Day One: First Trip of the Season

And we're off.

First trip of the season, first entry in the journal, and a pretty great way to start.

We spent the day moving around Joshua Tree and chasing the shade from pitch to pitch. Along the way we climbed on Intersection Rock, Cyclops Rock, and Chimney Rock — but the day was about a lot more than ticking climbs.

One of the best surprises was discovering that we're both avid birders. Between climbs we kept our eyes open and picked up a couple of classic desert sightings, including a raven and a cactus wren.

There was another moment that felt worth remembering. Coming into the day, she had pictured guided climbing as something more like a big group outing: wait your turn, climb once while everybody watches, ring the bell, move along. Instead, she found out that the day was hers — private, individualized climbing and instruction, with room to learn, explore, move at her own pace, and spend the day outside together.

That's exactly the kind of day we want this journal to remember.

This season we're keeping a running record from the field: the climbing, the people, the little discoveries, the big views, and everything else that makes a day in Joshua Tree what it is.

Welcome to the journal. Come along for the season.