Crestone Needle
S T A R T I N G O U T
Welcome to yet another edition of Code for Dope, the annual climbing expedition hosted by Darren Furr and Adam Coffey, with special guest Kenn Goodrow on sax. Please note that none of what follows is exempt from the usual embellishments that can occur in one's vainglorious memory-- although the pictures will speak for themselves. For the best possible telling of this tale, just offer to buy any two (or more) of its participants ample beer-- preferably of the microbrew variety.
The trip took place in mid-summer 2005. If you have any questions about who these people are, just refer to this or this.
This year marked the first ever that we split into two groups for the journey. Adam, Ned, and Rich all flew up to Albuquerque and stayed with Kenn in Santa Fe before joining us in Silverton, CO. Pictures from that embarrassingly epicurean episode were a little too debauched for publication on this respectable site. Meanwhile, Jim, Dan, and I did the usual drive, in the interest of keeping things as expeditious (and as chaste) as possible. Here are my fellow workaholics trying to wake up at the convenience store where we always stop in Alamosa.
Although he climbs well (sometimes a little too well), Jim's whole reason for coming on these trips is to enjoy and educate us on the flora-- not excluding potted plants on smalltown Main Streets.
For all of the time saved by the half of the crew that flew, the drivers beat them to Silverton by about six hours, during which time we either lumbered about in a sleep-deprived, altitude-stricken stupor, or took turns napping in the van. Nonetheless, here we all are, reunited, no thanks to the lack of cell coverage in rural CO. L-R, Dan, Darren, Rich, Kenn, Jim, and Ned .
We immediately adjourned to the nearest wood stove pizzaria. Here, Rich is clearly denying some atrocity that he committed while rooming with Adam at Austin College, to everyone's general disbelief.
It has become a tradition in recent years that we drink not only after we climb the mountain, but also before-- albeit in relative moderation. So, after pizza, what better form of carb loading than a few wheat beers down at the local Irish pub? Makes for some great album cover shots.
Ditto.
This was the rainiest start we'd had in a while; it drizzled from the time we got to Silverton until about lunch time the next day. So, rather than camp just for the sake of camping, this was base camp.
Another shot at "base camp". Ah, roughing it...