Back in early April, Madeline sent out the bat signal: she had a break in her school schedule from June 10 to June 23 and wanted us to visit. From all corners, the ragtag crew of DHC rallied to make sure Madeline had company during her time off.
Dan and Maison, coming from preparing for a summer of Via Ferrata adventures in Europe, planned a quick visit over the long weekend (June 13–15). They suggested a self-guided Via Ferrata trip in Ouray to get some practice in.
Eager to maximize outdoor time, I extended my Denver work trip to overlap with theirs. I’d be in town from June 6–15, and in anticipation of the climb, even treated myself to a top-of-the-line Mammut kit.
Alex originally planned to visit the following week, but switched to join us early and arrived on June 12.
As the trip neared, Madeline let us know that Ouray was a five-hour drive away. With only two days together, ten hours of driving didn’t seem worth it. Via Ferrata was out.
Plan B? Plenty of climbing.
I was staying with my cousin Eliot to squeeze in some family time. Madeline, fresh off finals, picked me up for an afternoon of multipitch climbing.
But our bodies had other plans—Madeline woke up with a headache, and I was wiped from burning over 6,000 calories at work two days in a row. We considered floating down Clear Creek (thanks to Eliot for loaning us two floats), but it was closed due to high water flow.
No floating, no outdoor climbing—so indoor climbing it was. We headed to Movement Baker for a solid session, even though Madeline’s project was closed for maintenance. She took some falls to shake off jitters from a previous trip, and we both had a good time.
Afterward, we browsed gear shops (Wilderness Exchange and REI—no purchases, we’re not Alex), then made lasagna and rhubarb crisp to fuel us for the week. We ended the night watching Sinners and fell asleep full and happy.
After a good night’s sleep, we set our sights on some Eldorado Canyon classics—Rewritten was the goal. We left at 7 a.m., expecting a smooth 9 a.m. start.
Apple Maps had other plans. It sent us to the wrong side of the canyon, where we got stuck on sketchy dirt roads, had to backtrack for over 90 minutes, and were delayed further by a 150+ car freight train.
Madeline, already dealing with sciatic pain, hit a breaking point during the delay. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized just how much pain she was in.
We finally made it to the correct trailhead—two hours behind schedule—only to run into another snag: the guidebook directions. They read, “Hike West Redgarden Trail a few hundred feet past the metal ladder, to the base of a major chimney/gully.” Sounds straightforward... until you realize the “metal ladder” is nearly a mile from the trailhead and not clearly marked. That “few hundred feet” turned into a full-on uphill hike.
To our surprise, Rewritten (5.7) was still wide open on a Wednesday. With dark storm clouds gathering, we decided to go for it. Madeline led off on pitch 1 but bailed halfway up—residual jitters from a recent trip took over. She still wanted to climb, just not lead, so I took the sharp end for the remaining six pitches.
After pitch 2, we debated bailing due to the approaching storm, but decided to push through. I led the crux traverse on pitch 4, placing gear carefully. We moved fast through pitches 5 and 6 as thunder rumbled and light rain began to fall.
Despite descent instructions being just as vague as the approach, we made it back to the car safely—and in the end, the storm never actually reached Eldo.
Madeline dashed to a chiropractor, where she was diagnosed with a bulging disc. We wrapped the day with comfort food: lasagna, rhubarb crisp, and well-earned ice cream.
After the chaos of Day 2, we went for an easier approach: Boulder Canyon’s Cob Rock. Just a Tyrolean traverse from the car.
Madeline had never done a Tyrolean before! With a quick tutorial, we both crossed safely—me with feet on the rope, Madeline preferring to dangle.
We planned to climb Empor (5.7+), but a confusing start had us pivot to North Face Center, a four-star 5.7 route. Madeline decided to lead again—bold! She climbed just below the belay ledge before building an anchor and bringing me up. We topped out without a hitch.
Back at the parking lot, a visiting family from Texas complimented our climb and shook Madeline’s hand—major mood boost.
By 2 p.m., we were in Boulder for Thai food, a stop at the La Sportiva store (we both bought new approach shoes), and a trip to the Spyderco factory outlet for knives. Then it was back to Denver.
That night, we visited Nola Jane near Union Station (recommended by my coworker Maggie—her brother Malcolm works there). Madeline tried Cajun food for the first time: shrimp mac & cheese, gumbo, and jambalaya. Delicious. Malcolm even surprised us with peach cheesecake. Amazing food, fun conversation, and lots of laughs.
Alex’s flight was delayed, so after Madeline went to bed, I picked him up past midnight. We got home around 2 a.m.
No climbing today—Alex and Madeline worked. I grabbed dim sum with family, then handed Madeline the car for a doctor’s appointment.
Surprise! The doctor sent her straight to the ER.
Six hours later, she was discharged with doctor’s orders of no climbing—just in time for us to pick up Dan and Maison at Union Station. Somehow, we fit all of that into one wild day.
With Dan and Maison in town and Madeline resting, we headed to Devil’s Head for sport climbing. The approach was confusing, but we eventually found The Jungle.
There, we witnessed a lead climbing debacle: a couple, Becca and Tan, were attempting a climb. Tan struggled with dangerous backclips and even had a knot in his rope mid-lead. He bailed. Then Becca tried to lead on top rope—but Tan, unfamiliar with lead belaying, let go of the brake rope. I stepped in to take over the belay and averted disaster. Everyone was safe, no egos bruised.
We climbed a 5.8 and 5.9, then moved to The Training Ground—shady, empty, and bolted. We climbed everything we could without trad gear. Madeline, though sidelined, cheered us on.
We tried to book Casa Bonita for all five of us but could only get a 3-person and a 4-person slot—so we split up. The experience was part meal, part show. I even got pulled on stage for a magic trick. (Watching Jacky on stage was a treat. Jacky danced when asked and was a very helpful participant -Alex) We finished with merch shopping and called it a night.
With Madeline still resting, the rest of us soloed the Second Flatiron. We all made it up in about an hour. The descent was confusing, but a kind trail runner (maybe climber but he had trail running shoes on -Alex) pointed us the right way.
Lunch was at Dark Horse—a saloon-style burger joint with a great vibe. Confusing bathroom signs led to more than one of us walking into the wrong restroom... until someone called out Madeline.
More shopping followed. Apple Maps first took us to the La Sportiva factory instead of the store, but we eventually made it. Dan, Maison, and Alex all picked up new shoes. We hit the Black Diamond store (no purchases), grabbed ice cream, and stopped by a puzzle shop.
Back in Denver, we swung by Wilderness Exchange before heading home.
Just then, Dan and Maison got a notification: their delayed flight was suddenly un-delayed. In a rush, they left with Madeline for the airport—no time for goodbyes.
Alex and I packed leisurely. Madeline drove us to Union Station, and we caught the train to the airport. Surprise: Dan and Maison’s flight got delayed again—but this time, we found them at the gate for a proper send-off.
Alex and I got home around 1 a.m.—back to real life.
Thanks, Denver, for another fantastic trip. Huge thanks to Madeline for hosting us and being the glue that held this wild, Plan B-filled adventure together—injuries and all.
Here’s to many more trips full of surprises.