It was only a short hike from the car and the area promised shady climbing all day, we were still adjusting to the heat and time differences so it was an easy choice. The crag was busy, many people had the same idea, but we managed to climb the routes we wanted. A fun morning.
After lunch we decided to hike out to Pine Canyon to attempt the classic 'Crimson Crysalis'. It was a long steep hike, we arrived around 3:00 PM to the base of the imposing wall. We geared up, climbed the first pitch, but realised we had left it too late to climb the complete 900' so we bailed back to the ground.
Chris attempted a nearby trad route, but we didn't account for all of the trad gear so he had to bail before finishing the pitch. Our confidence was a little shaken, but we stashed some water nearby for an another attempt in the future. Our spirits rose on the hike back out, another stunning afternoon in the desert.
We hiked back to the carpark as the sun faded, just in time to witness a successful marriage proposal. We offered the happy couple some beer, and chatted for a while before returning to camp for another night.
More photos here
