Desert Climbing Choices

I'm headed home to Arizona in a week. It's been raining here in D.C. on and off for too long. Even though it's cold enough to snow, it won't. It's making the rock wet.

When I do land in the valley of the (J)sun(rich) stroke, I'm torn between three crag choices not in the state itself (although no place beats shirtless and slightly buzzed bouldering then AZ)


West: J-tree. It's gonna be cold there, hopefully not like last year when I went (34 deg)

East: Hueco. Even though I might still be able to get out there without permits, it's a drive, and I'm gonna just be angry as hell if I can only spend half a day instead of a whole day climbing since I didn't have the time to reserve a permit.

North: Vegas/Red Rocks via Flagstaff: At the moment my preferred option. It's my old stomping grounds, and though it's gonna be too cold and wet to boulder I can still wipe the ever-collecting dust off my snowboard, drink with my recently bar-legal younger brother, then a short drive over "the dam" to Red Rocks.

I only have a 3 day window, but I'm just so damn lucky to be in the desert southwest during the winter. Even though it's an abbreviated time that I have to climb, these choices are tough.

....But it's a great problem to have.