5.20.2010

City of Rocks, Idaho


Last Saturday I went to City of Rocks, Idaho with my husband and some of our friends.  It's out in the boonies, nothing but cows and wheat.  It's rock climbing heaven.  We drove into the reserve after driving through miles and miles of flat farm land and dusty dirt roads.   The road took us into a the City of Rocks, perfectly named, where the rocks look as though they fell from the sky.  The rocks look like giant "alien poops" dropped from above.  And when I say rock, I mean giant boulders twenty to hundreds of feet high.  

We had a good time doing some sport climbing there.  There is a lot of trad climbing (traditional climbing where you place your own gear into the rocks) and there are places where you can boulder there, this is where you don't climb as high as sport or trad and you have no ropes, just a crash pad below.  

The City of Rocks is all granite stone and this was not a stone I am use to climbing on.  It's very abrasive.  I am pretty sure I no longer have finger prints.  
Rock climbing is among many of the activities I will be enjoying this summer.
What do you do for your "summer fun"?

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, those are really pretty pictures. Looks like fun!

The Constant Complainer said...

Wow, I have never been rock climbing. That looked awesome.

Diana Mieczan said...

That is so cool...I wish I could do rock climbing....Beautiful views and the photos are amazing!
I love biking and swimming....We do that a lot in summer :)
Kisses my lovely!

Suyinsays said...

your absolutely actually lovely and amazing! hope you had loads of fun! also congrats on the job!!!! i did read it a few days ago and tried to comment, but for some reason blogger wouldnt let me :'( anyway, well done, you totally deserve it you gorgeous girlie!
xxxx

Joanne said...

Lovely pics Rachel thanks so much fir posting them.
I'd love to try rock climbing.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Kudos to you hun. That is amazing. I don't think I could ever gather the enough strenght and will to do what you do. What an exhilariting rush that may be.

Love your photographs, they are all stunning..they belong in a magazine.

^-^ oxox

Alea said...

Ahem... I live among those cows and wheat! Actually, I live in the city about an hour away, but I would love to live out in the country someday. I think the Albion area (City of Rocks) is beautiful, and I love Geology, so I guess I would love it there!

Interesting piece of City of Rocks trivia... "The Twin Sisters" (the two really large peaks right next to each other) are actually from two different lava flows. One about 25 million years ago, the other 2.5 billion years ago. Cool huh?... I think so at least. :)

Carina Joana said...

In summer I always go to an island near Madeira, called Porto Santo to spend the day at its beautiful beach!

That looks like realy fun! I'd love t go there!

Kakes said...

beautiful pictures!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

you beat us to it! the hubby and i have been trying to get out there for a year.

looks beautiful!

Claire Kiefer said...

1. Looks incredible. I'd be far too terrified, but it really does look spectacular.
2. I do milder things like beautiful coastal hikes (there are plenty around San Francisco), wine in the day time, game nights, sunning by the lake/on the beach, sleeping in a little. :)
3. So happy you won A Diary of Lovely's giveaway!! I wanna see a picture of the necklace. :)

Anonymous said...

beautiful pictures and I am impressed by your climbing skills.

Hope you are well darling. I've taken a few days off blogging to enjoy sunny London but I'm back now :)

Dena xoxo

Josie said...

These photos are ABSOLUTELY gorgeous! I would be way to scared to ever try this!
xxoo Josie
http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com

SWEATshirtDRESSshirt said...

great pictures! you're a good photographer. :)

looks like you had fun rock climbing! i've never been, but it looks like it would be super fun!

xoxo
http://sweatshirtdressshirt.blogspot.com/

sarah {on the brightside...} said...

WOW! these are great! they feel so intense!! the rocks look huge!!!

Marcie said...

Beautiful! I love how adventurous you are! Truly an inspiration to get me out & about.

:) Marcie

Jenna said...

Beautiful pictures!! Looks like fun!!
I have never been rock climbing for real unless you count indoor rock climbing where you ring the cow bell at the top. Trad climbing looks like more fun!!
---Jen

Anonymous said...

gorgeous photos. i love the mood + landscape.

xo Alison

magnoliaamber said...

breathtaking rocks! Your make the plain rocks look like spectacular scenery!

ALFIE said...

these pictures are breathtaking!! love love love them!

also have had the song in the previous post on repeat for months! isn't it awesome?!

Natalie said...

The photography is absolutely amazing! Exploring around there looks so incredibly enjoyable. Rock climbing looks like so much fun!

Free Pretty Things For You said...

omg look at you!!
SO cool! wish i did stuff like that :)
Gorgeous pictures too!

chloë. said...

wow that's beautiful!

my summer fun always equates going to the beach...my husband and i are beach bums :)

Unknown said...

wow! These photos take my breath away, you go to the most interesting places :)

kimbirdy said...

i love rock climbing and bouldering! we used to go all through high school and college when i lived in TN. most of my dearest friends were from colorado, so we all went climbing during the day, then swing dancing at night. i haven't done nearly enough of outdoorsy things since moving to san francisco. hopefully we'll get back into it when we move to l.a. in august.

my dad lives in idaho falls - we'll have to check out city of rocks on our next visit!

Lily Riani said...

with ur pics, u made rock climbing beautiful experience.

shopgirl said...

Gosh! These are wonderful photos! And the rocks, they're so beautiful.

I would love to learn how to rock climb properly....maybe one day. I tried it once when I was 16. I wasn't too keen on the going up, but the coming down was heaps of fun.

Thanks for sharing!

:: Lavender's Green :: said...

Incredible photos! It looks like a place I'd really love to visit one day.

I've only been rock-climbing once and that was on a camp and it was indoors! I have a lot of respect for people that can rck climb, it's hard!

I love bike riding in the Summer. I love to ride along the river or through parks :)

x Jasmine

Unknown said...

that looks INCREDIBLE!!!! - in the summer i spend every weekend out on the boat :o)

*muah*
Erika
~Tiptoe Butterfly~
please stop by and become a butterfly (i of course am a follower of your blog)

julianne. said...

you get to do so many amazing things.
im very jealous of your trips.
these pictures are breathtaking.<3

Find Maeberry Vintage Clothing Store online at maeberryvintage.etsy.com or at our Salt Lake City, Utah location 207 East Broadway (300 South) in the lower level of Now & Again.