny for hire, but I know these folks from SLC... although, I don't know the kids... well... at all!! They'll just have to learn to like me.. hee hee... I'll make vegetarians of them all.. JUST FREAKIN' KIDDING! Don't go gettin' all worked up over nothing!

2. So, after Rome we take a train to Venice and tour that wee spot for a spell. Then we rent a car and drive to Cortina, the small mountain town in which we'll join the other tourists/climbers for a month...only, while they're all staying in big fancy chalets..or whatever they are in Italy, we'll be camping.. haha... with three kids. Oh, the jealous eye will certainly fly our way??! :)

3. From Cortina, we'll be climbing the whole time! It'll work like a sort of rotation. Two days on and one off for all of us.. so even though I am merely a nanny, I will be a climber too! Yeehaw!

4. From Cortina, on or around the 18th of August, we'll take a train to Florence and see the sights...and then, they leave me all alone.. little americana in big Italia! FREEDOM.

5. So, from Cortina. I have really no flippin' idea what the hell I'm going to do. The only set plans I have are: a) don't spend it all in one country b) see france, spain, portugal, switzerland, and hopefully belgium. c) look for girlfriend - ANNABANANA in Italy orSpain d) meet friend, Doug, in Nice on October 1st and take ferry to Sardinia to climb for my last two weeks in Western Europe. Anyone wanna join me for adventures in September???

So, then I come home on October 15th, 2001! If Idon't... then send in the troops. I'll be logging on a lot to keep everyone up on my goings on. I'm sure to have some sort of adventure, although it may not be a foot flapping, overhanging 5.11 hand crack in the Andes. God, those guys rock! :) So, to all of you -keep on having awesome summers, or start... and I'll be way in touch soon. You guys will be my travel buddies once I hit the road solo, so hang in there with me. Clam Ciao -der. -rai ;)

ps - I must clear something up. I should have done itlong ago to clear the air and prevent major embarassment... My name is RAICHLE!! Not RAILENE!! I just put that as my alias. It came from ChrisGrover.. you know, that dude at Black Diamond that"runs the fuckin' place." So, make a mental note if you didn't already know.. (there's more)

pss - forgive me father for I have sinned. It hasbeen almost one week since I sent that silly forward, in which time I have to come to learn that, indeed, Bonsai kitty is joke. There is no Bonsai kitty. It was a big fat mistake and I was pulled down like many other Animal lovers, into the depths of darkness and gullibility.. and I am heartily sorry for having offended anyone with such silliness.. Thank you. :)

Utah - Italy 2001 (1)

moooooo!!!!! I made it home to SC. And I've already heard from so many of you! Thanks for being in touch. I'll write some personals later, but I'm just bumming this computer from a friend for a sec! I did make it to St. Louis, 12 hours and one car seat flying out the back later.... yup, Sarah, at 5:00 am I drove away from your house in Boulder and left the tailgate downand the back up! Luckily for me... I only lost the car seat. When I realized... I hit the steering wheel, said fuck a few times and tried to backtrack...got lost in the interlocken place where Sarah lives and finally made it back to her place... The carseat was sitting comfortably on the side of the road twenty yards from her front door!! Thank my luckystars! :)

So anyway, in St. Louis, I called steerrider, the girl I met on line at the veggieboards.com. She said I should definitely come by and meet her steer AND that I could stay! How awesome.. no hotel,no sleeping in my truck! Again, lucky for me, she was a really nice, normal 23 year old. Her steer... so cool! His name is Nunde and he is just like a dog! He comes trotting up to us, sniffing me to say hi and who the hell are you.. and then he bent over and put his nose up against my dog, Seamus' nose! He was flabberghasted to say the least! Nunde is black and loves to have his back scratched. He's also way curious and watched everything we did. He also ate his first carrot while I was there. Steer rider was astonished... I'm not sure if I want to say her realname... Anyway, then I left St. Louis and embarked on a 16!! hour drive home. Whew. But, I made it! Along the way, I hit a much needed Thunder Storm in Kentucky.. cooled things down for Seamus and I as I have no air conditioning. Then of course, we hit that line in the country where all of a sudden, you remember for the first time in ages, what that thing called humidity is! Then in Tennessee, well, some bible carrier released his wrath on the vegetarian hethen with the 666 liscence plates... Well, I don'tknow if that's what happened, but all of a sudden hundreds of bugs started flying out of the median into my windshield.. It was like the ending of the movieMagnolia.. or the curse of the locusts and grasshoppers.. crazy! WE survived. That was all the drama. Oh, and I had some Mellow Yellow and I saw a Piggly Wiggly! And, the trees.. oh the endless sea of trees! So many and just as many shades of green! That was dropping down in Chattanooga! Gorgeous.. Oh and then I hit rush hour in Atlanta.. 8 out of every 10 cars was driven by a black person... The fact thatI noticed that has only come to be because I've lived in Utah for 6 years. Kind of sad, eh? But, a relief to be back in the midst of some diversity. Getting home was splendid and seeing the folks was the best! And the best for Seamus too. He swam in the lake out back all day today. Well, I'm going out on the town to see some old cronies so take care and happyIndependance Day!