Wagon Caves

You're probably getting tired of my rock climbing posts, but that's too bad because they're really fun for me to do. Plus the boys love to see themselves climbing. So last month we went to one of our favorite places to climb; it's about an hour north of us, near Fort Hunter Liggett, and it's called Wagon Caves. The above rock is called Mavericks (see how it looks like a wave?), and it's the hardest climb we've done. No one we know is able to do it, not even our friend who writes in rock climbing books, but everyone wanted to try it.

The thing that makes it so hard is that it has an overhang, so the rope is constantly pulling you away from the rock. The moment you let go even the tiniest bit...

You swing away and have to start all over. On one hand, it's frustrating to lose the climb. On the other hand, it's a really fun swing!

Dave got the farthest up the rock, but I didn't get any pictures because I was the one belaying him.

Then we moved over to the main rock. We went to a place a little further down from the last time we went here. That was Memorial Day, and it was SO HOT there that day. This is a much better time to go!

What we especially love about this place is that it's sandstone and really easy to grip. Plus there are tons of great holes in the rock for handholds and footholds. There's a wide range of difficulty, so it's good for everyone.

Chloe especially loved the creek crossings on the way there and back. We opened up the windows and yelled and got a little wet. So fun!

The younger kids did a great job entertaining themselves. Levi took his LeapPad, and it cracked us up when he asked us, "Is there any wifi?" in his cute little Levi accent, literally in the middle of nowhere. Levi didn't want to climb, which was totally fine. 

I was tempted to stay home with Levi and Chloe, but Dave and the big kids talked me into going with them because apparently it's more fun when I go. Plus I help belay and take pictures. 

 It actually got a little chilly! I had to steal Dave's shirt.

                                                                Classic Tyler face!

Heading back. There's so much gear that everyone has to help carry.  

A little scramble. It seems like most rock climbing places we go to have tricky little hikes to get there. They're never, like, right next to a parking lot. At least it wasn't hot this time!

This is almost back at the car. To the right of this is the actual wagon cave. It's where the Salinan Indians lived (you can see the holes in the rock where they ground their flour) and later on where the Spaniards parked their wagons when traveling to the coast (you can see where they hung their tackle). There was a bit of a scare when we first arrived and a ranger-looking man approached us and said the Native Americans don't want people to rock climb there. We were friendly with him and explained we wouldn't be doing any lead climbing or adding any bolts to the rock, just top roping with anchors that were already there. We also told him our children were very respectful and wouldn't damage the rock in any way. He warmed up and asked us if we wanted a tour of the wagon cave. Apparently he was an archaeologist. He showed us all around and explained the history, which turned out to be quite fascinating. Shwew!

Such a fun, beautiful day!