This is the shorts, and you're listening to The Dirtback Diaries, a duct tape and beer

production.

With support from New Belgium Brewing, Kuat Racks, and Patagonia.

Maybe we'll find treasure.

My boyfriend, Jason, says it every time we're outdoors.

Only on this weekend, a weekend that started like any other.

We did find a kind of treasure.

It was Labor Day weekend in this year.

We derived the day before with the plan of heading for Mount Darwin, an ice climb deep within

the evolution range.

As we get up at the car that morning, I realized that in our usual flurry of last minute packing,

I'd brought the wrong boots.

I hadn't worn them recently, and my feet weren't tough into their stiffness.

I assured Jason that I'd be okay.

He gave me one of those skeptical, whatever you say looks, and we headed out.

Within hours, I had to stop continually to dress my blisters.

And we progressed at a snail's pace.

I realized I couldn't stop the inevitable.

Huffing a pack stuffed with climbing gear for three days in these boots?

I was going to make minced meat of my feet.

I was in pain, and with no million dollar prize waiting for me at the top of the mountain.

So I'll no reason to take it on the chin and endure.

...