Unexpected Detours

March 26, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized 

Theres a funny little story that happened just over three years ago in France when Gabe and I were doing our Euro-Bouldering Tour of 2004.  Our last stop on the tour was the holy grail of all bouldering, Fontainebleau.  I’ll leave descriptions of how insanely great the bouldering is there to another post, but if you boulder, and you haven’t been out there yet, then you’re missing out!

We met up with another group of climbers who knew Gabe, and we all rented a cottage for the week, situated in some little off-the-road farm about five kilometers north of Fontainebleau.  On one of our rest days, most of us wanted to make the hour-long drive up to Paris to sight-see.

So we left early in the morning in my rental car, and a hour later we found ourselves in Paris looking for a parking spot.  Think there’s a reason that those petite Smart cars are popular there?  We searched for a good half hour before giving up, coughing up the euros and parking in a garage.

After a good full day in Paris, we were ready to head back to the cottage.  We picked up our rental car and with me behind the wheel again, we drove on out of the city and for about ten kilometers, things were looking good.   The route was pretty simple.  Just take A6 southwards out of Paris, drive 100km, turn off at the Fontainebleau exit and make our way home.   No problem.

Until we saw the first sign ahead indicating that A6 was closed.

And that was it.  Just a sign saying A6 was closed, and to exit immediately.  I found myself at an dark T-intersection in some small town, steering wheel in hand and no idea where to go.  And there were NO detour signs.

I dont know if its how the French operate, or if it was some emergency closure, but where were the detour signs? I had no idea where to go, to get back on A6, further ahead.  I turned to look at my passengers, who all shrugged.  Who knows?  Annnd, the road map that the rental company so kindly gave me only covered Paris itself.  We traced cities that we’d passed on A6 downwards till we ran out of map.  The map was useless.

I looked both ways and made a left.

We drove on for a couple kilometers, before hitting some town.  I made a right on their main street, figuring we’d be going parallel with A6.    We left the town behind and kept on driving…  ten, twenty minutes in complete darkness.  At that time I had no idea if we were anywhere close to A6 or if we were heading for the Atlantic ocean for all we knew.

We approached another town, and after a few more kilometers of driving, one of the passengers told me he’d get out and try to get directions.  I nodded and turned my attention back to the road and right at that very second, a large road sign with the letters A6 and a helpful arrow emerged from the darkness.  The car erupted with cheering from everyone inside and I quickly scooted the car back on A6 and we were back on our way to Fontainebleau.

I’ve been drawing on analogies a lot while working my way through this broken foot ordeal.  I look back at times when things seemed lost, or hopeless, and how sometimes things just happen when you don’t expect it.

I left Minneapolis on January 10th of this year.  I went on this amazing 3,500 mile road trip where I saw many amazing sights, friends and family.  I rolled into Bishop one cold morning after ten days of driving, to make a home for a while, to climb, to do photography.  The next two months in Bishop were nothing short of awesome.  I met so many people climbing, I took so many photographs and have had so much to reflect on.

The next part of this journey, some time next year - was to eventually head to San Francisco where I’d start a new life and make new friends in a new city.

But to use the analogy, A6 has been closed.  I need to take a unexpected detour.  Today, I gave my landlord notice that I’d be moving out at the end of April. I don’t know where I’m going to go.  I can go back to Minnesota and recover, then head to SF later this year.  Or I can head to SF right now.   Still figuring out my options.

But one thing’s for certain.. the route changed.  We will see where it takes me.

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