Road Trip to J-Tree

Working at construction is generally good work. Work hard, accomplish lots, come home tired and get stronger every day. Today was a day where nobody really did much, it rained a lot, I did a lot of standing around (not by choice I assure you), and it was about zero degrees all day... and did I mention it was raining... and Monday. Brian just flat out quit at about 11:00 and went home. It was definitely one of those days.
Anyways, my semester is now over... I know it was short but I still did about 15 credits of course work. As instructed by our program director some of my class mates and I took a week and a half and went on a road trip to Joshua Tree National park in southern California right next to Palm Springs. We camped there in the park and climbed the vicious J-tree rock for 9 days. It was amazing. The desert is so beautiful. It produced for us beautiful sunsets and sunny days every day that we were there. For those of you who know a little bit about rock climbing it was the first time that I had ever lead-climbed on Traditional Protection (cams and nuts). It was both challenging and exhilarating and I loved every minute of it.
This trip was also fantastic because of the deeper sense of community that was developed and fostered in our Outdoor Leadership class. I think we looked a lot more like the church at the end of the week than we did at the beginning and it was awesome. I had been praying that God would use this time of us being together to allow us to go deeper and he totally did. The Holy Spirit was there and bringing his unity, fruit, gifts and wisdom. One night we went and slept out in the middle of the desert in this natural amphitheater that we had found. We bought a bag of tea lights and placed them all around the rocks giving the ring a beautiful almost romantic atmosphere. We then proceeded to fall asleep under the dark, moonless, shooting star-filled desert sky and it was awesome. On a different night we shared communion together and it was a beautiful time of remembrance of our Lord. It was however rudely interrupted by a huge, and rather bold rat that crawled over Alle and I while we were praying!!! It was rather exciting.
So I am home for a while now and I'm working for Thomas Bradley Construction trying to afford my next semester of school. However that is secondary to my latest endeavour to become a youth sponsor at Willingdon's youth group. I'm really looking forward to investing in the lives of young people again in that way.
I hope you all are well. I'll leave you with some pictures of our climbing trip.

The crystals in the granite at J-Tree are really big and therefore really sharp and therefore much of our blood was spilled at Joshua Tree.

Lacing up for a 5.9 overhanging roof route that put me on top of the rock outcrop just in time to build my anchor for Alle and watch the sun set as I belayed him to the top.

Here's daddy Boodt reading Redwall to Robert and Stewart as they fell asleep in his lap :)

This is me on top of a 5.3 route called 'Ski-track' actually it might have been my first traditional multi pitch send with Sheldon called 'Mike's Book'... I got a sweet compliment on my killer floral spandex shorts from some guys from Colorado :) you can't really see them in this one but you will.

Sheldon and I on top of 'Mike's Book'

Here I am belaying Alle up a 5.8 route... for the keen observer I am using a Munter Hitch as a belay device.

Here is Elena and myself on top of Headstone Rock. This rock sat about fifty feet off the ground on top of a boulder pile and was very much visible from our campsite and therefore a desirable objective for us. I had the first ascent from our group on the most exhilarating and exposed 5.6 I have ever climbed in my life!

Here is a beauty shot of my floral spandex... don't worry folks I would only ever bring such atrocious clothing on a rock climbing trip very far from home. And I definitely wore them every day. On a side note, spandex are the ultimate climbing attire providing the climber with an unbeatable range of motion.

Here's Robert owning the 5.8 on Headstone. This one was also very exposed but a lot of fun. When I was climbing the center route on this rock I left a blood trail all the way up cause I tore my finger one one of the moves at the beginning.

This was me just finishing up our group's first ascent on a 5.10b called 'Poodles are People Too'. This climb was the hardest climb that I have every finished in my entire life and I did it on Trad Lead. It was such a beautiful finger crack/face climb and 100ft long too.

This is how rock climbers get strong... coiling ropes.

Here's Elena Kangas soaking up the sun with a beautiful Yucca tree in the background. Yucca trees earned the name Joshua trees because when the Mormons were passing through the desert they thought that the trees looked like when Joshua held up his arms until the Israelites won their battle.

Another testament of the destructive power of Joshua tree rock. After our day of bouldering I think that every one of had at least several bloody patches on our bodies.

This is Sheldon, Matt and I on our first day climbing.

My mom says this was a Cana Lily... I didn't like that I had to ask her but I did. It is breath-taking.

Sheldon and I trying to find the 'Dairy Queen' Wall.