Monday, August 13, 2012

Weekend Report: Climbing Great Falls and Brothers of the Sun Concert


On Saturday my climbing friends and I headed to Great Falls (the Virginia side) for a day on the rocks.

After much time at the indoor gym (I haven’t been outside climbing since our camping trip back in May), Saturday was an excellent return to the great outdoors. Great Falls is very close to DC, and absolutely beautiful. The rock cliffs go right down into the Potomac River, and between climbers, hikers, and whitewater kayakers, there’s a whole lot of outdoorsy-ness concentrated in one area.

(This isn't us, but it COULD be.)
We set up a few ropes (i.e.  I observed my friends who know what they’re doing set up ropes…my main contribution to the excursion, per usual, was the pleasure of my company and a Tupperware full of cookies) and started climbing.

Five hours later my hands felt like they’d been sandpapered,  my knees bombarded by baseballs, and my shoulders had gone through an intense weight-lifting session – basically how a person should feel after rock climbing. I returned home exhausted, collapsed on the couch, and watched Olympics like the champion that I am.

Sunday I awoke refreshed and went for a long-ish bike ride up through Rock Creek Park, listening to my favorite country music mixes in preparation for my afternoon. I know most people don't like country music, but I grew up listening to it in the car with my mama, and then it was a major part of all my ski racing experiences (high school and college)...plus I just love singing along.


My college friend Nikki and I bought tickets to see Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw (Brothers of the Sun Tour) a while back, but sadly last week she found herself unable to go. That left me scrambling to turn up a country music fan who was actually in DC this weekend.

On Friday night I looked at LORT-Emily’s friend Liz. Sooo, do you happen to like country music? Yes! I mean like Kenny Chesney kind of country music? Yes! Ummm are you busy Sunday??? DONE. I had country-loving company and it was so much fun!


The concert was literally 6 hours long, and as at all country concerts, the people watching was hilarious (the dancing shirtless cowboy who made friends with everyone, many many under-clothed and over-tattooed people, and of course the southern frat-tastic contingent surrounding us). Only at country concerts and the Olympics do people randomly start chanting USA! USA! USA! (And coincidentally those are two of my favorite things...)

I won’t bore you with too many details, but openers were Jake Owen (Barefoot Blue Jean Night) and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (I've actually had never heard of them).


And then it was like two full concerts of ALL my favorite songs. (Set list here if you care.) Or you can just listen to Just to See You Smile and How Bad Do You Want It and Something Like That (BBQ Stain) by Tim McGraw, and I Go Back, Never Wanted Nothing More, and You and Tequila by Kenny Chesney.


It was A-mazing. Hope you had a good weekend too!