Well, amidst completing the 7 Summits, have a full time job at Red Sandstone Elementary School in Vail, being pregnant, raising our 7-1/2 month old daughter, and doing countless other climbs and adventures, Kristine managed to close out her multi-year graduate school endeavor and earn her Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder’s School of Education. To say it is a relief that the classes and papers is finally over is likely the understatement of the year, but it is just all so very impressive Kristine pulled this off with everything else going on in her life. However, I’m not surprised. Not one bit 🙂 Anyway, Ken & Dianne made the journey out to Colorado to see their granddaughter and watch Kristine walk and receive her diploma on a very rainy graduation Friday in Boulder.

The graduate!

Sawyer catching up on the program itinerary with Dianne

All the Masters and PhD candidates in the auditorium

Kristine receiving her diploma

Dianne and myself took turns hanging with Sawyer in the lobby during the 2 hour ceremony, but overall Sawyer did extremely well. Had only the weather been better we could have all enjoyed the outdoor reception, but we made the most of it inside with fun pictures of the graduates and family.

In the lobby

The graduate & Sawyer

The three of us

The Oelbergers

So proud of Kristine!

Sawyer was ready to go and the weather was only getting worse, so we all loaded up the Oelberger’s rental van and headed back up the hill in a torrential downpour for 2 hours. With the Oelbergers in town, obviously they want to spend time with their granddaughter, so the next day Kristine, Kona, Rainier, & myself headed west to Grand Junction and Colorado National Monument to do some climbing just the 4 of us like old times. The weather was horrible all over the state and even all around us in Fruita to the north and Escalante Canyon to the south, but somehow we escaped any precipitation in Monument Canyon all day long though we could see it in every direction. It was a good day.

Kristine on the lengthy 110′ 5.10a route called Wide Load

Close-up of Kristine jamming

Kristine in the offwidth portion of Wide Load

Me & the dogs

Stormy weather all around

Me leading the fun lieback 5.8+ route called Left Dihedral

Kristine honing her layback skills

Me at the chains after leading long 120′ Luhr’s Route (Right Dihedral), which goes at 5.9 or so

Kristine climbing the crux face climbing portion of Luhr’s Route in Monument Canyon

Good to be out together

The following day (Sunday) was Mother’s Day and we had an amazing brunch at the Wolcott Yacht Club. I had not eaten brunch there in 7-8 years, and boy was it awesome. I think we all wish we could go there every weekend for brunch.

At brunch

Outside the Yacht Club

One more of the Oelbergers

All in all, a great weekend celebrating Kristine both as a graduate and as a mother. A husband can’t be any more proud of his wife than myself!

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