Jared Campbell's Blog

We’ve reached the end of another fabulous trip in the Red River Gorge (RRG), located in the heart of Kentucky.  When telling non-climbers that I’m going to Kentucky for rock-climbing the looks I get back are always quizzical at best.  Mindy and I have each been all over the world climbing, and after another incredibly successful trip here we’re convinced that it has some of the best sport climbing in the world and is one of the most all-around fun places to compile a group of great friends for a week.

This place is magical to us.  It was in the Red just two years ago that the sparks started to fly between us, which ultimately lead to me asking her to marry me three weeks ago.  The climbing is fabulous and not having much fitness has made it that much more challenging, and quite comical as well.  And, the running, OMG the running, is so incredibly good.  About an hour ago I finished a completely dreamy run on the Sheltowee Trace, a 278 mile run through the entire state, that at some point I will return and run it in its entirety.  The Fall colors are jaw-droppingly beautiful and the running is always up or down, very little flat.  We’re very close to an area called the “Natural Bridges State Park” which is killer!  I could run here every day and be happy.

Our group has been so much fun: Brendan “The Glide” Perkins, Mindy, myself, Jed “Little” Hill, Trent “TBD” Baker, Noah Bigwood, Kris Dockstaeder, Jeff Pederson, and Nancy Feagin made up an incredibly strong and motivated group from SLC.

We lucked out with near-perfect weather for 5 days straight which allowed us to adequately thrash our fingertips, smiling the entire time.  We intend to make this an annual or at least bi-annual event given how much fun we’ve had.

A few pics here