Climbing Sign Language

I took Michael's babies climbing. No, Michael does not really have any babies, but we always refer to his nieces and nephews as "the babies." I suppose we shouldn't anymore, since three of them just climbed up a mountain. We climbed Pete's Rock, which was my first climb when I was a kiddo (sniff, sniff). If you've ever met me (or read this blog) you know that I like these kids and their parents a whole lot. I loved how differently they handle climbing. I realized that all the adults I've taken climbing for the first time are totally faking it, since they all ask the same kinds of questions and none of them admit it when they're confused or uncomfortable. I suppose that's the great thing about kids, though--unfiltered responses (even when that leans toward freaking out).

My Dad belayed from the top, and I climbed next to them, which was pretty perfect.

Morgan is a total stud. He zoomed up. His logical brain though wanted me to tell him first about how it was working. He looked to me at the beginning and said, "I bet I can make it all the way up to Gary. Sarah, I bet you can too." Ever the encouraging big brother.

When he got up close enough to talk to my Dad, he took a break to tell him, "Sarah kept taking all the easy hands." 

Chloe was next. She didn't have any interest in the end goal, but she did enjoy stomping on any foliage on the way and saying in a squeaky voice, "Ouch." She got scared about ten feet from the top, which was not our best moment on the climb, but after latching on to me like a spider monkey and getting a ride to the top (ahem, QUITE the workout) she was happy at a clam, pointing out the copper mine and the hospital where her dad used to work. I told Chloe that my Dad wouldn't be able to hear us very well, so we'd have to use signs to tell him when we were climbing, she took this very literally and insisted on sign language applause when ever someone did something well, even if they were right next to her. So funny.

 Brynn mostly spent time laughing at Jackson and telling him that one of his feet was a "mommy foot" and one was a "daddy foot" since one was bigger. Jackson spent the rest of the day trying to hide his bigger foot behind his smaller one. Brynn was nervous until I told her she was being held by the rope. Another logician, I suppose. She climbed sooo quickly and only got frustrated when there wasn't a perfect handhold, she really wasn't scared, just rather impatient. At one point though, she looked right at me and said in an even voice, "I want my mom and dad." Message received, we went right back down. Her most common comment was "I'm too little to climb." This was a flat out lie, since she got about 75 feet up, near where Chloe is in the picture above. The camera died for her actual ascent, but we got a few of her spectating shots. I think she could be quite the climber. I also think if Jackson can wait about 15 years, they could be quite the couple.

Here are some celebratory shots at the top (Morgan's explaining to Laura how the anchoring system at the top works). I know this climbing adventure was mostly for my personal satisfaction, but I think they had a good time. Thanks for helping out Dad, Laura (the photographer) and Jackson.