Desert Rain


Scuba divers talk about micro diving in areas otherwise referred to as “muddy.” Similarly the desert is “dry” but that doesn’t mean it’s not dynamic. As a climber I used to load up my car in the northwest and head down to Utah every March, it was a cheap way to get dry rock and sun.  My climbing mentor, Ryan, would have a tick list, I would carry the heavy pack and get on routes I otherwise had no business being on.  Before climbing there was the family Spring Break drive to Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef, likely for the same reason--the desert is dry and has a lot more sun than the Pacific Northwest in early spring.  
Inch worm.
Time marches on. For some reason I’ve continued to find excuses to justify the need to see lavender bloom, an owl build it’s home in cacti, and hear the old coyote howl at a full moon year after year; that reason is soul.

The purest stuff on earth: standing on top of an 800 foot sand castle with it’s own little ecosystem, the only reprieve in miles makes the huge earth creases look a little smaller.  Ryan would lead, placing gear in a perfectly sustained crack system then--boom--perspective.  
Plug and chug
This spring PBM Coaching (Kurt Perham) wrangled some folks down to Tucson.  We rented a retired ranch house near the base of Sabino Canyon.  Without Kurt out there supporting there is no way we could have or would have pushed as hard as we did.  Thank you, Kurt. 


This is were things started to get a little blurry.



Miles of trials.
The Crew terrorizing the neighborhood. 
Sabino Canyon Rim Trail: Rhythm and flow


KP did a lot of pulling (to coffee)
Camp by numbers: 

  • Day 1
    • Track workout (5 mi)
  • Day 2
    • 4,000 yard swim at YMCA (40×100 on 1:30)
    • 70 mile ride (Gates Pass) – 2800 feet climbing
    • ROTB – 2 mi easy
  • Day 3
    • Mt Lemmon to  Cookie Cabin – 74 miles, 7,700 feet climbing
    • 10 minute easy ROTB
  • Day 4
    • 13 miles Sabino Canyon trail run
    • 4,900 yard swim at University of Arizona
  • Day 5
    • 23 mile recovery ride to Le Buzz
    • 1,800 yard swim
  • Day 6
    • Long bike – Kitt Peak, 104 miles, 5,700 feet climbing
  • Day 7
    • 7 mile interval run along bike path
    • 2,600 yard swim at YMCA
    • 8 mile easy trail run/walk to Seven Falls
  • Day 8
    • Mt Lemmon to observatory – 67 miles, 7,900 feet climbing
  • Day 9
    • Easy 3 mile shake out jog with Tread
  • TOTALS
    • Swim – 13,300 yards
    • Bike – 338 miles, 25,485 feet climbing
    • Run – 40 miles
Camp by rules:
  1. No bitching.
  2. Thou shall not eat.
  3. Give maximal effort.
  4. No puckering.
  5. Get as close to hell as possible.
Desert Spring. Photo: Sarah Crane

My buddy Elliot made a video from camp: elliotkawaoka.com


We may not have it all together, but together we have it all
This camp summed up in rules:

Regardless of what the day presents: "It's not your aptitude but your attitude that ultimatley determines your altitude." 
       --Gleno

Live it up.
Your pal,
Andrew

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