With some new upgrades and having a much too long winter this year, it was time to hit the road and do some climbing in the Boondocker demo van. We were excited to get it out on the road again with the graphics and new features.
First stop on our list was, as it many times is, Bishop California. We did some hiking and biking around the Bishop area, thoroughly enjoying the ease of storing the bikes in the van. And with the wind in the Bishop area while we were there, it was hard to beat having the cushy interior to lounge about after a long ride or hike.
Boondocker in the Buttermilk Country
Boondocker in the Buttermilk Country
After some cardio workouts in Bishop, we headed down to Los Angeles to visit with friends and show the van off. One of the best things about the Mercedes/Dodge Sprinter van is it’s friendly street manners. Even driving on crowded Santa Monica streets is no problem – you almost feel like a regular compact car.
Finally it was time to hit the rocks. Vegas was next in order. Climbing in the Vegas area is incredible. The first two days we spent in Black Velvet Canyon in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It’s fantastic to be able to climb in 70° temps in the canyons while Vegas roasts at over 100°!
Boondocker camped in Lovell Canyon outside Pahrump/Las Vegas
After doing some multi-pitch, it was up to Mt. Charleston, just north of Las Vegas. At over 8,000′ elevation, it’s always nice and cool up there. It’s an absolutely breathtaking area, with tall limestone walls and pine trees everywhere. Honestly, one of the most beautiful climbing areas anywhere, in our opinion! While a bit “manufactured”, the climbing is fantastic. Super athletic and difficult, it was nice to be able to spend some quality time here and actually send some routes.
Dave climbing Straight Outta' Compton, 5.13a at Mt. Charleston, Nevada
Boondocker camped at Mt. Charleston, Nevada
After Mt. Charleston, it was off to Maple Canyon Utah, always fun climbing. On the way, we cruised through Zion National Park. Zion never fails to impress – one of these days we’ll have to make a trip specifically to do some canyoneering and climbing there!
Boondocker in Zion National Park
Boondocker in Zion National Park
Five days of luxurious camping and climbing in Maple Canyon yielded us some good, fun sends, but no pictures. I guess the familiarity and fun of Maple Canyon had us focused on the climbing and not sharing the Craftsman Vans experience through the camera and our blog! One of the highlights of Maple Canyon, however, was the unexpected 10 or 15 people that showed up in our camp to check out the Boondocker van. We’re used to giving tours of the van to a couple people, but 15 people at once was fun!
Until the next trip…