Red Rocks, Nevada

Red Rocks is an area near Las Vegas famous for its rock-climbing challenges. I attended the annual Red Rock Rendezvous, a gathering of climbing bums and outdoor equipment manufacturers.   One feature of the Rendezvous that I enjoyed was the screening of a number of movies made by climbers and daredevils.   Mostly these films were made by young guys who took extreme risks on the walls of Yosemite or at Baffin Bay.   I realized from watching such stunts that I might learn to rock-climb recreationally, but I would probably never be able to climb something like Half Dome or El Capitan.

During the trip I drove over to see Hoover Dam for the first time, and was impressed.   Photographs do not convey its sheer, overwhelming mass and height.