September 2021, we quit our jobs and hit the road, our first destination the Black Hills of South Dakota. We stopped in Sioux Falls to see my now former co-worker and to deliver a crochet bunny for his upcoming baby. Then we made our way to Wrinkled Rock Campground.
It was late in the day but we were so excited to be there. We immediately set out for a climb we’ve often looked at but never climbed. With headlamps and gear we set off to climb Hornets’ Chimney. Kyle took the lead for the 100+ foot route, turning on his headlamp as he ascended. Now it was my turn to follow his line and gather our gear he placed along the way. Shoes on, headlamp alight, I was ready to climb. Much to my chagrin, my headlamp light was dim and dying, how the heck could I climb in the dark?! Luckily Kyle was able to shine his light on the route and I climbed much of the upper pitch by the light of his headlamp. I was thankful to be climbing at night because climbing that chimney puts a climber in some very exposed feeling positions. The darkness of the evening helped stem fear that was trying to rise up inside. Kyle and I took a breather at the top before we both rappelled down and hiked back to the parking lot with satisfied grins.
Wyoming
The next day our friends Dan, Darla, Frankie and Brian were so excited about going to Tensleep Wyoming that they convinced us to leave the Hills. We caravanned our way to Tensleep and found a spot to camp along the old highway in Tensleep Canyon. There were no clouds that night and we all sat out late into the night marveling at the stars and watching shooting stars fly through the sky.
The days passed by as we climbed in Tensleep Canyon. It took time to get used to the pocketed limestone and steep nature of the rock. After climbing for a few days we took a rest day and hiked out to the Lost Lakes in the Bighorn Wilderness. The lake was surrounded by an enormous rock wall, it was beautiful. We put our feet in the frigid water to cool off and played hacky sack prior to making our hike back. Once back in town we treated ourselves to a burger at a local restaurant which was sorely needed after just having snacks all day.
South Dakota
Early October was in our midst and Kyle and I had to return to the Black Hills to meet up with McKenzie and Drew. McKenzie was scheduled to run the Crazy Horse marathon and Drew to run the half. We met up with them, took them climbing (they did great!) and took them hiking. We hiked to the summit of Mount Baldy for spectacular views of the Hills. Kyle and I cheered them on while they ran their races the next day, and it was a hot one! McKenzie ended up winning the marathon, finishing just under 4 hours and 10 minutes! To celebrate the runners’ success we went cliff jumping in a nearby lake. McKenzie and Drew had to return to the Midwest after the long weekend but Kyle and I remained in the Black Hills a few more weeks until snow pushed us out.
Before we knew it we were one month into life in our van. The time flew by and we were surrounded by old and new friends the entire time. It hadn’t really sunk in for us yet that our dream we had been working toward for the last 4 years had been realized; we both felt like we were just on an extended trip/vacation. Either way we were fully enjoying ourselves and living in the moment.