Setting Small Outdoor Objectives in Moab
Going outside doesn't always have to include a big adventure.
This is exactly what I wanted to prove to myself on a weekend trip to Moab, Utah. I set an ambitious itinerary of attempting one rock climbing route, taking a nap in the sun and eating s’mores at the campground. With three big goals for the weekend, I knew I had to be especially focused, leave all other distractions at home (including my phone) and put on the shortest shorts I owned to maximize tanning potential. Then, we were off…
The car was loaded with more snacks than meals, more fuzzy blankets than Goretex, and some musical instruments in case I needed to be ready for an impromptu jam session - the birds singing the melody while I strummed the ukulele for the harmonies. My girlfriend and I arrived in the dark, unable to find a campground, and pulled off the side of the road in an area that didn’t have a “No Camping” sign so figured we were still respecting the rules. I thought we would wake up in some strange parking lot off the road but when we unzipped the tent we discovered the beautiful red rocks and stunning canyons of Moab. It was time for the festivities to begin.
Rock Climbing in Moab
In the morning, we met up with a few of my friends to go rock climbing on Potash Road. There was a route called "Pocket Rocket" that, similar to its crude name, looked like it would bring along some fun experiences. After eating some oatmeal next to the railroad tracks that bordered the road, we stepped over a fence that led to a small trail into the canyon to make the approach to the base of the climb. I was in flip flops, my girlfriend in crocs. Two minutes into the approach, past the comically fake easter basket style of green grass, we saw the route for the first time. It looked like inverted bubbles decorating the red rock like vertical polka dots. Once we were able to reach the base we discovered that, after the overhanging roof and dicey first bolt, we could jug our way up through these bubbles and pockets. My friend Kyle led the route and established a top rope for me and my other friends to lap it. We spent a few hours at the base of the route eating snacks, laughing and reading books.
Thankfully, no other climbers came through hoping to attempt Pocket Rocket while we were there so we didn't feel too bad taking over to sunbathe and relax.
Falling asleep in the sun
At about 2pm, my five friends piled into their five seater car with all of their stuff from the weekend and returned to Boulder as my girlfriend and I remained for another day. Because of our work schedules, we had Sunday and Monday off instead of a traditional Saturday and Sunday so only overlapped one day with the rest of the crew. However, with everybody gone we could focus on the two remaining goals for the weekend. The rock climb was complete and now it was time to attempt a nap in the sun.
There was no discussion needed about where this nap would take place since we scored a rocking campsite at Hal Canyon Campground on our drive to meet up with our friends earlier in the morning. As I prepared for my nap, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and basking in the glory of the hot desert sun, I thought about my relationship to the outdoors and why this trip mattered to me.
So much of my life I believed that the outdoors was a place for adventure.
It was a stage for athletic achievements and bravado experiences of tackling big challenges.
In high school, I was searching for bigger waves and more gnarly surfing conditions. In college, I wanted to summit the highest peaks and run the steepest trails. As an adult, I have continuously strived for bigger goals - ski faster, run further, climb harder, look stronger. While there's a time and a place for those experiences to occur I think it's healthier to think of the outdoors like a gym. A gym welcomes all body types and all levels of expertise. Everybody from your grandpa to elite bodybuilders can go to the same gym and, in fact, do the same exercises. There may be a moment when that jacked frat guy is stretching his quads just like the suburban mom on the other side of the room. The outdoors is the same. Even though I've trained for multiple ultramarathons and had some wild experiences climbing and skiing in the mountains, I can also be happy sitting by the river and feeling the sun on my face.
Setting a different type of outdoor objective
The reason I set such non-physically challenging goals for this trip was to discover that relaxation that can come with being outside. I awoke from my nap hearing the birds chip in the tree above me and the brown noise of the river trying to soothe me back to sleep. I smelled the Oreos I had fallen asleep eating and felt the fresh desert air beginning to cool down as the sun dipped behind the canyon walls. I walked over to put on a sweatshirt and continued reading the surfing magazine I brought on the trip. I saw a colony of ants off to the side of the grass, going about business as usual - not caring if I was there or not. I made the big traverse across our campsite, about 50 feet, and returned to sitting upright in my camp chair. Boom - goal number two was complete.
Making the Perfect S’more
The final, and perhaps most exciting of all the challenges of the weekend, began after a couple of Vegan burgers were cooked on the camp stove. It was not my decision to eat dinner before s'mores but my girlfriend served to be the voice of reason which granted us some protein and fiber into our diet before diving into marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers. Plus, we could use the cardboard packaging as a fire-starter which helped bring the fire to life. After some readjustments and a few paper towels, the fire was sufficient enough for me to start making my sugar sandwich. Although I don't consider myself exceptionally gifted at one outdoor discipline, mostly because I enjoy all of them too much to get good enough at any one specific sport, I am an exceptional marshmallow roaster. I found a good stick, a perfect pocket of the fire that was hot but still didn't have too many flames, and twirled that mallow until it was golden brown. I gently placed the marshmallow on the graham crackers with two pieces of chocolate and put the third inside the marshmallow to melt it a bit. Then, I took a bite and the final objective of the weekend was complete. I ate a s'more.
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Roo is a commercial/documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Boulder, Colorado but travels all around the world for his filmmaking career. He has produced films for Outside Magazine in Ireland, camera operated for Netflix in the Rocky Mountain West, photographed among indigenous communities in Peru and Ecuador, directed videos with professional climbers in Mexico and has received notable recognition in his hometown of Orcas Island in Washington State for his work telling uplifting stories in the outdoor space.
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