Fixin' to Live

From the day I turned 16, I was out exploring dirt roads.  Thankfully, where I grew up in Colorado there are lots of them.  My absolute favorite leads to this place, Deep Creek Canyon.  All through high school, I was consistently drawn back to this place.  It seemed like there was endless opportunity for exploration.  Much of that came in the form of caving (Fixin' to Die being the main cave).  But, eventually I just had to explore the virgin cliff faces and their untapped climbing potential.  I borrowed my dad's drill, bought some bolts from the climbing shop, and established one of the first climbing routes in Deep Creek.  I named it "Fixin' to Live."  Almost ten years later, I was back, this time with my camera in hand.  After spending 4 hours in Fixin' to Die, and photographing one of its main features, we made it out in time to watch the sunset.  It was perfect timing to go climbing.  Once it was truly dark, I strapped on my lights and reclimbed my route under the moonless night and the light of the milky way.