Badlands, Ellsworth AFB

After Curt left to go back to work, Matt and I went out to try Upper Slot Right, a classic 5.7 wide crack on the Nautilus. Twas a cold and windy day. I placed the 3. I placed the 4. I looked at how much further I had to go, and pondered the fact that I had no gear bigger than a 2 left. I downclimbed. We went and tried to get Elevator clean on toprope. That too eluded us.

So we partied. Matt's roommates were doing some drinking, and had some girlfriends and friends of friends over, so we played cards, drinking games, and generally partied like college students. Which is what we were for all intents and purposes.

The next morning I decided that I had time to go back to the Black Hills, to visit Katie. Burned back up there, and gave her quite a (pleasant) surprise. There was meant to be a climbing festival the next day, but it got rained out so I while Katie worked, I went and drove around Badlands NP in the drizzle. A big version of Hell's Half Acre, or a slightly different coloured version of the painted desert, but nothing particular new or exciting to me. Came back via Ellsworth AFB, where they were having a Labour Day airshow. This was quite a change, as it was a strategic bomb wing. I got to see B1s and B52s, which aren't normally around for coastal people to see.

Hung out with Katie for another night, socializing with all the other residents of Poverty Gulch, then drove back to Laramie to collect some laundry I'd left there, and continued on my way again. (Though now with a cute female travel companion for October/November)

Badlands	Badlands	Badlands and Sunflower	Badlands
Flowers at Badlands	Badlands	B1 and people waiting to see the cockpit	A10 taxiing