Yes, it does actually rain west of the Mississippi, apparently. We’re in a Barnes and Noble in downtown Salt Lake City after being chased from Little Cottonwood Canyon by thunderstorms. We had two good days of bouldering there on the granite blocks, and, truthfully, it was probably our favorite spot. I managed a few good problems over the last days, most notably Barfly (V8), Mr. Smiley (V4), and Twister (V4). I was absolutely cracked after doing Barfly at the end of the day on Thursday, and Friday was mostly a wash, aside from Mr. Smiley. I put in a decent effort on Copperhead (V10), but the starting hold was bothering my left hand, so I wisely backed off rather than risk another injury. I couldn’t manage to muster up the courage to do the the final jump on the Dean Problem (V6), either, and that was my final effort before the skies opened in earnest. While it is disappointing to finish the climbing portion of the trip with a rain day, we’ve had good weather for the last four weeks, so I can’t complain too much (aside from mostly losing a day yesterday “saving” myself for today).

So, tomorrow, we begin the drive east, with a stop in Colorado for a few days. While we’ve certainly had a good time, we are also looking forward to our home, too.

Additional photos will be posted early next week.

Posted on 14 May 2011